BRAD BUSER - CHAPEL SPEAKER
YUGO MISSION TRIP - JUNE 2008

Part 1

“There are well over 4000 people groups--millions and millions of individuals and communities around the world--who have never heard the name of Jesus. What are you going to do about it?”

With these words, our YUGO chapel speaker, Brad Buser, challenged ALL of us--students and adults alike--with the central, urgent reality facing Christians today.

But what are most of us concerned about instead? How do most of us in America spend our time? How do most Christians in the wealthy, abundant West live out their faith? How do most of us in American churches understand what it means to be a Christian? In many instances, it is not what Jesus has called us to, but instead is a personalized, “bless me” sort of faith that does not reflect the demanding, ultimate, radical call that Jesus makes to everyone who would follow him.

Brad “punched us in the face” all week, sharing a number of strong verses from Scripture and his searing insights with us. Brad is not known for his tact! He clears away all of the excuses, the clichés, and the weak, watered down theologies that we are quick to settle for in our comfortable consumeristic Christianity. He challenges the many ways we have softened Jesus’ strong teachings and demands with the fluff of an easy, personalized spirituality that we in America consider to be the mark of a mature disciple of Christ. What follows here in my blog is a transcription of Brad’s five messages from each morning at chapel during our youth group mission trip to Mexico. Of course, these messages are not as riveting in written form, compared to when Brad was up front, in person, passionately ripping away all of our theological assumptions and customary understandings of what it means to “have Jesus in your heart” and, instead, calling ALL Christians to a life of complete, utter, sold-out obedience to the One we say is our Lord and Savior. This blog post will be intense, so put on your seatbelts and hold on tight for a ride that I guarantee will elevate your spirit with cutting insight, break your heart with repentance, and renew your “Yes!” to Christ with refreshed conviction!
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--I Corinthians 6:19-20 - “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”
When we come to Christ, our life is over! We are dead men! We have been bought out; “bought with a price.” Our life is not our own anymore. It must be all about GOD’S dreams and desires, not our selfish preferences anymore. It’s not about our “rights” or anything that we think we deserve, and want to have. These are gone! It’s all about GOD’S agenda, and we must join Him in what He is passionate about.
--Genesis 12:1-3 - The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse; AND ALL PEOPLES ON EARTH WILL BE BLESSED THROUGH YOU.’”
God has always loved all people, not just the Israelites. From the very beginning, God’s plan was to see all people restored into a relationship with Himself. Verses similar to these are found throughout Scripture. Jesus had a similar topic on his mind at the end of his life. The tone of his voice was serious and he gave a command to do his mission:
--Matthew 28:18-20 - “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore GO and MAKE DISCIPLES of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’”
These are our marching orders! Not to kick back and exist comfortably in our nice homogeneous circles with fellow Christians, but to GO and make disciples of every people group on earth until all have heard the name of Jesus. What is our excuse for not going? Especially now, with the entire world coming to us right here, where we live, in the USA? We are to be soldiers, radically sold out to our Leader, expendable for Him, completely obedient to Him, pouring out our lives continually for Jesus’ mission. Are you content with where you are? Then you’re not really a follower of Jesus! Do you think you know all about God? Knowing a bunch of information about God does not make you a disciple of Him. There’s a difference between understanding and practice!

What is our excuse for not going? We should take heed to what Jesus is saying, because we know from Scripture that people who make excuses for not obeying and following Jesus are left behind! (Matt. 22:1-14; Luke 9:57-62; John 15:2) Is Jesus too extreme in His demands? Are His teachings just “ideals” that we can theologize and exegete in intellectual ways, but we excuse ourselves from actually doing because of course He never expected us to take them literally? Our Savior loves the world! Do we? We are to be soldiers for Him, radical and expendable for Him. Hard? Yes! Extreme? For sure! Deal with it!

To what are you obediently giving your life?
--Mark 16:15 - “Go into ALL the world and preach the good news to ALL creation.”
Jesus makes it crystal clear what the needs are. And today there are still over 4000 nations/people groups who have never heard the good news. Perhaps you say: “I don’t feel called to missions.” Sorry folks! MISSIONS IS NOT A “ME” THING. It’s not something we personally choose or decide is “not for me” or “not one of my gifts.” MISSIONS IS A GOD THING! It is elemental to everyone who claims to “have Jesus in my heart.” It is not an “extra” to a life of faith; not an “elective.” It is a command!
--Luke 24:46-47 - “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem.”
This must be our highest goal: His story--Christ, who suffered, died, and rose--is to be preached to all nations. The issue is not “them” or “me.” The supreme issue is what God said!
--Acts 1:8 - “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
These are Jesus’ last words to His disciples, and to us. He loves people, and so must we. All people, everywhere. We cannot pull back from them, fear them, wait to reach out to them until we’re “comfortable” with them, or until they become “acceptable,” or more like us. We must be willing to walk away from all of the incredible wealth and blessings and homes and opportunities that surround us in our comfortable American culture and take His message “to the ends of the earth.” This is difficult. We don’t like to be challenged like this--it makes us uncomfortable! We like things to be familiar, easy, relaxed, comfortable, secure. We want a life of self-actualization, ease, material abundance, happiness. We look forward to retirement; to “kicking back” and just letting the world go by. We want to delight in having our families all around us; our children and grandchildren close by, safe and secure, the focus of our priorities and schedules. (One of the biggest roadblocks for young people, in following through with their desire to go out and serve in global missions, is PARENTS! After getting an application and starting to act on becoming a missionary, many young people say that the pressure they receive from their folks and families to not go out on the mission field is just too intense--and they give up trying.)

But that’s what heaven is for! Heaven is where we retire! Heaven is where we get to enjoy our families and loved ones--forever! Spouses, families, self-satisfaction, self-fulfillment--these are not to be our goals on earth. Here, we are simply to be obedient to God; to pursue God’s agenda, which again is not about our comfort, our abundance, our desires, our preferences. It’s about being willing to pour out our lives completely for our Master.
--II Timothy 2:3 - “Endure hardship...like a good soldier for Jesus Christ.”
Soldiers are disciplined; committed. You committed young people: are you ready and willing to take the risk for your King’s sake? To be expendable for Jesus? Where do you fit into His plans? We think and act as though the Christian life is about fulfilling us; ourselves. But we know what Jesus says:
--Luke 14:25-27 - “Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: ‘If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not take up his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.’”
This is what salvation means! To follow Jesus--but look at what is involved: hating everyone and everything except Him. Jesus will not allow ANYTHING--or ANYONE--to compete with Him. There is an ultimatum here. It is extreme; demanding. When we decide to follow Jesus, nothing is to compete with our Savior. It is costly, and we must count the cost. We cannot make a deal with Jesus; say to Him that we will follow Him a little bit, or as much as we’re comfortable with, or when we remember to, or when it’s convenient. The imagery of the cross tells all: it’s about death! Death to self; to all of one’s ideas, dreams, aspirations, and plans. It’s not just for the missionaries, or for the “most committed” either. This is for everyone who claims Jesus as Savior.

How do we hate, and yet love what is near? What is our Savior saying to us here?
--Exodus 20:3 - “You shall have no other gods before me.”
God is not “Number One” on my priority list--He IS the list! Totally! Completely! The sole one; to whom we are fully devoted. God’s affirmation must be more precious and important to us than that of our parents, spouses, kids--or from anywhere else. If not, Jesus is saying: “You don’t really love me.” Luke 14:25-27 - THIS is what it means to be His! When we “accept Jesus into our heart,” our future is over! Jesus says: “I am your life! You are a dead man! You are going to be taken over!”

(Watch for the conclusion to this blog post next week...)

Brad, his wife, Beth, and two infant sons moved to Papua, New Guinea in 1979 and served for 20 years with the Eteris, one of the unreached people groups of that huge, diverse land. They practiced there what they preach today here! It is a captivating story. You can view a brief video presentation about their life and work with the Eteris by clicking on this YouTube link.