The Church and Missionary Opposition
Unlike King Frederick, the Anglican and Lutheran churches of Europe were actually against the idea of sending missionaries to the nations of the world. At that time, they believed that Jesus’ command to “go into all the world …” (Mark 16:15) had ceased when the apostles died, and that the first apostles had fulfilled the command by reaching the ends of the known world. The European reformers had spent the last two hundred years establishing the Protestant denominations and fighting against the religious control of Roman Catholicism in Europe. Their church vision did not include outreach to foreign nations. The Spirit of God is always trying to breathe life into the church and the world, but religion is always trying to squelch it!
The Danish Outreach and God’s Vision
In the Danish outreach, we see the first signs of the Spirit of God breathing new life into what we call the Great Commission; but the traditional church had control, and they thought that what God had said to the apostles about evangelising the world was now irrelevant.
Ludwig’s Destiny Was Sealed
At dinner that night, Ludwig sat in rapt attention, his eyes fastened on Ziegenbalg, the first Lutheran missionary. Burning with curiosity, he asked him detailed questions about his missionary work, the language and customs of the Indian people; and, from the time of that momentous dinner, Ludwig’s destiny was sealed.
A Vision for The Order of the Mustard Seed
As soon as he was excused from the dining hall, Ludwig raced down the corridor and burst into Watteville’s room, eager to share every detail of his dinner conversation. What an exciting new vision for The Order of the Mustard Seed! They would consecrate their lives to sending the good news of Jesus Christ to those throughout the world who did not know Him. “It will be impossible to go ourselves,” they reluctantly admitted, because of their positions of nobility; but they vowed to use their fortunes and their influence to spread the gospel message around the globe.
A Lesson for Today
This story is a reminder to each of us that, sometimes, our greatest sermon may be delivered to just one person. Ziegenbalg had a simple conversation with a teenage boy at dinner, and he sowed the mission seed that changed the European Protestant church! Whatever is on your heart, speak up, even if it is just to one person.
To be continued…
Tale Tuesday 101
Date: 22nd October, 2024
Title: : COUNT NIKOLAUS LUDWIG VON ZINZENDORF (Part 8)
Source: God’s generals- The Missionaries
Author: Roberts Liardon
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