Building People. Spreading Hope.

Sunday, September 7, 2014

5 Lessons from the Church in China

 
As many of you know, I just returned from another mission trip to China. Every time I go there, I’m amazed at the believers. In spite of severe persecution, opposition, and difficulty, they continue to follow Jesus with their whole heart.
 
While it is not fair to compare the Church in China and the Church in the West, we can learn valuable lessons to improve our own spiritual journey. We don’t have to invite persecution or hardship into our lives, however, we all should be New Testament believers. Here are some of the trademarks of Christianity in China.
 
1. Christians in China are joyful. In spite of severe persecution and limited freedom to worship, believers in China exude this fruit of the Spirit. They travel long distances, sometimes up to three hours one way, to get to a meeting where their civil liberties taken away and even thrown in jail. However, instead of complaining about the tiring journey, the inconvenience of walking, or taking multiple modes of public transportation, they jump right into the praise and worship wholeheartedly.
 
2. They love and care for each other. Unlike our churches in the West, the believers in China are connected with each other. If one doesn’t show up, they all go to that person’s home to make sure they’re ok. When believers come with concerns in their hearts, they’re not hastily sent away by the leaders. They take the time to pray and minister to their needs, both spiritually and physically. We had one sister crying bitterly for the healing of her four-year-old son. I was so touched by the way the whole church responded. They cried with her, hugged her, and made her feel like it was their own child who was sick. Wow, what empathy and compassion! People really don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.
 
3. They are a giving church. While China continues to prosper, most people in China are poor. The Christians have even less because of discrimination in the workplace. We went to many homes where they fed us their best, even when it cost them half a month of their salary or more. One lady, with a little cell phone shop, came to us twice and put a substantial amount of cash in our hands. It wasn’t much in American money but to her it was a huge sacrifice. We found that churches often eat together after the service even though it was just rice and wild vegetables and mushrooms from the village. They don’t get hammered every Sunday to bring their tithes and offerings but they give far more than 10% of their income to the church.
 
4. They are grateful. The church in China is quick to give thanks to God for everything. When we gave them your Bibles, they acted like we gave them a brick of gold. Of course, the Word of God is that precious to a believer but they were so thankful that many were kissing the Bibles. One of our teams was intercepted and thankfully everyone was released by the authorities without much hassle. Now the family/church has to relocate because it is not safe anymore. They’re grateful that they’re not in jail! We heard no complaints, only praise.
 
5. They pray. The Church in China doesn’t just talk about prayer but they actually pray. You cannot fall asleep during prayer because after every sentence the whole congregation agrees in unison saying, “Amen.” Often for security, we’d ask the believers to keep their voice down. We’d start off softly but within minutes they were praying at the top of their lungs. It’s wonderful to see their fearless petitions to God and He hears them.
 
While it is not wise to compare cultures and congregations, it is good for us to learn from each other. All these qualities in the Church of China are actually from the Book of Acts. When we love and serve God with our whole heart, our lives and church should reflect the New Testament Church. Today, instead of saying, “Oh that’s good for China,” I want to encourage you to have a closer relationship with our Lord. Let us not just seek His Hand but also His Face. Jesus said, “You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.” When we do, like the Church in China, His blessings will overtake our lives.
 
“When you come looking for me, you’ll find me. Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed” (Jeremiah 29:13 MSG).
 
Let’s Change the World: www.buildinternational.org
 
Invite Sandy Anderson to Speak: Email: buildinternational@sbcglobal.net 
 
 

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