The mission statement of this church is: “We exist to spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ.” How can we be used by God to fulfill such a huge mission?

Isaiah 55:6-7 answers the question:

“Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Fred and I believe this is a clear call for Desiring God Community Church in 2009: Seek the Lord! Call upon Him! God invites us to do so, saying whoever seeks, finds!

But seeking Him means more than saying, “God, help me!” Note what the prophet says MUST accompany our seeking the Lord: Forsaking our wicked ways and wrong thoughts, repenting and returning to the Lord. We all need this regular examination of our own hearts, this regular turning to God, this taking account of where we are before Him.

As Thomas Boston wrote:

Such times are to be set apart from conversing with the world that we may the more solemnly commune with our own hearts to the state of matters between God and us.

It is when we seek God in this way – with broken and contrite hearts, trusting in the righteousness of Christ and not our own – that we will find Him. He will abundantly pardon – covering every sin, every wickedness by the blood of Jesus.

When we have received that pardon, we are then ready to spread a passion for His supremacy in all things for the joy of all peoples. When we are right with God, then we can send, then we can go, then we can serve.

In Acts 11:23, Barnabas exhorts the young church in Antioch to do the same: He tells them to have a “firm resolve to remain true to the Lord.” The point is not, “Be firm! You are strong! Put your strength to use!” No. Our firmness accomplishes nothing. Instead, we are to be firm in our reliance on Him. We are to remain true to the Lord through praying to Him, through examining ourselves, through repentance, confession, and rejoicing in His forgiveness through Christ. Through such obedience, the Antioch church would be used mightily by God among the nations.

Such firm and active dependence on God is a necessary prerequisite for effective service in missions. I said in the February 15 sermon:

People may decide to go into missions without prayer and seeking God’s face. But God does not send people into missions apart from prayer and seeking His face.

And we know such prayer preceded Antioch’s sending Paul and Barnabas out on the journeys that changed the world.

But prayer is not only a necessary prerequisite for any missionary. It is also the key way that the work of missions is accomplished. Let me explain.

Reaching the remaining unreached peoples is a task that has some technical dimensions to it. We must answer questions such as:

• Where are these peoples?
• What languages do they speak?
• How can missionaries live near or among these peoples?
• What are the unusual aspects of these cultures?
• What are logical entry points for the Gospel?

We surely must study and prepare to go through researching such questions.

But the major work of spreading the Gospel is not technical. The major work is spiritual. And prayer and fasting are the PRIMARY ways that work is accomplished.

Do you hear that? Do you believe that?

Your prayer – your fasting – is vitally important for reaching unreached peoples.

God does not reach unreached peoples apart from prayer and seeking His face. Just as Paul combated the spiritual opposition of Elymas in Acts 13 through the power of the Holy Spirit, so we must combat the spiritual opposition among the Lo’am people by that same power – and we do not have access to that power apart from prayer.

So, my friends: We can accomplish our mission; we can spread a passion for God’s supremacy in all things for the joy of all peoples – IF we pray, if we are a praying people, if we seek the Lord while He may be found.

So I encourage you and exhort you: Set aside time to examine your own heart before God. Humble yourself. Confess. Preach the Gospel to yourself. Then intercede on behalf of the lost around us and the unreached peoples around the world. Especially lift up the Lo’am people. Pray privately. Pray together. Join me Tuesday mornings at 6:30 and Sunday mornings at 7:40.

And when we pray – what might God be pleased do?

May we devote ourselves to prayer – and may our sovereign God delight to work through those prayers for His glory, and for the joy of all peoples.

[This is the devotion I gave to open our February 15 members meeting.]