Matthew 19

The Rich Young Ruler & Ludwig Zinzendorf

Message begins around 14:45

The Rich Young Ruler & Ludwig Zinzendorf
Global Missions Emphasis 2021
Dr Jon Hardin - Frontiers

Key passage: Matthew 19:16-22

Count Nicholas Ludwig von Zinzendorf and the early Moravian Church.

  • a wealthy young man embarking on a trip that was meant to launch his life and career.

  • Has a life changing encounter with a painting of Jesus.

    • “This is what I did for you. What will you do for me?”

  • He buys a large estate and opens it up to Moravian refugees.

  • He meets with them in their homes and studies the Bible with them.

  • August 13, 1727 - the Moravian church experiences a powerful revival.

    • The village began sending out missionaries all over Europe.

  • He met a former slave named Anthony who inspired him to send missionaries to the Caribbean island of Saint Thomas.

    • Over the next few years the Moravians sent out more missionaries than all Protestant churches in the previous 200 years.

    • They sent out 1 out of every 12 congregants.

      • HOW!?

Worship

  • The worship of Christ was like the fuel of life in these communities.

    • They loved to worship!

The Word

  • Zinzendorf was a pioneer in the world of daily devotions.

  • The Moravian daily text, first published in 1723 is still published today in more than 50 languages.

Prayer

  • They arranged a 24 hour prayer vigil that went unbroken for more than 100 years.

    • At least one man and one woman for every hour of the day.

Where does this kind of zeal come from?

  • In 1747 Zinzendorf commissioned a painting to depict their passion for global missions.

    • “The first fruits”

    • Inspired by Revelation 7:9-10, Revelation 14:4, and other texts.

    • Portraits of real people who were the first converts in their particular unreached people group.

Missions was an “all hands on deck” situation for the Moravian church.

  • A fully mobilized church

  • 1 of 12 going. The other 11 supporting.

  • The Great Commission: The whole church taking the whole gospel to the whole world.