15 Oct On Christian Mission And Why It Should Matter to You

When I encountered the stunning, supernatural reality of Jesus Christ of Nazareth as a college student, my life and imagination exploded. Here’s what I mean:

I discovered that there was a better, more beautiful way to live.

I discovered I could really help people also experience something more than just sports, TV-watching, money, parties, school and self.

I discovered an incredible love that I wanted others to share and know for themselves.

I discovered that because the new world of Jesus broke into my own, it compelled me to want to break into the world of others and give away what I had.

In short, I encountered a love that produced a sense of purpose, or to use a theological word, a sense of mission in me.

But, I also discovered through trial and error that how we “do mission” matters. It matters a lot.

We all know of, or have in the trunk of our own church past, horror stories of mission gone bad–and these stories are easy to name, easy to see and even easier to deconstruct.

But here’s what I don’t want for us and what I especially don’t want for the church of Jesus: I don’t want us to deconstruct something crucial (and beautiful) past the point of no return, or of no engagement.

So, for all of us who would say, “Yes, mission matters!…And it can be challenging to know how to do  it well…but I do want to follow Jesus in that way…so how do we do that right now?” here are Five Quick Keys for Doing Christian Mission Well...right now (as we look at this Mosaic core value for a few weeks):

1.) Embrace Eschatology: PLEASE DO NOT CHECK OUT RIGHT HERE. 🙂

Eschatology, or the “study of last things,” is a crucial and practical part of how we do mission. Literally every mission class I took in seminary started here. Here’s why: if we know what God’s redeemed future looks like (no pain, no suffering, a garden-city full of tears-wiped-away-people from every tribe, nation and tongue), then to do mission means we go to work to bring a taste of that future into our present moment. Will there be poverty in heaven? Will there be racism in heaven? Will there be sin or brokenness of any kind in heaven? If not, then to go on mission means we look at the “trail map” of the future, and aim our efforts there. We do mission, therefore, in light of the coming kingdom. Eschatology matters.

2.) Support Sustainability

Two examples, briefly:

First, when we go to San Luis Potosi, for example, we use funds collected here to support that economy there. We spend our money in the local economy. We don’t just buy the stuff here and ship it there; we want to make the places we go to better for the whole community.

Second, missionaries whom we support in France (Matt and Christy Rasch) focus on reaching and raising up local, indigienous leadership. They don’t want to be the heroes; they know that for the church of Jesus to take root and flourish, it has to be in the French language with people with French skin. This kind of mentality honors others and considers their interests first (Philippians 2). Sustainability matters.

3. Evaluate Emotional Health

As the sermon will touch on in two weeks through the story of Elijah, how people are doing emotionally while engaging with culture makes a big difference. It’s hard to be of much good to others if we aren’t doing well ourselves. While effective Christian ministry is inherently costly and sacrificial in nature, a “mission at all costs” mentality (including inattention to personal health) can cause us to do long-term damage to family structures–unnecessarily undoing much good. Emotional health matters.

4.) Tend to the Tension

Tend to the tension of the salvation of souls and to the rescue of human lives, that is. The church has always done best when it does both, period. The first church leaders preached and persuaded as they planted churches, and they begged those who would do the same to “remember the poor” as they went (Galatians 2). Evangelism and Social Action matter.

5.) Remember Your Roots

The truth is, if you know Jesus at all, it is almost certainly through the direct intervention and invitation of someone else. Someone else risked their reputation, faced the possibility of rejection, spent their money, poured out their heart to see you–or your parents or your grandparents–come to Jesus, be discipled, and be a part of a Christian community. It’s easy to forget, with all the pressure that exists to not “be that guy” when it comes to doing ministry or sharing our faith or inviting someone, that we are here because someone was “that guy” for us, in the best sense. You’re here because someone shared Jesus with you; aren’t you glad they did that for you? I am.

And I want us to share in the joy that comes from seeing others come to be a part of an eternal kingdom whose hope and power are already on display in this world.

In short, mission should matter to you, because it has already mattered to you.

Most of all, we know mission matters to God.

Much love to you, as we look at one of the most special-effects-laden passages in the Bible this weekend: 1 Kings 18.

Morgan