Pastor Wilson: What are We Willing to Sacrifice for Mission?

Pastor Ted Wilson reminds us of a wonderful opportunity to participate in the Annual #Sacrifice Offering on Sabbath, November 14. How can sacrifice be a blessing? Here is an interesting story about something that happened about 100 years ago. In the early 1900s, Adventist missionary work was thriving. Missionaries were leaving their homes in great numbers, traveling to faraway places to share Jesus’ love, and the important messages given by the three angels of Revelation 14. Then, tragically, the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic struck, killing millions of people and plunging the economy into a deep recession. Tithes and offerings dropped, and there wasn’t enough money to continue supporting the missionaries. Church leaders were afraid they would have to recall them. So, during the Annual Council meetings of the General Conference Executive Committee, held September 20 to 27, 1922, in Kansas City, Missouri, the delegates prayerfully decided to ask church members to give a sacrificial one week’s wage to cover the quarter of a million-dollar budget deficit that year. In spite of the difficult conditions of the early 1920s, members responded by giving more than $350,000 over the following year to what became known as the Annual Week of Sacrifice Offering. The sacrifice that our world church membership of just 208,771 Seventh-day Adventists made back in 1922 is remarkable when their contribution is translated into today’s dollars. If we adjust for inflation, that contribution of $350,000 back then is equivalent to more than $4 million dollars today in purchasing power! Now, nearly 100 years later, our church faces a similar crisis as COVID-19 shatters lives and the economy. As mission offerings decrease, the future ministry of Global Mission pioneers is uncertain. These mostly local missionaries specialize in reaching the world’s most difficult to reach people groups for Jesus. As history repeats itself, can we, as a church, repeat a heartfelt, sacrificial response to keep our missionaries on the front lines? Over the years, this offering has continued, with 100 percent of the offering going to frontline Global Mission work for planting churches in unreached and under-reached parts of the world and among new people groups. What are we willing to sacrifice for mission? Perhaps sacrifice isn’t the best word after all. Because, indeed, this “sacrifice” is actually a blessing! In Proverbs 11:25 we read: “The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself.” If you would like to join in and be a part of this wonderful opportunity to give to the Annual Sacrifice Offering, I encourage you to visit Global-Mission.org/MySacrifice where you will have the opportunity to click “Give Online” and choose “Global Mission’s Annual Sacrifice Offering.” 00:00 Greetings
00:16 Sacrifice Offering on Sabbath
00:42 What happened 100 years ago?
03:09 Nearly 100 years later
04:14 Pastor's Sermon
06:14 How to join in and be a part of this wonderful opportunity?
06:42 Pasto's Prayer To follow our official social media accounts, just follow the links below:
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#TEDWILSON Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDUo7SwsIhc