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ROBERT MOFFAT
I want to
tell you the story of a young man who played a very great role in the country
of South Africa. It all
started further north of the equator than Cape Town is south. It
was in Scotland. An old
village pastor was questioned by the deacons of his church: Why had there been
no growth in the church-no new members?
It seemed the work of the church, if not going backwards was at least at
a standstill. They were about to dismiss
the pastor and call a new one. The
deacons said to the old pastor "No one has come to Christ through your ministry
in the past year." His reply: "Yea, it has been a lean year, but what about
wee Bobby." The deacons had forgotten
about the young lad who had come to Christ that year.
Wee Bobby
was from a poor but devout Christian family.
Sometime after his conversion, there was a mission meeting in that
village church. An offering was
taken. When the offering basket came to
wee Bobby, he told the usher to put it on the floor. "I have nothing to give to God but myself,"
and so saying stepped into the plate with his bare feet.
Bobby
really meant it when he gave himself to God for His service. He had little opportunity for education, and
as an early teenager was apprenticed as a gardener. He learned to love this work and later in
life he was called "God's Gardener." It
was in his late teens that he was attracted to a notice of a mission speaker at
a church in a nearby village. Although
the date was past, he went to talk with the pastor of that church and began to
think more seriously on the great task of missions.
In due
time, he volunteered to be a missionary.
After a short term of missionary training, he along with another young
couple left England October 1816 for their respective fields of labor. Robert Moffat went to Cape Town. He was just
21 years old.
The other
couple sailed on to the South Sea Islands. John Williams was only 20. Both of these couples did great exploits for
Christ. Almost three years later, the
daughter of Moffat's former employer came to South Africa, and they were
married in Cape town in December 1819.
Robert and Mary Moffat served together for 50 years.
Wee Bobby
became the outstanding missionary to South Africa-Dr. Robert Moffat who spent the next 52 years of his life
at Kuruman. He used his gardening skills
to benefit the tribal people there, but much more important he preached Jesus
Christ and translated the Bible into that tribal language.
John Williams was also used mightily of God in the South Sea Islands. He was
eventually martyred for the cause of Christ-killed and eaten by the cannibals
of Erromanga
These men were faithful and committed to the cause of Jesus Christ. Moffat served seven years before he had the
joy of seeing the first convert come to Christ.
It was many years before there was a real turning to Christ among the
people to whom he was ministering.
During that time he mastered the language and began his lifelong translation
work. In due time, he printed the whole
Bible in the local tribal language.
He had a profound influence on his own family. Son John Moffat returned to Africa as a missionary. His daughter
Mary became the wife of the renowned David Livingstone. Through his influence, many others went to
the mission fields of the world-not just Africa alone. He took one furlough in 52
years of service.
Why do I tell you this story? One
young lad from a poor family with little formal education, but who gave himself
without reservation to Christ, was used of God to do mighty things of eternal
value. What could God do with your
life? [John 6:1-14]. This event is recorded in all four Gospels,
so it is intended to teach us a great lesson.
A lad gave what he had, and this was mightily used of Christ. We need to come to Christ, give Him our
all. He'll take it and multiply it for
His glory.
JAD
6/14/99
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