The Moravians must find their way back to being – wholistic Missionaries & tireless Prayer Warriors

This is an important short video. 

The video directs the viewer toward two emphases of the historic Moravian church: abiding prayer and holistic missionary effort. That is to say prayer and mission work that seeks to convert the lost and to heal and minister to physical needs. I am not speaking of just doing social work however valuable that may be. 

The degree to which this mission of prayer and evangelism is recaptured is the degree to which its future will be vibrant. Thus the Watchword of this blog. 

"This is what the Lord says: 'Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.'" --Jeremiah 6:16.

One Good Reason That The Moravians Came To North Carolina?

"During this year (1783) earnest consideration was given to the possibility of taking the Gospel to the Cherokee Indians, so fulfilling one of the purposes for which the Savior planted our little congregations in North Carolina."  -- From the Wachovia Memorabilia, 1783

It is all in the Lord's time

In 1733 two Moravian missionaries were sent from Herrnhut (Saxony) to Greenland. 

Matthew Stach and Frederick Bohnisch, grave-diggers by profession, suffered from disease, the cold and starvation in Greenland. Finally after twenty-seven years they witnessed their first Inuit converts, Kajarak and his family. 

__________

How amazing. It took twenty-seven years for their suffering -  mixed with the Gospel to bring one family from darkness to light - from death to life.

This puts me in mind of Psalm 40:1 - "I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me and heard my cry."

Matthew Stach and Frederick Bosnisch - gravediggers and Moravian heroes are teaching us about persistence. 

Preach it! The Count had it right

Count Zinzendorf, father of the Renewed Moravians, believed that the Holy Spirit was the only true missionary. It was the Spirit who prepared the hearts of people to hear and receive the message of Jesus Christ. It was the Spirit who would call individuals from among the people to be converted. The missionaries are then led to these people by the Spirit. 

Count Zinzendorf encouraged missionaries not to fear failure. Conversion did not rest on the ability of the missionary to preach and convince the people.

Do you believe the Holy Spirit initiates the call of individuals to conversion? Do you believe the Holy Spirit leads us to individuals ripe for conversion? 

3 Characteristics of Moravian mission.

Count Zinzendorf

In a letter to an English friend Zinzendorf wrote: 

"You are not to aim at the conversion of whole nations; you must simply look for seekers after the truth who, like the Ethiopian eunuch, seems ready to welcome the Gospel. Second, you must go straight to the point and tell them about the life and death of Christ. Third, you must not stand aloof from the heathen, but humble yourself, mix with them, treat them as Brethren, and pray with them and for them." 

(Zinzendorf 1732)

This quote shows the three basic characteristics of Moravian mission: 

1. The Holy Spirit guides both the seeker for truth and the missionary; 

2. Preaching Christ is the central task of the missionary; and 

3. The missionary imitates Christ’s example of humility. 

Image - What can contemporary Christians learn?

Photo Credit: Lobster Pot Photography

"Under Zinzendorf, the Moravians became an intense but highly mobile missionary order. The rapid deployment of many young missionaries around the world in the space of a few short years, is one of the most remarkable Moravian achievements.

The outreach was made possible by a relative lack of concern with training, finances, or structure. A Moravian missionary received from the church, enough money to get to the port. The missionary was then responsible to work for passage across the ocean. On the mission field, the missionary took up whatever occupation would provide the bare amount of food and clothing.

The Moravians had an impact on the existing church as they brought renewal to thousands of formerly nominal Christians throughout Europe. This was achieved through the work of itinerant Moravians sent out from Herrnhut in twos and threes. Through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in 1727 and the life and ministry of Zinzendorf, one of the most dynamic missionary movements came into existence. In the next 150 years the Moravians sent out over 2,000 of their members overseas. They tended to go to the most remote, unfavorable and neglected areas. Many of them were simple peasants and artisans.

The impact of the Moravians did not end with their own achievements. Their example profoundly influenced both John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement and William Carey the “father” of Protestant missions." 

____________________________

Let me ask you. 

Generalizing how important a concept is the "lost" to a congregation in any mainline denomination? When did you least hear a sermon that focused on the lost? 

What do you think? Is there such a thing as a lost person?

Was Jesus right when he said he focused on the lost? 

Matthew 18:12-14 is a good beginning point to ponder with regard to the lost.

The Moravians of yesterday got it!

- To read the whole article click here.  Above text above cribbed from Movements.net

Video - The Moravian Mission Machine (Christian Documentary)

The amazing and spiritually edifying history of the early Moravians. They were indeed a "Mission Machine." 

They believed Scripture to be true when it speaks of the lost. They, the Moravians of yesteryear, were out to rescue as many of the lost as possible.