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Some missionaries serve in their own country. Others like myself live in their home country and travel to other places. Others like the Apostle Paul have an almost completely itinerant ministry. And others like my guest on today’s podcast are foreign missionaries. Some may wonder why do we need foreign missionaries?
Steve Barrett, missionary to Japan.
My guest on this podcast is Steve Barrett who is serving Jesus with his wife in Japan. They are foreign missionaries. Steve grew up here in North San Diego County. He learned Japanese language in college and after marrying and moving to Japan.
Steve works with church planting and evangelism. You can hear more of his story on this podcast.
On this podcast you’ll also hear why we need foreign missionaries.
Japan is a great example of the need for foreign missionaries. According to the Disciple All Nations website, “In 29 of Japan’s 47 prefectures [like provinces or municipalities] at least 50% of the towns do not have a church. Two prefectures have no churches at all. Just one prefecture has a church in every town. Thus we conclude that not only have a large majority of those in Japan never heard the Good News about Jesus Christ, but they have little opportunity to hear the Good News, since there are so many towns that do not have a single Church.”
Here are some of verses related to this topic:
“For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’”(Romans 10:13-15 ESV)
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:13-14 ESV)
“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.” (John 3:17-19 ESV, emphasis mine)
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6 ESV)
“And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” (1 John 5:11-12 ESV)
“He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might” (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 NIV)
Here are other resources from this website on the need for missionaries and evangelism:
Five Questions for Those Who Think Many Roads Lead to Heaven
4 Great Questions to Ignite Passion for Evangelism in a Lost World
Five Questions for Those Who Think Many Roads Lead to Heaven
Podcast: Isn’t Christianity arrogant to claim to be the only way to heaven?
Podcast: Can salvation be received without the Gospel? (Inclusivism)
To learn more about this “Christianity Questions and Answers” podcast and how to submit your questions, click HERE.
To receive Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord click HERE.
To develop your relationship with God, get my free eBook “10 Prayers to Unlock Heaven on Earth” click HERE.
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