The Challenge of Missions - Part 3 (Arabic) — George Verwer

Sacrificial Giving and Early Missions

The first money I ever raised was for the high school where God saved me. I went to a local businessman and told him I wanted to give a thousand Gospels of John in my high school. I went to a local businessman and told him I wanted to give a thousand Gospels of John in my high school.

Even though I didn't ask for money, he told me he wanted to pay for the Gospels. I knew that man worked very hard for his money. Many of the gifts that I've received all these years were very small gifts.

When I lived in India, people would give me finance that would represent sometimes a lot of money for them. The ministry of giving is one of the greatest ministries God has given the body of Christ. As a young Christian, I sold everything I had and gave it for global missions when I was only 19.

As a young Christian, I sold everything I had and gave it for global missions when I was only 19. When I met this woman that I told you about last night, she heard the same challenge. She sold everything and gave me all of her money.

She gave me all of her money. She had an inheritance from her father killed in the war. She had some money. She had an inheritance from her father killed in the war. She gave me all of her money. That supported the beginning of the whole work there in Mexico.

God began to touch students to give their possessions for me to sell. God began to touch students to give their possessions for me to sell. My small bedroom became a second hand store at Moody Bible Institute.

People would bring their things to sell because God touched their hearts. People would bring their things to sell because God touched their hearts. I remember especially one man purchased something, one student purchased something.

When he was about to leave my room, I gave him Luke 14, 33. I gave him Luke 14, 33. Except you forsake all that you have, you can't be his disciple. He took his item and walked away. God spoke to him.

He brought it back and gave it back to me. We can sell it again. God spoke to me and brought it back. God spoke to me and brought it back. After buying this thing from me, I will return it and donate it for service.

Learning Stewardship Through Marriage and Provision

I needed counseling from older Christians not just to give away everything. Especially when I got married. You would not believe. I didn't believe in any money for weddings. No money for weddings. No money for rings.

No honeymoon. That's too much money. You need to remember my wife had read I was a man of God. And when men of God speak, women obey. She had heard me preaching. She liked my preaching. I gave her the key verse from Ephesians 5, the key verse for our marriage.

Submit to your husband as unto the Lord. And so she accepted that. And everything I asked her to do, the trip to Mexico, I didn't want to spend any money. I gave the wedding cake for gasoline. We had a small wedding after the Sunday morning service.

We had a small wedding. I compromised. So I traded things to get gasoline all the way to Mexico, 5 ,000 kilometers. But I was beginning to learn how to compromise. Because we traveled through the night and it was very cold.

And so the first thing I ever bought my new wife was a cup of hot chocolate. It cost one dollar. And I said, I told God I want the dollar back. The next night we stayed in the home of a total stranger.

I looked in the phone book. I saw Pastor Tututo. I banged on his door. I said, I'm a missionary to Mexico. We have no place to stay. He was so surprised. He gave us the master bedroom. The night before we were just traveling in a truck, a very old truck.

Our first night in a special bedroom. And the next morning he said goodbye. And he gave me a dollar. We have a God who supplies. It may be a dollar. It may be a hundred dollars. It may be a million dollars.

We have a God who answers prayer. We have a God who supplies our needs. We have a God also who will test us. As the prayer is not immediately answered. And in the struggle there sometimes are those disappointments and those heartbreaks.

I love giving away things. It's wonderful to give you all these books and CDs. But I want to give now something special to my brother Mafdi who brought me to Egypt. These global outfits are almost impossible to get.

You have to serve God for 50 years. You have to be 80 years old. But I want to present brother Mafdi. God put it on my heart to bring an extra large. And this is going to be a special moment to see if this fits.

But here is the prize. If it doesn't fit you can sell it. And I will send you a triple X. Let's try to put this on him. Perhaps the Lord is speaking about losing a little weight. Let's pray now. Lord we need your help now to get back to your word.

We thank you that we can tell our story. Because your word is full of stories. Of all kinds of people. Of their victories. But of their failures. Even of their sins. And we thank you for your holy word.

And we thank you that we can find that biblical balance. And be kept away from extremism. That our lives may be a sweet savor to those around us who are not of our faith. That our lives may be a sweet savor to those around us who are not of our faith.

Help us now to focus on your word even though we've heard so much ministry all day long. Help us now to focus on your word even though we've heard so much ministry all day long. For we ask in Jesus name.

Paul's Teaching on Generosity in 2 Corinthians 8

Amen. Turn to this second book of Corinthians in chapter 8. This is such an important passage. I hope you will study both chapter 8 and chapter 9 perhaps in the next day or two. We don't have time to go through these two great chapters.

We don't have time to go through these two great chapters. But let us look at chapter 8. But let us look at chapter 8. Where's the best place? Oh, sorry. I'm in 1 Corinthians. 1 Corinthians 8. Please be patient.

This is 1 Corinthians. No, 2 Corinthians. This is 2 Corinthians. Thank you for your patience. And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given to the Macedonian churches.

In the midst of very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in generosity. Just read the first two verses. There we go. They urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in the service of the Lord's people.

And they exceeded our expectation. You want to continue? They gave themselves first of all to the Lord and then by the will of God also to us. Please read through verse 7. He gave a very persuasive argument why they should give.

George Müller and the Question of Asking for Money

There is no biblical foundation for saying we must not ask people for money. There is no biblical foundation for that. In the country where I live, there was a man named George Mueller. And in that particular culture, in the days of colonialism, they didn't believe very much in any kind of salesman.

If it says made in Great Britain, that's all you need. So George Mueller had a dim view of salespeople. He was a great man of God. He was actually from Germany. Some of you know his story. There is a film about his life.

He was one of my heroes. But he told people that he was only going to look to God for the money. But in that culture, in that day, that was the best fundraising tactic he could use. And then he would show pictures of the orphans in the orphanage.

And he told the stories of how God provided the money. You would have to be very stupid not to realize this man needs money. Because I myself was so extreme, that appealed to me as a young Christian. And I met some people, especially a man named William McDonald, who strongly believed this is the biblical way.

And O .M. soon became famous for practicing the teaching of George Mueller. O .M. is looking to God alone. We don't raise money. We don't take offerings. God will supply our needs. But of course people who knew me, and they heard my story, they knew money was needed.

When I announced I'm going to buy a ship, Again, you'd have to be pretty stupid not to know that I need some money to buy a ship. We would even say we have no wealthy people supporting our work. God is supporting our work.

Biblical Fundraising and Access to Missions

Certain kinds of people gave O .M. money because we had this practice. But as we searched the scriptures, we actually couldn't find this teaching. Instead we find the story of the Good Samaritan. The Samaritan helping the man by the side of the road.

Putting him in an inn. Paying the money. And then he says to the innkeeper, If there's any extra expenses, let me know and I will cover them. O .M. is looking for those kinds of people. He wants someone to come to him.

He says if you have any extra expenses, let me know and I will take care of you. And I also would welcome that. I'll even give you a cup of coffee. And all these years, I sit down with people and share my story.

And then I studied many, many other men and women of God. Billy Graham. Oswald J. Smith. General William Booth. Several hundred. None of them agreed with George Muller. They were raising money. In a godly way that honored him.

And we noticed because everybody in O .M. had to pray in some money. That was a requirement to come on O .M. You got to trust God for some money and pay your own way. Now here's a very interesting study.

You probably never heard this before. In a culture like Great Britain. Where people understood that. Money came for O .M. But in Spain. Where people did not understand that except a few. The money did not come.

When British people prayed. Prayed and prayed. The money came. When Spanish people prayed. The money didn't come. When Mexicans prayed. The money didn't come. One of the most difficult days in our history.

Our older ship was in Argentina. Many wanted to join the ship. They had to have some money. And they were praying and praying. And for many the money did not come. And they stood dozens of Latin Americans on the docks.

And waved the ship goodbye. Some of them weeping. Disappointed and broken. Because they didn't have the money to serve God. And in the mid 80's. We went back to the Bible. And we accepted biblical fundraising.

It was like a revival of fresh air. Blew across our whole movement. People could share with their friends. If I don't see the money come in. I cannot join the ship. They could share. And they could say.

Would you support me as I join the ship. And that's why thousands of people. From Latin America. From Africa. From every part of the world. Even China. Have been able to come on Operation Mobilization.

And if you want to get involved in global missions. There's usually two different ways. When it comes to finance. One is to have a skill that people are willing to pay you for. Anywhere in the world. So you can get a job in these countries.

You don't need to raise support. And Arabs have been doing that. And many other nationalities. The second road is the main road that OM uses. Though we use both. You pray. You exercise faith. And you share your vision.

So people can understand. In the days of George Muller. There was almost nothing like that in Great Britain. Today in Great Britain. We have over 1 ,000 Christian organizations. Raising money. Some of them are not even preaching the gospel.

People are confused. They don't know what to give to. And then they're coming in from India to raise money in Great Britain. People from all over the world come to Britain to raise money. Because they hear there's a lot of money in Great Britain.

Others are going to Germany. They know there's more money in Germany. But most people fly to the United States and raise money there. And there's not time to tell the story. A lot of bad things have happened.

But a lot of good things have happened. And we honor those who give money. To God's work. Whether it's the widow's might. Or some big gift. From someone that God has entrusted wealth to. And so from the mid -80s to this day.

Financial Wisdom for Supporting Global Missions

The joy of raising money for global mission. My wife and I have always raised our own support. Churches often change. And they stop supporting a missionary. Two churches in America stopped supporting us.

Three actually. And now my best supporting church is a Chinese church in London. God can bring money from amazing places. There's a lot of inherited money. Money being left from mom and dad to the kids.

In some countries the government gets a lot of that money before it gets to anybody. But God has raised up godly organizations. That teach people. How to avoid extra tax. How to use your money more carefully.

For the sake of your own family. It's one of the greatest areas where we need wisdom. In some countries people run up huge debt on their credit card. Many a marriage has broken because of the financial mess and the debt.

The devil knows how to attack it. Most of you have a copy of this book. But you are busy people. And you get texts and pictures on your telephone. And some of you like television. Like to watch the sports, the football.

But there's no time for books. And I have this fear. That nobody is going to read my book. And so I'm praying that God will change your heart. Because I talk about money. Which is so important in global missions.

Five times more difficult than finding the people. Even here I've been talking to people. They want to go into missions. I said is your church in Antioch? Acts 13 Antioch church. They'll send you. They say to me my church doesn't do that.

And someone else told me. That doesn't work in Egypt. But God is not dead. He can bring in finance. And some of you may have finance. It's not easy to know what to do with it. But if you have any extra money.

You should put it into God's work. The interest rates in heaven are ten times greater than in the bank. But I've had a lot of struggles seeing so much foolishness among God's people. But God has a loving way of reminding me how foolish I have been.

Mobilizing Believers to Talk About the Nations

After coming to a conference like this. You should be a mission mobilizer. We need what we call in English a grassroots movement. Not just a few leaders. But as many as possible. Talking about the nations of the world.

Showing missionary films. There are many now. Showing missionary books. Telling young people how easy it is to go on a short term experience. Even in Egypt. I want to ask you. What do you talk about throughout the day?

I listen to what people talk about. Most of the conversations. They don't seem to be worth anything. That doesn't mean they shouldn't talk. But we are people of purpose. We should be talking about God's work.

One of the things that's helped us with the ship. When the ship goes into a country. People talk about it. So Christians. Who are afraid to share their faith. They talk about the ship. And people ask what's that about?

And then they can give their testimony. Hundreds of thousands have learned to share their faith. Because that ship came to their country. You've been to a great conference. Maybe you met some new people.

When you go back from here. People may ask where have you been for three days? Some may even criticize you. Oh don't you work anymore? Oh was that a holiday? Did you go swimming? As I said yesterday. If nobody's criticizing you.

It's because you're not doing anything. So we can talk about this conference. You can talk about the crazy American. And that may open the door. As you pray may open the door to talk about your faith.

They may help you open the door. Why did you go to that conference? Because I love Jesus. You can try that on the bus next Saturday. I think of that great verse that's helped me. God has not given us a spirit of fear.

Redeeming Time and Serving Through Human Weakness

But of courage and a sound mind. We have a great God. This event is so important in the sight of God. We are all imperfect people. Whatever church or organization we join. It will be imperfect. If you do find a perfect church.

You better not go. Because when you go it won't be perfect anymore. God wants to use you. And I have given this book. I've never made any money from my books. Because I want to give you what so many men and women have given to me.

Including your great friend Robert. Who was such an influence in my life. I've been so privileged. I have sat under the teaching of more than 1 ,000 men and women. I've been through over 1 ,000 books.

I've listened to 10 ,000 hours of teaching on cassette tape and then CD. God has given me so much. So I give it to you. Take some time. To pray. To read these great books. Change the whole way that you use your time.

The bible says redeem the time because the days are evil. I try to use every minute to serve my savior. And that has to include. Moments of rest. Moments with my wife. Moments having food. We are not evangelistic robots.

And one of my favorite expressions. And I close with this. No matter how filled we are with the holy spirit. We are incredibly human. Don't be intimidated by your own humanness. And especially your weaknesses.

For God's word says. His strength is made perfect in weakness. God bless you. Hallelujah.