Preface
A
few months after I began my first pastorate, Mrs.
Jefferies, a faithful but outspoken member, said, "Brother Avery, you
know what I like about your preaching?" I leaned
forward expectantly. ‘‘It’s
that you don’t preach no doctrine." Stunned,
I slumped back in my chair.
"But
everything I preach is doctrine, Mrs. Jefferies!" I
exclaimed.
"Well,
it don’t sound like it."
"But doctrine
means truth or teaching. Everything
I preach is doctrine because I preach
the Bible."
From the outset,
I want you to know that this book
may not sound like doctrine, but it is.
I encourage you to read the Word along
with the book to test the truth of
my interpretations. If the book causes you
to examine the Word to discover for
yourself the biblical basis of missions, I
will have succeeded.
I
do not intend for this book to sound like
a theological textbook. I have studied most of
the theological textbooks on missions, but I
doubt that many people would read this book if
it were couched in those terms or documented
extensively. I have written dialogue to help
some of the key issues come alive. The Scripture
passages from which these truths were derived
usually are listed following the accounts so
that you can study the Bible for yourself and
determine their validity. My primary concern
is for you to see this world from God’s perspective and understand
his plan to establish his kingdom.
My first
interest in writing this book began years
ago in a missions seminar when a professor remarked
that Baptists needed an up-to-date book
on the biblical basis of missions. I was startled
because I thought that everything on the
biblical basis of missions had been written already.
Later I wrote an outline and did research
on the contents of this book. I realized then
that I did not understand nor had I experienced
all that I had discovered in the Bible
about missions. I had served one term of missionary
service, but I returned to Indonesia to
put into practice what God had revealed to me
in his Word.
Through fourteen years
of missionary experiences in Indonesia, God forced
me to study his Word over and over for a deeper
understanding of the biblical basis of missions
and ministry and its implications for us today.
He has given me a fresh perspective of his
purpose and plan for the world and the ways he
intends to bring people of all nations to himself.
I hope that this attempt to share these insights
with you will result in your understanding
the biblical basis of missions; but even more,
I hope that it will result in your making world
missions the overriding purpose of your life.
No doubt you will read
some things here that you have never heard before.
I hope that you will be like the Bereans who ‘‘received
the word with all readiness of mind, and searched
the scriptures daily, whether those things were
so" (Acts 17:11).
About
the Author
Avery T. Willis, Jr. is well qualified to write
this text. He is presently manager of the Adult
Discipleship Training Section of the Discipleship
Training Department of the Sunday School Board.
This places him in a position to be in touch with
the training needs of people. Dr. Willis came to
the Sunday School Board from the mission field,
where he served as president of the Indonesian
Baptist Theological Seminary. Consequently, he
writes with the expertise of an educator and with
the heart of a missionary. A native of Arkansas, Dr. Willis is a graduate
of Oklahoma Baptist University and of Southwestern
Baptist Theological Seminary, where he received
the Th.D. degree in 1974 with a major in missions
and minors in philosophy and in preaching. He pastored
churches in Oklahoma and in Texas for ten years
before being appointed by the Foreign Mission Board
of the Southern Baptist Convention. Dr. Willis is the writer of MasterLife: Discipleship
Training for Leaders and MasterBuilder:
Multiplying Leaders, as well as numerous
other books.
Acknowledgments
I want to thank Dr. Roy
Edgemon and the Discipleship Training Department
of the Sunday School Board for asking me to
write this book. I also want to express appreciation
for the confidence of the mission agencies
that recommended me as the author.
Dr. R. Cal Guy and Dr.
Jack Gray of Southwestern Baptist Theological
Seminary stimulated my thinking and encouraged
me to study the biblical basis of missions.
Many authors contributed to my thinking. A
selected bibliography at the end of each chapter
lists some of the books that I found helpful.
My deepest appreciation
goes to my wife, Shirley, and our five children,
Randal, Sherrie, Wade, Krista, and Brett, because
the time used to write the book was taken from
them. Shirley also typed the manuscript and
made many helpful suggestions.
My missionary colleagues
and my Indonesian brethren deserve recognition
for their willingness to attempt to turn to
a more biblical model of missions. They have
been patient and supportive in attempts that
succeeded and in those that failed. They taught
me much.
Bill Latham, editor,
and Anne Donahue, manuscript assistant, have
improved the manuscript and have made it more
readable.
For all of these and
many more unmentioned friends who have helped
me, I give glory to God. Any errors and shortcomings
in the book are my own.
AVERY T. WILLIS JR.
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