The sermon on Sunday March 30 introduced practice #4 of our five part series on the “Five Practices of Fruitful Living” During this season of Lent, we are following the companion devotional guide by Robert Schanase entitled in “Forty Days of Fruitful Living.” The sermons introduce the week’s topic, and we discuss and study these topics during our small group meetings that week.
Risk Taking Mission and Service
Joy Phillips at PUMC on 3/30/14
This week’s “practice of fruitful living” was presented by guest speaker Joy Phillips who is a missionary in Africa. Her sermon may not have been specifically about the material in our devotionals, but her life’s story provides a vivid picture of “Risk Taking Mission” in action.
For 21 years, Joy was a missionary in Kenya Africa, working in the Tenwick hospital. Seven years ago, she felt the call to South Sudan, and has been the director of World Gospel Mission’s “Mango Ministry” since that time.
If you wanted to put yourself out of your comfort zone… or even Safety Zone, South Sudan would be a good place to go. The country has been undergoing civil war for the past 50 years. Armed soldiers in “technicals” (pickup trucks with mounted machine guns) armed with AK-47 rifles routinely rumble through the streets exacting revenge on their enemies. And if that’s not enough to stretch your comfort zone, the temperature frequently soars to over 100 degrees.
– Bud Pierce (founder of Samaritan’s Purse)
Joy’s message was based on Matthew 9:35-37, and it was entitled “Brokenhearted.” God breaks our heart to hear His voice and to motivate us to compassion and service. We hear the voice of God when we see people who are “helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matt.9:36).
To Joy, the real “war” in South Sudan doesn’t have anything to do with “technicals” or tribes or armed vigilantes. The war is poverty, hunger, and illness. The war is fought on the battlegrounds of hearts that don’t know Jesus. The “war” deals with the “things that break God’s heart.”
He, and his wife and two daughters managed to escape his home country and cross over the boarder into South Sudan. On foot.
He is now living out his call and passion by sharing his faith and teaching others how to teach the Bible to others. He saw the things that broke God’s heart, and his heart was also broken. He answered God’s call and took the risk to share and teach the Gospel.
What breaks Your Heart???
Joy related how she is now deeply concerned about the people in the “10-40 Window“; the region of the world between Africa and the far East that lies between the 10 and 40 degree north latitude lines. This includes places like Turkey, Greece, and “Asia Minor”… places in the book of Acts where Paul preached. Places where our faith was birthed. Less than 1% of the people in these countries- the people who were among the early church- are now Christian. This region is among the poorest in the world. And, it also has the lowest concentration of missionaries of anywhere in the world.
The rejection of Christ is something that “breaks the heart of God”. Preaching the Gospel in the Muslim world is “risky business.” But could God be calling Joy to mission in this area of the world?
And what about us? What breaks our heart? Where might God be leading you???
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Read more about Joy’s ministry, check out her Blog: Journey with Joy
You can also learn more by viewing her page on our website: Joy Phillips
Click Here to learn more about this sermon series.
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Check out more about the violence in South Sudan by watching the following video. There are many things in this video that must break God’s heart… how might you be motivated to help in the “risky business” of service and mission?
