Our Authority for Engaging in Missionary Activity

Introduction to Trinity Baptist Church's Missions Policy and Primary Tasks

0:00 This adult Sunday school class was held on July 9th, 1989, at the Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey.

0:14 Once again, we do extend a very cordial welcome to any who may be visiting with us in our combined adult class this morning. You have come to us at a time when we are in the midst of a relatively brief series of studies on the missions policy of our own assembly, and it is our practice in the class when we open it up for questions that I recognize the members of the assembly, and basically, in that way, I am able to identify them by name and to be assured that their responses will be within the framework of our basic mutual understanding of and commitment to the truth of God, and in that way, one is embarrassed by simply being pointed to and say, you, and then perhaps further embarrassed by speaking sincerely, but perhaps in a manner and from a perspective that would prove to be embarrassing. So then, we are in the midst, I say, of a series of studies on the missions policy of Trinity Baptist Church, and I have been asked to bring this series at the request of my fellow elders, and basically, what we are doing is turning to the Word of God, seeking to see the great principles and precepts of Scripture

1:40 with reference to the whole subject of the missionary endeavor of the Church, that is, the Church's mandate to make disciples, to baptize them, and to teach them whatever Christ has commanded even to the end of the age and among all the nations, and then seeking to isolate some of those principles and then seeking to isolate some of those principles. We are then demonstrating why we apply those principles in the particular way that we do in the missions policy of Trinity Baptist Church, and we are not, in the application of these principles, pontificating for the Church Universal, but we are seeking to demonstrate the rationale for our own particular missions' policy. Now, after considering some crucial and important principles, And then we are then demonstrating why we apply those principles in the particular way that we do in the missions policy of Trinity Baptist Church, crucial introductory concerns, we then took up the first of seven areas that we will cover in this series of studies, and that area was the identity of the primary tasks involved in the work of missions. And we saw in our study of the Word of God that these tasks, according to the watershed text in Acts chapter 14, are basically three.

3:03 In Acts chapter 14, in what we may well call a watershed or epitomizing text or a mountain peak text, beginning in verse 21, we read, And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and it made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, and to Iconium, and to Antioch. Confirming the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God. And when they had appointed for them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they had believed. And here we see the three primary tasks, according to the apostolic pattern of mission, and according to the missionary endeavor. They made disciples by preaching. Secondly, they strengthened the believers and organized them into churches.

4:08 And thirdly, they secured permanent, qualified, resident leadership in each church in the form of elders. And then we also saw in our study of the Word of God that in the pursuit of these three basic and primary tasks of the mission, they strengthened the believers and organized them to transformative, post-mortem, anosciable beings. And we forget that we are förstiorizing by saying the Word only is of the begotten nature, not the physical, false,Mythicality and the natural world. . . . who should be present before God in effect?

4:56 . . . who who should be there? . . . who to remember the words they spoke of the plainel?

4:56 . . . who feared God? Venerable St. David replies primarily to Archengles' verses. . . . that ways, in various places and circumstances, it was the communication of the apostolic gospel, so much so that we read in a passage such as Romans 10 that men come to salvation as the Lord is pleased to send forth those with beautiful feet carrying a voice box that preaches the gospel of peace. And then we saw that there was a direct connection between the kind of preaching that was done and the success of the gospel. They so spake, Acts chapter 14 in the early verses, that a multitude believed. And you brought forward at least eight or nine characteristics of the kind of preaching that was owned to the making of disciples to the strength of God. of believers and the nurture of true leadership. And then we saw, finally, that healing and benevolent activities were ancillary or secondary tasks. Now, today, we come to examine the

The Question of Authorization for Local Church Missions

6:11 second major element of our missions policy. Now, remember what we're doing. We're not simply dealing with a theology of missions in general. I am setting forth the biblical rationale of our own church missionary policy. And having considered the identity of the primary tasks involved in the work of missions, we now come in the second place to consider our authorization and warrant for undertaking and overseeing missionary endeavors. What authorization and what authority do we as Trinity Baptist Church have for undertaking and overseeing missionary endeavors? If you are not aware of it and are visiting with us, we have

7:08 missionary endeavors as far away as the Philippines, Pakistan, and we have had missionary endeavors as far away as the Philippines, Pakistan, and we have had missionary endeavors as far away as the Sweden and East London, as well as nearer missionary endeavors in which we as a local church have been the sending agency, the overseeing agency, the collection agency, and everything pertaining to the work of missions. In other words, the church has been the mission board. Now, many in our day are shocked to hear that the church has been the mission board. Now, many in our day are shocked to hear that the church has been the mission board. Now, many in our day are shocked to hear that a specific local church has dared to undertake such a task. I have had people look at me as though I were either speaking in a strange tongue or had arrived from another planet when I explained that we actually prove, test, commission, send forth, and oversee missionary endeavors. Some are not so much shocked but are irritated that we would simply not be able to do that. So, I have had people look at me as though I were either speaking in a strange tongue or had

8:29 No, not at all. At least I was. However, in my experiments, I might find it rather annoyant when I hear minds are trying to figure out who exists and who isn't in the401 00. The more convincing mission boards there are in the�he conventional, scientific, faith mission boards......

8:46 around ourosi." What is your firm opinion?" One of the primitive ones. Well, I have had people like gallons of water in sorcery joined into the work so that one and a half billion of those would be like tension points walking on a hospitality channel so that they could take out asleep a unmatched equipoise on a wheelchair without having proper way to get the work done is by means of independent faith mission boards or denominational mission boards. Well, when we meet, then, the look of surprise or the look of irritation or shock, we have to be able to give a reason of the hope that is in us. Why do we do what we are doing? What authorization and warrant do we have for the task? Is it that we are a bunch of independent mavericks who don't trust anybody but ourselves? Is it that we are some kind of egomaniacs who want to take everything to ourselves so we can heap up to ourselves credit and praise? Why in the world do we believe that we are authorized and warranted to undertake and oversee the work of the Lord Jesus Christ? That is our second major area of concern. You see the progression now, having identified the primary tasks involved in missions, we now ask the question, on what basis, by whose authorization, on what warrant do we as a church undertake to involve ourselves directly in those

Principle 1: The Will of Christ for Global Gospel Spread

10:12 primary tasks? Now, God willing, in the time that we have this morning, I have two major categories of consideration. First of all, we're going to look at some key texts and their major principles. That's what we'll be doing right here, key texts and their major principles. And then, secondly, crucial observations and implications of these texts and principles. We shall see how they apply to the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. We shall see how they apply specifically to our own practice. First of all, then, the key texts and their major principles. Now, what I'm going to do, in contrast to what we did when we were looking at our first heading, the primary task, I asked you to come up with the texts, but now we change our method. What I'm going to do is read the texts, and I will read them in such a way as to emphasize the key principle or the common denominator principle of the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm going to read them in such a way as to emphasize the key principle or the common denominator principle of the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. And then, I will ask you the question, what is the great overarching principle in these texts? What is the umbilical cord that binds them together? And then, after having some input from you, I will state it in the way that it appears best to me, in terms of my present life, to state it in the way that I have it in my own notes.

11:37 All right? The key texts, then, and you are to look for the major principle that is the umbilical cord tying the texts together with the larger question in mind, not what do these texts teach in general, but what do they teach about the authorization and warrant for undertaking the work of mission. So we're looking at the texts with a very specific focus, the matter of warrant and authorization for undertaking missionary endeavor. Back to our key text, with which we began. The other principle, Matthew chapter 28, Matthew chapter 28, and verse 18. Speaking to the eleven disciples who went before him into Galilee according to his command, Jesus came to them and spoke unto them saying, All authority has been given unto me in heaven and on earth. Going therefore, Make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.

12:57 And lo, I am with you always, even unto the consummation of the age.

13:10 And now over to 1 Timothy, chapter 2, verses 4 through 6. In this context, the apostle has been giving to Timothy directives for ordering the life and worship, various aspects of the ministry of the church at Ephesus. And here he is directing Timothy to guide the church in its prayer life. And he has said that they are to make prayers for all men, for kings and those who are in high places, that there may be stability.

13:46 In the basic sociological structure within which the church carries on its mission. And then in verse 3, he gives the reason why such prayers are warranted. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who would have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator also.

14:16 Between the two, there is one God and one mediator. And there is one God and one mediator also. Between the two, there is one God and one mediator also. Between the two, there is one God and one mediator also.

14:16 Between God and men, himself man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all, the testimony to be born in its own times. Now, the question, can you see the great overarching principle in these two texts? What is the umbilical cord that binds them together? Well, let me help.

14:51 Let me help you by saying the key is in these words. Lo, I am with you always, even unto the consummation of the age, who will have all men to be saved, a testimony to be born in its times.

15:12 You think you see it?

15:18 I think the minute I read it, you'll recognize it if no one's bold enough to venture a guess. All right? Here it is. It is.

15:26 It is the will of Jesus Christ that the gospel be spread indiscriminately to the ends of the earth until the end of the present age. You see that? When Jesus said to the eleven, make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them, teaching them, he envisioned that task going far beyond the immediate, apostolic age, for he says, Lo, I am with you always, even unto the consummation of the age, indicating that the task given specifically to the apostles would merge into and become the standing task of the church, even until the second coming. And then the passage in Timothy says, Our prayers for kings and rulers, those in authority, as with the end in view, that there would be basic stability in governments and in society, that the gospel might go out unimpeded, this testimony concerning God's desire to bring salvation to all men, all kinds of men in all nations,

16:49 and this in its own times will become evident unto all. And so the great principle in these two passages is that it is the will of Jesus Christ that the gospel be spread indiscriminately to the ends of the earth until the end of the present age. Therefore, any church concerned with doing the will of Christ must be concerned with this mandated task. All right, now we come to, to our second collection of texts.

Principle 2: The Church as God's Perpetuated Vehicle for Truth

17:28 And, again, try to find the common denominator and the umbilical cord in these texts. Matthew chapter 16 and verse 18. Peter has just made his great confession concerning the identity of Jesus of Nazareth, that he is the Son of the living God, the very Christ of God. And he says, to Peter, verse 17 of Matthew 16, Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed are you, Simon bar Jonah, or son of Jonah, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto you, but my Father who is in heaven.

18:14 And I also say unto you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of heaven, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And now Ephesians 3, 21,

18:45 a text that I trust you occasionally read if you use the left-hand entrance doors to this building or to the foyer. Here. For this is our cornerstone or commemorative stone text, Ephesians chapter 3 and verse 21.

19:07 Unto him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus unto all generations forever and ever. Amen. I will build my church and the gates of Hades, shall not prevail against it. Unto him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus unto all generations forever and ever.

19:39 And now 1 Timothy 3 and verse 15. 1 Timothy 3 and verse 15. Perhaps backing up to verse 14, Paul explaining to Timothy why he has written, what he has written at this particular time. These things write I unto you, hoping to come unto you shortly, but if I tarry long, that you may know how men ought to behave themselves in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

20:23 All right, those are the three texts. Question. What is the great overarching, overarching principle bound up in these texts? What is the umbilical cord that ties them together?

20:37 Anyone want to venture an answer?

20:41 All right, Cliff. The institution that God has ordained to bring the gospel to the world is the church. All right, the institution which God has ordained to bring the gospel to the world is the church in just the apostolic age? In all ages, because he says in these passages, unto all generations, which would include generations that exist beyond the life of those that he was speaking to.

21:12 Absolutely. There's the principle. I've written it this way. The church will be perpetuated.

21:20 I will build my church and expand it against all opposition. The gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will build my church against all opposition. And I will build my church against all opposition.

21:30 And I will build my church against all opposition. And I will build my church against all opposition. And I will build my church against all opposition. And I will build my church against all opposition.

21:31 And I will build my church against all opposition. And I will build my church against all opposition. And I will build my church against all opposition. And I will build my church against all opposition.

21:31 and will be the major vehicle of God's glory unto him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus unto all generations, the fundamental institution for the promotion and defense of God's truth throughout all generations. Promotion, pillar, ground, defense, and put it all together, and here's the principle. The church will be perpetuated and expanded against all opposition and will be the major vehicle of God's glory and the fundamental institution for the promotion and defense of God's truth throughout all generations. You see that now in the passages. You see how we're building. We're building.

22:30 We're building. We're building. We're building. We're building.

22:30 We're building. We're building. Addressing the question, what warrant does Trinity Baptist Church have to undertake and to oversee the work of missions? Well, we've looked at a series of texts that have indicated, first of all, that it's the will of Jesus Christ that the gospel be spread indiscriminately to the ends of the earth till the end of the present age.

22:55 Therefore, any church concerned with the will of Christ has got to be concerned with missions. Now, we've seen by this second series of texts that the church will be perpetuated and expanded against all opposition and will be the major vehicle of God's glory and the fundamental institution for the promotion and defense of God's truth throughout all generations to the very consummation of the age. Now, we come to a third collection of texts, and now that your thinking caps are on and warm, see if you can find the common denominator in these passages and how they relate to our own situation. We'll start in the book of Acts. Acts chapter 11, Acts chapter 11, in which we have our first description of the church at Antioch.

Principle 3: Strong Local Churches as Missionary Agents

23:57 Do you remember a persecution arose after the death of Stephen and the believers, for the most part, were not able to get out of the church. They, for the most part, were scattered from Jerusalem. Only the apostles remained and some of the believers. Now, we read in verse 19 of Acts 11, They, therefore, that were scattered abroad upon the tribulation that arose about Stephen, traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to none save only to Jews.

24:28 But there were some bold fellows who broke out of the mold, that had been pressed upon them by their prejudice and other factors. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, bless God for these unnamed holy innovators, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Greeks also. My, we read that and say, big deal. But if you were living at that time, that was a big deal.

25:06 That was a big, big, big deal. And these unnamed men, who caught something of the vision of their Old Testament scriptures and probably of the words of Christ that were passed on by the oral tradition, realizing that the Lord died to have an inheritance from among the nations, were bold to speak unto Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them. And a great number that believed turned unto the Lord.

25:41 And the report concerning them came to the ears of the church. Isn't that a beautiful imagery? Here's one church with one set of ears. It's a beautiful picture.

25:52 It came to the ears of the church at Jerusalem. And what did they do? Well, they chose one of their proven men, a man of spiritual perception and discernment and balance, and they sent forth Barnabas as far as Antioch, who, when he was come and had seen the grace of God, was glad. He saw that indeed God had saved Gentile dogs.

26:22 And though it may have surprised him, it made his heart glad. And so in observing what was going on, he had no explanation, but the grace of God had accompanied the gospel. So what did he do? He exhorted.

26:36 He exhorted them that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord, for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith, and much people was added unto the Lord. You see, in the book of Acts, added to the church and added to the Lord are used synonymously.

26:57 No one is regarded as added to the Lord who isn't found in the church. And everyone found in the church is found in the church as one who manifests that he's been added. I challenge you to read through the book of Acts, and you'll see that the terms are used synonymously. We have no grounds to regard anyone officially as in the Lord who is not formally in the church.

27:23 Well, we may have a subjective conviction that they are saved, but we have no biblical warrant to regard them officially as in the Lord unless they're in the church. And we have no grounds to admit into the church any but those who manifest that they are in the Lord. And that's why the terms are used synonymously by Luke throughout the book of Acts. If you don't believe me, read through the book of Acts this afternoon, and then you'll be on my side.

27:54 All right? So what happened? Well, after the Lord blessed the ministry and it grew, for some reason, Barnabas was convinced he could not take the people further on his own. So his nose wasn't bent.

28:09 He didn't have an ego problem, an identity problem. He sought out a more gifted man, and he went forth to Tarsus to seek for Saul. And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch, and it came to pass that even for a whole year they were gathered together with the church and taught much people, and that the disciples were called Christians. It's sort of a Latinized Greek word, Christianos.

28:36 And the disciples were first called, called Christianos in Antioch. So here at Antioch, God establishes a church. A man comes up from Jerusalem, sees indeed God's done a great work. The hand of the Lord is present with power.

28:56 There is growth to the church. An eminent servant of Christ comes to join Barnabas in a primary teaching, strengthening, establishing ministry, and yet the Lord continues to, to increase the church, gives it such a crystal clear testimony in everything. They were so preoccupied with Christ that they were given a nickname, Little Christs. Little Christs there at Antioch.

29:25 Well, let's read further about Antioch in chapter 13, verse 1. Now there were at Antioch in the church that was there, prophets and teachers, Barnabas and Saul, Simeon, that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manan, the foster brother of Herod the Tetrarch. Isn't that amazing? That God would graciously reach in to the family lines of that beastly, wicked man and not only save a man, but give him a place of eminence in this church.

30:03 And as they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them, then when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. Now chapter 14, still the church at Antioch, verses 25 to 28, speaking of Paul and his companions, and when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Italia, and thence they sailed to Antioch from whence they had been committed to the Lord. And when they had been committed to the Lord, they had been committed to the grace of God for the work which they had fulfilled. And when they were come and had gathered the church together and rehearsed all that God had done with them and that he had opened a door of faith unto the Gentiles, and they tarried no little time with the disciples. Then chapter 15 and verse 30. So when they were dismissed, they came down, and when they had come to Antioch, and having gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle. Verse 35, But Paul and Barnabas tarried in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord

31:28 with many others also.

31:35 With many others also. Many other what? Formally recognized competent teachers and preachers who could hold the word of the Lord. Hold their own in the presence of Paul and Barnabas.

31:49 Verses 40 and 41. But Paul chose Silas and went forth, being commended by the brethren to the grace of the Lord. And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches. Now to the book of Romans.

32:08 All of that was about the church at Antioch. Now in Romans 15, verses 22, verse 24, Paul lets us in on why he wrote to the Romans and why he was so anxious to come to the Romans. Not only, as he said in chapter 1, to receive benefits from them and to impart blessing to them, but now here's a great secondary concern. Verse 22 of chapter 15.

32:36 Wherefore also I was hindered these many times from coming to you, but now, having no more any place in thee, these regions, and having these many years a longing to come to you, whensoever I go unto Spain, for I hope to see you in my journey and to be brought on my way thitherward by you, if first in some measure I shall have been satisfied with your company. Then to Philippians chapter 4. Now we're looking for a common denominator in all of these passages. Philippians chapter 4 and verse 14. This was one of Paul's favorite churches.

33:31 When he addressed it, I'm sorry, we should start with verse 1 of chapter 1. Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus that are at Philippi with the overseers and deacons, said, Philippians 4 and verse 14. Howbeit you did well that you had fellowship with my affliction, and you yourselves know, you Philippians, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church had fellowship with me in the matter of giving and receiving, but you only. For even in Thessalonica you sent, once and again unto my need.

34:25 Now, this is the third grouping of verses, and my question is, what is the common denominator in all of these passages? And how does it relate to the question, what warrant and authorization is there for the church to send forth and to oversee missionary endeavors? What are the common denominators in all that we read about the Antioch church, about the church at Rome, and the church at Philippi? Anyone think he has the answer?

35:02 All right. The church was the group to which the missionaries reported back, and the church also supplied the physical needs of the missionaries. All right. Three things about the church.

35:18 It was the sending agency, and then it was the support, and then it was the courting agency, and then it was the agency of accountability. All right? Someone else see something that is a common denominator in all of these passages? Certainly, what has been asserted is true.

35:43 All right, Doug? Going out and building up the disciples, and as a result of that,

35:54 all of them are electing other elders and deacons to lead those churches. All right. They're working out of the Great Commission, actually. All right.

36:05 So we see here the churches were working out the Great Commission. Good.

36:11 We still haven't latched on to what is most significant in terms of our question, which is what warrant do we have to undertake and to oversee the work of missions? What is the common denominator of Antioch, Rome, and Philippi? Yes. All right.

36:34 The churches were the, the places where they were trained and proved themselves. Good. But that was because of something that was even deeper. They were able to be the sending, supporting, and accountable agency because of something that was deeper yet.

36:53 Everything you've said is true, but there's something more fundamental that made all those things true.

37:00 Anyone think he sees it yet? All right. Pedro. ...individually as having the authority, to send whomever was qualified and ready to go. All right. So there's an element then of the independence of the local church in all of this. All right.

37:23 Did we read that the church at Lystra sent anyone out? And the church at Iconium?

37:32 No. See what I'm fishing for? There's something, yes, this is true, but there's something that yet lies underneath it. All right.

37:41 Gary. I believe that each time in those churches they were sent out as a member of that church. All right. The Apostle Paul has spent time and is sent out, if not as a member, someone well-known, well-integrated into the life of the church.

37:57 But why that particular church and not some other?

38:03 All right. Norman. ...blessed the ministry in Antioch, for example. All right. And that he had furthermore spoken, the Holy Spirit said, separate unto me Barnabas and Saul for the work. So he had the blessing of God upon those churches, and the commandment of God coming to those specific churches.

38:24 All right. I think we're coming closer to home now, and in the light of the time, now your minds are all awake, and you've got all kinds of suggestions, and I'm sure sooner or later we'd get it all together. But believe me, it's only in the interest of trying to stay on track, because I am a man accountable, and one of these days my fellow elders are all going to swoop back down in this place, and I want to make sure I don't provoke their frowns when I tell them I only got through the first three of the seven, seven things. Here's the great principle, and you are coming to it closer and closer in your contributions.

38:57 Listen carefully. It was well established, strong local churches who were actively involved in the task of missions, and no aspect of the missionary enterprise was delegated to or usurped by another institution. Now, you see that as the common denominator? The Antioch church is singled out as a well-established, strong church.

39:31 From its very birth, it seemed to be born with an unusual supply of iron in its blood. It was a strong church. It was strengthened by the ministry of Paul. It was blessed with multiple gifts.

39:46 Even after Paul and Silas left the Lord and came back, the Lord added others, so that here we have in the Antioch church, in the Roman church, it was well established enough that Paul could say, I hope to be brought on my way by you. It was not a fledgling church, still dependent upon others for its own support. It was financially strong. Paul assumes their ability and their strength of leadership to give counsel and guidance, and likewise with the Philippian church.

40:20 When Paul writes to it, it already has, many overseers, or at least two, he said overseers, it already has a diaconate, well established, and when you read through the epistle, they had a man they could afford to send with the gift, Epaphroditus, and he brings the gift to Paul and he speaks highly of him. So the common denominator of these verses is that they describe well established, strong local churches who were actively involved in the task of missions and no one has ever been able to do anything to change that. They have been able to do anything to change the way that the church has been established. And so the whole aspect of the missionary enterprise was delegated to, or usurped by, another institution. Now you see how we're coming closer and closer to answer our question, what warrant does Trinity Baptist Church have for undertaking to send and oversee missionary endeavors? Let me quickly now take you to the fourth string of verses, and I think that will complete the picture, and then we should have time to make these comments. These two major observations and implications, all right?

Principle 4: Apostolic Provision for Ongoing Laborers

41:26 Now we have a string of verses, four of them. We start in the Gospels, Matthew chapter 9. And once again now, we're looking for the common denominator. What principle is underscored in these verses?

41:42 In the interest of time, I simply remind you of the context of Jesus going about preaching and yet seeing so much need. Verse 37 of Matthew 9, then said he unto his disciples, the harvest indeed is plenteous, but the laborers are few. Pray ye therefore, the Lord of the harvest, that he send forth laborers into his harvest. Abundant harvest, great need, few laborers.

42:15 Pray that the Lord would meet the need. Now 2 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 2. Now remember, Timothy was not an apostle. He was one step removed.

42:31 He was an apostolic representative. Some might say his official designation was evangelist, but he was not an apostle. And yet listen to the task that is laid upon him in 2 Timothy 2.2.

42:44 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, the same commit thou faithful men who shall be able to teach others also. And now over to chapter 4 and verse 1. I charge thee in the sight of God and of Christ Jesus, who shall judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing in his kingdom, preach the word. Be urgent in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and teaching, for the time will come when they will not endure the sound doctrine, but having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts, and will turn away their ears from the truth and turn aside unto fables. But be thou sober in all things, suffer hardship, do the work of the ministry, fulfill, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill thy ministry, for I am already being offered and the time of my life of my departure is come. The time of my departure is come. Preach the word.

44:00 Be instant in season, out of season. The things you've heard from me commit to others who shall be able to teach others also. Pray the Lord of the harvest that he send forth laborers. And then one other text in this from Peter, 2 Peter chapter 1, verses 13 through 15.

44:22 2 Peter 1, 13. And it says, And I think it right as long as I'm in this tabernacle to stir you up by putting you in remembrance, knowing that the putting off of my tabernacle comes swiftly, even as our Lord Jesus Christ signified unto me. In other words, I will soon be martyred. Yea, I will give diligence that at every time you may be able after my decease to call these things to remembrance.

44:54 Now, have you found the primary principle contained in these verses? Have you found the umbilical cord that ties them together? What's the great principle in these verses? Think now.

45:07 Our larger question is what warrant do we have to undertake and oversee the work of missions? Anyone think he's discovered it? All right, Ron? Those presently engaged in the task could see that it continues.

45:36 Okay, good. We're getting near to the principle as we want to state it. Yes, Alan? Concern individually.

45:44 All right, the churches should be concerned individually with the next generation who are still close to it. Let me state it the way I've put it, not because mine's inspired, but I think it will at least be a viable expression of the principle. Here it is. As long as there is a harvest of souls, God is ready to hear prayer for laborers and the apostles made provision for their unique place in the missionary enterprise to be carried on by the church after their death.

46:24 You see that principle in those texts? As long as there is need we are to pray, the clear implication being that the Lord of the harvest is ready to give laborers in answer to prayer, and in each of these other passages the apostles made provision for their unique place in the missionary enterprise to be carried on by the church after their death. So we bring these together and here is the principle in this fourth collection of texts. As long as there is a harvest, God is ready to hear prayer for laborers and the apostles made provision for their unique place in the missionary enterprise to be carried on by the church after their death. Now, because time is just about away from us, we've got just six minutes, let me come to the second major heading and here I will lecture, though I think again you would get these, it's just a matter of the pressure of time. Two major observations and implications of these principles. We've looked at the principles, now we're going to see some observations and implications of these principles and we're going to look at some of them in the next lecture.

Observation 1: The Church as the Only Authorized Agent

47:33 Thank you.

47:41 The first is that the church is the only authorized agent to do the work of missions as they apply to the missionary practice and policy of Trinity Baptist Church. Here's the first. If the church is the only authorized agent to do the work of missions and if Christ has promised to build his church and be with her to the end of the age, then our authority and warrant for doing the work of missions as a church rests with the church and the church as a whole. The church is the only authorized agent to do the work of missions that rests upon Christ's authority, provision and promised presence." That's it!

48:21 That's why we have the temerity to be a mission board because if the church is the pillar and ground of the truth, not a one of many, if Christ promised to build his church and not any other agency, if the church is the only authorized agent only authorized agent to do the work of missions. And if Christ has promised to build his church and be with her to the end of the age, then our authority and warrant for doing the work of missions as a church rests upon Christ's authority, Christ's provision, and Christ's promised presence. And dear people, we're not the first ones to grapple with this issue. I've read and reread to the thrilling of my soul in volume four of the collected writings of James Henley Thornwell, a godly southern Presbyterian of the end of the 19th century, a powerful preacher, a man who went to his rest at age 49. And in his day, Thornwell engaged.

49:39 In his own denomination, people who said, well, it happened to be the southern Presbyterian church, or the Presbyterian church, I should say, Presbyterian church. And there were those who said, well, a plague on independent mission boards. And what they had done was simply to take what we'd call the faith mission boards with their officers and with their various trappings and bring them under the control of the church without asking, whether or not the structure of the mission board itself was proper. And so they had officers and agents that totally bypassed the function of elders and deacons.

50:21 And Thornwell argued before the whole General Assembly, carried on debates with Hodge up here in the north. And Thornwell had the heart of the issue. And when one reads all of the articles, and there are a number of pages, I forgot the total of the pages, somewhere around, I think, 100 to 150 pages, you see how Thornwell got hold of the real issue and he wouldn't let it go. And every time smoke was thrown up, he'd blow it away and there he'd be hanging on to the central issue again and again and again. And let me give you just a little taste of it. I had hoped to read about six or seven different quotes, but let me just give these that have the heart of it. We have no objection to the name, corresponding secretary, general agent, or any other mere name. But we insist upon it that new offices are made by human authority in the Church of God, in which various conflicting duties are brought together and a discordant whole created, like Nebuchadnezzar's image of gold, silver, brass, iron, and clay. The temporary

51:29 business of a secretary or scribe in any public meeting we understand. The temporary agency of a pastor for a specific purpose we acknowledge to be scriptural. But the appointing of men to be a permanent and standing vocation in which it is impossible to be faithful in any of the standing offices of the Church we do not understand. For we have not so learned." – he writes, Presbyterianism – I wrote in, we have not so learned our Bibles. For the elder of this church to appoint me as one of the shepherds, and to appoint Pastor Dixon as one of the shepherds, to spend some time in the future хоть right after he won't turn over a customer's apartment, and to trouble beye to the women and to fear—and so the Micah후 heard. He's also tried it in New Francisco. Paul's up a certain regard, it's so good you hear him saying it. But yet, Peter did say, O abbure me! Thank you from so far?!

52:10 philippines encouraging steve and encouraging that church is perfectly legitimate but to give a name and a title and an office and a function totally removed from the concept of an elder and a pastor or a deacon thornwell says what warrant do we have for doing this and then he comes back to the argument again and again and again until he states in what i regard to be the most eloquent statement of the whole issue he says this among all the quotes i have one that's marked heart of the issue and i want to make sure that that's the one i read in your presence because it is so critical i keep writing in the margin of the thing central issue central issue central issue again well i can't find the one that i i wanted but this this will do christ has constructed a machine for a particular you that machine however is so clumsily put together that it will not and cannot work until man has given it the finishing stroke he's saying this is what people say when they do missions their

53:33 own way what an impeachment of divine wisdom what an extraordinary specimen of reasoning he who should seriously maintain that because god has given us eyes for the purposes of vision therefore we're under obligation to use spectacles or because he's given us legs for the purpose of walking we are therefore bound to resort to crutches would reason precisely as the reviewer reasons in the case before us god has appointed the church for the purpose of holding forth the word of life to a perishing world therefore we are under obligation to fabricate mission boards and he goes on then to bring it into sharp focus and i can give you the pith of his argument and it's this whatever christ has authorized the church to do he he quits the church to do with his own gifts and graces and if the church is not equipped to do it for one of two reasons either god has not called her to do it or it's not god's time to do it just that simple and therefore we do not take some maverick crazy position we stand in the mainstream of a man who was recognized as one of the keenest theologians the most powerful preachers of his day this is the way to do it he has equipped the church to do with his own gifts and graces and if the church is not equipped to do it it's for one of two reasons is not some idea that we concocted in an elders' meeting on the spur of the moment.

Observation 2: Stewardship of Strong, Gifted Churches

55:00 We stand with this tremendously weighty biblical principle pressing in upon us. If the church is the only authorized agent to do the work of missions, and if Christ has promised to build his church and be with her to the end of the age, then our authority and warrant for doing the work of missions as a church rests upon Christ's authority, Christ's provision, and Christ's promised presence. And the second and final observation is this. If strong, established churches, Antioch, Philippi, Rome, with multi-gifted leadership have a peculiar stewardship in the undertaking and overseeing of missionary endeavors, then the warrant for our task at Trinity Church is to build the church of Christ. God in grace, and that's the only explanation. God in grace has taken a bunch of former potheads and dopeheads and lechers and who knows what else, and of them made a church and graciously deposited a multiplicity of gift, and therefore we have a peculiar stewardship. God in grace has taken a bunch of former potheads and dopeheads and lechers and who knows what else,

56:23 and therefore we have a peculiar stewardship in the work, sending, and overseeing missionary endeavors. As the church at Antioch had a rich diversity of gift, God's granted it here, so that when one of our elders is off in South Africa, another in England, you do not wonder if you're going to be well fed on the Lord's day. You do not wonder if you're going to be properly led at prayer meeting, when, for the one, in years, there was only one resident elder, yet you were led in an orderly and biblical way in your prayer meeting. And if there are naughty business matters to be wrestled with, you don't need to wonder if we're going to come up with some cock-a-me-me crazy financial scheme. You know that in the eldership and in the diaconate are men of competence, among them a licensed financial planner, among them someone who works in the mortgage department, of a bank, private businessmen who own and operate their own businesses, men of rich experience in the handling of money. Now that's not our doing. Christ has deposited those gifts.

57:40 And because Christ has deposited those gifts, Christ has given generosity to His people. And as the church at Antioch, Acts 11, 27 to 30, was financially able to help the struggling saints, and as the Philippian church was able to stand on its own feet and help Paul and send him out in his new missionary endeavor, God has blessed us, not with a lot of wealthy people, but with the grace of giving, and with amounts of giving sufficient to undertake the work of missions. And God has given a well-grounded, stable church, and therefore we have reason to believe that we have a peculiar responsibility in the sending of God. Amen. God has blessed us with the blessing and the overseeing of missionary endeavors. Well, I've sneaked the extra five minutes, but I wanted to conclude that second point.

Thornwell Quotations: The Church's Exclusive Authority

58:34 I hope now you could give an answer to someone who asks you, What warrant do you have to think you've got the right to send out missionaries and be a mission board? I hope you can sit with your Bible and answer that question. Now because I was unable to give in full the quotations from Volume 4 of the Collective Review, the writings of James Henley Thornwell in the adult class on the occasion of the lesson that you have just heard, I felt it would be well to append those quotes, and I will now do so reading them and giving the page numbers as they appear in the recent Banner of Truth reprint of the works of Thornwell. Of course, in all of these things he is dealing with the whole subject of his argument against the establishment of church boards, in order to carry on functions which Christ, the head of the church, has given distinctly to the church as church. And the first quote is found on page 150, in which Thornwell writes, We have no objection to the name corresponding secretary, general agent, or any other mere name, but we do insist upon it that new offices are made by human authority in the church of God, in which various churches, in which various conflicting duties are brought together, and a discordant whole created,

60:01 like Nebuchadnezzar's image of gold, silver, brass, iron, and clay. The temporary business of a secretary or scribe in any public meeting we understand. The temporary agency of a pastor for a specific purpose we acknowledge to be scriptural. But the appointing of men to a permanent and standing vocation, in which it is impossible to be faithful in any of the standing offices of the church, we do not understand, for we have not so learned Presbyterianism." To which I would add, we have not so learned the Bible. And then on page 158, and moving over to 159, Thornwell continues his argument. Under this general head of the anti-biblical church, the Presbyterian character of the boards, we will suggest another consideration which has commended itself very forcibly to our minds. It appears to us that this whole system involves an abandonment of the great principle that it is the duty of the church as such, in her ecclesiastical capacity, to conduct every department of the work

61:20 which the Savior has committed to her. To this principle the Presbyterian church is pledged. For this principle she earnestly contended through years of darkness, anxiety, and apprehension. In this contest we participated heartily and warmly, according to the measure of grace which was given us, and we can see no reason for abandoning it when victory is now within our reach.

61:48 We believe, said the assembly of 1837 in her circular letter to all sister churches, that if there be any departments of Christian effort to which the church of Christ is bound in her appropriate character to direct her attention and her unwearied labors, they are those which relate to the training of her sons for the holy ministry, and sending the gospel to those who have it not, and planting churches in the dark and destitute portions of the earth. And at this point the quotation of the pronouncement of the General Assembly of 1837 ends. Now further quoting from page 159, here the obligation of the church in her appropriate character is distinctly admitted and given as one reason for rebuking the various voluntary associations which without any warrant for the church from God had taken these matters into their own hands. And now moving over to page 160 at the bottom of the page and reading to the top of 161, the duties of the church are duties which rest upon her by the authority of God. He has given her the organization which she possesses

63:16 for the purpose of discharging these duties. She can therefore no more throw them off upon others than a man can delegate to his neighbor the care of his own family and abandon himself to idleness and ease. If our form of church government is such as God prescribed, it is adequate for all emergencies. If our church courts are based upon the platform of the Bible, God requires from them the discharge of their peculiar duties and not from another.

63:54 He appointed them for this very purpose and gave them no authority to shift the responsibility, the heat and the burden of the day upon creatures of their own. If the church can delegate one part of her work, she can delegate another. And then over on page 163 at the bottom of the page and reading to the top of 164, Christianity in its living principles and its outward forms is purely a matter of divine revelation. The great error of the church in all ages, the fruitful source of her apostasy and crime, has been a presumptuous reliance upon her own understanding. Her own inventions have seduced her from loyalty to God and filled her sanctuary with idols and the hearts of her children with vain imaginations. The Bible cuts at the very root of this evil by affording us a perfect and infallible rule of faith and practice. The absolute perfection of the Scriptures as a directory to man was a cardinal principle of the Reformation, and whatever could not be traced to them either directly or by necessary inference was denounced as a human invention,

Thornwell Quotations: Adequacy of Christ's Church

65:19 as mere will-worship, which God abhors so deeply that an inspired apostle has connected it with idolatry and the worshipping of angels. Now the total silence of the word of God in regard to such contrivances as boards seals their condemnation. Nay, they are virtually prohibited by those plain directions of the Scriptures in regard to church government which lead directly to a different system. To our minds it is clear that our Savior constituted His church with a special reference to missionary operations, and we shall be slow to believe that the most successful method of conducting them was never discovered until eighteen centuries after His ascension. And now turning over to page 186 in the same volume, at the center of the page, as he now interacts with someone who had responded to his article and is now responding to this reviewer, he writes, In other words, the real pointed issue between the reviewer and myself is whether the church, as organized by Jesus, Jesus Christ and His apostles,

66:46 is competent to do all that her head has enjoined upon her, or does she require additional agents to assist her? The real question is, did Christ give the church all the furniture she needed, or did He partially supply her with a general direction to make up the deficiency? Upon this question I fearlessly join issue. So strong are my convictions of the adequacy of the church as organized in the Scriptures to meet all exigencies, that if it can be clearly shown that she, that is the church, is incompetent to discharge any office assumed to be imperative upon her, I should think it much more probable that the duty was not enjoined than that the church was thus relatively imperfect. What she clearly cannot do is not commanded. And then over to page 192, arguing along the same lines, Thornwell writes, Is the church adequately organized to discharge all the duties which Christ, her glorious Head and King, demands at her hands? Or is she at liberty to supply the defects of her constitution from the resources of her own wisdom?

68:14 In other words, is the church simply a servant of Christ, bound to do what she is commanded, and as she is commanded, acting in all respects according to orders? Or is she a confidential agent, instructed only as to the ends to be accomplished, and left to invent the means for herself? And then one final quote on page 208, Thornwell writes, Christ has constructed a machine for a particular purpose. The machine, however, is so clumsily put together that it will not and cannot work until man has given it the finishing stroke. Obviously at this point Thornwell is using some irony and sarcasm. What an impeachment of divine wisdom! What an extraordinary specimen of reasoning!

69:13 He who should seriously maintain that because God has given us eyes for the purposes of vision, therefore we are under obligation to use spectacles, or because He has given us legs for the purpose of walking, therefore we are bound to resort to crutches, would reason precisely as the reviewer reasons in the case before us. God has appointed the church for the purpose of holding forth the word of life in a perishing world, therefore we are under obligation to fabricate church boards. Well, I believe these quotes will suffice to demonstrate that the thesis that has been expounded in this particular lesson is not a novel position, and though Thornwell writes from the position of a convinced Presbyterian, he sets forth in a convincing way the simple central fact that the tasks which God has given to the church to perform, including the missionary task, the church is warranted to perform as church, and has no right from the head of the church to make up inventions of her own to carry on that task.