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10/40—Week 2 [ENCOURAGE]—South Asia |
2/8/09 |
FOCAL REGION: SOUTH ASIA
Countries in South Asia: Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka (4)
Population: 1.186 billion
Dominant Worldview: Hinduism
Biblical Significance:
The apostle Thomas is supposed to have brought the gospel to the people in the region of India. (Eusebius)
FOCAL COUNTRY: NEPAL
Population: 28.46 million (80.6% Hindu*; 10.7% Buddhist; 4.2% Muslim; 3.6% Other; 0.8% Christian)
*Nepal is the only official Hindu state in the world
Statistics:
- Per capita income: $260/year (WorldBank)
- 37.7% live on less than $1/day
- Illiteracy Rate: 49-55%
- Average years of schooling/adult: 2.4 years
- 337,100 people use the internet (1.2% of the entire population)
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ca. 563 BC |
Birth of Buddha in Lumbini |
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ca. 200 AD |
Buddhism wanes; Hinduism rises |
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ca. 300 AD |
Kirats fall to Lichhavis; Lichhavis establish well administrated government systems and expanded territory |
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869 AD |
Lichhavis fall to Thakuris, beginning Nepal era Nepal divided into approx. 52 small states & principalities |
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Ca. 1770 AD |
Nepal unified after 200 years of battle and war |
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1792 AD |
War with Tibet |
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1814 AD |
Territory dispute with Britain |
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1846 AD |
Kot Massacre—several hundred leaders killed in Kot courtyard; Jung Bahadur seizes power & his group (the Ranas) flourished while the commoners eeked out living everywhere else |
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1951 AD |
King Mahendra established panchayat form of government—prime minister, cabinet, & national assembly of insiders |
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1989 AD |
People’s Movement—uprising of Nepalese people against corrupt government; leads to establishment of democratic political party government (very weak) |
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1995 AD |
Maoist rebellion begins—thousands killed |
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2001 AD |
Most of royal family murdered including King Birendra by the king’s brother Gyanendra; civil strife erupts |
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2002 AD |
Gyanendra dissolves government and appoints his own cabinet |
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2006 AD |
King Gyanendra surrenders absolute power, reinstates parliament, writing of new constitution begins; peace talks with Maoists begin |
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Summary: Since 1991, Nepal has seen more than a dozen forms of government which impacts every societal infrastructure— power, communications, sanitation, education, employment, economy, health care, etc. While government systems are being established and solidified, the common people suffer extreme poverty and are to fend for themselves amid local corruption and customs.
STORY OF ENCOURAGEMENT [Joel & Tammy DeBortoli]
“Above all, please know that you all are equal partners in every great thing God does through us here to share His gospel of love and we can all praise Him for His goodness with one voice.” Joel DeBortoli
HOW CAN WE REACH THE NATIONS THROUGH ENCOURAGING MISSIONARIES?
1 Thessalonians 1:2-8
PRAY (1 Thessalonians 1:2)
- Empowers, strengthens, and helps them (2 Corinthians 1:8-11)
- Give thanks to God for them and for their example (v.7)!
- Know how to pray for our missionaries—find out specifically how to pray for them
- Let them know how you are specifically praying for them…only if you really are
REMEMBER (1 Thessalonians 1:3) — continually remember
- Three aspects of following Jesus
- Their work produced by faith—their natural response to the grace of God
- Their labor prompted by love –their natural response to the love of God
- Their endurance inspired by hope –their natural response to the promise of God
- You can’t remember unless you know in the first place
- Check in to see how they are doing, how their ministry is going, and how you can continue to support them (personally & in ministry)
REMIND (1 Thessalonians 1:4-5)
- There are three reminders Paul gives here…
- God’s choosing of them
- Their deep conviction
- Their helper (Holy Spirit)
- A reminder that we belong to God and that God has good works prepared in advance for us to do (Eph 2:10)
- Sometimes we need reminding that the passion deep in our hearts is of God (Ps 37:4; John 5:19)
- Sometimes we need to know that we are not alone (Mt 28:20; Jn 14:16-27; Philippians 4:14)
EDIFY (1 Thessalonians 1:6-8)
- Paul wanted them to know a couple of things
- He knew what has been happening
- He noticed their impact
- For us to be able to edify a missionary, to build them up and truly encourage them, we must…
- Know what is happening
- Discover their impact
The key idea here is—personal relationship!
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER:
How can you impact the nations through missionary care and encouragement?
What motivates you to encourage others? What would motivate you to encourage a missionary?
What step are you going to take this week to encourage a missionary?
THIS WEEK (TO GO BOX):
1) Renew your concern for a missionary that you know or that our church supports (Phil 4:10). If you don’t really know anything about any of the missionaries…take some time to do that by dropping them a note or an email. Find out what they need, what concerns they have, how you can help, how you can pray—and personally encourage them somehow (be creative, this can be a rich experience).
2) FAMILY ACTIVITY: Make the treat from the recipe and spend some time as a family praying for and writing a letter or email.
Suji Halva (Semolina Halva)
(4-6 servings)
Ingredients