WORKSHOP ON MISSIONS, PRESENTED AT THE ANNUAL
FAMILY CONFERENCE DECEMBER 2013 AT GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH-KISUMU.
What is mission?
Ordinarily, the
two words vision and mission go together. Vision gives one a picture of
what he/ she wants to be or achieve in the future. The picture of the future desired
within a given period of time. Mission defines those actions which are engaged
in to bring that vision to come to pass.
Brought in to biblical
context, Christ eagerly longs to be with saints in glory when the times are
over. This is the future picture in the mind of Jesus-vision (John 17:24), to
achieve this, the church has been commanded to be involved in a mission, what
is famously called ‘Great commission.’ Our mission to achieve the vision of
eternity with God is therefore to win the elect to Christ Jesus while we work
and wait for the vision of glory. This is Christian mission.
What it
involves. (Mathew 28:18-20).
1) Preaching the gospel within our churches and beyond (Vs. 19). Many a
times, people get it wrong here. What we are sent out to do is to preach the
gospel with an aim that sinners will be convicted of their sins, repent and
turn to Jesus Christ for salvation. This is the gospel that Paul preached and
other apostles, study it in 1Corinthians 15:1-11. A lot goes out there in the
name of the gospel yet they are not Paul’s gospel hence never saves.
2) Baptizing: This is part of the mission. The saved, MUST be baptized.
Acts 2: 41.
3) Teaching obedience to God’s word. Our vision and that of Christ is
to be gathered with him in heaven. These are those who have been saved and who
have faithfully walked in obedience to God to the end. They cannot walk in
obedience if they are not taught. Teach them the whole counsel of God.
Doctrines cannot be avoided.
4) Presence of God assured. Calls for boldness and assurance since it
does not all depend on our effort (Zech. 4:6).
Why mission is important.
1) Because it is important to God. When the first Jewish church
slumbered to go out, persecution was used to send them out Acts 8. When the
first Gentile church slumbered, Holy Spirit was sent out to snatch their two
pastors for mission Acts 13.
2) It is important because it is a command from the master, we MUST
obey it.
3) Life and progression of the church fully depends on it. The argument
that if God has chosen His people to be saved then there is no need for mission
is lacking in understanding of the entire Bible. The same God who has chosen
His own has said GO. He uses means to bring his purposes to come to pass. He
would have chosen to fly the Israelites in the air like birds into the Promised
Land but Moses was the acceptable alternative that was sent to do it.
4) It is a blessing: Churches today fall over each other running to get
blessing this and blessing that from the Lord. Blessing of reproducing
Christians is however forgotten and sits in the secondary. Church budgets will
read of building this and building that, investment this and investment that
but no allocation for the greatest blessing, mission work-reaching to the lost
sinners.
The mandate to carry the gospel to various parts of the world is
given to ALL Christians. However, there must be a biblical structure to this:
1) In all missions in the Bible the pattern is two by two. The Lord
Jesus himself sent his disciples out two by two just as it is the case in Acts
13 when Barnabas and Paul were asked for by the Holy Spirit. The current
rebellion in which one man starts his own so called ministry is strange to the
Bible.
2) A church needs to be behind the person going out for both support
and accountability.
3) Just as leadership work in church is not recommended to novices, so
is missionary work. Challenges and temptations in the field require a mature
Christian. Here again we meet the beauty of going out two by two. A mature saint
can go out with a younger one.
Challenges to mission and how to surmount them:
Proverbs 22:13 and 26: 13 have always been
my encouragement to cast my bread upon waters (Ecc 11:1). Until we learn to
attempt great things for the Lord; we will only be seeing lions in the streets.
Missions should not be looked at in terms of the impossible. We must find ways
of trusting God and moving around the seemingly bigger obstacles to the
intended mission work. Perceived hindrances include:
1) Funds. For one to carry out the work of Christ beyond his familiar local
territory, funding is inevitable. Few churches enjoy supply of adequate funds
for this. One thing we generally lose sight of is the joy of partnering in
mission work through cooperation with churches of like mind. I do not think
that Antioch church left to itself could have managed funding the entire three
missionary journeys of Paul. Clear evidence exist that churches teamed up to
support the apostle. Phil 4: 14ff (Church in Philippi gave). Corinth was also
keen to give though apostle was a bit reluctant when it came to Corinthians
case (12: 11ff). However, when need was sensed in Jerusalem he was not shy to
ask them to give just like other churches did (2 Cor. 8, 9). In Thessalonik,
Paul worked to meet his needs but this was not because the church there saw no
need of providing for his needs. He chose not to be a burden to them and be
like a father to them.
2) Lack of one to go: The cry of God to Isaiah ‘whom shall I send? And who will go for
us?’ (Isa 6:8) still rings in the air today. But unlike Isaiah who said ‘here I
am send me.’ Many today respond to that cry: ‘not me Lord, not me,’ ‘oh how
about my work?’ etc. The field is ripe unto harvest but labourers continue to
be few. Again in this, partnering can help. One church may have the missionary
but no funds and the other may have the funds but no missionary. Why not put
together both resources for the mission work.
I must add here that most of the times young people from college
look at the poverty men of God go through and they simply conclude that they
were not cut for this job. It is a job for men of thicker hides and not mere
skins. The result? They would rather look for much more ‘meaningful’ employment
elsewhere. I see nothing wrong if churches keep ministers so well remunerated
that their job attracts young people to the ministry other than drive them
away. Churches, watch out!
3) Lack of proper strategy in
mission. Paul’s strategy and Christ’s was that they
targeted populated areas/cities. Strategy must target growth other than
stagnation. Proper strategy will ensure that the resources given are put on
what will yield result. If people of the world know where to put their monies
for good return why not Christians.
4) Lack of properly equipped
trained men. Train them. A lot of debate is
currently going on concerning the merit and demerits of church based training
to seminaries (Bible schools). My view is, let us not over emphasize either
choice, what matters is that the men are trained in a Biblical sound school/church.
Aim of every mission work.
To plant a church that will join
other pillars of truth. The church must be self sustaining and independent
though dependent in association with other like minded churches with which they
can share resources of God together. If a work does not have this end in view
it remains suspect. Somebody could be building his own empire with or without
that popular title of ‘Bishop’ (head of a church with many clusters of churches
under him). I see no pattern of this kind in the Bible. Local church, self
sustaining and self regulating are what we find in the Holy Book.
May God bless our labours.
Presented by Pastor. Sam Oluoch.
