So It's Not Just Me

I've been reading a book by Daniel Akin (President of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) called Five Who Changed the World. It's a short book that walks you through the lives of five missionaries whom God used to change the world because of their dedication to the great commission (Matthew 28:18-20).

While reading about the forth person, Lottie Moon, I was struck by some of her quotes. It seems as though the problem the church has in our day Lottie also saw over a hundred years ago, and there are still not enough missionaries going into all the world. Read what she wrote:

Nov. 1, 1873:

What we need in China is more workers. The harvest is very great, the laborers, oh! so few. Why does the Southern Baptist church lag behind in this great work?...I think your idea is correct, that a young man should ask himself not if it is his duty to go to the heathen, but if he may dare stay at home. The command is plain: "Go."

April 27, 1874:

Oh that we had active and zealous men who would go far and wide scattering books and tracts and preaching the word to the vast multitudes of this land.

Nov. 4 1875:

We implore you to send us help. Let not these heathen sink down into eternal death without one opportunity to hear that blessed Gospel which is to you the source of all joy & comfort. The work that constantly presses upon us is greater than time or strength permit us to do.

Sept. 1877, letter to the Foreign Mission Journal:

In the vast continent of Africa, we have one white missionary and one colored. In Japan we have-not one. In China we have at present eight missionaries. Putting the population of China at four hundred million, that gives one missionary for fifty million people. Yet, we call ourselves Missionary Baptists.

Our Lord says, "Go ye into all the world & preach the gospel to every creature." Are we obeying this command?

Unknown date:

I hope no missionary will be as lonely as I have been.

Even before Lottie's day we hear Jesus saying, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest" (Matthew 9:37). So, what Jesus saw Lottie also saw, and what Lottie saw I also see. Granted we have more missionaries in our day than we've ever had in Christian history, and praise God for it, but also the world's population is larger than it's ever been.

Why this history of lacking missionaries? For example, my wife and I are the only missionaries from our church, and we have 200-300 in membership!

I don't have the answer. It could be just plain ol' sin: selfishness, materialism, cowardliness (yes, it's a sin, see Rev. 21:7) unbelief, etc. I know, I know, I can hear it now, "Well if some don't stay who will send the missionaries?"

Did you know that 95% of all those North Americans who receive seminary training stay and minister in North America (currently the most gospel saturated nation in the world)? That means only 5% of seminary trained individuals go. Did you also know that North America makes up only 5% of the worlds population?

So, let's lay it out, and keep in mind that these are just the ones who get seminary training, the ones who would be best fit for the job.

5% go to the 95%. And 95% stay and minister to the 5% (the 5% who have the greatest access to the truth of anyone else in the world).

I'll leave it in the words of Martin Luther:

"Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also, the body they may kill, God's truth abideth still. His kingdom is forever."