"There is an 80% chance you will die if you do this." That is what the Student Volunteer Movement said to the students who were interested in becoming missionaries. Despite this, between 1850 and 1950, nearly 10,000 young people took them up on the offer to share the amazing good news of Jesus all over the world and those mortality statistics proved accurate. If you were asked to share your faith with an 80% chance of death, would you do it?
Following the Living God is a dangerous business. It involves a lot of risk. It has a cost - but it is worth it.
You have read the stories in the bible. God told Moses to ask Pharaoh to let the his people go, so Moses reasoned with God and agreed it was a risky strategy and they cancelled the plan and remained slaves in Egypt. Joshua got to Jericho and couldn't get in the city, so he just wandered off and supposed that God couldn't have wanted them to go in as it was a 'closed door'. Then there is the story of Jesus who did some great things and got a bit of a following but then he went and chilled out at a seaside resort for the rest of his life because the authorities were threatening to kill him, which would have been awful.
Of course we know that this is not how these stories go. Moses did lead the people out of Egypt, Joshua marched round Jericho until the walls crumbled. Jesus stayed in the face of authority until they killed him, then he rose again and beat death forever. The bible is full of stories of people who, in spite of their fear, faced up to danger because of the depth of their faith and love for their God. And many of them were killed. They died.
How much do you have to believe in something in order to be willing to die for it? How many students would volunteer today given the same opportunity? The fact is, that same opportunity is available. Students today are free to share their faith with anyone they like in this country and can travel with mission agencies all over the world to do so as well. Although the likelihood of death has almost decreased to zero - so I suspect not many people would be interested.
Well, let me give the offer again - if you share your faith throughout your life with all the vigour that God provides in all the places God leads to all the people God puts in front of you, I don't reckon it will be long before you get into some serious trouble. And if you keep going, you are very likely to be killed for what you believe. Go!
