It’s not for you to know time and people which the Father has fixed by his own authority.
He said in the famous verse that,
Acts 1:8
“But ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
Again thanks for allowing me to share with you this Sunday, as I’ve said I’ve been with Chinese Christian Mission since the beginning last year.
The ministry and passion for the Chinese Christian Ministry has something very dear to my heart for over 30 years. In fact, I myself came to Christ in mid 60’s when I was in high school, reading the Chinese magazine called “Chinese Today” which hasn’t been changed much the last 30 to 40 years. It’s the most popular Chinese Christian monthly magazine with a very wide leadership around the world. But in recent year our English counterparts we call “The Challengers”, this magazine, has also evolved into a direct a sort of (type of) quarterly magazine. And we intend to feature articles aim to educate English readers in the areas of Feng Shui and other eastern new age facts and the like. Giving them a more biblical perspective from Asian Christian stand point, so hopefully, they will be drawn away from them and be brought back to the Bible. So I urge you to share this magazine to your friends and colleagues or your classmates whether they are white, brown, or black.
In this 21st century, I believe that God has given you the English speaking, majority of you are Chinese Christians, a very special place, a very strategic role in His kingdom. And there is something I want to share to you this morning.
When I say in the 21st century, so what is so special about this typical century? Have you ever paused and thought about it?
You need it because it’s God’s will that we as Christians should know and understand our time as the people of Issachar, in the Old Testament time. In 1st Chronicle 12:32
“The man who understood the times and knew what Israel should do. 200 heads(leaders) in all.”
You see these leaders of this particular tribe were praised by God because they didn’t simply join in like the other tribes to support David. It is family uniting in kingdom. But they knew and understood the times and the result of which, they made a conscious intentional choice that is joining David in his quest to unite these nations.
Now today as we consider the great commission, we need to know how time as well. That is to see the movements of the hands of God so that we may know what to do and know how to partner with the Holy Spirit, joining God in His great purpose and plan for this generation.
So let me ask you again, what’s so special about this particular 21st century? I’ll be a little more specific. What has been the most spectacular development in human history say in the last hundred years? Well, the unprecedented advancement in all kinds of technology obviously comes to mind and at once. The computer age, the information age, the space age, the cyber age, etc. A term they use to capture this amazing phenomenon.
However most people have often looked and know the amazing phenomenon that has occurred in the last 100 years.
And I’m referring to <the mass migration of people>
Unprecedented mass migration of people. Now think, Chinese for example. Because of the communist takeover in 1949, millions of Chinese have fled or moved to the other parts of the world. And I called to leading Chinese scholars. We might have over a hundred million right now of Chinese living overseas. Now in the States(America) we know for a fact that we have close with 3 million people of Chinese origins. In the earlier days people like my grandpa have migrated in United States about hundred years ago from southern China. Now they were many working classes who would dream of a better life. And at that time the number of birth law, it was about in 1950, statistics says that only of a 150,000 people declared their origin as Chinese in the US. And in any case the descendants are now grown to about 750,0000 people and I’m referring to what we call the ABC’s.
And I’m referring to <the mass migration of people>
Unprecedented mass migration of people. Now think, Chinese for example. Because of the communist takeover in 1949, millions of Chinese have fled or moved to the other parts of the world. And I called to leading Chinese scholars. We might have over a hundred million right now of Chinese living overseas. Now in the States(America) we know for a fact that we have close with 3 million people of Chinese origins. In the earlier days people like my grandpa have migrated in United States about hundred years ago from southern China. Now they were many working classes who would dream of a better life. And at that time the number of birth law, it was about in 1950, statistics says that only of a 150,000 people declared their origin as Chinese in the US. And in any case the descendants are now grown to about 750,0000 people and I’m referring to what we call the ABC’s.
Now these ABC’s are not only their descendants but the defendant of those college or university students who came to the state in the mid-50s and 60s. Now many of these are now very influential business man, professionals, and scientist. And I myself know further few being this of university leading scientist in NASA and clinic sections and a lot of corporations too. Then over billion Chinese have immigrated in the last decade due to economic reason either from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and more also from China and so there are more to do in ground in general.
Now all these have adopt to total of roughly 3 million (Chinese origin) people according to 2000 government statistics. People move that we can feel we can touch which many of us apart.
That mass migration of people is not confined to the Chinese. The Vietnam War has driven millions of Vietnamese in to all parts of that world. And I was here for a week now and I was shown to a place called Hong Kong whatever plaza but when I went in there was not Hong Kong it was all Vietnamese. And in California, I’ll give you a few statistics then we’ll see a lot of Chinese, over 50,000 but we have over 80,000 Vietnamese. Garden Grover over a little City is about 2,000 Chinese but over 35,000 Vietnamese. They said in San Francisco if you want a good food that is where you go because there are over 14,000 Chinese there but Vietnamese 33,0000, wow. That mass migration of people because of war is not confined to the Vietnamese either. For some, the war in Somalia has caused many refugees to flee their own country and now the largest Somalian City in the west is Toronto, and I came from Vancouver. There was ethnic cleanings in Croatia, and that has caused many to flee as well and now the largest Croatian community outside of Croatia is in Vancouver.
That mass migration of people is not confined to the Chinese. The Vietnam War has driven millions of Vietnamese in to all parts of that world. And I was here for a week now and I was shown to a place called Hong Kong whatever plaza but when I went in there was not Hong Kong it was all Vietnamese. And in California, I’ll give you a few statistics then we’ll see a lot of Chinese, over 50,000 but we have over 80,000 Vietnamese. Garden Grover over a little City is about 2,000 Chinese but over 35,000 Vietnamese. They said in San Francisco if you want a good food that is where you go because there are over 14,000 Chinese there but Vietnamese 33,0000, wow. That mass migration of people because of war is not confined to the Vietnamese either. For some, the war in Somalia has caused many refugees to flee their own country and now the largest Somalian City in the west is Toronto, and I came from Vancouver. There was ethnic cleanings in Croatia, and that has caused many to flee as well and now the largest Croatian community outside of Croatia is in Vancouver.
This trend has begun long before that and could be traced to the First and Second World War. As a result which the largest Polish Community outside of Poland is in Chicago. So you go to Western Europe these days, you’ll be amazed to see the huge of Arab Muslim population. When you go to Paris you’ll be overwhelmed by the number of people in Middle East's decendants that you will come across.
I was in London two years ago and there is a major rally in Trapalca square, the speaker who was a Muslim leader spoke openly and declares that "given time England will become a Muslim Country."
Now Brother and sisters such massive people migration is not accidental it is the work of God. The hand of God is clearly behind it. Why? and, What for? So that people who lives in atheistic countries, people who lives in traditional Catholic or orthodox countries, people who lives in Islamic countries as they migrate to the West, they might be hear eager to hear the gospel and the for the first time in their lives. But luckily it’s moving to our neighborhood in North America, we American Christians behave just like any other Americans.
We frown at our new neighbors and we worry about the impact in our house prices, on our social life. And discriminate them openly or at least subconsciously. And yet in the same time when we go back to church we certainly talk about oversees mission to places where this people have come from not knowing that in the 21st century in God’s own plan, mission is no longer just crossing to geographical boundaries only. Our mission now a day is simply crossing our street, crossing our backyard, crossing our cubicles in the office.
Brothers and sisters in the last 50 years in order that we may fulfill His great commission to reach the nation. God has brought nations to our doorstep. Why, perhaps because we have been to slow in going to the nations. More likely because we are too reluctant to unwilling to go but God is saying you don’t have to go necessarily now because I have brought the nations right where you are. This is the movement of the hands of God last 50 years.
So whose responsibility is it to reach these people of mass migration, I wonder. The truth of the matter is amount of movement of mass people migration. One particular race, where they go to? Wherever they were moved to will have a great impact in the local economy. You know whom I’m talking about, the Chinese obviously. I came from Vancouver so I know very well. A year ago I move to San Francisco just in case you heard the situation is even worse. The house prices have different level and we proud Chinese have played no small part in this drive.
And yet can we say with the same breath that we also have contributed with the spread of the gospel and impact the morality of the society just as much? I’m afraid not. As much as God has blessed the Chinese and all the American in terms of wealth, academic achievement, technology, and even spiritually far more than any other races in North America. But we have not responded to such blessing as we should. I’m not saying that we should jerk our responsibility in reaching our own race especially in China is to remain the country with the largest none Christian population. Perhaps we have to remember history and know how we now have come to be Christians.
You see it’s the white missionaries like Hudson Tailor who loves people of a different race and whose hands, the hand of God, behind the evil in invasion in the east. What I mean is as much as in the west in those ages have abused the mentor and superiority and invaded the east with opium. But the missionaries talked the opportunity of easier access to the east to bring out the gospel. He’s the former that has made as weakling of the far east. It’s famous for it, but the latter Citizens of God in God’s kingdom. And now the things of the Father had breath the (office?). What I mean is at the century the east and the third world have repay the west with importing drugs and narcotics turning a whole generation in the west into drug addicts, causing huge social problems that we know very well. Let us not forget that we need to reimport if you like and pay back in our kind of debt. And that is the debts of the gospel.
I’ve mentioned that God has brought the nations to our doorsteps. We really have no excuse to focus only in oversees mission. Which is absolutely necessary as one pastor in Holland put it, very famous bishop called Williams. He told his congregation, they are very involved in effort as missionary in mission work, “We can’t jump from Holland to Africa" and we can’t jump over Houston Texas to whatever places either.
Now that have briefly made a sketch of the movement of God in the last century, how are we going to respond in this challenges as we, as a church, and also as individual Christians seek to carry out the great commission.
Now I would suggest our responds in four ways or four folds.
▶1. First is through the unreached people group
as Jesus talked about it in his return in Matthew 24, he makes it very clear, verse 14;
The gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations and then, only then, the end will come.
And now in Coney world mission there is still about 500 unreached people group in the world today and yet Christians or Christian churches are locating only 1.2% of their mission funds to these unevangelized part in the world. Now it is certainly not in proportion to the challenge. So I think as far as oversees mission is concern. We can still make it a priority to support and evolve in the reaching of these unreached people group. So support in this organization like Wycliff. Go focuses on reaching them through training missionaries and translating of the Bible in to their native tongue or even creating a written language for them. I’m very excited to tell you that there are increasing numbers of Chinese Christians involved in this ministry. In fact the newly established linguistic institute located in Vancouver at trinity western University invokes a support in Chinese Christian churches, and I’m very proud of it. And so if you’re interest in respect you can talk to me and I can link you up with this linguistic school. That is the first part, the unreached people group.
But apart from this unreached people groups were still in total of 2.1 billion in the world who live in countries where the gospel is not allowed to be preached freely and there are of course the people from so called 10/40 window, mostly in the Muslim world.
Now since they are off limit to the conventional missionaries, they are now being reached by what we call the tentmakers, right? Especially men of professionals that live and work there, they are in permanently or in temporary. A traditional system makes up the bulk of these tentmakers. But now that are Christian from all works of life who make it their mission to reach them under the guide of their profession or work. I myself is too proud of the Baptist Union in Canada and we have people who went to Pakistan for example to help with the irrigation technology, teaching them technic (know how) but at the same time sharing them the gospel of Jesus Christ with them.
And I know a friend a Iranian scientist, very famous, he was shown in the book latest Technology in German and he became a Christian in Vancouver now he wish to go to places like in Pakistan to share the gospel through teaching at a local university and he knows that the risk is very high. Of course there are people who purposely explore markets like in country like Cambodia, not because of business opportunity barely but because of the gospel opportunity. I’m excited to tell you that the air force general of Cambodia, actually came to see about two years ago he has become a Christian and he invited Christian to come, as teachers and whatever, “and I will help you and give you all kinds of help that you need in sharing gospel there and other guys of your own profession”.
I know of someone who’ve been helping our Tennessee School Bible Gospel Center for years has recently been transferred by his alluring company to China and he’s made it his mission to reach the specter community in China. So there are no statistic concerning of some tentmakers. But let me tell you this army of God is not to be underestimating. I’ll call them a special task force if you like it, I’ve got it in this 21th century. Join them, support them, form a prayer groups to be that co-laborers. If you sense the calling of God and God leads you to go as tent maker, form a prayer group around you. Share to them your vision. Have them support you, saving time for God’s special task force in this world.
Then the third fold in our respond to reach to people who have come to our doors through immigration. Although I have mentioned those who have come from places close to the pure gospel either because of Atheism or fake religion. But there are those who have come from placed that are simply forlorn to Christianity like Japan. In Japan Christian population is I think under 0.1%.
In any case these are the nine major countries in the world which have the greatest number of none Christian Population. According to Barry and Johnson..
1. China,
2. India,
3. Indonesia,
4. Japan
5. Bangladesh,
6. Pakistan
7. Nigeria,
8. Turkey
9. Iran.
Now people from many of this country have moved to the United States for different reasons but the real reason for my perspective is to hear the gospel for the first time in their lives and they are waiting. Although Huston TX is primary white towns that like most of the American Cities are made up of many different ethnic origins including those form the nine major countries that have just mentioned. And again may I ask whose responsibility are they?
In any case these are the nine major countries in the world which have the greatest number of none Christian Population. According to Barry and Johnson..
1. China,
2. India,
3. Indonesia,
4. Japan
5. Bangladesh,
6. Pakistan
7. Nigeria,
8. Turkey
9. Iran.
Now people from many of this country have moved to the United States for different reasons but the real reason for my perspective is to hear the gospel for the first time in their lives and they are waiting. Although Huston TX is primary white towns that like most of the American Cities are made up of many different ethnic origins including those form the nine major countries that have just mentioned. And again may I ask whose responsibility are they?
Finally where the faith of descendants of those missionaries who have come to share the gospel of our, of my ancestors, is time as I said, repeated them about the gospel. And as I said, Huston’s population is primary white and it is fitting that we take this very seriously as well. Now there are two terms they have come to be used to the strife today in America. The first one is post Christian. What it means is that the majority of Americans have turned their back on their faith of the childhood. They are even more of Americans of the younger generation have not grown with the knowledge of the gospel at all. And the result, Christianity and Christian are becoming more and more marginalized. They are not only rejecting but hate it somehow especially evangelical Christians.
Now to bring this generation, Americans to church is very tough because going to church becomes a culture shook to them. And then the other term that is being used to describe today’s America is Postmodern which mean that this is a generation which is less rational than before that cares more about feelings and emotions. In a sense, this is good because it may reflect a hunger within that is not satisfied by all the materialistic fact that is being offered by the society today. But unfortunately every Americans are not looking to Christianity for the answers. On the contrary they are more and more against God in their heart. So the reason today to homosexuality, and abortion is like their intolerance towards the Bible and Bible teachings.
That may I say this, the general reaction of American churches misplace, may I say in disrespect, none that we shouldn’t stand up for the truth, marching protest against such platoon violation of God’s principles. I myself attended San Francisco rally in April but let’s not lose sight of our ultimate commission. We are not to Christianity the American culture. We are not here to change the American culture of society. To do so is to put the caps before the laws. We can’t change people’s behavior before their hearts have being changed. We are here to bring people to Christ one by one through their own conversion to faith in Jesus Christ through our sharing of the gospel. But how?
One very important chapter is we Chinese churches must have a one theology of place. That is we do not simply move on location or a city as we have reached capacity. We are to take the city the location seriously as God’s given community with whom we share the gospel. The souls of our neighborhood are souls that as a church have to give account to the Lord one day be they white, red, brown, blue, or black.
So the question had post the American churches or chines church is that do we know the need of our neighborhood? So we know what make up the city we are living? Do we know how many household there without husband are there or fathers? Do we know how many seniors are living in loneliness? Do we know how many families are living below the poverty line in the city? So we know how many Indians, Vietnamese, Iranians are living in our city. I think we should pay more attention to community that God has somehow put us in.
Last few years, as I close, I’ll share to you story form two churches I’ve been part of. One Canadian one Chinese but they have one in common. They pay attention to the community that God has put them on. Both are in near the down town area. And so they have designed prayerfully plans and strategies both enable them to serve more effectively to community with the gospel of Jesus Christ. And so they have because a lot of Korean, Japanese students in the down town area and there are many new immigrates too. Chines from china, Taiwan, Hong Kong but there are also immigrants from Croatia and Iranian too.
Iranian signage’s talked about came to Christ as he came to our Friday international fellowship, a social function we sat with. Later on we draw then to what the bible says. We have open door ministries. They reach out to single moms who can spend their morning without optic after drop out their kids to school, many emotional and practical meets of being moms. And many come to Christ through bible study conducted with India open door ministry. And the Canadian Church runs a small pray and eat café that offer inexpensive lunch and dinner to even street people. And then a young couple in their early 30’s in a Chinese church has operated two up skill coffee shop to reach the busted neighborhood.
Last they did different, and an accountant, an administrator form Anomia High School. As she express interest in the gospel, she’s never heard it before, they called me quickly and I run over and have the joy of leading her to Christ over a cup of apple syrup.
May I share with you one more incident in our Canadian church? One day our CNP came to our door. You know one hour CNP roll. Canadian Mount of Police, they do not mount horses anymore. Anyway that is to the name. We wonder what he wanted because he is not a typical Canadian Policemen because he has a servant. He came and said could you take care of our kids and I said, “Woh? How many wives do you have? You’ve got too many that you can’t take care of your kids?
But it was what he said that really touched our heart. “Annoying Christian working in the down town area saw many young people especially young girls in their 14’s and 15’s that run away from home. I think it’s pretty cold and wet and evening they will be sleeping to hour to ventilation to outlets and those aroused rapers and our girls are in danger being raped all the time. So he said a staple church is in down town and if one of you just takes a night out offer some hot meal and let them stay. If several Christians are willing to that then my kids are being cared of. We are so touched, our see a lot of police take a look at them as news and problems but he looked at them as people with genuine need, they have compassion.
So suddenly we open up our gymnasium. Again we have limited resources but we just do one night hoping that other churches would follow and there are some churches that followed. So Tuesday night at 8’oclock we will open up and give out tickets and they will line up, over hundreds of them. They came in for coffee craving for hot meal and we will have people serving them and sharing God’s word. And then night because of government restriction the gym can only house about twenty people. So obvious the girls have priority they’ll stay for the night. Now morning all the business man that everyday have hard day, should be called down town to work, comes real early and cooks breakfast for them. When I visited them last time I was so trilled. At 8’o clock, we’ll first have devotion for all volunteers. Some of them have to go to the line up and get help and now converted and serving as volunteers. I praise the Lord for such a wonderful work.
Now how about the Chinese Church? By locational we are a little away from down town area. We can’t do the same but a middle age man through a Chinese congregation. Take them a weekly cooking form a local soup cake that become famous. Every other Saturday the lineup will be longer because we Chinese cook food, taste much better. And the younger one will be down town distributing food but the senior complains to me, they don’t want the tons of them. “Pastor we don’t speak quite English”. “We are afraid of those people what can we do?” Well let’s pray about it and one woman got an idea. And then she would cater about all 50 women, all seniors. Let’s knit some scarf, whatever winter clothing that we can distribute every Christmas on the street. So have become famous a group of Chinese Christian senior. Every year they are knitting 200 pieces of some kind of knit wear and then you can see them being one of the streets in Vancouver.
Let me close with another story. And you know how secular in anti-Christian the film industry is right? And they are lot of lesbian. They are working on that too. Tim Allen you know who he is and his crew were filming Santa Clause 2 and it so happen that it was a cold night in Vancouver and they happen to be filming in our neighborhood. We open the church and we offered them hot chocolate, coffee to the crew. And now we used much warmer water than a portable outside on the street. And I even allow Allen to use my reclined by the way.
Now you know these people many of them have not set foot in a church for a long time. In fact many of them are skeptical of evangelical Christian but now they had the opportunity to know Christians from a close encounter. A very different perspective and many of our volunteer spent a tight evening to early morning to serve and talked to them. And as they want to compensate us officially I want to write us a check, I said “No, we welcome you to our community.” And they were shock that there is a church that does not want money from them.
This is how we respond to the great commission not as a replacement of our commitment to formations. We continue to support as fast as we could oversees mission but not as a substitute of what we could do locally.
Brothers and sisters, this 21st century God has brought the nation to our step ready. So when the disciples sing that Jesus Christ has come has died and has risen again they were thinking that there is nothing’s left to happen. Lord are you not going to revive the kingdom of Israel now? And Jesus replied in Acts 1 and also in Matthew 28 it’s the same. “There is one thing left to be done and that is the gospel needs to be preached to the nations”. And now god’s own hands have brought the nation right before us. There is nowhere to hide anymore. It is our responsibility.
Let’s pray
Father I thank you for allowing us to have a glimpse not only on top of your hand but of your heart behind your hands. We are thankful that you have loved, especially to me, Chinese race so much. In the last hundred twenty years you’ve sent so visions towards us. That your heart is greater than that, to love the whole world and now you have brought the nations right before us. And I trust today there are messages spoken through me and I pray that this message to remain in our hearts. Stir us until we respond in the way that we will be pleasing to you to help accomplish the great commission. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
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