Elisabeth Elliot
February 10, 2001
7:15 pm
Missions, Passion and Purity
Message Summary
Through her dedicated life and work for the cause of Christ, Elisabeth Elliot helped us understand what it means to have the "call" of a missionary. She was able to use her life's example of working in the jungle of South America to vividly illustrate what the "call" as a missionary has done in her life and what we may learn from her example.
Using the text of Matthew 16:24-25, she emphasized three things that a person must do in order to become a missionary. The first thing we must do is to give up our right to self. Simply put, Elliot said that this could be summarized by saying, "He is my captain. He gives the orders. No questions asked."
Taking up the cross was the second thing she said we must do. When we look to the cross we realize that it is not something pleasant to look at, rather it is an object of torture and suffering. But what do we expect? In the life of a missionary she stated that God will test the validity of our commitment by the little things that annoy us.
The third thing Elliot emphasized from the text was that we must follow. "This takes sheer dogged endurance," Elliot said. To illustrate this point further, she used the motto of the coast guard. It reads, "You have to go out. You don't have to come back." This in essence should be the heart of an honest Christian, she said.
With the deliberations in the text and what it means to be a missionary, Elisabeth Elliot moved on to the question, "Is it worth it?" She then gave the details of her experiences growing up in a home surrounded by missionaries, being a missionary in the jungles of South America, and through the death of her husband Jim. She reflected on how God has used her and reminded her of the statement she realized long ago, "at any cost" she must be willing to serve God.
Student Response
Hearing the vivid details of a Godly woman's experience on the mission field and what God has done in and through her life was incredible. As a senior, I took away the reality of what it means to be a dedicated follower of Christ whether it is in full-time missions or working in a secular job environment and sharing the Gospel with those around me. "We can be sure the will of God will be different than any of our imagining," was a particular quote that encouraged me as I seek His will for my future service.
—Jennifer Sivyer, Senior, Educational Ministries/Family Ministry/Pre-counseling major