20150910 TEDS chapel Tom Lin

Summary

In this inspiring talk at Trinity, Tom shares his journey from aspiring for the American Dream to becoming a missionary. Married to Nancy with two daughters, he recounts his experiences leading the Urbana Student Missions Conference and his unexpected call to missions in Mongolia. Tom discusses the challenges of leaving behind wealth, family, and pride to follow Jesus' mission. Despite hardships, he emphasizes the blessings and fulfillment that come from committing to God's global mission, urging listeners to find and follow their own 'Mongolia' to bless the nations.

Takeaways

• 😊 Married to Nancy for 16 years and has two daughters, Abby (10) and Olivia (8).
• 🏠 Grew up near Trinity in Park Ridge and Niles, Illinois.
• 📅 Directs the Urbana Student Missions Conference, the largest student missions conference in the world.
• 🌍 Emphasizes the significance of missions and calls to reconsider personal priorities in favor of global missions.
• 🧑‍🎓 Was initially focused on the American dream and a high-achieving career but felt called to missions.
• ✝️ Discussed the story of the rich young ruler from Mark 10, highlighting the difficulty of leaving behind wealth and status.
• 💼 Identifies future wealth, relational wealth, and pride as the main obstacles to committing to missions.
• 👪 Shares personal challenges, including strained relationships with his parents over his decision to pursue missions.
• ❄️ Spent four years in Mongolia, dealing with extreme conditions and pioneering an evangelical student movement.
• 🙏 Encourages others to follow God's call to missions, whether locally or globally, and to embrace humility and dependency on God.

Q & A

Who is the speaker and what is his connection to the local area?

The speaker is Tom, who is married to his wife Nancy for 16 years. He grew up in Park Ridge, Illinois, and Niles, Illinois, which are just a few miles from where the speech is being given.

What are some key details about the speaker's family?

Tom has two daughters, Abby and Olivia. Abby is 10 years old and Olivia is 8 years old.

What is the Urbana Student Missions Conference and what is its significance?

The Urbana Student Missions Conference is the largest student missions conference in the world, expecting 16,000 to 20,000 students every three years. It has been taking place since 1946 and is known for inspiring many missionaries, as noted by Billy Graham.

What did the speaker initially believe about missionaries and how did this perception change?

The speaker initially believed that missionaries were strange people who had nothing better to do and were only for super spiritual individuals. His perception changed through his experiences and calling, realizing the importance and impact of missionary work.

What does the speaker discuss in relation to the story of the rich young ruler in Mark chapter 10?

The speaker relates his personal journey to the story of the rich young ruler, emphasizing the challenge of giving up material wealth and societal expectations to follow Jesus' call to mission work.

What were the three categories of 'wealth' or 'idols' the speaker struggled with?

The three categories were future wealth (careers and money), relational wealth (relationships with family), and pride (desire to be known and remembered).

How did the speaker's parents initially react to his decision to pursue missions?

The speaker's parents argued with him, pleaded with him not to pursue missions, and even threatened to harm themselves. They cut off communication with him for many years.

What significant life change did the speaker and his family make, and how did it challenge them?

The speaker and his family moved to Mongolia to pioneer an evangelical student movement. This move was challenging due to the extreme poverty, harsh climate, and cultural differences.

How did the speaker describe the transformation in his understanding of mission work?

The speaker realized that mission work required humility and serving from a position of weakness, rather than strength and pride. This shift in understanding was significant in his approach to missionary work.

What was the outcome of the speaker's reconciliation with his mother before she passed away?

The speaker's mother apologized to him, asking for forgiveness for not supporting his missionary work, which led to their reconciliation before her passing.

What was the main message the speaker wanted to convey to the audience about mission work?

The speaker emphasized the importance of being willing to give up personal wealth, relationships, and pride to follow Jesus' call to mission work. He encouraged the audience to consider where their 'Mongolia' might be and to embrace the challenges and blessings of mission work.

Outlines

00:00

🤝 Personal Introduction and Urbana Missions Conference

The speaker introduces himself as a married father of two daughters, Abby and Olivia, and shares his connection to the local area. He is deeply involved in directing the Urbana Student Missions Conference, the world's largest student missions conference, which has been running since 1946 and is known for inspiring many to become missionaries. The conference features renowned speakers, seminars, and a variety of cultural and religious activities. The speaker extends an invitation to pastors and church leaders to join the conference and encourages the audience to consider their own calling to missions.

05:01

🏆 The Illusion of the American Dream and the True Mission

The speaker reflects on his upbringing, where he was taught to pursue the American dream and view missionaries as peculiar individuals. He contrasts this with his own journey, where he was initially focused on academic and career success, shaping his identity around achievements and wealth. However, upon encountering Jesus' call to missions in Mark 10, he felt a void in his life and a divine invitation to give up his wealth and follow a mission path, which he initially found challenging and counterintuitive to his aspirations.

10:04

💼 The Cost of Leaving Behind Future Wealth for Missions

The speaker delves into the concept of 'future wealth,' which includes careers and financial success, and how these can become idols that hinder one's willingness to follow a mission. He shares his personal struggle with leaving behind the promise of a lucrative career to become a campus missionary, a decision that led to a shift in how others perceived him and his life choices. The speaker emphasizes the sacrifices involved in missions and the need to reassess one's priorities in light of a calling to serve God's mission.

15:05

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The Sacrifice of Relational Wealth in Missionary Work

The speaker discusses the difficult decision to leave behind 'relational wealth,' particularly the strained relationship with his parents when he chose to follow his missionary calling. He describes the emotional turmoil of this separation, the depression his mother fell into, and the years of no communication. However, he also shares the eventual reconciliation and his mother's eventual understanding and support for his mission work, highlighting the personal costs and eventual healing that can come from such sacrifices.

20:06

🎭 Overcoming Pride and Embracing Humility in Missions

The speaker addresses the third category of costs in missions: pride. He talks about his initial reluctance to go to Mongolia due to language barriers, cultural differences, and the fear of being humbled and dependent on God. Despite his fears, he obeyed God's call and moved to Mongolia, where he and his family faced significant challenges but also experienced profound personal growth and spiritual fulfillment. The speaker reflects on the paradigm shift in Western missions, moving from a position of strength to one of humility and service.

25:09

🌟 The Blessings of Following Jesus' Mission Call

The speaker concludes by sharing the blessings that have come from following Jesus' mission call, despite the hardships. He references Mark 10:29-30, where Jesus promises a hundredfold return in this life and eternal life in the age to come for those who leave behind family and possessions for the gospel. The speaker's personal experiences in Mongolia and the US have been filled with miracles and growth, both spiritually and in relationships. He encourages the audience to consider their own 'Mongolia' and to embrace the mission field, whether it's across the world or in their own neighborhood.

🙏 A Prayer for Missionary Commitment and Blessing

In the final paragraph, the speaker prays for the students and attendees, expressing gratitude for their opportunities and resources. He asks for obedience to God's call to sell and leave behind whatever is necessary for the mission. The prayer also seeks healing and provision for those who have paid a cost in their mission work. The speaker prays for God's blessing on the student body as they step into their mission roles and for the emergence of a generation that will bless the world through their commitment to God's mission.

Keywords

💡Urbana Student Missions Conference

The Urbana Student Missions Conference is the world's largest student missions conference, attracting between sixteen and twenty thousand attendees every three years. The event, established in 1946, focuses on motivating young people to commit to missionary work worldwide. In the transcript, Tom Lin discusses his role as the director of this conference and mentions how influential it has been, with figures like Billy Graham noting that many missionaries received their calling at Urbana. It emphasizes the video’s theme of inspiring and mobilizing students towards global missions.

💡Rich Young Ruler

The 'Rich Young Ruler' refers to a biblical character from Mark 10, who asks Jesus about inheriting eternal life but is challenged to give up his wealth to follow Jesus. Tom Lin uses this story as a metaphor for those who have earthly successes and comforts yet may lack spiritual fulfillment or purpose. This character's struggle with sacrificing wealth and status illustrates the video's theme of examining personal values and the cost of committing to missions.

💡Mongolia

Mongolia is described in the transcript as a challenging mission field, representing a place of both literal and metaphorical isolation and difficulty. Tom Lin and his family served as missionaries in Mongolia, where they faced harsh conditions, cultural differences, and extreme poverty. This experience symbolizes the sacrifices and challenges involved in mission work, illustrating the video's theme of leaving behind comfort and security to serve in difficult environments. Lin's mission in Mongolia, where there were initially no known Christians, represents the commitment to spreading the Gospel in unreached areas.

💡Sacrifice

Sacrifice is a central theme in the transcript, highlighting the personal and professional costs involved in missionary work. Tom Lin discusses leaving behind potential wealth, career opportunities, and family relationships to pursue his calling in missions. This concept underscores the idea that following Jesus and engaging in global missions often requires giving up worldly possessions and ambitions. Lin's narrative emphasizes that these sacrifices, although difficult, are portrayed as acts of faith and obedience to a higher calling.

💡Missionary

A missionary is someone who is sent to promote Christianity in foreign lands, often involving teaching, community building, and humanitarian efforts. In the transcript, Tom Lin challenges traditional stereotypes of missionaries, describing his initial perception of them as 'strange people with nothing better to do.' He redefines the missionary as someone who follows God's call, sometimes at great personal cost, to make an impact in areas like Mongolia. The role of a missionary is portrayed as a path for anyone willing to forsake conventional life for spiritual and humanitarian service, emphasizing the video's call for a heart-centered commitment to missions.

💡Call to Missions

The 'Call to Missions' refers to the spiritual conviction and invitation to engage in missionary work, often perceived as a divine mandate. Tom Lin shares his personal journey of feeling called by Jesus to leave behind a promising career for missionary work, illustrating the inner transformation and commitment required. This calling is presented as an opportunity to participate in a greater purpose, aligning with the video's message that pursuing missions leads to spiritual fulfillment and broader impact. Lin's narrative includes an invitation for others to discern their call to missions, encouraging self-examination and dedication to God's work.

💡Relational Wealth

Relational wealth refers to the value placed on personal relationships and family connections, which can be a significant factor in decisions about engaging in missions. Tom Lin discusses how following his call to missions strained his relationship with his parents, leading to a period of estrangement. This concept illustrates the emotional and relational challenges faced by those who choose to prioritize spiritual missions over familial expectations. In the video, relational wealth is depicted as another form of sacrifice that individuals may encounter, highlighting the complex interplay between personal relationships and spiritual commitments.

💡Pride

Pride is depicted as an obstacle in accepting and pursuing a missionary life, representing the desire for recognition and worldly success. Tom Lin describes his initial reluctance to serve in Mongolia due to pride, fearing failure and obscurity. He emphasizes that genuine missionary work requires humility and a willingness to embrace insignificance for the sake of greater service. The theme of pride serves as a cautionary reflection on personal motivations and challenges individuals to prioritize humility in pursuing God's mission. In the transcript, overcoming pride is portrayed as an essential step in aligning with God's purpose and finding true fulfillment.

💡Mark 10

Mark 10 is a chapter in the Bible that features the story of the Rich Young Ruler, which Tom Lin uses to illustrate the challenges of living a Christ-centered life. This biblical reference serves as a framework for discussing wealth, sacrifice, and spiritual priorities. The story in Mark 10 is pivotal in the video, emphasizing that external obedience and moral behavior are insufficient without internal surrender and genuine commitment to God's mission. Lin's analysis of Mark 10 challenges the audience to consider their own spiritual priorities and the obstacles they face in fully embracing a missionary calling.

💡God's Global Mission

God's global mission refers to the Christian belief in spreading the Gospel and serving humanity across the world, transcending cultural, national, and socioeconomic boundaries. In the transcript, Tom Lin emphasizes the universal call to participate in God's mission, highlighting the transformative impact of missionary work in places like Mongolia. This concept underscores the video's central theme of engaging in meaningful service beyond personal and geographic limitations. Lin encourages viewers to consider their unique role in this global mission, advocating for active participation in spreading faith and compassion worldwide, whether through traditional missions or local outreach.

Highlights

Speaker introduces himself, mentioning his wife Nancy and two daughters, Abby and Olivia.

Describes directing the Urbana Student Missions Conference, the largest student missions conference in the world.

Mentions that the Urbana conference features over 200 seminars, General Sessions integrating arts, theater, and multi-ethnic worship.

Invites attendees to the pastors and church leaders track at the Urbana conference.

Shares personal story about not originally aspiring to be a missionary, viewing missionaries as only for 'superhero Christians.'

References the story of the rich young ruler in Mark 10 to discuss the challenges of following Jesus and engaging in missions.

Identifies three main challenges or 'idols' prospective missionaries often face: future wealth, relational wealth, and pride.

Describes the personal sacrifice of turning down six-figure jobs to follow Jesus's call to be a campus missionary.

Recounts the difficulty in his relationship with his parents after deciding to pursue missions, including a period of estrangement.

Describes being called to serve in Mongolia, facing extreme conditions and significant lifestyle changes.

Shares the challenge of overcoming pride and the necessity of adopting a position of weakness and humility in missions.

Discusses the shift in mission organizations from being drivers of mission to being servants and consultants invited by indigenous communities.

Highlights the idea of 'mission from below,' as opposed to 'mission from above,' emphasizing humility and service.

Shares success in Mongolia, including the establishment of the Mongolian Fellowship of Christian Students and seeing over 500 students come to Christ.

Concludes with a message about the transformative power of following Jesus's call to mission, despite the challenges and sacrifices involved.

Transcripts

it's a joy to be here at Trinity with

you I thought I'd start by introducing

myself a bit married to my wife Nancy

now for 16 years and we actually grew up

just a few miles down from here in Park

Ridge Illinois at niles illinois so it's

good to be closer to home I'm also the

father of two daughters we have a

picture here Abby and Olivia they still

liked school these days so that's the

first day of school Abby is now 10 years

old and olivia is eight years old so

they're a lot of fun after my family

what takes up a lot of my time is

directing the Urbana student missions

conference the largest student missions

conference in the world sixteen to

twenty thousand students we're expecting

every three years it takes place since

nineteen forty six we've been going and

Billy Graham often shares that half of

the missionaries in the world were

likely called to the mission field at in

Urbana conference it's also a five-day

experience majority will voices or

something is something that we try to

bring in world-class speakers we've got

over 200 seminars General Sessions that

integrate the arts theater and

multi-ethnic worship in fact your very

own Jonathan worship leader here is at

our worship team meeting right now in

California so we're glad to have him

over 250 mission organizations and

seminaries educational institutions will

also be at urbana representing a

diversity of mission fields will have

morning bible studies engaging in the

scriptures and small in large groups as

a conference and i also want to extend a

personal invitation to you all to our

pastors and church leaders track so

you're all welcome to come also to

invite those young adults from your

churches as well we'd love to have you

now one of the things you should also

know about me is that growing up I never

dreamed of being a missionary I never

thought I looked like a missionary in my

home the one thing I was never taught

was to be a missionary I was taught that

missionaries were strange people with

nothing better to do with their lives

you know I was taught the missionaries

are only for this super spiritual you

know the superhero Christians I was

taught to be a good

instead and taught to pursue the

American dream a white picket fence home

with 2.5 cars in 2.5 kids so my parents

they came from poverty in Asia so I

would not have to live in poverty in

Asia I was taught to be like the rich

young ruler we see in mark chapter 10

he's the guy who goes up to Jesus just

to make sure he has the basics of a

spiritual life cover right he's the kind

of guy that I think our parents would be

proud of he's a child prodigy top of his

class at the University of Galilee the

CEO of a startup company in a hundreds

of millions of dollars of stock options

he's a good moral guy to he was good at

most of the commandments you know he

gave gave to local temple took care the

elderly respected his parents he's the

kind of guy that I think our parents

would say hey why can't you be more like

him you know or those of us who are

thinking about marriage you know that

the kind of guy appearances say why

can't you marry someone like him right

but there's one thing that he's missing

this one thing to for this guy who

seemingly had it all so we're going to

look at mark 10 this morning it's

typical not your typical mission story

your seminary students here graduate

students you know about missions you

probably have heard about it before you

can easily access information we're

going to do a heart check this morning

and think about and talk about our heart

for missions so let's look together mark

chapter 10 verse 17 starting in verse 17

it'll also be up here but you can follow

along in your Bibles as well good

teacher he asked what must I do to

inherit eternal life why do you call me

good jesus answered no one is good

except God alone you know the

commandments do not murder do not commit

adultery do not steal do not give false

testimony do not defraud honor your

father and mother teacher he declared

all these I have kept since I was a boy

what must I do to inherit eternal life

this young leader wants it to do

checklist you know Jesus tell me what do

I need to do to cross that line and

don't tell me what I don't need to do

you know that extra credit stuff you

know missions is extra credit isn't it

right Jesus says well you're a smart guy

you know the commandments you know

Exodus 20 now if we look at this passage

right what's odd about the commandments

here if you look at verse 19 what's odd

about it verse 19 do not murder do not

commit adultery do not steal do not give

false testimony do not defraud honor

your father mother how many are there

here six right six Commandments why

these six these are commandments that

deal with our relationships with other

people right the commandments we

normally think of when we say well I'm a

good family oriented hard-working

church-going person so I can go to

heaven and you kind of get the feeling

that this rich young student is thinking

the same thing teacher he says I have

kept all these since I was a boy and he

gives himself a nice pat on the back

good job good job what's missing the

other four commandments the commandments

dealing with our relationship with God

so Jesus asked this guy to do something

really difficult he says in verse 21

Jesus looked at him and loved him one

thing you lack he said goes so

everything you have and give to the poor

and you will have treasure in heaven

then come follow me at this the man's

face fell he went away sad because he

had great wealth he shocked he leaves in

tears because his identity has been

rooted in his wealth

if we're to follow Jesus into his

mission in the world is important for us

to remember that Jesus doesn't give us

easy calling Jesus is saying in mark

chapter 10 is mission can be costly at

times can I hear an amen right as I

travel across different campuses across

the country or internationally there

have been three categories of wealth or

or or idols that I think students most

often wrestle with areas that are

difficult for many prospective

missionaries around the world to go sell

and leave the first that I want to

explore this morning is selling and

leaving future wealth future wealth this

can be future wealth can be our careers

it can be money can everyone save money

money right some people get very excited

when they say the word money I was

raised not to worship God but to worship

the straight a report card or a certain

type of career that can be only

described as full-time professional

positions with unlimited financial

potential okay any of you hear that

before and if I couldn't do that I had

to at least go to graduate school to get

some letters after my name you know md

JD PhD doctor Reverend know whatever I

could be got to go to graduate school

right and I was doing pretty well on

this track as a young adult when I

graduated high school I was like this

rich young student graduated top of my

class at main south high school again

just a couple miles away top of my state

in the state of Illinois was on the

cover of magazines on an ESPN television

special parents would say their kids hey

you see that guy Tom there why can't you

be more like him you know and then

parents who say the daughters you see

that guy Tom there why can't you marry

someone like him no then as a student at

Harvard University I came in ready for

my multi-million dollar professional

career i shaped my identity around it I

needed to study all the time so I could

get straight A's to graduate

valedictorian to go to Harvard Law

School to get those JD letters after my

name to make my millions

I chased their dream until one day when

it was finally within reach I felt empty

there's something inside of me that says

there's one thing missing that dammit

Jesus through a Bible study on campus in

mark chapter 10 and Jesus said I have a

mission for you Tom go sell everything

you have and give to the poor and you

will have treasure in heaven then come

follow me it meant making a decision to

turn down six-figure jobs to follow

Jesus call to be a campus missionary

with intervarsity a job with virtually

no security no financial potential and

no letters after my name it meant

watching my classmates have careers that

only my parents could dream up and here

i was doing this missions thing and soon

I began to notice parent started seeing

their kids now you see that guy Tom

there don't be like him hey and mothers

began singing of the daughters you see

that guy Tom there don't even think

about marrying someone like him I cried

out to God if you're calling me at

emissions why won't you make it easier

as Trinity students I think we're also

not immune to this even our pastoral

careers can be an idol or a wealth that

Jesus may call us to leave someday if

you've ever been to a pastor's

conference before we often see passes

struggling with idolizing their ministry

careers how does our future wealth

prevent us from engaging in God's

mission how am I God be calling us to go

and sell that well for the sake of

reaching the nation's

a second area of costs that I see vary

widely around the world is relational

wealth relational wealth or our

relationships with families can everyone

say family family this is happening in

many parts of the world of course and

maybe some of you in this room have paid

this cost dearly probably the hardest

relationship in my life that I've left

behind in order to follow Jesus into

mission has been my relationship with my

parents now the first thing I want to

say is I love my mom and dad dearly

there's nothing I would have not done

for them but sometimes Jesus says in

order to come follow me into mission

it's going to inconvenience your family

it's going to inconvenience your parents

or your children when i first responded

to god's calling my 20s mom and dad

argued profusely with me for days and

days and days and finally after all the

arguing they got down other knees with

her palms open they said tom our lives

are in the palm of your hands please

don't crush us then mom and did all

their arguments when she said tom if you

do this missions thing I will kill

myself they cut off communication with

me for many years my phone calls were

unanswered my letters were unreturned

they went into severe depression left

the church seven years later my mom was

diagnosed with stage four cancer given

less than a year to live and we still

had not reconciled again I cried out to

God if you're calling me to missions why

won't you make it easier it's hard

following Jesus into mission sometimes

well fast forward a few years later I

was serving as a campus minister and

closed to going anywhere outside the US

and so while dating Nancy one day she

says to me Tom would you ever consider

serving overseas and i responded right

away I said no I love American students

and I love America little did I know

that was her marriage interview question

and I had failed it well over the course

of months and a year or two grad

gradually changed my heart through Nancy

and through the scriptures as i looked

at the Word of God I saw from Genesis to

revelations our God is a missionary God

I began to realize that all the

blessings had obtained in my life all my

honors all my education all the riches

were for a grander purpose to reach the

nations with the gospel in at urbana

2000 God captured me with this vision

for the world and i responded to him yes

or whatever i can do for your mission

whatever I can do I'll do it so we went

on short-term opportunities to places

like Vietnam Laos Brunei Cambodia who

began researching long-term

opportunities and finally the Lord led

us to Mongolia to go and sell to pioneer

an evangelical student movement there

ironically we found ourselves living in

Asia and in poverty here's a picture of

us so my wife Nancy right there there's

my oldest daughter Abby when she was a

baby in Mongolia and that's not our

horse but looks great in the picture

yeah it was a scary task Mongolia is a

former communist country where in 1989

there were no known Christians in the

country is a country without Christian

history the first Bible translated in

the year 2000 it's a country which most

people refer to as the middle of nowhere

it's a country in extreme poverty at the

time the average income was less than

forty dollars a month three million

people in the country 33 million hurted

animals and besides all that it was cold

negative 40 degree winters that lasted

seven months

right and we were living in California

at the time so we thought god can we

actually survive here this brings me to

our third category of costs and

following God's call to global missions

it's the third thing that ruled me which

was pride pride having a ministry that

was known and remembered versus a

ministry that was unknown and forgotten

being someone who was known and remember

versus being someone who was unknown and

forgotten I didn't want to go to a place

where I'd be utterly humbled and

dependent on God so when God first said

go i said no i said i don't know that

language i'm terrible at learning

languages i don't like to be embarrassed

and frankly i'm scared but God said go

leave behind her English you're

preaching will be useless in English I

said god I'm a city boy from Chicago I

can't rough it I've been pampered all my

life you know I don't know the slightest

thing about surviving in the countryside

send someone else but God said go I said

God you know we're too young you know we

need more training but God said go and

so we said God were too old send someone

who says some young college students you

know but God said go we left the pride

we had in our friendships our community

here starting over was hard there were

times when we're Mongolia Nancy and I

would just turn to each other and say

honey we have no friends you know Leslie

new begin talks about this challenge of

pride for this generation of North

American missionaries he says this we

are forced to do something that Western

churches have never had to do since the

days of their own birth to discover the

form and substance of a missionary

church in terms that are valid in a

world has rejected the power and

influence of the Western nations

missions will no longer work along the

stream of expanding Western Power as we

learn a fresh what it means to bear

witness to

the gospel from a position out of

strength but a weakness what does it

mean for North Americans to bear witness

from a position of weakness and humility

instead of strength and pride for

Western mission organizations today the

changes have been paradigm shifting

we're seeing example after example of

organizations shifting their identities

and roles from being American drivers of

mission to being servants and

consultants that bring value when

invited in by indigenous communities

around the world Missy hola geologist

Samuel Escobar adds that our challenge

is to do mission from below in contrast

of the pattern of old Christendom or

that could be described as mission from

above from a position of military

financial or technological power are we

willing to learn and do mission from

below well we respond to Jesus is called

the go and sell and leave our pride for

the sake of reaching the nation's well

after serving in Mongolia for four years

we said to the Lord thank you very much

God we're humbled enough we learned a

lot we're done and so we began praying

for our new mission we became burden for

the growing number of unchurched in

America refugees they were coming

growing in number international students

campuses in the US without Christian

witness so we dreamed of coming back to

California that all is going to be good

asian food in california we're going to

go back there or we dreamed of going to

boston where we live for some time but

the only image that the lord gave us was

this Kansas and Missouri which we now

fondly call the Mongolia of the u.s.

okay one of my seminary classmates said

tom is so interesting you're leaving

Mongolia and going to the most unsexy

ministry I can think of

so we moved to Missouri and in Missouri

we were forgotten again humble some of

the hardest years of our lives but God

doesn't call us to be remembered or

known by the world God doesn't call us

to sexy ministry he doesn't give us easy

calls to us to the rich young ruler to

Trinity students go and sell everything

then come follow me where is your

Mongolia where is that unreached people

group that unsexy place that God may be

calling YouTube where's that place of

utter dependence on the Lord I want to

conclude with the ending of the mark

chapter 10 passage and a phrase we can

easily miss this is transformed the way

I think about God's called the mission

in verse 21 there's a gem here it says

Jesus looked at him and loved him Jesus

loves him Jesus doesn't want to be mean

to this guy and I ask myself then if

leaving this one thing behind is so

painful and hard how is this out of love

peter has the same question if we look

at verse 28 he says Jesus look I've left

everything and followed you what about

me and Jesus answers in verse 29 says I

tell you the truth no one who has left

home brothers or sisters or mother or

father or children or fields for me in

the gospel will fail to receive a

hundred times as much in this present

age homes brothers sisters mothers

children and fields and with them

persecutions and in the age to come

eternal life god is faithful amen Jesus

essentially says here I know it's going

to be hard but it's going to be so good

your investment in my global mission as

hard as it is will result in more

blessing it in my life as I've left

certain things to follow Jesus God has

given tremendous blessing 100-fold a

hundred fold in our faith we've gotten

to see miracle after miracle in the US

and in Mongolia during our time in

Mongolia we pioneered the Mongolian

Fellowship of Christian students it's

now registered with the Mongolian

government we've seen over 500 students

come to Christ during that time six

indigenous Mongolian staff here some

some pictures here we've received a

hundred fold in our relationship in our

marriage as well

my marriage has continued to thrive even

though there have been challenges God

has brought us through our relationship

with our children they've been safe and

physically healthy I often say in

Mongolia my kids never once got sick you

know when they got sick when we came

back to the US a hundred fold in our

parental relationships churches

surrogate parents around the country

have come around in support of us and

then a few months before my mom passed

away we've received a hundred fold again

my mom had invited be home to be with

her and she motioned over to me to sit

by her and the sofa and I sat down next

to her she held my hand and tears are

streaming down her cheeks and she said

to me Tom there's something I've been

wanting to say to you for a long long

time now I'm so sorry I'm so sorry I

should have supported you all those

years will you forgive me those have

been words that I was waiting to hear

for well over seven and eight years and

God finally gave them to me and we

reconciled that day shortly before she

passed away God is faithful amen

it's hard following Jesus and giving

your life to God's global mission but

it's so worth it where is your Mongolia

for some of you the next step maybe to

go on a short-term mission maybe spend

one to two weeks one to two months where

you're looking at different

opportunities God's heart for the

nation's many of you have had a couple

months of vacation during the summer

times I often say to people take a

vacation that will bless the nation's

don't go somewhere boring like Hawaii

you know or go and get a five-day taste

emissions during your winter break by

coming to urbana 15 invested short time

researching opportunities meeting

thousands of missionaries finding your

place in God's mission now for all those

of you you're ready to commit long-term

you here at Trinity you're already

thinking long term your Mongolia might

be the unprecedented refugee crisis in

Syria or the Middle East your Mongolia

might be unreached people groups in

South Asia where there are more than 40

people groups of greater than 100,000

are completely unengaged with the gospel

mostly Hindu and Muslim groups or your

Mongolia might be one of the two

thousand language groups around the

world without the Word of God Bible is

people groups and for some of us eager

to cross the oceans your Mongolia might

actually be crossing the street of your

own neighborhood reaching the world that

has come to us I love this quote by JD

Payne says something is mission Lee

malignant if we make sacrifices to

travel the world to reach people but are

unwilling to cross the street it might

not be clear right now what your role

might be how your current Studies at

Trinity fit in but his invitation is

clear he wants you to go in cell to

follow Jesus into mission will you say

yes to going to your Mongolia to

blessing the nation's

let me pray for us

Lord we thank you for the gifts the

opportunities and the resources you have

blessed us with thank you for the

opportunity to study here at this

institution thank you for the access to

resources for the gifts you've given

each person here individually and Lord

we come to you today saying we want to

use those and put them at your feet Lord

to bless the nation's we want to use

what you've given to us to bless the

nation's and Lord should there be an

area of our lives which are calling us

to go and sell and leave Lord might we

be obedient to that would you highlight

that highlight that in our hearts this

morning whatever that area of cost may

be for those of us who have paid costs

Lord and we're hurting or would you come

alongside us would you minister to our

hearts which you provide in the in the

deepest yearnings of a heart those

provisions that we're asking for Lord

would you bless Lord would you bless

this student body this morning as they

go out and follow you into mission Lord

we pray that from this room would come a

generation that would bless the world

indeed we love you lord continue to

speak as we take next steps in mission

together in Jesus name we pray amen

you