2017 fall messenger

THE MESSENGER | FALL 2017

SCRIPTURAL PRINCIPLES ADDRESSING MUSIC

S

everal months ago, we wrote a brief assessment of worship music in missions. Today, the goal is to rivet that discussion to specific principles from the Word of God. These principles apply to any believer, in any place, who is seeking to live for Christ.

First, God has given music to His redeemed for the purpose of praising His name. It is not about us—not for our pleasure or entertainment. Examine these sample texts: Judges 5:3; 2 Samuel 22:50; 2 Chronicles 20:21-22; Psalm 7:17; 21:13; 40:1-3; 47:6-7; 66:1-2; 98:4-6; 104:33. There are many references throughout the Word of using song to praise the Lord. Eternity will be filled with the music of the redeemed, sung for the glory of the Redeemer (Revelation 5:9; 14:3; 15:3).

Second, God has given us the injunction, “love not the world, neither the things that are in the world” for the protection of His purity (1 John 2:15). How strong my attachments are to the world and its “things!” What better fits the label of “worldly things” than the “noise” that permeates our culture and our lives? No thinking person can say that the world borrowed its sound from the church. We will each make mistakes in discernment from time to time, but we must err in favor of godliness, moving toward Christlikeness and away from worldliness (Colossians 3:1-3).

Third, God has equipped us to function as His “peculiar people” (I Peter 2:9).

The distinctiveness of our lives in Christ stands in stark contrast to that which we were before salvation (2 Corinthians 5:17; Colossians 3:7-15; 1 Peter 2:5-10; Titus 2:11-15). There are no injunctions in the Word for us to be like the world so that we may blend in with them. The Lord makes this wonderfully simple in using these three contrasts: salt (healing in the midst of corruption) and light (holiness in the midst of darkness), along with the new song (joy in the midst of defeat). The believer is commanded in these texts to be an influence and to have a clear testimony—to have an impact on the lost world around him because he is living out the difference that only Christ can make in a life.

1 Peter 1:14-15 admonishes, “As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation.”

Fourth, God’s sovereign will is so very important that I must be properly pleasing Him, not myself. Being centered on self is never the proper focus for a believer. The Christian life is about identification with Christ and consequently self-denial (Matthew 16:24). The world’s music can be very satisfying to my flesh and easy to enjoy; rhythm by its very nature is physical language. My flesh, if it remains desensitized spiritually, will enjoy this form of communication. But proper discernment is not a matter of choosing between my likes and dislikes. Even the most mature Christian

has a fleshly nature and is bent toward appetites and inclinations that are not spiritual (Romans 7:14-25; 13:14). It is no longer about me, but entirely about Christ. Music that is primarily physical in its presentation may no longer belong in my life (Galatians 2:20). It should concern me if the music I loved before I was saved has been brought into the church and wedded to scriptural lyrics under the banner of “worship.” Before my lifetime, such a union was never considered appropriate for a church seeking to please God. Fifth, I must learn to practice His presence. God is always with me (Psalm 139:7-12), even when wearing headphones. “Practice His presence” was an old admonition among Puritans when parting. Because we cannot see the Holy Spirit, we often forget He is there. Wherever we go, whatever we see, whatever we listen to, He shares in all these things. Our whole lives would radically change if the Lord Jesus Christ were physically present at our side throughout the day. Anything that I would be ashamed of in His presence, I must be ashamed of now because He is present and because one day I will stand before Him and give an account (2 Corinthians 5:10-11).

There are many other scriptural principles that could be cited; we have selected but five. May the Lord enable each of us to submit to His Word’s authority over our choices for His glory!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rev. Steve Anderson is BWM’s Field Administrator for Africa, UK, Ireland, Middle East and Furlough Replacement.

HIGHLIGHTS

FROM THE HIGHWAYS & HEDGES

NORTH AMERICA — CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES

Hidden in Plain Sight

BY DR. DAVID CANEDY Have you ever been searching for something, only to find that it was right before your eyes all along—sort of “hidden in plain sight”? I believe this is also true about missions. So often our minds go to the far reaches of the earth, when there are many souls to be saved right here at home. We walk past lost souls “hidden in plain sight” every day. Whatever one may think of the politics, the world is coming to North America. This reality presents new mission fields right before our very eyes. In the great countries of the United States and Canada, precious souls are lost and are in need of someone to tell them of the love of Christ and win them for Him. It is a joy to share some highlights of several of our North American missionaries. I pray the Lord will open our eyes to the great need in the United States and Canada!

Dr. Canedy serves as the Field Administrator for United States and Canada.

Bronx, New York Ben and Andrea Hamilton recently moved to the Bronx in New York to begin Emmaus Road Baptist Church. They shared this blessing on their early efforts: “Three weeks ago, one of the gentlemen with whom I was holding a Bible study trusted Christ as His Savior! He and his family are even driving 45 minutes down to Brooklyn for Sunday services, since I do not yet offer those services! We are thrilled to see God working in his life!” The Hamiltons have served with BWM since 2013.

Quebec, Canada Steve and Brenda Faucette shared this recent blessing. “What a joy to share with you that a young man received Christ this past Monday! I will call him ‘D.’ His wife (‘L’) visited our Sunday morning service about a month ago after having found our website and receiving a blessing from listening to several sermons posted there. After the second Sunday of visiting our morning service, ‘L’ consented to our request to visit her and her husband that Friday evening. ‘D’ admitted to us that due to a huge disappointment in his life recently, he didn’t know whether he even believed in God any more. The Lord guided the

conversation, allowing me to answer many of his questions and to urge him to come to church with his wife.

‘D’ and ‘L’ showed up that Sunday morning with their three little children and returned again the next Sunday. ‘D’ requested a meeting with me on Monday, during which, he said that he had come to the realization that although he had considered himself a Christian, he really did not know Christ personally. What a joy it was to lead him to Christ and see a new understanding of spiritual things blossom in his heart. Please keep praying for ‘D’ and his family.” The Faucettes have served with BWM since 2007.

British Columbia, Canada Darren and Elizabeth Hammermeister were recently encouraged by an unusual experience Darren encountered as he was walking down the street. “Last Sunday, we welcomed three visitors in the morning service. Two of these were a husband and wife who recently moved from Sri Lanka. Darren met them on Saturday as they were walking along the sidewalk.

He noticed, after giving them a brochure, that they were following coordinates on their phone. The following day, they told Darren that they had been trying to find a church within walking distance from their apartment! Another lady, an

unmarried mother of two, joined us for the service after noticing our church banner from the street.” This appears to be fruit that was “hidden in plain sight.” The Hammermeisters have served with BWM since 2002.

Nova Scotia, Canada Jeff and Jayne Reason have served in Nova Scotia, Canada, for over 30 years. Their current ministry at Forest Glen Bible Camp impacts hundreds of lives and numerous churches throughout the Maritimes. (One of our very own BWM missionaries was influenced for Christ under this camp ministry many years ago—Greg and Amanda Little, from Nova Scotia, are currently serving the Lord in St. Lucia.) Jeff tells of the hidden blessings of camp work.

“During our weeks of camp, several young people received Christ as Savior, and other believers made decisions to obey God. One junior camper was bullying his cabin mates all week. On the day he accepted the Lord, he was a changed boy. After evening cabin devotions, he went around to each camper’s bunk and asked, ‘Are you saved? Are you saved?’ Another camper prayed these words, ‘I don’t want to give you half of my life. I want to give you all of my life.’ What a great challenge to all of us!” The Reasons have served with BWM since 1997.

MISSION MATTERS Confused about the Call of God?

BY DR. BUD STEADMAN

S

ometimes it is easy to get confused and have that confusion misdirect our actions.

In the mid-1960s FBI director J. Edgar Hoover was reading a typed copy of a letter he had just dictated to his secretary.

He didn’t like the way she had formatted the letter, so he wrote on the bottom, “watch the borders” and asked her to retype it. The secretary did as she was instructed and sent it off to all the top agents. For the next two weeks, FBI agents were put on special alert along the Mexican and Canadian borders. She had typed “watch the borders” across the bottom of each letter. Confusion misdirected action.

We are living in a day of spiritual confusion. From salvation to sanctification to service, believers are often in a quandary as to what the Word of God teaches practically. Such confusion is commonly rooted in ignorance of the Scriptures or in a perversion of teaching based on a faulty

interpretive method. Relating to missions, this lack of clarity reveals itself in a discussion of the nature and methodology of the vocational missionary call from God. The phrase “vocational call” refers to God calling individuals into fulltime vocational missions. Most church members have heard some well-meaning speaker state, “After all, we are all missionaries.” Confusion misdirects action.

All believers have been commanded to be involved in His Great Commission.

God has placed each of us strategically in our geographic location in order that we might shine forth the light of His Gospel. We are all to be witnesses, but we are not all missionaries in the sense in which we commonly use the word. We must understand that there is a biblical difference between being a witness and having a full-time vocational call to missions.

Confusion exists on the part of some Christian leaders who have denied or minimized the existence of a vocational call from God to ministry. Gary Friesen, in Decision Making and the Will of God, argues that the Holy Spirit does not give direct guidance through His working in the heart of the believer about what he calls “nonmoral” decisions. By such, Friesen means anything that is not specifically addressed in Scripture, such as which person to marry, where to live, which job to take and whether to enter the ministry or become a cross-cultural missionary. He advocates human logic for

CHRISTMAS GIFTS The safest way to send monetary gifts to missionaries is through the BWM home office. Donations marked as “Christmas gift” are non-taxable to the missionary but are not tax-deductible for the donor. BWM will issue a receipt for Christmas gifts—but not a tax receipt. Donors who wish to send tax-deductible gifts should designate their gift as “missionary name—additional support.” Christmas gifts should be received by BWM no later than November 30 to ensure the missionaries receive them by Christmas.

these decisions, as opposed to finding the will of God. Despite contemporary confusion and even outright attack by some on the concept of a full-time vocational call to ministry, men of God throughout church history have magnified the importance of such a call. W.H. Griffith Thomas observed, “This is the divine call, and it is the foundation of all else.” Martin Lloyd-Jones stated powerfully, “Nothing but this overwhelming sense of being called and of compulsion should ever lead anyone to preach.” The great preacher and scholar John Broadus once said, “The preacher should be a person with a call from God. Ministers are called as professionals, but they should never be persons with just a ‘profession.’” C.H. Spurgeon said, “It is a fearful calamity to a man to miss his calling.” G. Campbell Morgan believed, “The only men who can really enter this ministry are those whom the Lord chooses, calls, and equips, by the bestowment of gifts according to the wisdom of His will.”

We need not be confused, because God has given us His Word to guide us in such matters—yes, there is such a thing as a call from God to full-time vocational missions. In the next edition of The Messenger, we will further discuss the nature of a biblical call and look at the example of the first two missionaries (Paul and Barnabas) and how God communicated to them His will concerning the great work of missions.

ITINERARIES

READY TO GO!

Steve Anderson

Pat Delaney

August 27-November 25

October 1

Furlough Replacement, Asia

Kevin Brosnan

Maranatha Baptist Church, Flint, MI (AM) Faith Baptist Church, Davison, MI (PM)

October 15

October 4

Calvary Baptist Church, Sparta WI (AM) Faith Baptist Church, La Cross, WI (PM)

Community Baptist Church, Davison, MI

November 3-20

October 15 The Baptist Church of Hadley, Hadley, MI

Administrative Trip Albania, Hungary, Italy

November 5-8

David Canedy

November 27-December 15

October 2-6 Bob Jones University, Greenville, SC

October 8 Falls Baptist Church, Menomonee Falls, WI (PM)

October 11 Teen Conference, Menomonee Falls, WI

October 18-22 Ann Arbor Baptist Church, Ann Arbor, MI

October 23-25 Appalachian Bible College, Mount Hope, WV

Catawba Springs Christian Church, Apex, NC Administrative Trip Myanmar, Thailand, Hong Kong

Mike Martin Kingsway Baptist Church, Lake Wylie, SC

October 8 Loami Baptist Church, Loami, IL

October 21-22 Calvary Independent Baptist Church, Huntingdon, PA

November 15 Lifespring Baptist Church, Springdale, AR

Bud Steadman

Westside Baptist Church, Greeley, CO

November 5-8 Round-Robin Missions Conference: Fairway Baptist Church, Haywood, CA Hamilton Square Baptist Church, San Francisco, CA Manor Baptist Church, San Leandro, CA

These missionaries have almost reached 100% support and are nearly READY TO GO! They are preparing to go to the field.

Branden and Laura Bowen (Madagascar) 86%

September 24 Faith Baptist Church, Taylors, SC

GONE

October 1-3 Grace Baptist Church, Plymouth, NH

October 13-15 Brentwood Baptist Church, Des Plaines, IL

Steve and Brandie McKinley (Ireland) are fully supported and left for the field on June 27, 2017.

October 18-22 Faith Baptist Church, Water Valley, MS Ambassador Baptist College, Lattimore, NC

FOLLOW BWM

November 3-4 The Wilds Christian Camp, Brevard, NC

November 5-8 Calvary Bible Church, Wilkes-Barre, PA

October 29

College Park Baptist Church Retreat at Anchorage Bible Camp, Lake Waccamaw, NC Ambassador Baptist College, Lattimore, NC

Vacaville Bible Church, Vacaville, CA

October 31-November 3

October 4

October 27-29

October 30-November 3

November 12

*All BWM administrators will attend the Annual Meeting October 9-11.

Schedule an administrator or director at your church!

BWM administrators and directors offer a wonderful blend of passionate preaching and current field experiences. Please contact the mission if you would like to schedule any of these men for your next conference. Call (256) 353-2221.

This publication is available at baptistworldmission.org.

Canada Office PO Box 51 Milton ON L9T 2Y3 Phone (905) 876-9936 bwmission@bellnet.ca

Phone (256) 353-2221 office@baptistworldmission.org PO Box 2149 Decatur, AL 35602 Nonprofit Organization US Postage PAID Permit# 259