I think the last time I was here
was the valedictory meeting of Mike Dean.
It was just about a year ago that
I stopped in to see him on my
way to visit the Soviet Union.
I had about 45 minutes at the home
in Hamburg.
And I know that they certainly appreciate your
continuous prayer support of that strategic ministry they
have among Turks.
I think when people think about Operation Mobilization,
they don't generally think about Christian camps.
But in fact, in our own ministry, we
have seen how God uses Christian camps.
In Jordan, it's one of our main ministries.
In Turkey, it is also one of our
main ministries.
In other parts of the world, we haven't
been involved in it so much because there
are many groups, better to say some groups,
who specialize in the Christian camp ministry.
I remember way back when I was first
converted to Christ, hearing about a camp near,
not so far from New York City, that
was founded by a man named Jack Wardston.
It's called Wardston Life.
And the year that I was converted, the
founder of the Navigators, a man named Dawson
Trotman, drowned in that camp.
A story that Christians in North America will
never forget.
But it was before I was a Christian
that one summer, I received a Gospel of
John from a friend, and he was working
in this Christian camp.
I found out later it was actually his
mother who sent the Gospel, even though the
name had, Word of Life Camp, Scroon Lake.
And that was the lady, some of you
know my testimony, who really prayed me into
the kingdom.
She had prayed for me for three years.
She had been praying for the secondary school
that I attended for about 15 years.
That people would be saved and sent.
To make a long story short, all through
my Christian life, I've always been convinced that
camp, summer camping, is one of the programs
that God is really using to build people
up spiritually.
Many of the people who end up longer
term on Operation Mobilization as missionaries, are young
people who have started their spiritual experience in
a summer camp somewhere.
Even in my own Christian life, shortly after
my conversion, I went off to a church
camp.
And I can't remember much about that camp,
except God was speaking to me in a
strong way.
But I remember especially this candlelight service we
had at the end of camp.
And the message from the Word, I don't
think it was even that strong a message.
And somehow it was at that camp that
God further confirmed that He wanted me to
be a missionary overseas, even though that wasn't
the emphasis of that particular camp.
And it's exciting.
It's been exciting for me to follow the
ministry of Word of Life as they have
established camps all over the world.
And thousands, thousands and thousands have come to
Christ through those camps.
And I just praise God for what I've
learned this weekend myself about your own camp
ministry that's based here and yet takes place
there in Wales.
And I think God has given you a
very important vision and a very important ministry.
And I have just three or four burdens
about that.
Number one, I hope you really will commit
yourself to pray.
It's not an easy ministry.
And we looked this weekend over some of
the ways, this wasn't our main message but
we touched on it in passing, some of
the ways that Satan may try to attack
this camp ministry, even this summer.
And how to stand against those fiery darts
using the shield of faith outlined in Ephesians
chapter 6.
And any ministry like this, more than anything
else, it needs people who really will pray.
Even taking the names of campers or taking
the names of staff members and praying specifically
for them.
There's often a lot of hard work involved
and a lot of people.
And we need to really pray.
Number two, of course, we need to be
involved in promoting the camp.
Now I understand probably there are young people
that want to go at least some weeks,
then they can handle.
Don't presume that last year's success will be
next year's success.
But realize that it's important to keep spreading
the word and challenging people to get involved.
I'm sure that those who are involved in
the staff will probably get as much from
these camps, especially if we include this training
weekend, as those who come and take part
in the camp.
You know how we grow in our Christian
life when we start passing on that which
God has given us?
The biggest reason a lot of people are
stale in their Christian life is they're dead
sea Christians.
There's an inlet but no outlet.
And so things grow stale.
The Sea of Galilee is not like that.
Good fishing in the Sea of Galilee.
Water comes in, water goes out.
And I know that as we went out
into the streets and into the beaches, giving
out, that enabled us to receive more.
And as young people commit themselves to go
and work in this camp and serve and
help, even behind the scenes, we're so wonderfully
served by that dynamic kitchen force.
They are going to be blessed.
They are going to be blessed because of
that.
Prayer, participation, encouraging others.
And then thirdly, to realize that camp is
only the beginning.
The bigger task always lies with the local
church.
And for young people to go to camp
and hear about dynamic Christianity, how God answers
prayer, how the church is growing, to experience
dynamic worship, to see people coming to Christ,
to move out in evangelism, and then come
back to a semi-sleepy assembly that is
still functioning in the 19th century mentality, can
indeed be very, very depressing.
Now, of course, you don't have any of
that kind of assembly in Merseyside.
But I can assure you, in other parts
of the world, it's often that way.
That which a young person receives in camp
seems to be isolated from that which is
there in the local church.
And then the enemy comes in with some
fiery darts and tries to bring disunity.
Maybe something unwise is said.
How can you ever have a person without
something unwise not being said?
It's impossible.
I've just had my first son, 23, married
just about 8 days ago.
And as I've watched him grow up, it's
been a great lesson to me.
I only have two to go.
You know, I'd rather see a young person
open his mouth and say something unwise than
through fear and intimidation never say anything and
become one more half-baked, shriveled up, sleepy
evangelical fish.
May God deliver us.
May God have mercy on us.
And so let's not worry if, as a
result of this dynamic camp ministry, there's a
few ripples in the lake or there's a
few problems or a few disagreements because that's
probably a sign of health and a sign
of growth.
And as long as there's dialogue and there's
love and there's the basis of the Word
of God, we can always come through the
problems.
Praise God for the way He can use
this Christian ministry.
Not in an isolated way, but as a
vital part of the work of the Church.
And I see this as something that can
help bring constant, fresh and new life into
our local assemblies and churches so that more
lives can be touched.
And I'm convinced that if things continue to
move the way I believe the Holy Spirit
wants to move, then you're going to have
to find another camp.
Maybe somewhere else.
Lake District's nice.
And you'll have more people wanting to get
involved in this ministry and get involved in
this program than you'll know what to do
with.
Of course, we know there are many other
places young people can get involved in the
summer.
And this is only one of many great
programs that God has.
But it's an important program.
And for those of you who have prayed
for it and supported it and worked hard
over the years and had the vision for
that in the first place, then I think
you can be greatly encouraged.
God has definitely used you.
This is no small thing.
And even if it is, learn from the
Word of God never to despise a small
thing.
I appreciate being involved this past week.
I want to commit myself today for this
ministry.
And I believe that it's something that really
is bringing glory to God.
Now probably a lot of the young people
at the camp were a little disappointed that
they didn't get a red hot message on
world missions.
Figured a missionary speaker, leader of Operation Mobilization,
surely you were going to be all challenged
right out of your seats to go to
the ends of the earth.
Well, you know, the Bible says sometimes it's
good to keep the new wine to the
end.
And I feel that tonight God does want
me to share about the challenge of world
evangelism.
And one of the reasons I accepted this
opportunity to go to this camp, and if
you know anything about those of us who
do a lot of preaching, Easter is the
preacher's holiday.
There are more opportunities to preach over Easter
than you can ever begin.
In fact, once I covered four countries over
Easter, trying to meet all the invitations during
one Easter.
Last year I was in Finland, and then
the Soviet Union over Easter.
But the Lord wanted me to be with
you.
One of the reasons is I never see
these things as separate.
The local church, camp ministry, Operation Mobilization.
I see it as one.
Because I see it, I believe, the way
the Bible puts it.
There's one body, one church, one baptism, one
Lord.
And there's clearly different ministries, different gifts, but
one great goal.
To glorify and honor Him.
To become more Christ-like, growing in grace
and a knowledge of Him.
And to make Him known, to carry the
gospel out to the ends of the earth.
You know, among those 800 campers this summer,
will be the missionaries of the next decade.
And I think it all fits into one
great program.
Let's look at some scriptures together, because we
want a biblical basis for all that we
do and all that we say.
My doctor, the way I've had throat difficulty,
operated on once, vocal cords.
My doctor and my wife tell me I'm
supposed to take only two meetings a day.
Yesterday there were five.
I mentioned this to my wife on the
phone, and I'll be facing her tomorrow.
But today's been a good day.
Today there's only been two meetings and I
have some voice left.
Acts 1.8 But ye shall receive power
after the Holy Spirit has come upon you,
and ye shall be witnesses unto me, both
in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria, and to
the uttermost part of the earth.
Do you know what happened this morning in
the camp?
Some people got filled with the Holy Spirit.
Does that scare you?
I'm sure it shouldn't scare us, because the
Bible teaches, especially in Ephesians, I remember hearing
Billy Graham preach on it, Ephesians 5.18,
Be not drunk with the wine, but be
filled with the Spirit.
It's a biblical command.
You know, sometimes those of us who are
among the assemblies, we think, oh, well, I
mean, really, we don't emphasize this too much.
This is the group down the road.
Don't you know where you are?
You've heard that George Ferber is sort of
an interdenominational speaker, and maybe he's got mixed
up, he doesn't know where he is.
You can slip me a note.
I remember preaching at a Big Brethren conference
in Chicago, I got a note.
It says, your time's up, please sit down.
I wonder if you've ever studied the writings
of a man named J.
N.
Darby.
I've read a lot of his material.
You know, he emphasized the need to be
filled with the Holy Spirit.
So did Mueller, so did Chapman, so did
Anthony Norris Groves.
Because these men preached the Bible.
And you can't preach the Bible without talking
about the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
I'm reading a book right now about Billy
Graham.
It's actually somewhat of a negative book, I
don't recommend it.
But since he's my spiritual father, I was
converted in a Billy Graham meeting from middle
-class American Bushwagonism.
Positive books about him, maybe I should read
one to get a little balance.
Some of the young people that can't know
this is my big word.
You know, if you could have seen this
skit they put on at this camp, then
you would know what a sanctified, imaginative crowd
of mercy-side-ites that you have.
Because in listening to me only once in
one day, they had me.
The nose, the way I treat my wife,
my relationship with my father, my tree experience.
They had a whole thing in a skit.
And I couldn't quite figure out what was
going on.
I got an old Steve bed for Mr.
Cool.
He says, you know, we think you want
to come along to the meeting at 7.
I thought, you know, there's no need, I'm
preaching at 8 or 8.30. No need
to go so early, you know, I know
the brethren like to be punctual.
But I called at 7, and there they
had this little skit.
This is your life.
George Orwell.
Well, God has been teaching me a lot
of holy over the past days.
The Lord knows I need it.
So balance is a very important word.
And I believe it's something that is greatly
needed, greatly needed.
Being filled with the Holy Spirit.
Look at Acts 4.31, they were having
a great prayer meeting.
And it says, and when they had prayed,
the place was shaken where they were assembled
together.
And they were all filled with the Holy
Spirit.
And they spoke the word of God with
boldness.
I was mentioning how I was reading this
book about Billy Graham.
And the section I just read, as were
Billy Graham down in Pontypridd in South Wales.
Forgive the pronunciation, I can't pronounce anything correct
once I cross the border.
I have enough trouble on this side.
This was his first encounter with this dynamic
preacher Stephen Ulfric.
And the anointing of God was on Stephen
Ulfric in a mighty way in that meeting.
And I think he was speaking about the
Holy Spirit.
And Billy Graham, that night, he asked the
Holy Spirit just to fill him.
And the Holy Spirit did.
We realized at the training weekend that the
fullness of the Holy Spirit is the normal
Christian life.
It's not something that just happens to a
few sort of extra-spiritual types, you know,
sort of these combinations of Superman, E.T.,
Gandhi and George Muller.
But it's an experience, it's a way of
life for every Christian.
And we emphasize that God works in different
people in different ways.
Some people do have somewhat of a crisis.
Others, it's a more gradual experience.
Some people are more emotional than other people.
But certainly I think it's clear in Scripture
that every believer should know, let's use a
different terminology, the ongoing reality of the Holy
Spirit.
You know, sometimes we emphasize the need for
our preachers to be anointed with the Holy
Spirit.
I often have people write to me or
say to me, we're praying that God may
anoint you in ministry of the Word.
Especially when I speak at the Keswick Convention.
A lot of times, you know, they were
really worried about what I do in Keswick.
They were really praying, the Lord's anointing be
upon you.
We sort of acknowledge that our preachers need
the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
What about preachers' wives?
Well, what do they need?
Rubber gloves to do the dishes with hot
water and not get burnt?
I tell you, it is my conviction that
our wives need the anointing and the fullness
of the Spirit in the home more or
as much as we need it in the
pulpit.
And it is my experience in 29 years
of serving the Lord Jesus, most of it
overseas, from my own country at least.
This is now in the last 22 years
become my adopted country.
My overseas land really is India and the
rest of the world.
But I believe that the harder task is
often for the wife.
I've been on the phone with my wife
two or three times a day actually during
this trip.
You know, I don't like to spend too
much in any one time.
And making these phone calls, I usually phone
her more than once.
It's amazing how much you can get after
six o'clock at night with five pence.
You know, even from the backwoods of Wales.
This camp is one of the most unique
telephone box in the entire world.
Really, we're going there.
Just a telephone box experience.
But, you know, I think in many ways
was much harder for my wife this weekend.
Back at home, our older son just married
away.
Our daughter's got her boyfriend.
She's gone most of the time.
Our second son is mainly upstairs studying in
preparation for his final exams at Southampton University.
And basically all she's got is my daughter's
dog.
And I think my wife had a hard
weekend.
We need the fullness of the Holy Spirit
in the kitchen as well as in the
pulpit.
We need it behind the wheel of our
automobile as much as we need it when
we go out down the beach giving out
tracks.
I believe the fullness of the Holy Spirit
is a very down-to-earth practical reality.
It's not something that will turn you into
some kind of Christian weirdo swinging on the
chandeliers with gospel texts written across your forehead.
I believe that the fullness of the Holy
Spirit is the normal Christian life.
And if you've never known this experience, maybe
it's about time.
Be filled with the Holy Spirit.
You know, this is so important because without
the fullness of the Holy Spirit, there'd be
no missionary work.
Have you been reading the new books published
by Echoes of Service about the great work
of brethren missionaries?
It really is quite exciting.
And wherever I go all over the world,
I'm often ministering in the assemblies and fellowshipping
with these missionaries.
And truly when we study it, it's hard
to put it all together.
It's one of the great missionary works of
all times.
It really is.
And it goes back, right back to the
book of Acts.
Who's the director of world missionary work?
Who's the director of assembly world missionary work?
Let's read about it.
Acts chapter 13.
It's right there.
Acts 13.
Now there were in the church that was
at Antioch certain prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon,
who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen,
who had been brought up with Herod the
Tetrarch, and Saul.
And they ministered to the Lord and fasted.
Or as they ministered to the Lord and
fasted.
Isn't that beautiful?
We often think of ministry to the brethren.
I'm going to minister Sunday morning.
I'm going to minister to the brethren.
I'm going to give them a word.
God's given me a word.
I'm going to give them a word.
These people ministered to the Lord.
I'm sure the brethren listened in.
Interesting little concept.
I read a book about this once.
It really shook me.
It was by a man called de Wurmfranke,
called The Ultimate Intention.
And it showed how so much of our
work is man-centered.
We're always thinking what people think, what men
think, what women think.
And we are not God-centered enough.
What does God think?
Even as we consider this camp ministry, as
you gather together as a committee, I wonder
how many times you say, What does God
think of our camp?
How does God evaluate our camp?
How does God evaluate this past weekend?
And one of my great burdens is to
somehow create greater God-consciousness on these people,
and greater God-centeredness in all our worship.
And it's a dangerous thing, especially at the
breaking of bread, if our ministry becomes man
-centered rather than God-centered.
And we're thinking, Oh, I wonder if they
think what I'm saying is really on target.
And I wonder what that elder over there
is thinking about what I'm saying.
And I wonder if they're impressed with this
little bit I've got from the Word, instead
of God-centered.
What does God think?
What does God say?
And it's possible to be gathered around the
Lord's table, supposedly remembering the Lord Jesus Christ,
and in fact we're mainly thinking about one
another.
It's like a disease.
I don't know if it's got to Mercyside
yet, but we certainly have it in London.
They ministered to the Lord and fasted.
The Holy Spirit said, that's amazing, isn't it?
The Holy Spirit said, Separate me, Barnabas and
Saul, for the work under which I have
called them.
And when they had fasted and prayed and
laid their hands on them, they sent them
away.
You know, that's exactly what we did here
the last time I was in this very
spot.
I don't have too many there.
I remember this man at the organ.
I said, weren't you in the meeting?
He looks familiar.
I said, I see a familiar face.
Where's Mr. Buckley?
Isn't he here?
He's another face.
He's still alive, isn't he?
I mean, you know, these fast-moving saints,
they go quick.
In fact, the last time I was up
this way was at the funeral of Mrs.
Morris.
Philip Morris's mother went to be with the
Lord.
The funeral was there in Wrexham just a
few weeks ago.
They used to live here in this area.
Here were five men in that assembly with
a vision.
Donald McGovern, the great missiologist, points out that
it wasn't necessarily the whole church that had
this vision.
That cannot be proven from this scripture.
Five men.
And the Holy Spirit used those five men.
And probably this is true of this camp
ministry.
Probably it isn't your whole assembly has a
vision for these camps.
It's probably some.
Don't worry about that.
It's quite biblical.
Press on.
You know, if we wait for all the
saints ever to unite about anything, we're going
to wait a long time.
A long time.
So if you've got a vision and they've
got a vision, at least get agreement from
the others.
You know, negotiation, a few cups of tea,
a little fellowship.
And then get on with the vision and
on with the task.
So the Holy Spirit guided and they commended
these men out to the ministry.
Verse four.
So they being sent forth by the Holy
Spirit.
You know, we examined over this past weekend
some of the different forms of pride that
come into the human heart.
And I know there's such a thing as
missionary pride.
And I know sometimes there's such a thing
as sending forth a missionary pride.
We're so proud.
We've sent out this one and we've sent
out that one.
And if anybody tries to accuse us of
not being missionary minded, we're quick to defend,
quick to explain, Oh, don't you know so
and so?
We sent him out 30 years ago.
He's doing a tremendous job.
Personally, I don't think God is impressed with
our patting each other on the back.
The fact of the matter is, in Scripture,
it was the Holy Spirit who sent them
out.
And God has been able to do anything
for the likes of us, then he should
get all the glory and praise.
And one of my great generations in the
work of God, and I speak to my
own work, is the danger of us trying
to get a little bit of glory out
of that which God is doing.
Beware of that in your camp work.
Be sure you give all the glory and
all the praise to God.
Now, when I had my great lunch, we
had tremendous food.
I mean, a professional caterer.
These people are really, really put on tremendous.
After the meal today, the great company of
campers, they expressed their appreciation to me and
they gave me a great big clap.
I'm not against that.
We call that the human factor.
But let's make sure that deep down, deep
down, we give all the glory for what
happened this weekend to God himself.
And let's not go away from this weekend
talking about George Vermer and the messages he
gave, or all this about him or that
about him.
That's all right to a tiny degree, the
human factor.
But let's go away from this weekend giving
glory to God.
And let's keep that as a basic pattern
for all that we do, for all the
Lord does this summer, to always give Him
the glory and Him the praise.
And you know, when we do this, we're
all a lot happier.
You know, I find a lot of saints
are discouraged because they feel other people don't
appreciate their ministry.
Have you ever met any of those types?
Do you have any of those saints here
in Merseyside?
They're suffering from self-pity-itis.
They've worked so hard for Jesus, they've been
serving cups of tea for several years in
the church.
Or they've been doing this, or they may
have been doing that.
And maybe they feel people don't really appreciate
their ministry.
Now, first of all, we've emphasized this weekend
the need to show appreciation, especially to these
young Christians as they come into camp.
Nothing wrong with that.
But ultimately, in all that we do, we
want to give God the glory and the
praise.
And as we think of the great Brethren
Missionary Task, and we think of the great
ministry that has taken place through some of
these men who've gone forth way back to
the days when Anthony Norris Groves launched out
to Iraq, one of the most unreached countries,
by the way, in all the world today,
we just give glory and praise to God.
So they being sent forth by the Holy
Spirit, departing.
The Holy Spirit is the author, the organizer,
and the director of real missionary work.
That's why it's so basic, if we're interested
in missions, to be filled with the Holy
Spirit.
Now, it says that when we have this
power of the Holy Spirit in our lives,
I believe that every believer has the Holy
Spirit.
The Bible teaches if you have the Spirit
of Christ, you have not Christ.
And we're baptized into the Christ by the
Holy Spirit.
But it's quite clear that as believers we
can grieve the Holy Spirit, and we can
get into trouble in our spiritual walk, so
that through sin we're not walking in the
Spirit, and through disobedience we're not filled with
the Holy Spirit.
And therefore I think it is important to
examine our hearts.
Examine our hearts.
It says that even about coming to the
Lord's table.
The Lord spoke to us around the Lord's
table on Sunday morning, about the danger of
over-familiarity with spiritual terminology.
Over-familiarity with spiritual things.
You know, one of the reasons why I
was baptized in a brethren assembly in the
United States, and had very close linkings with
them, one of the reasons I refused, now
there was some pressure from certain types of
brothers, I refused to only move among those
who were called brethren.
They're arguing over big or small, at least
in the States.
Because I found that in other churches, and
other groups, and other assemblies, they are more
hungry and more responsive to some of these
basic principles that Darby, and Groves, and Chapman,
and a host of other men taught and
preached down through the years.
We have become hardened to these things in
our assemblies.
We have become over-accustomed to the centrality
of Christ, the Lordship of Christ, the message
of New Testament church life, and many, many
other biblical truths.
It goes like water off a duck's back.
And we can go in and out of
a breaking of bread on a Sunday morning,
like Joe Blow can go into a pub
on Saturday night.
In fact, he usually gets at least a
little more excited than some of us.
Brothers and sisters, we need revival.
And if you don't believe that, I would
challenge you, whether you know anything about Brethren
Roots, and Brethren History, and what this movement
of God once stood for, and still does
stand for in some places.
We need revival.
We need to be filled with the Holy
Ghost.
We need to take more seriously these biblical
principles that we so easily talk about, and
make sure the fire is burning on our
hearts.
The Hebrew says, our God is a consumer.
And if you're in touch with God, if
you're with God, in that Sunday morning meeting,
there's going to be a fire in your
heart, and people are going to feel it.
Because Christianity is taught as much as it's
taught.
Some argue one against the other.
I say both.
Both.
And we need all the teaching we can
possibly get.
And these young people, just on this weekend,
have probably had about 15 hours of teaching.
They weren't there just getting, you know, a
little challenge, and nice meals, and a lot
of fun.
This was a hard weekend for some of
these young people.
I hope they get a little rest.
I don't know what their employers are going
to say when they show up tomorrow morning.
Hello, I had a weekend in Wales.
I really had a blessing.
So maybe I shouldn't go too long tonight.
And you can get home, go to sleep.
The amazing thing is when some of us
middle-aged types, like me, you know, we're
running out of steam, they're all wanting to
go watch videos, you know.
Chariots of Fire, and the Ilagos story, and
the story of this woman, God's tramp.
What's her name?
Boom.
Notice just a few things in this verse.
I'm sure you've already studied this verse, so
I won't tarry long.
But notice, we are to be witnesses in
four geographical zones.
Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost part of
the earth.
This is God's vision.
You know, you find sometimes Christians, they say,
well, I've got a vision for my own
area.
Fine, nothing wrong with that.
Then you get some that say, well, no,
my vision is for India.
You get others, and this is especially strong
right now, their vision is for all of
England.
What's the vision of God?
The only vision you read about in the
whole New Testament.
It's the whole world.
And I think it's fitting that we've finished
this time together.
Many of us have been together for a
couple of days.
Just focusing in on this great vision.
The whole world.
You know, I've just come back from Pakistan
and Nepal and Bangladesh.
From Dubai and Kuwait, some of those countries.
You know, they have about one one hundredth.
One one hundredth.
Do you know that from mathematics?
One one hundredth of the witness that we
have in Riyadh.
Or in London.
That's something, isn't it?
I believe if I had time I could
prove that.
You'll just have to take my word for
it.
Or if you believe I exaggerate, then cut
it down to, you know, what if I
said even one tenth?
Now that's, you know, that's ten percent.
One tenth.
But that wouldn't be fair.
We have whole tribal groups with several million.
For instance, the Baluch people.
The Baluch people.
Four million.
No church.
There may be a few little groups beginning.
No New Testament in their language.
There are now a couple of Gospels being
done by a dear friend working on the
Gospels.
The Red Sea Mission team has a man
among them.
I don't know if the Assemblies have anybody
among the Baluch people.
I know in Bangladesh where I've been many
times, the Assemblies had one family, that's all
we had from all of our Assemblies, in
an area of the world that is especially
open to British people, and all that is
one family.
Phil Game and his wife.
They're now back in England.
And maybe one other family that's in the
place.
I can't keep up with everything.
Yes, these countries, which could be classified as
the uttermost part of the earth, mentioned in
the last part of this verse, these countries
have one one-hundredth of what we have.
Therefore, I believe as we pray for this
camp ministry this summer, we should be praying
that God is going to touch hearts and
send some of these young people, eventually, it
takes time, out to some of these countries,
where there's still such an open door, where
there's such a great need.
Muslims, the priority target field of our own
fellowship, which works totally with churches, and as
the arms of the church moving out to
the ends of the earth, the Muslim world
represents about one-seventh of all the people
in the entire world.
And yet only two percent, some say one
percent, of the missionaries are working among Muslims.
Isn't that reason enough, brothers and sisters, to
be a little more concerned about these Muslims,
to try to find out what they think,
especially since there are now thousands of them
living in Merseyside, and to try to increase
our efforts in sending out word to the
Muslim world, not just to evangelize, not just
to give out literature, that's our work in
the Muslim world, but to establish living New
Testament fellowship.
We've been trying to do this in some
of these Muslim countries like Turkey for many
years, and some of you who have been
praying for that work, you know how hard
it is.
But we must not give up, we must
not be discouraged.
Yes, we are to be His witnesses in
Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of
the earth.
This means this camp work is a priority,
this means the evangelism going on right now
with Mission England here in Merseyside is a
priority, and a unique opportunity in history, that
is for sure.
Have you ever read how God used D
.L. Moody in this country?
If you haven't, then probably you haven't read
much of missionary or church history, because you
can't study church history in this country without
reading about D.L. Moody.
That one American with his poor English, his
lack of cultural sensitivity, came to Glasgow, came
to different universities, and dozens and dozens of
churches and ministries, Bible schools all trace their
roots back to D.L. Moody.
And I believe we again are at a
historic moment, as Billy Graham is toward the
end of the race in his life, he's
no young man anymore, and God's given him
good health, and he has come back here,
we know Billy Graham is not perfect, you
may not agree with some of his strategy
or this or that, there are some leaflets
going around in Merseyside, which I believe paint
a false picture, 2 plus 2 equals 32,
but I will tell you I've watched this
man for 29 years since my conversion, his
ways are not my ways, I've never officially
met him, I'm not officially linked for that
work at all, but I believe he is
an anointed servant, and I believe this is
a historic moment for Merseyside.
Let's not miss it!
And we don't see that camp as competition
to evangelism in Merseyside, any more than we
see reaching the Baluch people and planting churches
in Turkey, or Mike Buckley in Hamburg as
competition to the camps.
There's one Lord, one church, one body, and
all these ministries are necessary.
And you know if some of us, as
God's people, got out of the grandstands and
into the field of action, it would be
no problem maintaining all these ministries, three times
as big as they are right now.
You know when I went over to Wales
some time ago, some reminded me that when
I went to Wales, I needed to understand
that rugby was more important than football, a
great Welsh sport, at least they feel it
is.
Fifteen people in the field in desperate need
of rest, thousands in the grandstands in desperate
need of exercise.
A beautiful picture sometimes of the Church of
Jesus Christ.
Isn't it interesting we don't have enough staff
members yet for this summer?
I mean it is getting toward the end
of April, I would have thought the Holy
Spirit would have touched somebody's heart by now,
but I wonder if because there's so many
Christians in the grandstands, spectator Christians, watching other
people work, watching other people sacrifice, watching other
people do the work, maybe giving a little
money, nothing wrong with that.
Oh my, I long to see all of
God's people in the field of battle.
You know I detect you're a very gifted
group of people here, very gifted.
Do you know how I can say that?
This is my authority.
The Lord gives gifts.
Every one of you have gifts from the
Holy Spirit.
Some people say they're nine, some say they're
twenty-seven gifts.
My friend Peter Maiden has been ministering in
the assemblies for twenty-some years, he says
that there's more gifts than that.
What's your gift?
Or gifts, most of you I'm sure have
more than one.
Are you using it?
Whether it's in the camp work, local assembly
work, world missions.
The fullness of the Holy Spirit and learning
to walk day by day in the Holy
Spirit will lead us in a very practical
down-to-earth way to knowing our gifts
and to receiving the gifts of the Spirit
that can be used in ministry and in
building up the body of Jesus Christ.
In 2 Corinthians 10.16 we have Acts
1.8 reaffirmed.
Let's just look at these two verses and
we'll bring this to a close.
2 Corinthians 10.16 Very strong words from
the Apostle Paul where he says, His burden
to preach the gospel of the regions beyond
you not to boast in another man's line
of things made ready to our hand.
It's better in your translation.
To preach the gospel in the regions beyond.
Do you have that vision?
What about you young people?
I got to this at the camp, did
I?
Do you have this vision?
The regions beyond.
You know we discovered that there in Wales
there are a lot of areas that are
very unreached.
Much more than here in Merseyside.
Villages where there's next to nothing.
And Wales, the way I understand Acts 1
.8 and if you disagree with me on
this, no big problem.
Because there's other scriptures that back up the
same concept.
But Wales is your Samaria.
They don't like the English over there.
I have a lot of Welsh friends.
And when they find out I'm American they
tell me what they think of the English.
But, you know, Samaria in the New Testament
day they were the enemies, they were the
people that you know, they couldn't get on.
And yet here we're told that we're to
be witnesses they were to be witnesses in
Samaria.
And though we may not feel we have
world's greatest acceptance in Wales, part of our
mission field.
And praise God, these young people are making
an impact on some lives.
And I believe they're going to see an
increased impact made through these camps on Wales
itself.
I believe that.
And then Romans 15.20 Paul again affirming
this same concept.
Romans 15.20 Here we read Yea,
so I have strived to preach the gospel
not where Christ was named lest I should
build upon another man's foundation.
Now there are many other scriptures I would
love to give you.
But I'm sure probably you've read most of
them.
Think of that scripture in Matthew where Jesus
says, Jesus, the Lord Jesus that we are
to pray to the Lord of the harvest
that he will send forth labors into the
harvest.
Are you praying that for your own assembly?
Are you seeing the Holy Spirit work in
your own assembly in sending forth workers?
If you're not, are you at least burdened
about that?
Do you have some kind of committee or
pray group that's meeting together and examining?
Why is it not seeing workers go?
People go from our assembly.
I was praying through the Echoes of Service
book traveling up from London in my old
coach and I was amazed the number of
retired assembly missionaries and the lack of increase.
I've been getting that book for many, many
years.
The lack of increase.
Now praise God, there are many other ways
that workers can go out to the harvest
field so we never have the total picture.
But I think it's something that God wants
us to focus in on.
Especially after this big thrust into Britain over
the next six months.
It should be time after that is over
though it will be ongoing and the greater
responsibility is always on the local church to
follow up and bring people under the sound
of sound Bible teaching.
But I believe it should be followed up
by an increased worldwide missionary thrust.
And it will never work if it's only
the young people who get this mission.
It's going to be the whole church.
World Missions is not a voluntary program where
some young person rushes into an OM meeting,
hears George Verwoerd on a challenge, jumps on
his gospel horse, hops off to Arabia.
Worldwide Missions is the responsibility of the local
church to train young people and then to
set some of them aside for the work
of the gospel and to commend them out.
OM can perform an important service in helping
to train and prepare young people in the
early stage.
We don't need people to be commended for
that.
We need them to be recommended.
We need a reference.
But then our policy is to send them
back to their church, back to their assembly,
and if they're to go out as a
proper missionary like Mike Buckley did, then he
needs to be commended out from the assembly.
The assembly should be the sending agency.
And I believe that's the best New Testament
way for the work to be done.
This puts a big responsibility on every one
of our assemblies.
Praise God for this camp ministry.
Praise God for your local church.
Your faithfulness to His Holy Word.
And praise God that we have been called
into this task together, the whole world, by
the whole church, to present the whole message
of Jesus Christ as Lord, as Savior, as
coming King.
I want to ask you as I close,
brothers, sisters, are you involved?
Have you put your hand on the plow
of world evangelism?