7/13/14 YEAR OF EQUIPPING TO SERVE

God’s Victory When All Looks Bad

    When the outlook is bad, when the enemy is strong, when there seems to be no hope, what should Christians do?  Give up?
Chinese Church Growth Based on Prayer
    In 1949, George Roy and Elizabeth Wood, an American missionary couple serving in northwest China and Tibet, were forced to leave the area. A local leader named Pastor Mung took over the church of 200 people. The Woods returned to America and by 1985 both of them had passed away without ever knowing what had happened to the church they started.
    In 1988 the Wood’s son, George, returned to China and met with Pastor Mung and his wife, who were now in their 80’s. For 28 years the Communist government had done their best to extinguish the church. Pastor Mung wasn’t allowed to preach and he spent nine of those years in prison for his faith. It was illegal to baptize or “indoctrinate” anyone under 18. When the government finally allowed Pastor Mung to reopen the church in 1983 there were only 30 (mostly older) people in attendance.
    Assuming that the church was on its last leg, George Wood asked, “Pastor Mung, how many believers do you have today?” Pastor Mung’s wife brought them a cardboard roll held together by yarn. The first page was filled with writing—five columns: name, age, gender, address, occupation. There were around 20 names. George Wood continued turning over page after page with the names of the baptized. Finally he asked the Mungs, “How many believers do you have now?” He said, “One thousand five hundred baptized believers.” In disbelief George Wood asked, “How did this happen?”
    Pastor Mung smiled as he shared his secret for church growth. It wasn’t a technique or a program. He simply said, “Oh! Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. And we pray a lot!” Then he went on to describe what the Lord had done.
    Pastor Mung died in 2006 at the age of 96. But when he passed, the number of baptized believers stood at over 15,000!
Adapted from Dr. George Wood, The Assemblies of God Minister's Newsletter (January 2012)
    This is impossible.  This can’t happen.  It doesn’t make sense that in a communist nation one church could grow to 15,000.  It is impossible, except for God.
    Last week we looked at a man of the Spirit named Stephen.  He became the first Christian martyr.  One of the witnessed cheering on Stephen’s death was a young man named Saul.  Let’s pick up the story.
Acts 8:1-3 NIV
1 And Saul was there, giving approval to his death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.
NKJV  3 As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.
    Here we see the beginning of a great persecution of believers in Jesus. Saul appears to be the leader of this widespread and severe persecution. It was intense and many were put in prison and beaten. This resulted in the deaths of many.
    God does amazing things.  He used the persecution to launch the missionary outreach to the world. This persecution was the beginning of the fulfillment of the Great Commission.  Through the power of the Holy Spirit, believers became bold for the Lord.
Acts 8:4 NKJV
4 Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.
    What happened?  This dispersion of believers caused the message to be spread all over.  So, the message of salvation through Jesus went all over the known world. Acts 8:5-8 NKJV
5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. 6 And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. 7 For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. 8 And there was great joy in that city.
    This city was turned upside down.  The city was impacted and many changes happened.  It was through the power of the Holy Spirit anointing and empowering that Philip was able to preach.  God will use submissive and willing believers.  Many believed and were baptized.  They made a public confession of their faith in Jesus.  God gave them a spiritual breakthrough.
Acts 8:14-17 NKJV
14 Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, 15 who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. 16 For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
    These believers received the power of, the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Being filled with the Holy Spirit is one of the keys to spiritual power and victory.  We must seek to receive and remain full of the Holy Spirit.
    The battle is strong.  The battle is mean.  Satan is the accuser and intimidator.  We must rest in God’s power and stand up against evil.  God gives us His victory when it all looks bad.
Satan’s Four Fiery Darts
    In his book By Grace Alone, Sinclair Ferguson identifies four major “fiery darts” Satan uses to unsettle believers and rob them of their assurance and peace in the gospel:
    Fiery Dart 1: “God is against you,” Satan says. “He is not really for you. How can you believe he is for you when you see the things that are happening in your life?”
    Fiery Dart 2: “I have accusations I will bring against you because of your sins,” Satan argues. “What can you say in defense? Nothing.”
    Fiery Dart 3: “You can say you are forgiven, but there is a payback day coming—a condemnation day,” Satan insinuates. “How will you defend yourself then?”
    Fiery Dart 4: “Given your track record, what hope is there that you will persevere to the end?” Satan asks.
Sinclair Ferguson, By Grace Alone (Reformation Trust, 2010), p. 68
    Persecution started early in the history of the church.  It is still strong around the world.  We are seeing it more and more in our country.  There are many who hate Jesus and all He stands for.  Therefore, they hate those who follow Jesus.
Discussion
What did the early church do when they were persecuted and scattered to many places?
How did Philip have such powerful results when he went to Samaria?
The church in this chapter didn’t have any gimmicks or fancy programs to attract people.  They were living in “The strong sense of the power and presence of God.”  This is what we see in these stories.  How does the church achieve that?
    The strong sense of the power and presence of God is what we need, it is what New Richmond and Western Wisconsin desperately need.
PRAYER
Lord, fill me with your Spirit.