A Woman Set Apart

Ramez Attallah opened his talk today speaking of Elizabeth Elliot wrote about the Christian life not pursuing success but choosing obedience.  We suffer, defeat, struggle and even apparent failure.  The Christian world rejected her because she had been prophetically honest.

In 1973 David Howard invited Elizabeth to be the first woman to address the plenary session.  She is his sister. He knew she had to have a second chance to address the Christian world.  She spoke and students listened and gave a standing ovation.  She was restored to the Christian world – continuing to write and speak.  She was rejected and eventually vindicated through God’s grace.

The Samaritan Woman in John 4 – there are blind disciples, an evangelistic sinner, a harvest of people and believing heretics.

Blind Disciples: they didn’t see the people who were around them.  They saw only servants and Samaritans. We see so little of the people around us – to be cross cultural missionaries we need to reach the people that God has put us right next to.  There is no point in being willing to travel the globe if you won’t look and see and respond to what is in front of you.

The woman is an evangelistic sinner – she calls her town to Him by telling them to look to Him.  We too are called to call those around us: called to call people to look to Him.  To plod on and run toward the end.

A harvest of people: the currently unbelieving people of God are waiting for the call to come to Him, to be harvested.  These people are all over the world – for Jesus came for the World, people the world over.  From the garbage collectors to the people in the highest echelons of society.

The gospel transformed the garbage collectors of Cairo – they discovered the dignifying love of God. They built homes, churches, schools and impacting the whole of Cairo – returning lost goods and quietly sharing the gospel with Cairo residents.  The gospel TRANSFORMS through salvation.

Believing heretics: how could Jews share life with the Samaritans? Jesus does it boldly, dwelling with them – they recognise Him as the Saviour of the World.  The disciples don’t get it – these heretics do!  When we come to Christ it is as though God pushes the ‘restore to factory default settings’

Ramez discovered discovered that his great-grandfather was a well known evangelist.  There is a rich family heritage of gospel service.  God brought Ramez to the America in order to fulfill the dreams and passions and prayers of his great grandfather.  Ramez only discovered the truth after his sojourn in the states.

The dream of a new heritage and a generation who set a rich heritage for the next is a burning one: the only condition is obedience for God’s Glory!  Respond to the call of God on your life today!