Ministering in the Mission Field — Denny Kenaston

Hello, this is Brother Denny. Welcome to Charity Ministries. Our desire is that your life would be blessed and changed by this message. This message is not copyrighted and is not to be bought or sold.

You are welcome to make copies for your friends and neighbors. If you would like additional messages, please go to our website for a complete listing at www .charityministries .org. If you would like a catalog of other sermons, please call 1 -800 -227 -7902 or write to Charity Ministries, 400 West Main Street, Suite 1, Africa, PA 17522.

These messages are offered to all without charge by the free will offerings of God's people. A special thank you to all who support this ministry. I'm sure that you parents whose children were on their knees in this little half circle, you know what I'm talking about.

It's kind of a mixture, you know. You wouldn't keep them back, absolutely. And you wouldn't want them doing anything else and you wouldn't want them to do or wouldn't want them to want to do anything else.

But that doesn't make it easy to send them away. And it doesn't get any easier as the years go by. So I extend Christian greetings to each one this morning in the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

He's the reason why all these young people are going away. He's the reason why we dedicate our lives to Him. He's the reason why we dedicate our children to Him. They're His. He gave them to us that we might give them to Him.

And we gladly do that. I assure you, every one of you, one small glimpse in God's presence, in God's throne room makes all of this seem very, very small. Very small. Well, this is a sending service this morning.

Rhoda, God bless you. Thank you for coming. Rhoda was also in that room in Emmanuel's house those years ago. This is a sending service, a commissioning of another missionary family to the regions beyond.

Also, it is a sending of another youth team to Ghana, West Africa. I want all you young people to know that everything I say here, it's for you. As also for Sam and Kate, it's for you. But it's for all of you.

We bless you. We thank God for you that you're willing to go, that you're willing to walk away from the American dream and go and serve God and lay down your lives for the sake of His name. That name, Samuel, for the sake of His name.

You're willing to do that. God bless you. What a joy to our hearts. What a joy to the heart of God this morning as He sits upon His throne to look down upon. Such a circle to look down upon. Such a young man, such a wife, such a little boy.

Who are willing to go for the sake of His name. Out of a desire, out of a burden that His name would be made glorious upon this earth. In a place where they don't know His name. Oh, how God must look down with a smile on His face this morning.

To see such activities going on in the church of Jesus Christ. Samuel and Kate, God bless you. It seems like yesterday you were sitting here on your wedding day. Now God has given you a little son. And God has given you some work to do.

And I know that you sense the privilege of it, but I want to remind you. It is a tremendous privilege that God would entrust you with His work. This is a sending service this morning. And I'd like to open up this sending service in this message reading from Romans chapter 10.

If you would turn there. Samuel already read a few of these verses. But they could be read ten times.

And we'll never get all out of them.

We're going to read from verse 8 through 15. But I just want to reference the first part of verse 15. And then we'll read the whole context here. Samuel read, how shall they hear without a preacher? Now I'm reading, how shall they preach except they be sent?

How shall they preach except they be sent? Romans chapter 10 and verse 8. But what saith it? That being the scriptures. What saith it? The scriptures. The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth and in thy heart.

Aren't we glad for that? That it's in both of those places. And if it is not in our heart, it will not be in our mouth. But we thank God this morning that it is in our heart. And because it is in our heart, it is in our mouth.

That is the word of faith which we preach. And here is that word of faith. That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, that Jesus is the Lord. And shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead.

Thou shalt be saved. That's a simple word, Samuel. Now, if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart that God, the eternal God, hath raised him from the dead, anybody who will do that shalt be saved.

Praise God. For with the heart man believeth under righteousness. That's the only way it will ever happen. And with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek. There's no difference between the American Christian and the Konkomba or the Dogomba or any other tribe of people on the face of this earth. There is no difference.

For the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him. Hallelujah! Think about that. Our responsibility? To go out and tell them that if they will call upon the name of the Lord, they'll be saved.

Saved? They'll get to go to heaven. No, no, no. Saved from their sin. Saved from their self. Saved from this world. Saved from the purposes of this world. Saved! Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Oh, that's a beautiful word to us this morning as we sit here, brothers and sisters. That is a much more beautiful word when you look at it in the eyes through the light of a Konkomba, some dark African who's dancing around in idle today, when you look at the beautiful verse like that and realize that he also can be saved from all of his idolatry and all of his impurities and all of his drunkenness and all the other things that he may be involved in.

He will be saved! Hallelujah! Now that's the word of faith, isn't it? And all that word springs up in the hearts of the children of God day by day. And that's what makes us speak. Now let's look at verse 14 and we get down into the sending part of all this.

The Gospel Requires Preachers to Be Sent

Those are beautiful truths, simple truths about the gospel of Jesus Christ. But then Paul goes on to reason with them, How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And it's assumed answer, they won't.

They won't. They won't. And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? They won't. And how shall they hear without a preacher? They won't. And how shall they preach except they be sent as it is written?

How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things. That's how God looks at you this morning. Samuel, Kate, you young people. That's how God looks at you this morning.

Beautiful feet. How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things. This is a sending service this morning. We believe you need to be sent. Praise God for everyone who goes here and there and opens their mouth for the gospel.

But, we believe the Bible teaches that you should be sent. And so, we are sending you this morning, Samuel. Imagine it this morning. Imagine with me this morning. God, who dwelleth in light that no man can approach, has pulled back the veil to reveal some of the mysteries of His glory.

God Reveals Himself in His Son

He has spoken unto us in these last days by His Son, who is the express image of His person. God has done that. He's done that in these last days. The mysterious God of the universe hath revealed Himself to us in His Son.

The invisible God made visible to man in His Son, Jesus Christ. Oh, what a glorious thing this is. Now man can find out what God is like. Oh, Samuel, tell them about Jesus, my son. Tell them what Jesus is like.

Tell them how He lived. Tell them how He walked. Tell them how He talked. Tell them the things that He did. Tell them about Jesus. He is the express image of the Father. Now the concubines can find out what God is like.

Yes, it's true. This day, many of them bow down to an idol and call that idol's name the highest of gods that they understand. But oh, what a glorious privilege you have to go over there and tell them about that high God.

And when they begin to see the beauty of His Son and the character of His Son, it will be nothing for them to throw away their little calabash and begin to worship and kiss the Son with bowed, obedient reverence.

It will be nothing when they see who He is. Tell them about Jesus. The mysterious God of the universe hath revealed Himself to man in His Son to show the light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

God is calling you and sending you to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ among the Concoma people. And I know there's a few other little tribes here and there, a village here and there, but it is among the Concoma people.

That would be enough privilege, but it is greater than this. It's a privilege to go anywhere and preach the gospel of the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. That would be privilege enough, but it is greater than this.

Lydia and the Receptive Mission Field

I thought about the Concomas and I thought about Lydia. You remember Lydia in the book of Acts there, where Paul went to Philippi, went out by the river where certain women gathered to worship on the Sabbath days?

It says of Lydia, and it is also that way with the Concomas, Paul said, she heard us. Paul said of Lydia, whose heart the Lord opened. And Paul said of Lydia, she attended unto the things which were spoken.

And as I looked at that little lady and her response to the good news of Jesus Christ, I thought about the Concoma people, that is exactly the way they are. They hear. What a privilege to go and tell, but what a greater privilege to go and tell those who hear.

To go and tell those who attend unto those words, whose hearts you can tell the Lord hath opened. That's the way it was with Lydia. And that's the way it is with these dear people, Samuel. The Lord has opened their heart.

Go and tell them. We all know the joy of finding a seeking soul that is in this state, and we have from time to time, we stumble on one like that, where you just realize, my, the Lord has just placed this person right in front of me, and they're hungry, and they're open, and they're teachable, and they're asking questions.

But oh, what a great delight. Here we have a whole tribe of people who are just like that. Teach me. Tell me. Guide me. Preach to me. Oh, joy. Oh, delight to be able to go and do that. The high and lofty One that dwelleth in eternity, whose name is Holy, hath called you with a holy calling, not according to your own works, but according to His own purposes, which He purposed in Christ before the world began.

I don't understand what that means, Samuel. But I can get a little bit of an understanding of what it means if I understand those verses. That means it was in the heart of God before the foundation of the world, before even the world began.

God looked ahead in His foreknowledge, and He knew that there would come a day when a little boy named Samuel would be born in a little room up there in the second floor of an Amishman's house. And He had a plan for that little boy.

And all through the years He guided, and He also had a plan for a little girl who was born somewhere else. I don't understand these things, but they make us stand in awe as you realize the mysterium tremendum of the universe, the very God of heaven, has called me.

He has something He wants me to do. What else would you want to do but that? Brothers and sisters, all of us, what else would we want to do but that? The Almighty Sovereign of the universe is calling the peoples of the world unto Himself.

And we get to be His mouthpiece. Hallelujah! Think about it just like Paul says there in 2 Corinthians chapter 5, as if God did beseech you by us. And that is exactly what God wants to do. God wants to beseech the peoples of the world by us, young people.

He wants to use your voice over the next six weeks to beseech the people that are over there in western Ghana unto Himself. Unto Himself. It's all about Him. It has nothing to do with us. It's all about Him.

God Calls People to Himself

And we simply come and yield our lives as empty, broken vessels. We yield them to Him and He can pick us up and He can use us as a mouthpiece to preach the glorious gospel, the saving gospel, the life-changing gospel to a world who doesn't know.

And all my brothers and sisters, that's not just for these that are going away, is it? There's plenty of work to do right here where we live. Yes, there are lesser issues, but they all culminate in Him.

All of them. Yes, we know the state of man is bad. We know that we have a compassion for the lost. These are good issues. Heaven is an issue. Hell is also an issue. A better life for the Comcomas, that is also an issue.

All these are beautiful things, but God is calling the Comcomas unto Himself. That is the foundational issue. God is calling people unto Himself. I've been meditating some on the character of God in my preparations for the Advanced Bible School.

Revelation 4 and the Terrifying Beauty of God

And these verses in Revelation chapter 4, they're good for us to consider in light of this great commission which God has given to us. In Revelation chapter 4, we see that John heard a voice. And by the hearing of that voice, he was caught up into heaven.

And as he was there, he immediately, he was in the Spirit. And behold, he saw a throne that was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. He that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone.

And there was a rainbow round about the throne in sight like unto emeralds. And verse 5, and out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices, and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne which are the seven spirits of God.

John saw God. He saw God there. These verses describe the terrifying beauty of the thrice holy God. God has not painted Himself in pretty colors. That's not what John was seeing. But this awe-inspiring beauty that John saw, and I believe it's the same beauty that Ezekiel saw, and it's the same beauty that Isaiah saw, and it's the same beauty that Job saw, and who knows who else who ever got a glimpse of God in the beauty of God's character.

It's the same beauty that they all saw. God is not painting Himself with colors in these verses. But rather, this is the manifestation of the character of Almighty God that we see. God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.

And God is calling the people of the world unto Himself. Oh, if they only knew who God is. If they only knew the glorious, tremendous, powerful, life-changing God who is calling them, surely they will run to Him.

This beautiful picture, this terrifying beauty that we see in these verses, and verses that follow, that's who God is. It is God. It's a manifestation of His purity, of His love, of His mercy, of His justice, His eternal being, His righteousness, His omnipotence.

All these things together, they make up God. And you've been called to go and tell. This God is the only true God. And He's calling the Comcomus to stand in His presence before His throne and worship and serve Him for all of eternity.

That's what it's all about, Samuel. Standing in the presence of God, holy, unblameable, and unreprovable for all of eternity. That's the invitation. Now that is heaven. Amen? That's heaven. Sometimes I think we get a pretty earthly view of heaven in our shallow reading of the Scriptures.

We begin to picture this heaven as, you know, gold and pearls. We see this beautiful city, and that's going to be heaven. I don't think so. I think it's so much more beautiful than that. It is so alive, it is so otherworldly that we can hardly imagine what it is.

And this same awesome God is calling you to be a part of this process, to bring these people who have never heard face to face with this God who knows all things. That's heaven on earth. I want to give you some sure words of prophecy this morning, Sam and Kate.

Peter’s Sure Word of Prophecy

Can I do that? In 2 Peter 1, verse 19, we find those words. Peter says, we have also a more sure word of prophecy, whereon do ye do well that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place.

And that's what a sure word of prophecy will do. It is a light shining in a dark place. And I just want to encourage you with these words that I will be bringing. They will come as a light shining in a dark place in the days to come.

Because reality is, you're going out in a real world to face a real people, all kinds of real needs in their lives. Some of them worshipping a real devil, who the last thing he would have is for these people to find out who God really is.

So, this sure word of prophecy is a light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts, knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation.

For the prophecies, the ones I'm going to read to you, these prophecies came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, by God the Holy Ghost. Sure words of prophecy this morning, here are some of them.

In Isaiah chapter 11, I think it's verse 10, we find these words,. In that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign or a banner of the people. To it shall the concomitants seek, and his rest shall be glorious in their lives.

Now, I'm putting the word concomitant in there, but if you take the word concomitant out, you'll find the word Gentile in the Scripture. And basically what God is saying is simply this, I will call out a people out of every nation and kindred and tongue for my sake.

So, God will do it. He will raise up an ensign, a banner, and the concomitants will see it, and they shall seek it, and their rest shall be glorious. Isaiah 49 verse 22 says these words,. Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the concomitants, and set up my standard to the people, and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.

Look at that beautiful verse. Now, of course, God is speaking these words to His Son, but His Son is sitting on a throne this morning waiting. He's waiting for the concomitants to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

He's waiting for the day when they will come carrying their sons and daughters, and laying them at His feet, just like we did here this morning. He's waiting for that. And here we find a sure word of prophecy that not only is He waiting for it to happen, but He is waiting for it to happen because it is already done.

According to the foreknowledge of God, it's already done, Samuel. Already, in God's eyes, it's already done. He already sees them turning, repenting, forsaking their idolatry, coming to the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, realizing that their little children are gifts from God, and turning around and bringing those little children, and laying them at the feet of Jesus, and raising them that they might be servants of the living God.

Oh, that pleases God! It's already done. You will see it with your eyes. They will come with their little children. Isaiah 60 verse 1 says, Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.

For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people. But the Lord shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee, and the concombers shall come to thy light, and the kings or the chiefs to the brightness of thy rising.

These are prophecies that you find in the book of Isaiah, but they are prophecies that are just as sure today for the Concoma people, as they were for the Gentiles that Paul preached to almost 2 ,000 years ago.

Paul lived on these verses. This was Paul's missionary theology. He believed these verses as he went out among the Greeks, and among those at Ephesus, and those at Corinth, and the heathen down there at Athens.

Paul believed these verses. These verses are a sure word of prophecy for you also this morning, Sam and Kate, and all of you young people as you go. It's sure. The Concomas and the Dogombas, and the Twi, and the Ashantes, and all the other tribes of people that you will minister to as you're over there, they shall come to the light.

I so appreciated some of the prayers that were prayed for you young people already. That not only that God would open up your mouth, that you might be able to speak the gospel, the glorious gospel, but that God would by your life shine so clearly into the hearts of those people that they will have that witness within their heart that you are the children of God by the way you live while you are there.

Isaiah 62 verse 1 and 2,. For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth, and the Concomas shall see thy righteousness, and all the kings or the chiefs shall see thy glory, and thou shalt be called by a new name which the mouth of the Lord shall name.

Isn't that a beautiful portion of Scripture? Isaiah says, many a preacher has said, many an intercessor has said, I will not keep silent until these things come to pass. The Concomas shall see His righteousness.

The kings, the chiefs of the villages in Concomaland shall see the brightness of God's rising, and they shall call Him by a new name. They will call Him by a new name. Malachi chapter 1 and verse 11, From the rising of the sun, even unto the going down of the same, my name shall be great among the Concomas, and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering for my name shall be great among the Concomas, saith the Lord of hosts.

Look at that verse. Yes, God's name. God's jealous for His name. God's jealous that His name will be lifted up. God's jealous that the people will see His name for what it is. And His name shall be great among the Concomas.

And yes, and it's happening. And it's a joy to see it. I've seen it with my own eyes. I've seen those incense rise up. A pure sacrifice being risen and offered up to God out of Concomaland. I've seen it with my eyes.

It's beautiful. God will do it. It is a sure word of prophecy when things get a little dim, when sickness sets in, when discouragement is there, when you don't know what to do next, and you will be there.

You will be there when you don't know what to do next. My name shall be great among the Concomas, saith the Lord, and they shall offer unto My name a pure offering, saith the Lord. My name shall be great among the Concomas, saith the Lord of hosts.

Sometimes you need a word like that. You begin to question. Oh, everything is difficult. Maybe it's sickness, maybe it's pain, maybe it's a little baby boy who's not doing very well, and you're on the edge and you don't know if he's going to live through the night.

My name shall be great among the Concomas, saith the Lord. Isaiah 52 verse 13, Behold, My servant shall deal prudently. He shall be exalted and extolled, and he shall. Amen. He shall be very high. As many were astonished at Thee, His visage was so marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men.

But, so shall He sprinkle the Concomas. The chiefs shall shut their mouths at Him, Samuel. For that which had not been told them shall they see, and that which they had not heard shall they consider. It will happen.

God will use you to sprinkle that people with the blood of Jesus. It's the reward of His suffering, Samuel. It's the reward of His suffering. And one last verse and there are many, many more. As the earth bringeth forth her bud.

Isaiah 61 verse 11 As the earth bringeth forth her bud. And as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth. So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth from before the Concomas.

Think about it. All of us. The simplicity of that picture. We know that so, don't we? We go out into our gardens and sow our seeds in faith every spring, knowing that the buds will come forth. And fruit will come forth.

And the garden will grow. And we'll have fruits to eat. And all the vegetables that God gives us to eat. We know that. We sow those seeds knowing it's going to happen. And God says, in the same way, this shall also come to pass.

Paul’s Missionary Theology in Romans 15

Let's turn to Romans chapter 15. I just want to show you briefly here. These verses and other verses just like these verses were the foundation of Paul's missionary theology. And Paul's missionary theology was this.

It is done. It is finished.

That was Paul's missionary theology. Oh, how different. How different is our unbelieving theology at times? Paul didn't go to a city and think, Well, I guess maybe we'll go there and preach. Maybe, just maybe, we might find somebody to believe on the Lord.

Walking into the city gingerly, carefully, sharing a little here and there. That wasn't Paul's missionary theology. Paul looked at a new city and said, They're in there! They're in there! That was his missionary theology.

Reading in Romans chapter 15 and verse 8 and following, Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister. A minister of the circumcision for the truth of God to confirm the promises made unto the fathers and a minister that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy.

Paul believed that. Jesus was sent to confirm the promises to the Jewish nation and also he was sent that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy. Samuel, Kate, the concubines will glorify God for His mercy.

Why? Because Jesus came and died and rose again on the third day. The concubines will glorify God for His mercy. It's already done! Now, I don't want to present too pretty of a picture here. We still have an enemy.

And the enemy also knows these verses. And the enemy would like to do everything he can to distract, to confuse, confound, to bring you to a place of shame. But the Bible says, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

These words of prophecy become sure words of prophecy because there is an enemy who does not want these people to hear. And because of that there will be dark times when you will question. And then the words come.

Wait a minute. This is what God said. As it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the concubines and sing unto thy name. This is Jesus testifying. And again He saith, Rejoice ye concubines with His people.

Rejoice, O ye concubines, with His people. And again, Praise the Lord, O ye concubines, and laud Him, O ye people. And again Isaiah saith, There shall be a root of Jesse and he that shall rise to rule and reign over the concubines.

In him shall the concubines trust. Ah, those are beautiful words of prophecy. And Paul finishes by saying these words, Now, Sam and Kate, The God of hope. Where do you get the hope? From those promises that we just read.

Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost. Ah, let's keep reading. And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.

Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort as putting you in mind because of the grace that is given to me of God. Now I want you to notice something here. And this is for all of us this morning.

Paul is using these verses to encourage the church at Rome to reach out around them. Go out into all the world. The promises are already given. He's using these words. And after he gives them these sure words of prophecy, then he says to them all, The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing these promises.

And I would say the same thing to you, Sam and Kate. May the God of hope fill you with all joy in believing these promises to be sure and true for the people that He is sending you to. And Paul finishes in verse 16 with these words, that I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.

Samuel, God is calling you and giving you a charge to minister Jesus Christ to the concomitants, ministering the good news, the gospel of God, that the offering up of the concomitants might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.

Same thing. We see the heart of God in these words. You know, this is the joy that was set before the Lord Jesus as He hung on the cross. A people sanctified by the Holy Ghost lifting up an offering to God.

What better way to waste your life than on that? Well, let me just turn a corner here a little bit and give you a few practical encouragements.

Learning a Language by God’s Grace

I have written five. I could give you 25.

But let me give you some practical encouragements this morning. First of all, I want to say a few things about language learning. Samuel, Kate, that is not an easy task. And I know that you know that.

It's a miracle of God's grace to learn another language, especially a difficult language. I want to encourage you this morning. You make it a miracle of God's grace every day. Do your part, but do your part in faith.

Do your part, but do not despair while you do your part. It is a miracle. Make it a miracle of God's grace every day. My mind goes back to the story of the famous missionary Jonathan Goforth, who had the Chinese language to learn, which also is a very difficult language.

And there were times when he despaired, How will I ever get this language? But God brought him, as God does often bring his servants, God brought him on his face to the place where he was at the end. And in despair, he fell on his face and he cried out to God.

God, I can't do this. I can't learn this language. And according to his testimony, from that time forward, the language just started falling into place in his mind. I want you to remember that. There will be times when you will be discouraged with this language.

In fact, about six months from now, when you've been wading through all of these different sounds and clicks and clocks, and all the things that you'll have to do to speak that language. And about six months from now, you will feel like your head is just spinning with all of that.