Remaining Mission Challenge | Dr. Conrad Vine

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Bible Verses

The speaker anchored his message in several key scriptures:

  1. Matthew 24:3-4, 14

    • Context: The disciples ask Jesus about the signs of the end of the age.

    • Quoted: “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end shall come.” (v. 14)

    • Purpose: This was presented as a primary sign of Christ’s second coming and the impetus for the global mission task.

  2. Matthew 28:18-20 (The Great Commission)

    • Context: Jesus gives His final command to His disciples.

    • Explained in detail:

      • v. 18: “All authority has been given me in heaven…”

      • The Command: The main verb is “make disciples.”

      • The Method: This is done by “going,” “baptizing,” and “teaching.”

    • Purpose: This is the foundational command for all mission work, emphasizing disciple-making over mere conversion.

  3. 2 Timothy 2:1-2

    • Quoted: “And the things you have heard from me through many witnesses, entrust to faithful people who will be able to teach others as well.”

    • Purpose: Used to illustrate the principle of discipleship multiplication and church planting movements, where believers pass on the faith to others who can do the same.

  4. Revelation 7:9

    • Quoted: “After these things, I looked and behold a great multitude which no one could count from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues standing before the throne and before the lamb.”

    • Purpose: Presented as God’s ultimate goal—a redeemed community from every people group on earth. This is the vision that mission work aims to fulfill.

  5. Revelation 12:17

    • Referenced: The verse describing Satan making war with the “remnant” of the woman’s seed.

    • Purpose: Used to explain that active engagement in mission (keeping commandments, bearing witness) puts a target on believers, as Satan pushes back against those who are active in God’s army.

  6. Ephesians 5:25-26

    • Referenced: “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her… cleansing her by the washing with water through the word…”

    • Purpose: To illustrate the need for daily spiritual cleansing and sanctification through God’s Word to be effective in ministry.

  7. Ezekiel 34

    • Referenced: The chapter about the shepherds of Israel.

    • Purpose: Cited to highlight the desperate need for faithful, caring pastoral leadership around the world, contrasting bad shepherds with the Good Shepherd.

Key Quotes and Memorable Statements

On the Nature of Mission:

  • “Is mission like a pancake or is it like a waffle? …Mission is more like a waffle because there are barriers between people groups… The gospel naturally flows really only until it encounters ethnic boundaries.”

  • “The word ‘nation’ is ethne. We get the word ‘ethnic’ from that… a better description would be people groups.”

  • “We are to be disciples who make disciples of others… It’s more helpful to talk about disciples of Jesus Christ… who are going to follow Jesus for the rest of their lives.”

On the Scale of the Challenge:

  • “There are approximately 17,500 people groups in the world today. Of those, about 7,400 are considered ‘unreached’… representing 3.1 billion people.”

  • “These 7,400 unreached people groups represent empty seats at the marriage supper of the Lamb as of today.”

  • “We have a long, long way to go… The Adventist message is probably operating in about 300-400 of those [language groups] alone.”

On the Call to Action (The Final Appeal):

  • “Jesus said, ‘Ask the Lord of the harvest for laborers.’ He did not say, ‘Ask the Lord of the harvest for money.’ Because when laborers come forward, God always provides the means for them to work.”

  • “The first thing I want to say to you is start praying… The third thing is go.”

  • “We can bomb from 30,000 ft…. but until you put boots on the ground, you never win a war… What they’re looking for is a living Christian on their streets.”

  • “If an American corporation can put a Coca-Cola into almost every hand on planet Earth… how much more as Christians should we not have the goal of bringing… Jesus Christ, to every home on planet Earth?”

On Theological and Cultural Insights:

  • “I believe that Jesus came and he died to save us not in our sin but from our sin.”

  • “A Romanian church leader said… ‘95% of Christians will survive physical torture. But 95% of Christians cannot survive prosperity.’“

  • “When you engage in ministry for Jesus Christ, Satan gives you push back… Once we start to become active for Jesus Christ, Satan has an interest in extinguishing our witness.”

  • “When you strip aside the language and the culture… there’s a struggle between Christ and Satan going on for the loyalty and love of every heart on planet Earth today. That’s what it comes down to.”

On Positive Trends (Celebrations):

  • “Born-again Protestants… are growing at about 2.6% around the world today—the fastest-growing group in the world.”

  • “The ‘typical’ Seventh-day Adventist today… is a semi-iterate subsaharan black African lady.”

  • “The harvest field is becoming the harvest force.” (Referring to missionaries from the Global South)

  • “Last year was the first ever Turkish camp meeting run by Turkish Adventists in the Turkish language… Praise the Lord for that!”