The True Nature of Preaching

On October 13, 2013October 13, 2013 By Jacob LeeIn Discipleship, Missions1 Comment

I have the privilege of preaching on Sundays and throughout the week. On this Sunday afternoon I have been reminded afresh that this is the greatest privilege I have as a missionary. I pray and I ask for your prayers that I would never dismiss or take lightly this grand privilege.

James Steward has rightly said that the aim of preaching is “to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God” (Quoted in John Piper’s The Supremacy of God in Preaching page 19). The Apostle Paul states in 1 Corinthians 2:1-9 the kind of preaching God blesses:

“And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimonyof God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written,

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him” …”

I ask not only for prayers for myself but also for all preachers here in Northwestern Uganda, Southwestern South Sudan, and Northeastern D.R. Congo. The preachers I know in this land love Jesus dearly and seek to proclaim His Word. The Lord has established R.A.U. to come alongside such men, to encourage them in sound doctrine and passionate preaching. On October 22-25 we will host our first group of pastors in what I hope will be the first retreat of many. I pray that the Lord would set a blaze, in this part of Africa, Christ exalting preaching in the church, streets, gardens, and among every unchurched village and people group.

My discipleship times with Godfrey, Leonard, and Alfred have also been encouraging. They are the kind of young men who thrill my heart! Without prodding or poking they are pursuing King Jesus and studying His Word with an urgency which only comes from the Holy Spirit. These men and others are ones the Lord will send our way from local churches to help equip as church planters. As I have posted before, our eyes are currently set upon Yumbe, Obongi, and the Mubuti Pygmy Tribe. The Mubuti are across the border in Northeaster D.R. of Congo and Yumbe and Obongi are only a couple hours away. Please continue in your prayers for these endeavors.

With Leonard and Alfred...2 Timothy 2:2 — With Leonard and Alfred…2 Timothy 2:2

We are closing in on the final phases of getting RAU ready to do the things which the Lord has laid before us. We are still needing about $5,000 to get our facilities to a place where we can host and disciple those God sends our way. Pray and believe God with us for these funds. Help if you can…thank you!

Pressing On!

On October 11, 2013October 12, 2013 By Jacob LeeIn Discipleship, Missions, News and Status Updates

Dear Praying Friends:

I hope you all are well and pressing on in your relationship with the Lord and your God given responsibilities. The RAU team is encouraged by your faithful prayers and support! We are “straining forward to what lies ahead,[and we] press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus….” (Philippians 3:13-14, ESV). Let us together walk in the righteousness which comes by faith in Christ Jesus and seek to “…know him and the power of his resurrection, and…share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death…” (Philippians 3:10, ESV).

I only have time for a short update this week as we are working very hard on the final phases of making ready Reaching Africa’s Unreached Guesthouse and compound for visiting teams from America and, most importantly, pastors and church planters for discipleship. Because of gifts from God’s people we have had funds to work on projects we have been telling you about in our last newsletters. During this last 10 days, nearly everyday, work has started at 7AM and continues until 10PM with only short breaks for lunch, tea and supper. Sam and I are kept busy getting supplies and coordinating work details on the various projects. The Lord has blessed us with some hard working and talented men from both Kampala and Moyo.

The tile work on the veranda is about 80% complete (the slick tiles will definitely make it much more difficult for snakes to trespass), we are almost to the roof level on the charcoal burning kitchen and living quarters for Lucy, our cook. Plaster work is nearly completed on the fourth tukalu; we have a water line dug to them and we have started on our African/American latrine and septic for the tukalu compound. Double and triple bunker beds are being built . We still need to buy the 28 mattress and mosquito nets for them. We need to finish these projects as well as finish work on the outside water tank and beams for the container to sit on when it arrives with all of its precious, God-given cargo, all before our first group of pastors arrive on October 22nd. They will be here until the 25th.

Kitchen and Cook's Quarters — Kitchen and Cook’s Quarters

Sight for tukalu latrine and wash station

The septic tank and drain field is next to the new latrine. Our rainy weather makes for challenging digging!

Serving table and sink on the front veranda

Equipping a place from scratch requires many things we often forget...where and on what will 20 plus people eat and sit?people sit? — Equipping a place from scratch requires many things we often forget…where and on what will 20 plus people eat and sit?

Currently the number of pastors attending our first retreat is 20. It is a bit larger than what I would like to have, but it is hard to say no to someone who really wants to come. The pastors’ church backgrounds are Baptist, Anglican, and Pentecostal. I personally know each of these pastors and have preached in most of their churches. They are hungry to learn and grow in the Lord. My prayer is that they will be strengthened in their faith and in sound doctrine so that they, in turn, will be better equipped to feed their congregations and be a part of church planting in the many areas without churches.

Ron Zeiner will be arriving the 21st. He and his wife Joanna were missionaries in South Africa for many years. Interestingly, I have been good friends with Ron and Joanna since 1979. Both Carol and I have benefited from their lives and teaching! Ron will be teaching sessions on Ezra-Nehemiah (Principles of Leadership), with some lessons on hermeneutics. I will have lessons on 2 Timothy 2:2, as well as work through, with the pastors, Dawson Trotman’s sermon/booklet, Born to Reproduce. I first read “Born to Reproduce” in the late 70’s and it has been one of those messages that has remained in my heart over the years. When you have an opportunity read it or read it again if it has been a while since you tasted the biblical truths in the message. Our major theme at RAU is discipleship and this first retreat sets a good precedent for us. Please be in prayer for Ron’s trip and our time together with these precious pastors!

Godfrey,Alfred, and Leonard, the possible missionary candidates for Obongi and Yumbe are devouring everything I give them. Pray for them and me as we work together in our growth and dependance on Christ Jesus and His word.

The discipleship materials I am currently using

Pray for the the towns of Obongi and Yumbe (See: https://reachingafricasunreached.org/…/ ) that the Lord would save many there and establish His church. Recently, I had opportunity to give John Piper’s “A Hunger For God,” in Arabic,, to the Imam of the mosque which is near RAU’s southern border. The next day the Imam was back! He came waiting for the truck which was to haul bricks to RAU. (It had broken down so it didn’t make it here until late afternoon.) He ate and had tea with all of us. He mostly sat and and observed us interact. Interestingly, I found out he has been sent here to Afoji from Yumbe as a “missionary”. The Imam only speaks Labara with limited English and reads Arabic so it was hard to have a conversation with him. I also gave him another gospel booklet in Arabic by Piper which I saw him reading throughout the day. Pray for him and us!

John Piper's books in Arabic and his "Quest For Joy" tract in Ma'di which is the local language spoken here. — John Piper’s books in Arabic and his “Quest For Joy” tract in Ma’di . Ma’di is the main local language spoken in Moyo.

We have several other day workers here during this construction time who are also Muslims and many others who are not “born again” (John 3). Whether in Africa or America we are all called to bear witness of Christ with those whom the Lord sends our way. Let us each be faithful in this God given task!

In Yumbe

Let me close with an earnest plea that you continue to intercede on our behalf, as well as Christ’s mission in this part of the world. Please also continue to give as you are able. There is still much to do! I have been utterly amazed at what has been accomplished, especially in these last two months. A little over two years ago the area in which I am now writing was wild African bush. Now these acres are fast becoming an oasis for drinking and feasting on the goodness of the Lord and a launching pad for getting the gospel to the unreached…those that have no opportunity from their own community to hear the glorious gospel. Thank you for your partnership and love!!

Blessings,

Jacob

Web Site: www.ReachingAfricasUnreached.com
Blog: www.ReachingAfricasUnreached.org

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ReachingAfricasUnreached

Small packages and letters may safely be sent to:

Jacob & Carol Lee, PO. 55, Moyo Uganda, East Africa

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*If you have questions on donations please email me at JacobLeeRAU@gmail.com

“The Risk is Right When the Reward is Christ”

On October 11, 2013 By Jacob LeeIn Missions

Great exhortation from missionary pioneer David Sitton!

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Reckless Abandon: The Risk is Right When the Reward is Christ

David Sitton

The summer siege on Tiananmen Square in 1989 was temporarily halted by one man who dared to face-down a Chinese tank. It’s an image that captured a century-defining moment of reckless defiance against the tyranny of communism.

One lone rebel walked calmly through the frenzied, fleeing mob toward the enemy. He then stood unarmed, directly in the path of the advancing tanks. The lead tank tried to swerve around him, but he repeatedly side-stepped into its path with defiant, yet non-violent hand gestures. Rather than crush the young man, the tank eventually stopped its engine.

The peaceful protester climbed onto the hull of the lead tank, crawled under the tank gun to the driver’s hatch and, on live television, was seen talking to the driver. It is reported that he demanded that the tank commander, “Leave my city. You have no right to kill my people!”

The captain restarted the engine to carry on with his mission. But the man jumped off the tank and quickly re-established his bold stance, again blocking the forward progress of the tanks.

Moments later, three by-standers ran in to pull the man away, and they all disappeared into the crowd. It is believed that the gutsy young man was a 19-year-old student, who was abruptly arrested by secret police and became one of many that were brutally executed during the military crackdown in Beijing. He was never heard from again.

What are we to think of an incident such as this? Why would he be so reckless, knowing he would surely be executed for such foolhardy insubordination? Evidently, the atrocities of a communistic dictatorship were so oppressive that he was compelled to forfeit his life in an effort to stop it or at least to delay the inevitable, if only for those few moments he could control.

The “tank man” is to be admired. However, such risky heroism is not as rare as you might think. American soldiers overseas and firemen on the home-front often display similar “tank man” recklessness in their vocations. Lives are frequently sacrificed in order to establish a military beachhead or to rescue people from burning buildings. Somehow they muster the courage to endanger their own lives for others, convinced the cause is worth it. They risk their lives with reckless abandon. The dictionary defines the individual words this way:

reckless /ré-kləs/ adj: marked by lack of proper caution: utterly unconcerned about the consequences of some action.

abandon /ə-bán-dən/ n: to give (oneself) over unrestrainedly.

reckless abandon /ré-kləs ə-bán-dən/: to give oneself unrestrainedly to the cause of Jesus and the promotion of His kingdom without concern for danger and the consequences of that action.

In mission, then, are we to be recklessly abandoned for Christ and the gospel among the nations? Or should we only go into the world with the gospel where we can safely do so? What do we do when we find that it’s impossible to manage the risks or to minimize the dangers to reasonable levels? Do we go—no matter what? Or do we wait until red carpets are rolled out for us?

It seems as though many in the West believe we should attempt to engage only those people groups that present “reasonable risks” to our missionaries. The not-so-subtle assumption is that missionaries should be routinely evacuated out of danger zones.

Why is it presumed that American missionaries have the “right” to require safe living conditions? Believers in the rest of the world assume that following Christ is naturally hazardous to their health! They live as lambs among wolves, expecting to be mistreated because wolves mistreat lambs (Matt. 10:16-25). Why do we think we should be exempt from what Jesus said would be the normal experience of His followers?

If it is admirable for our military men to die on foreign soil for American freedom and laudable for firemen to risk their lives for citizens in peril, why are missionaries dubbed as irresponsible fools when they choose to remain in hazardous situations with their families, “risking their necks” (Rom. 16:4) for the gospel of Christ?

Here is my rationale for sending missionaries with the gospel into hostile surroundings: Risk assumes the possibility of loss and is always determined by the value of the mission. The gospel is so valuable that no risk is unreasonable. Life is gained by laying it down for the gospel. If I live, I win and get to keep on preaching Christ. If I die, I win bigger by going directly to be with Christ (Phil. 1:22-24) and I get to take a few tribes with me.

I conclude that “losing my life” for the gospel is literally impossible because my years on this earth are worth far less than the value of the eternal gospel. This is what Paul means when he declares: “I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace” (Acts 20:24).

If this is true, there is no meaningful risk for me as a carrier of the gospel of Christ. If some tribal chief chops my head off, he’s doing me a favor. Think about it. If I get to (not have to) lay down my life in some remote jungle swamp, but God uses my death as an object lesson to turn their eyes to Christ and the gospel gets established among them, that isn’t a bad “risk” for me. I didn’t lose; I won! It was the bargain of a lifetime because Jesus is worth a lot more than my little life.

If we, as gospel ambassadors, are unwilling to suffer even as much as soldiers and firemen, could the reason be that we don’t treasure Christ enough or value the gospel enough to sacrifice significantly for its advancement into unreached regions? Is Jesus simply not worth the risk to many of us? Where is the line, over which, it is no longer worth it to go with the gospel?

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David Sitton served as a church planting missionary in some of the remotest regions of Papua New Guinea during the 1970’s and 80’s. The Lord enabled him to make first contact with several previously unreached tribes and the establishing of 34 churches. In 1994, David founded To Every Tribe and, the following year, The Center for Pioneer Church Planting on the south Texas / Mexico border where he lives with his wife Tommi. David serves to train and launch church planting teams to those still without access to the gospel of Christ. David is the author of two books, To Every Tribe With Jesus and Reckless Abandon.

A Sunday Morning in Northwestern Uganda

On September 29, 2013September 29, 2013 By Jacob LeeIn Discipleship

Each Sunday we have the joyful privilege to share God’s Word with a local church! We have been in Baptist, Pentecostal, Presbyterian, Anglican, and Independent ones. Our English has been translated into Bari, Kuku, Ma’di, Dinka, and Luganda. We leave each congregation blessed and encouraged. Below are a few photos and a couple of videos of our ride back to RAU via Boda Boda. I will be very happy when God’s gift in the form of a 1999 Land Cruiser arrives safely to RAU!