Faithful to Answer: God’s Work in Indonesia
I Pray That They May Know You
How does God use one man’s willingness to serve to open opportunities for an entire nation?
Born and raised as a Muslim in Indonesia, Adi Antariksa came to know Jesus savingly as an adult in the United States. Though not called to the mission field, he knew he was called to obey the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16–20).
Indonesia—Antariksa’s home country—is a collection of 17 thousand islands that sit on the equator, between the Pacific and Indian Oceans. The span of these islands is the same as the size of the continental United States. Across the tropical islands are hundreds of ethnic groups and languages. But this diverse nation is also the largest Muslim country in the world; only 7% of Indonesians identify as Protestant Christians. Indonesia is thus a critical mission field with over 200 million people who do not know Christ.
“Churches often lack clarity on foundational doctrines, including the gospel, that can protect believers from false teachings such as the prosperity gospel and Roman Catholicism.”
Though the gospel needs are evident, the church in Indonesia struggles to witness to the wider community. Churches often lack clarity on foundational doctrines, including the gospel, that can protect believers from false teachings such as the prosperity gospel and Roman Catholicism. Indonesian Christians live in great need of consistent biblical preaching to strengthen them.
From his upbringing and his business travels in Indonesia, Antariksa saw the region’s great need firsthand. He began praying for the spread of the Gospel in his country—a prayer he would pray for 30 years.
Antariksa’s heart for the global church eventually connected him to TMAI. Knowing he was in a unique position to help, he reached out with one of the greatest questions a follower of Christ can ask: “how can I serve?”
In 2015, Antariksa joined TMAI’s advancement team.
On his frequent business trips, Antariksa began visiting local churches and introducing himself with the same simple question: how can we serve?
First, they asked for counseling materials.
Antariksa helped introduce biblical counseling video courses from The Master’s University that were distributed to bible studies. The church responded enthusiastically to the depth of the material.
Then, they asked for someone to come and help.
“This Is What We Need”
John Zheng first visited Indonesia in 2019 at the request of TMAI. He and his wife, Monica, had served as missionaries in China. But Monica is also a born-and-raised Indonesian with a heart for her country.
“She has always prayed that God would send like-minded Master’s Seminary guys to go to Indonesia to preach sound doctrine,” John Zheng said.
“God answered her prayers.”
In 2019, the Zhengs moved to Indonesia to strengthen the local church and its leaders. That same year, Antariksa made a connection with the president of the largest seminary group in Jakarta and invited him to visit the Shepherd’s Conference in California. The seminary president agreed.
That Shepherd’s Conference was a turning point. Hearing the word of God clearly explained, verse-by-verse, proved to be eye-opening for him.
“He said, ‘Adi, this is what we need in our seminary—this kind of expository preaching,’” Antariksa recalled.
Again, the need became an invitation.
“We really want to do this,” the seminary president affirmed. “How can we start?”
“Churches often lack clarity on foundational doctrines, including the gospel, that can protect believers from false teachings such as the prosperity gospel and Roman Catholicism.”
In response, TMAI partnered with the Zhengs to provide preaching seminars and much-needed resources. Books like Pastor John MacArthur’s Keys to Spiritual Growth have been translated into Indonesian; The MacArthur Study Bible is scheduled for publication in early 2026. According to Zheng, no such in-depth study resource exists in Indonesia.
In addition, MacArthur’s sermons will soon be broadcast to local radio and TV networks—a chance for thousands, even on the most remote islands, to hear expository preaching for the first time.
But the demand for training has only increased. Seeing the needs, Zheng began to develop an expository preaching program. Last August, the doors of Akademi Eksposisi (AE) opened to a cohort of about 20 students.
Zheng said, “The students are very excited about what they’re learning. Many of them are pastors and they have gone through seminary, but they still learn new things.”
“They see that our teaching is very consistent,” he remarked. “It’s always very Bible-based.”
The center continues developing partnerships with churches and seminaries across Indonesia, as local leaders are taking on the charge to preach the whole counsel of God.
We praise the Lord that this work all began with the humble prayer of faithful Christians. It is our task to follow the example of these men and women in honoring the Great Commission—for the sake of all who do not yet know Him.
Our great God is able to multiply our simple obedience in far greater ways than we can imagine. We need only offer ourselves by asking, “How can I be used?”
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