So far in this Andrew Fuller series, you have been given an overview of his life and a closer look at his contributions to the “modern missions movement.” This final post of the series will seek to draw some applications for us today from what has been said in the previous two articles (Part 1 and Part 2).
Four Applications
1. Pray for the conversion of the unconverted, relying on the Holy Spirit.
Every Sunday morning for corporate worship I provide my congregation with a sermon guide and a prayer gram. Within that prayer gram, there is always an article about an unreached people group and prayer suggestions. I don’t provide that information, which comes from the Joshua Project, to waste ink or paper. I place it there because I share a conviction with Fuller, a biblical conviction, that God has called each of us to further the kingdom of Christ through prayer and the preaching of the gospel. I believe that there will be a multitude of every nation, tongue, and tribe worshiping our Redeemer. I believe God has privileged us with the opportunity to be His instruments in that mission. Fuller in a circular letter says something that should be obvious, “If all our help be in God, to him it becomes us to look for success” (Fuller v.3, 362). Fuller concludes the article with this point, “The sum is, that the time for the promulgation of the gospel is come; and, if attended to in a full dependence on the promise of the Spirit, it will no doubt be successful” (Fuller v.3, 363). May your private prayers and our corporate gatherings be saturated with faith-filled prayer for the conversion of the lost in our families, communities, nation, and the world, knowing that as Fuller wrote so accurately that “the prayer of faith falls not to the ground” (Fuller v.3, 362).
2. Participate in the proclamation of the gospel through holding the rope or going.
Has God called you to go in the mine, or has God called you to hold the rope for others to go in? More directly, has God called you to be His ambassador to unreached people groups, or has He called you to support others? William Carey went to India, preached, and translated the Bible into several Indian dialects. He remained there the rest of his life. For twenty-one years Andrew Fuller championed this cause, among others, back home raising support, corresponding with them, gathering supplies, and telling their stories. Not everyone is gifted for or called to international or unreached people groups, but we all are called to support those who are. How many of you know a single person who is evangelizing an unreached people group? How many of you have prayed for such a missionary by name and the people they are trying to reach? Our church supports the cooperative program and New Tribes Missions financially, but I fear we don’t pray enough for our missionaries or the lost. I fear we don’t pray enough for the lost in our communities or abroad. Holding the rope must begin with prayer, but not stop there. Finances and encouragement should follow. I call you all to pray that God would make clear if there are any called to go in our congregation. I invite you to pray that God would make a clear way for us to provide hands-on encouragement to siblings in Christ who minister to unreached people groups. You either go or hold the rope. There isn’t a third option.
3. Proclaim sound doctrine.
Fuller was a pastor-theologian. He was ready to fight for the faith at a moment’s notice. He was talented with the pen, but some of you may not be. In fact, you may not be a gifted communicator. The beautiful thing is communication can be learned and so can sound doctrine. You may not write books, but you need to be able to instruct your children in the truths of God Word. You need to be able to articulate the gospel with clarity. You need to learn how to distinguish truth from error. Jude writes, “Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). Jude isn’t just saying contend for the faith because there may be some false teachers. Jude is telling his audience and us that false teachers already exist. Paul encourages his child in the faith, Timothy, to preach the word always being ready to encourage, rebuke, and reprove when necessary (2 Tim 4:2). Lastly, regarding proclaiming sound doctrine consider how God calls certain people to build up Jesus’ Church to holiness and ministry. Paul writes,
And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love (Ephesians 4:11-16). The believing and promotion of sound doctrine is a task for all.
4. Promote strong devotion.
Andrew Fuller was a man entirely devoted to Godliness and integrity. He sought to represent his opponents accurately and, quite possibly, burnt himself out in his endeavors for the gospel. Though Fuller seemed to struggle with balance and delegation, we can still see in his life the value of living devoted to God and the kingdom of Christ. Paul instructed Timothy to train himself for godliness (1 Tim 4:6). He instructed the Christians in Colossae and Ephesus to put off the old self and put on the new self (Eph 4:17-32; Col 3:1-17). The apostle Peter tells his audience not to return to their former ignorance, but to be holy (1 Peter 1:13-25). Strong devotion is the product of true conversion.
One final point we can all take from Fuller is the perfect ending point. Always rely on Jesus. Jesus, as Fuller believed and taught, is the object of our faith, and it is only the imputation of His righteousness that makes you and me as broken sinners just before God. We must trust in Christ. So, Christian remember that it is in Christ alone that you are saved from spiritual death to life. Rely on Him and extend His kingdom by calling the unconverted to rely on Him for their salvation.
Bibliography
Fuller, Andrew. The Complete Works of Andrew Fuller. Edited by Andrew Gunton Fuller and Joseph Belcher. Vol. 2. 3 vols. Harrisonvburg, PA: Sprinkle Publications, 1988.
Fuller, Andrew. The Complete Works of Andrew Fuller. Edited by Andrew Gunton Fuller and Joseph Belcher. Vol. 3. 3 vols. Harrisonburg, PA: Sprinkle Publications, 1988.
Piper, John. “Holy Faith, Worthy Gospel, World Vision.” Desiring God. February 6, 2007. Accessed November 11, 2018. https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/holy-faith-worthy-gospel-world-vision.
Jimmy Johnson serves as the Senior Pastor at Vista Baptist Church of Osceola, Missouri. He is a husband and father, and a sinner saved by the awesome grace of God in Jesus Christ. He is the cohost of Covenant Podcast. He received his BA in Christian Ministry from Missouri Baptist University. He received His MDiv from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He subscribes to the Second London Baptist Confession of Faith as a faithful summary of biblical teaching. He can be found on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
He co-founded this website to be dedicated to providing biblical, theological, confessional, and historical content that is accessible and beneficial to the Church of Jesus Christ. He contributes to the website to become more skilled as a writer, theologian, and pastor.
