Amy Carmichael 2019 - 1 Cor. 3:12-13

Sometimes God works most powerfully through people who approach life differently than we expect.

What church today support a missionary like Amy Carmichael. The final 20 years of her ministry.

She was technically an invalid directing work from her bedroom. Upsetting conventional norms ignoring the System dressing like an Indian woman demanding that everyone in her mission go by an Indian name who would support a missionary today on wisdom for the hard Steve and Debbie will introduce you to the life and ministry of Amy Carmichael working to discover something very important today and I think as we learn more about the life of Amy Carmichael. God will use it to prick our hearts regarding our own commitment to reach the lost were continuing through our series entitled legacies of light. Now here Stephen with today's lesson in 1867, the oldest of seven children, was born into an Irish family with the family name Carmichael. Although the parents, David and Katherine Carmichael were dedicated Christians.

They had no idea that there oldest firstborn daughter would grow up to become one of the modern world's most revered missionaries. What they did learn quickly on was that she was a handful. She was self-willed, hard to handle that many mothers can identify right now with having a famous missionary one that you're ready to send her to India right now. One of the first incidents that I came across that that showed her determined will and her fiery personality occurred when she was only five years old. Her mother had told her that that whatever she wanted or needed from God. She was to pray that God would answer her prayer. Amy had brown eyes and really felt that she would be better off with blue eyes. So one night she prayed fervently, that God would change the color of her eyes. Blue the next morning she jumped out of bed and ran to the mirror and Mrs. Carmichael could hear Amy wailing and weeping in frustration and disappointment. She had some trouble explaining to Amy that God sometimes answers prayers by saying no and always has a reason. Even though we might not know what it is. On another occasion she was about six years of age and adult scolded her what she was eating plums she was swallowing seeds in and that he said look, if you don't stop swallowing those plum seeds you're going to grow plum trees out of your head and Amy promptly swallowed 12 of them delighted with the idea of growing an orchard on her head. How fun was that while this the sense of strong determination with the server.

Well later in India, he would abandon European dress.

She would eventually drop her English mission agency and creator on she would she would block the caste system of India she would build an orphanage and she would treat all of the staff and children equally.

Years later she would write reflecting back on that early childhood prayer where she prayed that her her brown eyes will be turned the blue she realize why God did not answer her prayer. It would allow her to impersonate a native Indian woman so that she could enter a Hindu temple unsuspected in order to sneak away a young girl who was being kept as a prostitute by the Brahmin priests at the age of 15 Amy believe the gospel in gave her life into the hands of God the father.

Two years later, her father unexpectedly died leaving her along with her mother to raise six younger children.

One Sunday morning soon after her dad died. Mrs. Carmichael and all the children in tow were walking away, leaving a church service. Walking home when Amy aspired an older woman all woman. We would refer to as a street person who was burdened down with his heavy load of rags and instantly she went over with her brother to and help this woman with her bundle and took her arms and helped her along and Amy would write later that she remembered the IC stairs of the other church members. She called proper Presbyterians who obviously disapproved of her actions you you should get your hands dirty like that Amy would write as she helped at all woman with her bundle of rags of verse of Scripture flashed into her mind.

She had memorized earlier. First Corinthians chapter 3 verse 11 that you might want to turn there. That's one of the significant verses that would impact guide her life. First Corinthians chapter 3 and verse 11. The apostle Paul is encouraging the church in Corinth and he says the latter part of verse 10. Let each man be careful how he builds upon this foundation which is Christ. Verse 11 for no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds upon the foundation with gold and silver, precious stones would hey strong each man's work will become evident for the day will show it because it will be revealed with fire fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. Referring to believers if any man's work which he has built upon. It remains he'll receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, shall suffer loss that is lose that reward, but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. Now in this text, the apostle references the coming evaluation of every Christian's life. This is the time of punishment. It's a time of evaluation and reward. In fact, Paul is going to expound on this judgment over in second Corinthians chapter 5 in verse 10 where he writes, therefore we have as our ambition.

That is our passion, whether at home or absent to be pleasing to God.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be rewarded for his deeds in the body that were clearly told that no believer is saved by good works. For by grace you been saved through faith and not of yourselves, it is the gift of God not what works, lest any man should boast.

It's pretty clear. Salvation is earned by good works.

However, even though salvation is earned by good works. It is definitely evidence by good works as the reformers put it so well. Centuries ago, saving faith is faith in Christ alone, but saving faith is never alone is always at work to genuine faith, is accompanied by good works that glorify the father and cause the world to see the power of the gospel with them through our life. So this text would challenge her with what was she building into her life.

What would be revealed.

Should Christ evaluate her. What we did last firing days of his evaluation like gold and silver, and precious gems, or would it go up in smoke like would pay them stubble.

The question that she would write about that would come to her mind a Paul would lead all of us to ask what are we effectively giving to God's stoppable burnout meaningless or we offer him that which will last. It was this passage that sent Amy Carmichael to her room that afternoon. After coming home from helping this woman and she prayed in anguish over the idea that she would settle for the religious status that she would be a proper Presbyterians that she would keep her hands from getting dirty that her life would make a difference in people's lives or biographers would write that that particular day and in this particular passage would echo throughout the rest of her life. Eventually, Amy's mother was unable to care for all of the children and Amy was old enough to she moved into the home of a godly widower, was raising his son. He just so happened to be the cofounder of the Keswick movement and Amy would serve as a secretary for several years while living in this man's home would have a great impact in her life.

The Lord began to burden her heart for young women who worked at a nearby mill. She decided it was time to get her hands dirty again. These young women were nicknamed Charlize because they were too poor to buy hats while they were good, so they would take their shawls and pull them up around her head. She began to work among the Charlize so effective was for work that after a matter of months. A number of women to trusted Christ as their Lord and Savior living at home also gave her a tremendous opportunity to meet and talk with personally choice servants of God from that generation with names like FB Meyer Hudson Taylor wasn't long before Amy began to desire some kind ministry in a distant land where all of her pioneering and strong-willed attributes could really be put to the test. She would write that the after hearing Hudson Taylor preach that Mark chapter 16 and verse 15 would become a significant verse in her life as well.

At this particular stage in just those first two words go ye go ye go ye in the original language is in the imperative. It's a command you go how she heard it you Amy go and deliver the gospel to some nation, some distant land that someone else you go. Amy applied the Hudson Taylor's China inland Mission but was rejected because of her poor health, she suffered from neuralgia. They diagnosed it is that a disease that stimulated the nerves feel pain. It would force her to lie in bed for weeks at a time. Undeterred within the year. She was on a boat headed for Japan she would serve less than a year. The force to return home with her health broken for most people in Victorian England that would have been enough. She would've been a part of her effort way to go. Amy, you try God would be pleased that you want to be satisfied with the you know that particular sacrifice and obedience. She would later write. Satan is so much more in earnest. Then we are.

He buys up the opportunities while we are wondering how much they will cost us to the surprise of everybody and many are concerned.

One year later, under a different or belonging to the Church of England. Amy set sail for India. Not exactly an easier place to serve. She did struggle with her health. She would write how she struggled with loneliness. She struggled to learn the two mill language so that she can share the gospel. She was in her early 20s.

What's fascinating is that she persevered through it.

In fact, she would end up serving in India for 55 years without ever returning home one time on furlough her ministry, though would take a turn. She never expected needed to the other missionaries. In fact, it would result in misunderstandings from her supporting church board disagreements with the other missionaries and angry power play by an influential family back home of tried to take control of her ministry.

Trouble with the law, but Amy chose this day that she created her own mission agents trusted Christ to keep her out of prison and to care for her financial needs. It all began with a little girl named Karina prenup was sold at the age of seven by her parents to the local Hindu temple where she was supposedly married to the God you pull back the mask and you discover that she was actually inducted into a world that the day goes by the name sex trafficking, although in her day, and in her culture. It was accepted.

It was even revered. The parents were on her duties. The practice of the gun in the early part of the six century and it involved young girls who were sold by their parents to the Hindu priest they would be taught to sing and dance when they reached puberty they would be forced into lives of inescapable tragedy for lack of a better word there were nothing more than slaves of the Brahmin priests used and abused by the man who came to the temple with their gifts of money, food, when prenup this little girl realized with her what her life would actually become.

She ran away she escaped.

She eventually made it back to her home. No sooner had she arrived home that the woman, a woman from the temple that had been tracking her arrived as well and demanded that her mother and father give prenup back immediately. Amy writes the previous arms were clutching her mother's waist while she cried be rescued and the woman from the temple threatened the wrath of the local gods.

The Hindu gods that would come down upon them unless they returned her immediately and any rights to clean his mother actually unloosed her daughters, clinging arms from around her waist and handed her back over to this woman.

When they returned to the temple. The Brahmin priests took hot irons and branded Karina's hands as punishment prenup refused to give up, and she soon ran away again. Not home this time. This time she ran to a nearby village and providentially was found by a woman who knew Christ to hit her and it just so happened by the providence of God, visiting that same village that afternoon was an English missionary by the name of Amy Carmichael when she met Trina and heard her story. Amy uncovered what she later wrote and I quote was this ugly sore on mother in the his body were fathers and mothers sold their daughters to different gods turning their precious daughters in the temple prostitutes." And Amy went into action a village in southern India called Donna for became her mission headquarters. She purchased about 100 acres.

Primarily became a refuge that Amy nicknamed the gray jungle retreat wasn't long before 17 young girls had escaped or had been whisked away from nearby temples to this sanctuary and all girls called her the same thing all mother if you can believe it. Missionaries were appalled Amy would interrupt the caste system or even dare rescue little girls away from Hindu temples that was against the conventionality's of the day she would write about her experiences back to her supporters at home. One manuscript she actually hope to publish, which would open the eyes of her countrymen was refused by the publisher who send it back to her saying it was too disturbing and discouraging to read. She pressed on. She sacrificed all she had gold, silver and precious stone. Eventually her haven done of or care for little boys and abandoned babies and they all called her. I found it interesting to discover in my reading that most of the children who came to this refuge didn't know their birthdate, but you can well imagine, so they would all reckon that the same way they would choose as their birthdate the day they arrived at Amy Carmichael's mission.

They all call that they're coming day and they would celebrate with with treats and gifts on their coming day because in their minds that was the day they really began to live.

Over the decades without really asking for a Amy Carmichael began to gain international notoriety. She was even personally awarded by Queen Victoria for her service mission agencies began to center letters asking for counsel and advice in her presence to come and speak at the height of her growing fame. Amy was walking through the compound one night at a place where workers on the notes to her dog a large pit. She fell into the pit, breaking her leg and twisting her spine fall and that injury would leave her bedroom for the rest of her life.

She would write in her journal, but quote we are not asked to understand, but simply to obey those 20 bedridden years turned out to be amazingly profitable.

She would write a half-dozen books along with poetry that has inspired thousands of people to make their lives count for Christ.

To accept this personal call to go to go to O to build a life with precious gifts to Christ positive or just a moment because I want to review some thoughts that were incurred by Warren Weathersby is one of the little book actually introduced me to Amy Carmichael's ministry wears.

We ask the question, he pastored Moody church is still alive the deaf. He is still writing in his early 90s, but he asked the question what church today would support a missionary like Amy Carmichael. Consider these facts. She spent nearly 60 years in the field and never once came home to report to her support.

Consider that she went to the field under the authority of one board, but she did pretty much around thing, upsetting conventional norms ignoring the caste system dressing like an Indian woman and demanding that everyone in her mission go by an Indian name that English consider the fact that she left her mission board and started her own without asking, consider the fact that she would feel that carry on one kind of ministry but within a few years, began an entirely different ministry that got her into trouble with the law in effect on one occasion she faced a seven year sentence in prison for assisting in the kidnapping of a child. The case was brought consider the fact that the reports she mailed home were often too strange to be believed or to shocking to be heard. Consider the fact that she was asked repeatedly to return home for a visit which he refused to leave her mission. Besides, she said. I found this in one of her right.

She didn't have time and wouldn't find one of those new airplanes anyway because she was concerned since the devil was the prince of the power of the air, she had no desire to fly through his territory. Consider the fact that the final 20 years of her ministry. She was practically an invalid directing the work from her bedroom, who would support a missionary like stubborn determined, strong-willed, typically given to be against whatever the status quo tended to be fact. I discovered this when she was 80 years old. She would read our reviewers comment that her books were popular popular.

She wrote Lord is that these books written out of the heat of battle are the people popular, O Lord, burned my books to ashes" to aspiring missionary candidates. She she wrote with realism having been the in the immediately identified with her.

She told him that they wouldn't they would never make it in India as a missionary unless they brought with them a sense of humor and absolutely no sense of smell, she would tell other candidates that above everything else serving with her would offer them only one thing a chance to die. She lived up to her lifers.

She gave God precious sacrifices that cost much, when Amy died in 1951 the age of 83. She left behind a magnificent legacy built upon the foundation of Christ precious priceless lives of hundreds of children whose lives were physically and spiritually rescued by the gospel. I found it interesting to discover this in one of the one of the reports that are red biographical reports as death neared. She insisted that no grave marker be placed where she was buried. She wanted absolutely no temptation left to her mission to create some kind of shrine in her honor. She forced them to promise. They honored her wish to appoint on top of her grave. They placed a simple birdbath bearing a little plaque on that birdbath with one word engraved on a couldn't help but think of the Iron Maiden.

So many children have found a home because she had been willing to give up hers. I close with the words took home that she wrote that reveals her attitude toward life and ministry and suffering. Kind of like she wanted matter free me from prayer that asks that I may be sheltered from when that beat on the from fearing when I should aspire from faltering when I should climb higher from silk himself cocaptain free thy soldier followed from subtle love of softening thing from easy choices, beginning from all the DIMMs thy Calvary O Lamb of God deliver me, give me the love that leads the way the faith that nothing can the hope no disappointments tire the passion that will burn like fire. Let me not sing to be on Claude, make me thy I hope your encouraged challenged by this message today on wisdom for the heart. You can learn more about our ministry@wisdomonline.org while you're there, I encourage you to visit the resource section will especially draw your attention to our excellent selection of children's books are producer Seth Davies newest book marvel at the mystery is our featured resource this month and it explores the meaning of the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Our office is closed today as the staff continues to celebrate Thanksgiving break you'll find the book on our website. Wisdom online.org will have our next lesson tomorrow so join us at the same time right here on wisdom