Deep Dive into Desiring God by John Piper - Missions: The Battle Cry of Christian Hedonism

The central theme of the sources is that Frontier Missions is the ultimate calling that provides deep, abiding joy and fulfillment for the Christian life. This perspective, aligned with Christian Hedonism, argues that true self-denial is not a sacrifice but the pursuit of greater, eternal gain, contrasting sharply with the emptiness of worldly pursuits and conventional retirement.

Frontier Missions is specifically defined as the cross-cultural effort to preach the gospel and plant a viable church movement among "people groups," which are distinct ethno-linguistic units, rather than political nations. This task is deemed finishable—unlike ongoing domestic evangelism—once a thriving Christian community is established in every group. The remaining mandate is urgent, with roughly 2 billion people currently living in unevangelized people groups, predominantly located in the "10/40 Window."

The incentive for engaging in this mission is based on Jesus' promise of a hundredfold return. This reward is not material wealth, but overwhelming spiritual compensation: an abundant spiritual family, the comfort of Christ’s profound presence, and eternal life, even though this path includes persecutions. Missionaries like David Livingstone and Samuel Zwemer testified that they "never made a sacrifice," emphasizing that the privilege and joy of service far outweigh any temporary loss.

The possibility of success in this seemingly impossible task rests entirely on God's sovereign power. Since conversion is humanly impossible—only God can liberate hearts from sin and create faith—the missionary's hope lies in the confidence that "all things are possible with God." Key figures, including Ralph Winter and the martyr Jim Elliot, advocate that every believer should become a "World Christian," reordering their lives around God’s global cause, thereby giving what they cannot keep to gain what they cannot lose.

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