Overcoming Objections to Missions
by Andrew Michell, January 12, 2014
We cannot afford to live in a fairy tale world. We have to face reality and the reality is that many Christians hold in their minds so many objections to Christian missions that promoting missions without first addressing the objections can amount to a fool's errand. Because the promotion and advancement of Christian missions is the single most important work of the church today a careful and studied effort must be made to identify these objections. Upon close examination these objections to missions are as strong as a wet noodle and it is surprising that such seemingly insignificant notions could so effectively smother any budding interest in reaching the unreached for Jesus.
Below are some of the most common objections that I have encountered in the last several years. For each objection I have provided at least one answer, if not several, to overcome the objection and lead the way to a more profitable approach to missions. This list is not exhaustive and more objections will be added. If this topic is of interest to you I highly recommend reading "Do Not Say: Or the Church's Excuses for Neglecting the Heathen." This booklet is available for free online in PDF. It was published in the 1800s and is in the public domain. This was the booklet that prompted James Frasier to go as a missionary to the Lisu people of China. This fantastic booklet answers so many excuses, removes so many objections, and it is free and just as relevant today as it was over 120 years ago.
Below are some of the most common objections that I have encountered in the last several years. For each objection I have provided at least one answer, if not several, to overcome the objection and lead the way to a more profitable approach to missions. This list is not exhaustive and more objections will be added. If this topic is of interest to you I highly recommend reading "Do Not Say: Or the Church's Excuses for Neglecting the Heathen." This booklet is available for free online in PDF. It was published in the 1800s and is in the public domain. This was the booklet that prompted James Frasier to go as a missionary to the Lisu people of China. This fantastic booklet answers so many excuses, removes so many objections, and it is free and just as relevant today as it was over 120 years ago.
Objection #1 "God has invited us to participate. We only become missionaries if we want to. It is a choice, an option."
Answer – That is a lie and here is the reason why: It is a commandment to be obeyed.
Matthew 28:19-20 "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
"The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed." Hudson Taylor
"He commanded us to preach to the people" Peter in Acts 10:42.
"The Lord commanded us" to be a light to the Gentiles. Paul in Acts 13:47
"Go, send, or disobey." — John Piper
"Every true disciple is born into the kingdom of God as a missionary." Ellen White
Answer – That is a lie and here is the reason why: It is a commandment to be obeyed.
Matthew 28:19-20 "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
"The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed." Hudson Taylor
"He commanded us to preach to the people" Peter in Acts 10:42.
"The Lord commanded us" to be a light to the Gentiles. Paul in Acts 13:47
"Go, send, or disobey." — John Piper
"Every true disciple is born into the kingdom of God as a missionary." Ellen White
Objection #2 "I’m called to stay here."
Answer – A good response is to ask to show evidence for the calling. What was the call, exactly? Now compare the evidence to direct command to go. This is based on the idea that an opportunity, especially and opportunity we like, is a "call" from God. Those who want to obey and advance God's Great Commission will not let opportunity replace the Bible as the guidepost for their decisions.
"While vast continents are shrouded in darkness...the burden of proof lies upon you to show that the circumstances in which God has placed you were meant by God to keep you out of the foreign mission field."- Ion Keith-Falconer
Answer – Are the people of the 10/40 window less valuable to God? If not, then why is God “calling” everyone to stay in the USA? By the numbers God must be “calling” almost every possibly qualified person to stay in the USA! I'm from the USA and everyone I know that rejects missions does so because they are "called" to the USA. But this disproportionate allocation of workers gives reason for the unreached to charge God with unfairness. I thought God wanted to finish the work (John 4:34) and that he was a God of order. Why is he then marshaling all the troops into one nation? Why is He putting all the salt into one bowl of soup?
Answer – The #1 reason why people use this excuse is because it is so easy to say. They forget we are all headed in a direct line to the day when we must give account.
"To stay here and disobey God — I can't afford to take the consequence. I would rather go and obey God than to stay here and know that I disobeyed." — Amanda Berry Smith
Answer – Please come say that to a refugee or orphan in the 10/40 window. “I’m sorry that you do not know Jesus and that you do not have Bibles and that there are no Christians here to teach you how to know God and pray to him. You see I cannot come and help you because Jesus has called me to stay home. I have a ministry to people with 20 versions of the Bible and churches on every street corner.”
Answer – The Cross. Can you imagine Jesus giving this objection? “Called” not to be a missionary to earth to save men but to let them all perish eternally? “Called” to stay in heaven? Mark 1:37-38 is an excellent scripture for this objection. People called Jesus to stay. They wanted him to stay and serve them and minister to them. Even though he was “called” Jesus refused them and gave priority to the unreached. Jesus said, “No, I must Go.” If we want to finish the GC we have to do the same.
Warning – This is by far most grave of all objections. Why? Because by claiming a call to stay here we are claiming divine approval of rejection of the Great Commission. We use the name of God to sanctify our disobedience. This holy name is used to call evil good and good evil.
Answer – A good response is to ask to show evidence for the calling. What was the call, exactly? Now compare the evidence to direct command to go. This is based on the idea that an opportunity, especially and opportunity we like, is a "call" from God. Those who want to obey and advance God's Great Commission will not let opportunity replace the Bible as the guidepost for their decisions.
"While vast continents are shrouded in darkness...the burden of proof lies upon you to show that the circumstances in which God has placed you were meant by God to keep you out of the foreign mission field."- Ion Keith-Falconer
Answer – Are the people of the 10/40 window less valuable to God? If not, then why is God “calling” everyone to stay in the USA? By the numbers God must be “calling” almost every possibly qualified person to stay in the USA! I'm from the USA and everyone I know that rejects missions does so because they are "called" to the USA. But this disproportionate allocation of workers gives reason for the unreached to charge God with unfairness. I thought God wanted to finish the work (John 4:34) and that he was a God of order. Why is he then marshaling all the troops into one nation? Why is He putting all the salt into one bowl of soup?
Answer – The #1 reason why people use this excuse is because it is so easy to say. They forget we are all headed in a direct line to the day when we must give account.
"To stay here and disobey God — I can't afford to take the consequence. I would rather go and obey God than to stay here and know that I disobeyed." — Amanda Berry Smith
Answer – Please come say that to a refugee or orphan in the 10/40 window. “I’m sorry that you do not know Jesus and that you do not have Bibles and that there are no Christians here to teach you how to know God and pray to him. You see I cannot come and help you because Jesus has called me to stay home. I have a ministry to people with 20 versions of the Bible and churches on every street corner.”
Answer – The Cross. Can you imagine Jesus giving this objection? “Called” not to be a missionary to earth to save men but to let them all perish eternally? “Called” to stay in heaven? Mark 1:37-38 is an excellent scripture for this objection. People called Jesus to stay. They wanted him to stay and serve them and minister to them. Even though he was “called” Jesus refused them and gave priority to the unreached. Jesus said, “No, I must Go.” If we want to finish the GC we have to do the same.
Warning – This is by far most grave of all objections. Why? Because by claiming a call to stay here we are claiming divine approval of rejection of the Great Commission. We use the name of God to sanctify our disobedience. This holy name is used to call evil good and good evil.
Objection #3 "Jesus is Coming soon, there is no need or time to do missions."
Answer – No Jesus is not coming soon. The Bible says that Jesus is coming soon after the Great Commission is completed. Matthew 24:14 and Rev 14:6-7. The word ‘soon’ is an adverb to describe the 2nd Coming in relation to the finishing of the Great Commission. ‘Soon’ is event-based and conditional. There are multiple bad points of theology embedded in this objection.
Answer – “no time to do missions.” What? No time to tell anyone how to escape the horror of eternal death? The gospel is a message that we should tell people with urgency and uniformity all over the world. This objection would be like passengers on the Titanic who learned of a hole in the ship and said "We can not tell anyone the ship is sinking because it is about to sink." This is not a made up objection. Someone actually told me "Andrew, why are you doing missions, there is no need, Jesus is coming soon."
Answer – No Jesus is not coming soon. The Bible says that Jesus is coming soon after the Great Commission is completed. Matthew 24:14 and Rev 14:6-7. The word ‘soon’ is an adverb to describe the 2nd Coming in relation to the finishing of the Great Commission. ‘Soon’ is event-based and conditional. There are multiple bad points of theology embedded in this objection.
Answer – “no time to do missions.” What? No time to tell anyone how to escape the horror of eternal death? The gospel is a message that we should tell people with urgency and uniformity all over the world. This objection would be like passengers on the Titanic who learned of a hole in the ship and said "We can not tell anyone the ship is sinking because it is about to sink." This is not a made up objection. Someone actually told me "Andrew, why are you doing missions, there is no need, Jesus is coming soon."
Objection #4 "You just want me to feel guilty. All missionaries do is try to make me feel guilty for living in the USA (or whatever nation)."
Answer - "Funny thing about guilt trips. You usually feel guilty when you are guilty." David Asscherick
This is a response, not an objection to missions. People often feel guilty when they are reminded that they are in an evangelized nation and that there are areas of the world that are not evangelized. It's like getting mad at the watchman on the wall for telling you there is danger coming. The danger is that those in evangelized nations have the resources to finish the work but they are not doing it. They do not want to be reminded that they must give account. So I am not sorry or apologizing to my fellow Christians who abandon missions. "And that slave who knew his master's will and didn't prepare himself or do it will be severely beaten." Luke 12:47
Answer - Feeling guilty, so what? Get over it. Deal with it. Get involved and finish the work. When the work is done nobody has to feel guilty anymore.
Answer - "Funny thing about guilt trips. You usually feel guilty when you are guilty." David Asscherick
This is a response, not an objection to missions. People often feel guilty when they are reminded that they are in an evangelized nation and that there are areas of the world that are not evangelized. It's like getting mad at the watchman on the wall for telling you there is danger coming. The danger is that those in evangelized nations have the resources to finish the work but they are not doing it. They do not want to be reminded that they must give account. So I am not sorry or apologizing to my fellow Christians who abandon missions. "And that slave who knew his master's will and didn't prepare himself or do it will be severely beaten." Luke 12:47
Answer - Feeling guilty, so what? Get over it. Deal with it. Get involved and finish the work. When the work is done nobody has to feel guilty anymore.
Objection #5 "We are waiting for the Holy Spirit before getting involved in missions."
Answer – The people who say this already have the gospel and know Jesus as a result of missionaries to their country who did not wait. What irony! The very people who are already evangelized claim “waiting for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit” is a valid exemption when they themselves were evangelized by missionaries that did not wait! It’s akin to Ronald Reagan’s quote “I've noticed that everyone who is for abortion has already been born.”
Answer – When pressed or questioned the people who claim this objection never have a clear or objective definition of “getting” the Holy Spirit. They are waiting for an event that has no time, no place, no description, and no details. It’s like saying “We are waiting for the plane to arrive before flying but we do not know where it will arrive and we do not know when it will arrive, and we do not know how to tell it apart from other arrivals.” Meanwhile as these people procrastinate the unreached perish in christless graves, at least 100,000 every day.
Answer – this is the same as saying “We are waiting for God before we pray, go to church, help anyone, pay tithe, etc.” Or “We are waiting for God to do XYZ before we obey.” This hardly merits being included as an objection. It is nothing more than a flimsy, vague, and unbiblical excuse.
Answer – "The great outpouring of the Spirit of God, which lightens the whole earth with His glory, will not come until we have an enlightened people, that know by experience what it means to be laborers together with God. When we have entire, wholehearted consecration to the service of Christ, God will recognize the fact by an outpouring of His Spirit without measure; but this will not be while the largest portion of the church are not laborers together with God."-Ellen White, Review and Herald, July 21, 1896.
Answer – The people who say this already have the gospel and know Jesus as a result of missionaries to their country who did not wait. What irony! The very people who are already evangelized claim “waiting for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit” is a valid exemption when they themselves were evangelized by missionaries that did not wait! It’s akin to Ronald Reagan’s quote “I've noticed that everyone who is for abortion has already been born.”
Answer – When pressed or questioned the people who claim this objection never have a clear or objective definition of “getting” the Holy Spirit. They are waiting for an event that has no time, no place, no description, and no details. It’s like saying “We are waiting for the plane to arrive before flying but we do not know where it will arrive and we do not know when it will arrive, and we do not know how to tell it apart from other arrivals.” Meanwhile as these people procrastinate the unreached perish in christless graves, at least 100,000 every day.
Answer – this is the same as saying “We are waiting for God before we pray, go to church, help anyone, pay tithe, etc.” Or “We are waiting for God to do XYZ before we obey.” This hardly merits being included as an objection. It is nothing more than a flimsy, vague, and unbiblical excuse.
Answer – "The great outpouring of the Spirit of God, which lightens the whole earth with His glory, will not come until we have an enlightened people, that know by experience what it means to be laborers together with God. When we have entire, wholehearted consecration to the service of Christ, God will recognize the fact by an outpouring of His Spirit without measure; but this will not be while the largest portion of the church are not laborers together with God."-Ellen White, Review and Herald, July 21, 1896.
Objection #6 "That is not my gift. God gives gifts and missions is not my gift."
Answer – Missions is not a gift. There is no biblical support for this objection. Reaching unreached people groups with the gospel is not a gift. Missions is the will of God. Missions is the role of the church. Evangelizing the unevangelized is to the church what breathing is to the body. God gives spiritual gifts in order for people to help facilitate the completion of the Great Commission.
Answer – Missions is not a gift. There is no biblical support for this objection. Reaching unreached people groups with the gospel is not a gift. Missions is the will of God. Missions is the role of the church. Evangelizing the unevangelized is to the church what breathing is to the body. God gives spiritual gifts in order for people to help facilitate the completion of the Great Commission.
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"Any church that is not seriously involved in helping
fulfill the Great Commission has forfeited its biblical right to exist." —
Oswald J. Smith
"The Bible is not the basis of missions; missions is the basis of the Bible" — Ralph Winter, missiologist Answer - "The concern for world evangelization is not something tacked on to a man's personal Christianity, which he may take or leave as he chooses. It is rooted in the character of the God who has come to us in Christ Jesus. Thus, it can never be the province of a few enthusiasts, a sideline or a specialty of those who happen to have a bent that way. It is the distinctive mark of being a Christian." — James S. Stewart |
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Objection #7 "I’ll pray about it and if God convicts me..."
Answer – This is a rejection of God’s Word. This is a rejection of the Bible and all it contains from Genesis to Revelation. Better to pray for willing heart to obey God’s revealed word. Better to pray for clarity on how exactly to participate in the Great Commission. Better to pray for ability to think and make good practical decisions on how to participate in efforts to reach unreached people groups.
"We are debtors to every man to give him the gospel in the same measure in which we have received it" — P.F. Bresee
Answer - Hebrews 3:15 "As it is said: Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion."
Answer – “I’ll pray about it,” Is this your response to every command or only the commands that require sacrifice? What if the Good Samaritan should have thought to himself “that guy is bleeding, bruised, broken, and almost dead, I ought to pray and see if God convicts me before I do anything." The 10/40 window is a dying man, broken, bruised, and almost dead.
Answer – This is a rejection of God’s Word. This is a rejection of the Bible and all it contains from Genesis to Revelation. Better to pray for willing heart to obey God’s revealed word. Better to pray for clarity on how exactly to participate in the Great Commission. Better to pray for ability to think and make good practical decisions on how to participate in efforts to reach unreached people groups.
"We are debtors to every man to give him the gospel in the same measure in which we have received it" — P.F. Bresee
Answer - Hebrews 3:15 "As it is said: Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion."
Answer – “I’ll pray about it,” Is this your response to every command or only the commands that require sacrifice? What if the Good Samaritan should have thought to himself “that guy is bleeding, bruised, broken, and almost dead, I ought to pray and see if God convicts me before I do anything." The 10/40 window is a dying man, broken, bruised, and almost dead.
Objection #8 "The world is already evangelized. The Great Commission is almost complete."
Answer – Fantastic Lie! Totally untrue. Nobody who reads missions websites, journals, publications, or reviews data about unreached peoples says this. The most optimistic view is that %60 of the world has been reached with the gospel and this is a minority opinion. A great majority of gospel workers, especially those familiar with the 10/40 window, will almost never give a percentage greater than %40. This means that even with the most optimistic number there are still over two billion people in the world who cannot know Jesus because they have no access to Christians or the Bible.
Answer – If this objection had any truth in it then the people who say this should be the most zealous participants in missions! If it’s true that %99 of the world knows about Jesus and only %1 of work remains before Matthew 24:14 is fulfilled then they should be burning hot to go! Turn on the jets! The reality is that this terrible excuse is not used to promote missions but to discourage and oppose missions. What a sad irony: the people who say this should be the first to go but they are the first to object to going. This objection says “since 99 sheep know of Jesus let’s shut down operations and go back home. That one lost sheep will find his way without us.”
Answer – Fantastic Lie! Totally untrue. Nobody who reads missions websites, journals, publications, or reviews data about unreached peoples says this. The most optimistic view is that %60 of the world has been reached with the gospel and this is a minority opinion. A great majority of gospel workers, especially those familiar with the 10/40 window, will almost never give a percentage greater than %40. This means that even with the most optimistic number there are still over two billion people in the world who cannot know Jesus because they have no access to Christians or the Bible.
Answer – If this objection had any truth in it then the people who say this should be the most zealous participants in missions! If it’s true that %99 of the world knows about Jesus and only %1 of work remains before Matthew 24:14 is fulfilled then they should be burning hot to go! Turn on the jets! The reality is that this terrible excuse is not used to promote missions but to discourage and oppose missions. What a sad irony: the people who say this should be the first to go but they are the first to object to going. This objection says “since 99 sheep know of Jesus let’s shut down operations and go back home. That one lost sheep will find his way without us.”
Objection #9 "The needs are greater here at home. We have a mission field right here."
(This objection is a variation of the objection “I’m called to be here.”)
Answer – Give evidence that the needs of the overfed spiritual gluttons are greater than those who have never heard the gospel. Give a compelling argument that those who are waiting for the 2nd Coming are worthy to consume all the resources compared to those who have never heard of the 1st Coming. If God died on the cross for all people groups then no people group may have a monopoly over the resources.
"I have but one candle of life to burn, and I would rather burn it out in a land filled with darkness than in a land flooded with light" — John Keith Falconer
Answer – Oswald Smith destroyed this objection when we asked “Why should people hear the gospel twice when there are people who have never heard it once?”
"All seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's." Philippians 2:21
Answer – This objection is really an expression of doubt that God cannot do anything without them. It is also an elevated estimate of one’s own importance. It says that both God and man are dependent on their presence and that neither can advance if they leave to take the gospel to an unreached group. Are you some kind of crutch that the church has to hobble around on year after year? Do them a favor and let them develop their own muscles and learn how to walk on their own. There is a real possibility that those who depend on you might actually grow up to become independent mature Christians in your absence. Your absence could be the best gift they ever received!
Answer – People who say this are making a judgment and comparison. They say the needs are greater at home. Greater than what? Greater than the needs of the unreached. However if we stop and think about this something terrible begins to appear. If we judge that the need for access and availability of the gospel of salvation is equal to or even comparable to any other need then we have inadvertently minimized the horrific nature and reality of eternal death. Worse, we lock ourselves in a perpetual cycle of self serving because humanity can never escape its needs. Our needs at home will never cease. Worse yet, by making the news of salvation from eternal death of less importance than our home needs we have dealt a fatal blow to missions. Jesus said in both Matthew and Revelation that his second coming hinges on the completion of the Great Commission. By killing missions we delay the second coming of Jesus and prolong the sin and suffering in this world. The horrible irony is that by self serving our needs at home we increase the needs indefinitely and not only at home but in the whole world!
(This objection is a variation of the objection “I’m called to be here.”)
Answer – Give evidence that the needs of the overfed spiritual gluttons are greater than those who have never heard the gospel. Give a compelling argument that those who are waiting for the 2nd Coming are worthy to consume all the resources compared to those who have never heard of the 1st Coming. If God died on the cross for all people groups then no people group may have a monopoly over the resources.
"I have but one candle of life to burn, and I would rather burn it out in a land filled with darkness than in a land flooded with light" — John Keith Falconer
Answer – Oswald Smith destroyed this objection when we asked “Why should people hear the gospel twice when there are people who have never heard it once?”
"All seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's." Philippians 2:21
Answer – This objection is really an expression of doubt that God cannot do anything without them. It is also an elevated estimate of one’s own importance. It says that both God and man are dependent on their presence and that neither can advance if they leave to take the gospel to an unreached group. Are you some kind of crutch that the church has to hobble around on year after year? Do them a favor and let them develop their own muscles and learn how to walk on their own. There is a real possibility that those who depend on you might actually grow up to become independent mature Christians in your absence. Your absence could be the best gift they ever received!
Answer – People who say this are making a judgment and comparison. They say the needs are greater at home. Greater than what? Greater than the needs of the unreached. However if we stop and think about this something terrible begins to appear. If we judge that the need for access and availability of the gospel of salvation is equal to or even comparable to any other need then we have inadvertently minimized the horrific nature and reality of eternal death. Worse, we lock ourselves in a perpetual cycle of self serving because humanity can never escape its needs. Our needs at home will never cease. Worse yet, by making the news of salvation from eternal death of less importance than our home needs we have dealt a fatal blow to missions. Jesus said in both Matthew and Revelation that his second coming hinges on the completion of the Great Commission. By killing missions we delay the second coming of Jesus and prolong the sin and suffering in this world. The horrible irony is that by self serving our needs at home we increase the needs indefinitely and not only at home but in the whole world!
Objection #10 "There are too many people!"
Answer – For shame! Who can read the Bible and honestly say this? Numbers have never been a challenge to God. Read the stories of Asa, Gideon, Jonathan, etc.
Answer - The population of the world in Noah's time was over 7 billion with only eight faithful. The world was evangelized then. (Hebrews 11:7) Now the world population is again over 7 billion people with over 2 billion professed Christ followers and still less than %60 of the world remain unreached. "Heaven, we got a problem."
Answer – It is interesting to watch someone’s face if you respond “Well what if there were only 200 in one village, would you go?” Sometimes this objection is just a gamble that you will not uncover their unwillingness to go.
Answer – For shame! Who can read the Bible and honestly say this? Numbers have never been a challenge to God. Read the stories of Asa, Gideon, Jonathan, etc.
Answer - The population of the world in Noah's time was over 7 billion with only eight faithful. The world was evangelized then. (Hebrews 11:7) Now the world population is again over 7 billion people with over 2 billion professed Christ followers and still less than %60 of the world remain unreached. "Heaven, we got a problem."
Answer – It is interesting to watch someone’s face if you respond “Well what if there were only 200 in one village, would you go?” Sometimes this objection is just a gamble that you will not uncover their unwillingness to go.
Objection #11 "In his time, God will finish the work in his time. There is nothing we can do."
(Same as “waiting for Holy Spirit” objection)
Answer - Over 100,000 die every day, most of whom come from unreached areas of the world. They go into christless graves. They enter eternity unwarned and unprepared. Ezekiel 33:11 God says "I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live." Is there any evil greater than objecting to God's mission to save the lost?
"The gospel is only good news if it gets there in time" — Carl F. H. Henry.
"God cannot display the knowledge of his will and the wonders of his grace unless he has his witnesses among men." Ellen White, Youth's Instructor. August 5, 1897
Answer – And how did you become a Christian? Somebody somewhere took action to bring you or your people group the gospel. They did not wait. They did not disobey. They had mercy and compassion and came to you. They provided for you gospel materials. They did not say "There is nothing we can do."
Answer – This is a lie. We are under commandment to go and preach the gospel. We are not under commandment to do nothing. This objection is an attempt to justify complacency and inaction. Indifference is the coldest form of hatred and to hide disinterest in the suffering of the unreached we cite God and his “timing.” How cruel.
Proverbs 18:9 "A lazy person is as bad as someone who destroys things."
Luke 11:23 "Whoever does not gather with me scatters."
Answer – The jugular question “Where is the time prophecy for the finishing of the Great Commission?” There are no time prophecies concerning the finishing of the Great Commission. Have you noticed that so many people are trying to pin the return of Jesus on some date? Have you ever noticed that these same people conveniently never mention the finishing of the Great Commission? The only people setting dates are people in evangelized nations. Nobody in the 10/40 window even tries to set dates for Jesus’ Second Coming because most of them have not yet heard about the first coming.
(Same as “waiting for Holy Spirit” objection)
Answer - Over 100,000 die every day, most of whom come from unreached areas of the world. They go into christless graves. They enter eternity unwarned and unprepared. Ezekiel 33:11 God says "I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live." Is there any evil greater than objecting to God's mission to save the lost?
"The gospel is only good news if it gets there in time" — Carl F. H. Henry.
"God cannot display the knowledge of his will and the wonders of his grace unless he has his witnesses among men." Ellen White, Youth's Instructor. August 5, 1897
Answer – And how did you become a Christian? Somebody somewhere took action to bring you or your people group the gospel. They did not wait. They did not disobey. They had mercy and compassion and came to you. They provided for you gospel materials. They did not say "There is nothing we can do."
Answer – This is a lie. We are under commandment to go and preach the gospel. We are not under commandment to do nothing. This objection is an attempt to justify complacency and inaction. Indifference is the coldest form of hatred and to hide disinterest in the suffering of the unreached we cite God and his “timing.” How cruel.
Proverbs 18:9 "A lazy person is as bad as someone who destroys things."
Luke 11:23 "Whoever does not gather with me scatters."
Answer – The jugular question “Where is the time prophecy for the finishing of the Great Commission?” There are no time prophecies concerning the finishing of the Great Commission. Have you noticed that so many people are trying to pin the return of Jesus on some date? Have you ever noticed that these same people conveniently never mention the finishing of the Great Commission? The only people setting dates are people in evangelized nations. Nobody in the 10/40 window even tries to set dates for Jesus’ Second Coming because most of them have not yet heard about the first coming.
Objection #12 "Young people will finish the work"
Answer – What sloth and irresponsibility! What unfaithfulness! To push it off to the next generation. Young people cannot finish the work because they have no examples. Nobody is leading them or teaching them how to reach the unreached. Every generation shuns the work and pushes it off to the next generation. Sin and suffering pile up exponentially. The generation that does take hold of the work will have to sacrifice everything just to endure the gargantuan and crushing momentum of decades of negligence.
"This generation of Christians is responsible for this generation of souls on the earth!" — Keith Green
"I believe that in each generation God has called enough men and women to evangelize all the yet unreached tribes of the earth. It is not God who does not call. It is man who will not respond!" — Isobel Kuhn
Thought – Not long ago I spoke to youth at a Christian university about missions. A young woman of about 20 walked up to me afterward and said “Thanks for not coming here to dog us out.” Interpretation: Thanks for coming here as an example of how to do something. Thanks for not trying to shirk your responsibility and pass it to us. Thanks for calling us to follow a path you have already traveled. Thanks for living what you preach.
Answer – What sloth and irresponsibility! What unfaithfulness! To push it off to the next generation. Young people cannot finish the work because they have no examples. Nobody is leading them or teaching them how to reach the unreached. Every generation shuns the work and pushes it off to the next generation. Sin and suffering pile up exponentially. The generation that does take hold of the work will have to sacrifice everything just to endure the gargantuan and crushing momentum of decades of negligence.
"This generation of Christians is responsible for this generation of souls on the earth!" — Keith Green
"I believe that in each generation God has called enough men and women to evangelize all the yet unreached tribes of the earth. It is not God who does not call. It is man who will not respond!" — Isobel Kuhn
Thought – Not long ago I spoke to youth at a Christian university about missions. A young woman of about 20 walked up to me afterward and said “Thanks for not coming here to dog us out.” Interpretation: Thanks for coming here as an example of how to do something. Thanks for not trying to shirk your responsibility and pass it to us. Thanks for calling us to follow a path you have already traveled. Thanks for living what you preach.
Objection #13 "Missions is for people who can’t get a job"
Answer - "God was the first ever missionary when in Genesis 3:8 he went out in search of two sinners who had rebelled against Him in order to bring them back into fellowship with Him." -- Eddy Ho
"If you take missions out of the Bible, you won't have anything left but the covers" — Nina Gunter
Answer - What an insult this is to Jesus. He was heaven's King. He endured infinite humiliation to be the greatest missionary ever. For this objection I again point to the cross as a sufficient answer.
Answer - Does any intelligent Christian anywhere really believe that the most important work of the universe should be left to high-school-dropout-drug-addict-felons like myself? This objection would be comical if it was not a reality in so many minds today. Instead it is a lamentable tragedy that the ambassadors of salvation should hold such nonsensical views.
Answer - Missions is the highest and most important work in the universe. Every Christian's hope is completely dependent on foreign missionaries success in taking the gospel to the unreached.
Answer - "God was the first ever missionary when in Genesis 3:8 he went out in search of two sinners who had rebelled against Him in order to bring them back into fellowship with Him." -- Eddy Ho
"If you take missions out of the Bible, you won't have anything left but the covers" — Nina Gunter
Answer - What an insult this is to Jesus. He was heaven's King. He endured infinite humiliation to be the greatest missionary ever. For this objection I again point to the cross as a sufficient answer.
Answer - Does any intelligent Christian anywhere really believe that the most important work of the universe should be left to high-school-dropout-drug-addict-felons like myself? This objection would be comical if it was not a reality in so many minds today. Instead it is a lamentable tragedy that the ambassadors of salvation should hold such nonsensical views.
Answer - Missions is the highest and most important work in the universe. Every Christian's hope is completely dependent on foreign missionaries success in taking the gospel to the unreached.
Objection #14 "God will cause the stones to cry out"
Answer - What irony! The people who say this convict themselves of disobedience. This is a quote from Luke 19:40 which says "And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out." Any person giving this objection is making a tacit admission that they are not participating in the helping the gospel go to the unreached. They are holding their peace. It's tantamount to saying "I'm not doing what God wants me to do so He will eventually fire me and find someone else to do the job."
"God cannot display the knowledge of His will and the wonders of His grace among the unbelieving world, unless He has witnesses scattered all over the earth." Ellen White
Answer - If God has to use stones then how hard and calloused are his peoples' hearts towards the unreached?
Answer - What irony! The people who say this convict themselves of disobedience. This is a quote from Luke 19:40 which says "And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out." Any person giving this objection is making a tacit admission that they are not participating in the helping the gospel go to the unreached. They are holding their peace. It's tantamount to saying "I'm not doing what God wants me to do so He will eventually fire me and find someone else to do the job."
"God cannot display the knowledge of His will and the wonders of His grace among the unbelieving world, unless He has witnesses scattered all over the earth." Ellen White
Answer - If God has to use stones then how hard and calloused are his peoples' hearts towards the unreached?
Objection #15 "God will cut the work short"
Answer - This is a reference to Romans 9:28 which says "For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth." The idea for this objection is that at some special point in the future God will step in and He himself will finish the work of the Great Commission. The unspoken hope is that God will finish all the missions work in a miraculous manner that relieves complacent Christians of their duty and any possibility of sacrifice or suffering. Notice however that the verse does not say "He will finish the inertia" or "He will finish the inaction" or "He will finish the apathy and idleness." No, it says "He will finish the work." Interestingly, the word logos occurs over 300 times in the New Testament and it is only translated as "work" only here in this one verse. Of twenty different versions of the Bible, only five versions translate logos as "work" while the remainder use "sentence" or "word."
That people would heap up all their responsibility and hang it on this one verse in order to justify their laziness reminds us of the definition of insane "a state of mind that prevents normal perception." This still does not nullify his commandment to us. We are still under orders. According to Romans 1:14 we still owe the unreached the gospel. And really, so what? Even if God will help in the end, so what? How can anyone with the love of Christ in his heart look for any reason not to tell the unreached about Jesus? Whether God will do something special in the end of time or not should not diminish our love or sacrifice for missions.
Answer - This is a reference to Romans 9:28 which says "For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth." The idea for this objection is that at some special point in the future God will step in and He himself will finish the work of the Great Commission. The unspoken hope is that God will finish all the missions work in a miraculous manner that relieves complacent Christians of their duty and any possibility of sacrifice or suffering. Notice however that the verse does not say "He will finish the inertia" or "He will finish the inaction" or "He will finish the apathy and idleness." No, it says "He will finish the work." Interestingly, the word logos occurs over 300 times in the New Testament and it is only translated as "work" only here in this one verse. Of twenty different versions of the Bible, only five versions translate logos as "work" while the remainder use "sentence" or "word."
That people would heap up all their responsibility and hang it on this one verse in order to justify their laziness reminds us of the definition of insane "a state of mind that prevents normal perception." This still does not nullify his commandment to us. We are still under orders. According to Romans 1:14 we still owe the unreached the gospel. And really, so what? Even if God will help in the end, so what? How can anyone with the love of Christ in his heart look for any reason not to tell the unreached about Jesus? Whether God will do something special in the end of time or not should not diminish our love or sacrifice for missions.
Objection #16 "But the Holy Spirit is working everywhere"
Answer – Not true. Romans 10:14-15.
Answer – This objection is based on the idea that God has sent his Holy Spirit into the unreached areas to evangelize where there are no missionaries. This baseless and untenable idea has holes big enough to fly jumbo jets through wing to wing. I’ll only address a few. Where are the multitudes of Bible believing followers of Christ from the 10/40 window? Did the Holy Spirit forget about the 10/40 window? Where is the evidence for this position? If we are co-laborers with God (1 Cor 3:9) why is God keeping us in the dark of his magnificent secret work to do what we are not doing? Why has God not annulled the Great Commission?
Answer – The Holy Spirit does not brush our teeth. The Holy Spirit does not tie our shoes. The Holy Spirit does not make our bed, feed us, or push us along on our bicycles. The Holy Spirit is not the Holy Replacement. The promise of the Holy Spirit is not an exemption from labor for lost souls and using our brains to find ways to reach the unreached. Ascribing to the Holy Spirit the work of evangelism that belongs to the church is misleading and incredibly counterproductive.
Answer – Not true. Romans 10:14-15.
Answer – This objection is based on the idea that God has sent his Holy Spirit into the unreached areas to evangelize where there are no missionaries. This baseless and untenable idea has holes big enough to fly jumbo jets through wing to wing. I’ll only address a few. Where are the multitudes of Bible believing followers of Christ from the 10/40 window? Did the Holy Spirit forget about the 10/40 window? Where is the evidence for this position? If we are co-laborers with God (1 Cor 3:9) why is God keeping us in the dark of his magnificent secret work to do what we are not doing? Why has God not annulled the Great Commission?
Answer – The Holy Spirit does not brush our teeth. The Holy Spirit does not tie our shoes. The Holy Spirit does not make our bed, feed us, or push us along on our bicycles. The Holy Spirit is not the Holy Replacement. The promise of the Holy Spirit is not an exemption from labor for lost souls and using our brains to find ways to reach the unreached. Ascribing to the Holy Spirit the work of evangelism that belongs to the church is misleading and incredibly counterproductive.
Objection #17 "But there are people in New York who have not heard the gospel"
Answer: Not true. If someone in New York (or anywhere in North America) wants to know about Jesus they can 1) turn on Religious TV programming 2) tune into Christian radio stations 3) go to one of several thousand churches in New York city alone 4) find and talk to a pastor 5) visit a Christian bookstore 6) read millions of web pages about Christian topics 7) visit libraries with Bibles and religious books and 8) call free 800 numbers to request free Bible studies in the mail. Finally anyone in New York can 9) actually go and meet Christians and talk to them. New York ranks as less religious than most states, but even with only %32 of the New York claiming to be very religious that still leaves over 6,000,000 "very religious" people to talk to and learn about the Bible. Six million in just one state of the USA! Even if five million are lying that still leaves one million witness for Christ in just one state. There are no excuses for New York to be without the gospel.
Answer: Not true. If someone in New York (or anywhere in North America) wants to know about Jesus they can 1) turn on Religious TV programming 2) tune into Christian radio stations 3) go to one of several thousand churches in New York city alone 4) find and talk to a pastor 5) visit a Christian bookstore 6) read millions of web pages about Christian topics 7) visit libraries with Bibles and religious books and 8) call free 800 numbers to request free Bible studies in the mail. Finally anyone in New York can 9) actually go and meet Christians and talk to them. New York ranks as less religious than most states, but even with only %32 of the New York claiming to be very religious that still leaves over 6,000,000 "very religious" people to talk to and learn about the Bible. Six million in just one state of the USA! Even if five million are lying that still leaves one million witness for Christ in just one state. There are no excuses for New York to be without the gospel.
The USA is already evangelized.This includes New York state. The map to the left is a map of the progress of the gospel throughout the world. Anybody that lives in a green or yellow area has access to gospel resources. They have access to Bibles in their language. They have access in varying degrees to radio, literature, churches, pastors, and other Christians. Not so however in areas in the world that are red in color; these are unreached by the gospel. They have next to nothing in resources and in the red areas of the world there are little to no churches, Bibles, or Christians. In the red area of the map Jesus cannot be known because there is nobody there that knows him, let alone share him. The responsibility is upon New Yorkers and evangelized groups to take the gospel to the unreached areas of the world. “Why should people hear the gospel twice when there are people who have never heard it once?”
Objection #18 "We must wait until we first have Christ's character and then the whole world will know."
This is actually a variation of the quote: "When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own" found in Chapter 3 of the book Christ's Object Lessons. It is quite absurd that this quote should be used as an objection because the immediate context and the whole chapter that it is quoted from is actually a support for evangelism to the whole world.
Answer: How can we be Christlike while at the same time ignoring one of His clearest commands? Christ never ignored any of His Father’s commands so how can we? "as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.” and “go ye into ALL the world…” and how can the character of a very missionary Christ be reproduced in a very non-missionary people?
Answer: Matthew 25:40, Matthew 21:28-30, and Matthew 24:45-46
Answer: "Love to man is the earthward manifestation of the love of God. It was to implant this love, to make us children of one family, that the King of glory became one with us. And when His parting words are fulfilled, “Love one another, as I have loved you” (John 15:12); when we love the world as He has loved it, then for us His mission is accomplished. We are fitted for heaven; for we have heaven in our hearts." Desire of Ages, page 641
Answer: Missions is a revelation of Christ's character. Foreign missions is the manifestation of Christ's love and concern for this lost planet. It is impossible to be like Jesus and not participate in and support foreign missions.
From experience I have found that the people who give this objection know nothing about unreached people groups or peoples. From their own admission they have never stopped to actually consider what it means to be unreached or to live in an area of the world where there are no gospel resources. The core of this objection is either ignorance or self-centered indifference.
This is actually a variation of the quote: "When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own" found in Chapter 3 of the book Christ's Object Lessons. It is quite absurd that this quote should be used as an objection because the immediate context and the whole chapter that it is quoted from is actually a support for evangelism to the whole world.
Answer: How can we be Christlike while at the same time ignoring one of His clearest commands? Christ never ignored any of His Father’s commands so how can we? "as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.” and “go ye into ALL the world…” and how can the character of a very missionary Christ be reproduced in a very non-missionary people?
Answer: Matthew 25:40, Matthew 21:28-30, and Matthew 24:45-46
Answer: "Love to man is the earthward manifestation of the love of God. It was to implant this love, to make us children of one family, that the King of glory became one with us. And when His parting words are fulfilled, “Love one another, as I have loved you” (John 15:12); when we love the world as He has loved it, then for us His mission is accomplished. We are fitted for heaven; for we have heaven in our hearts." Desire of Ages, page 641
Answer: Missions is a revelation of Christ's character. Foreign missions is the manifestation of Christ's love and concern for this lost planet. It is impossible to be like Jesus and not participate in and support foreign missions.
From experience I have found that the people who give this objection know nothing about unreached people groups or peoples. From their own admission they have never stopped to actually consider what it means to be unreached or to live in an area of the world where there are no gospel resources. The core of this objection is either ignorance or self-centered indifference.
More Objections
Answer - The Cross.
Answer - The Cross.