Is this not the hour to rejuvenate missionary passion, to rekindle evangelistic fervor in the pulpit and the pew?

It is on the issues requiring the deepest faith that mission makes its greatest demand. Are people outside of Christ lost? Is Jesus the only means of redemption? Is God active in the world today? Must the Church be involved in evangelism? A lack of assurance on these (and similar issues) extinguishes the flame of missionary interest.

World evangelization is the most daring enterprise in history. It is a courageous venture to societies paralyzed by fear and futility. It is the lone champion of peace in a world torn apart by hate and war. Any doubting of its value, lowering of its standards, or cheapening of its motives is a betrayal of the One who asks us to go.

There is no doubt that the church faces trying circumstances. She is surrounded by an insidious secular society. There is increasing opposition against the forces of Christian mission. Sinister voices are heard throughout the world. Morality is belittled. Truth is denied. Irreligion has become fashionable. Crime seems to pay.

In spite of all this, the church must translate into living reality the message of Christ. She must take up her cross and follow Him regardless of the caste, clan, tribe, tongue, or nation to which He leads her. That is not an easy task. It is, nevertheless, the abiding assignment of mission.

The questions which our situation places before us demand honest answers. We must affirm the right, uphold the truth, and support the mission of God. When the challenge is the hardest, the church has been the toughest. This is a difficult time. It is a time for uncommon toughness. Indeed, it is a glorious moment for mission. The people in the pews are hungering for a message from the pulpit that relates to the hour in which they live.