The sexiness of missions. (Reflections on missions, part 5)

First, I would like to say that unfortunately, this is not my term, although I wish I could say it was. "The sexy part of missions" is a term I first heard a good and dear friend and mentor of mine use, and it stuck with me.

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19,20

So, what is missions? Are we missing a key part of it? Here, Jesus commands us to go, make disciples (preach), baptize and teach them, disciple them. I believe that way too often, we totally forget this third part of this great commission. Our focus on missions is still that of going out and reaching the lost, the ones that haven't heard, as it was 100 years ago, and we totally pass over the fact that in these 100 years, hundreds of cultures and people groups have been reached with the gospel. True, there are still some unreached, but that number is significantly less than what it was 100 years ago, or even 50 years ago.

I have seen this happen, and the drastic effects its makes on the christian church, time after time here in Ecuador, and I have heard that it happens elsewhere as well. A missionary, or an evangelist, goes into a village, two or city, holds a crusade, and get 10, 50, 100 or more people to raise their hands in acceptance of Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. And everyone praises the Lord on the work that was done, and the souls that were saved. We are fulfilling the great commission!! But, that is only the first part of it. Many of the villages, these towns, these souls, are left at that. In some, the importance is seen to help start them out in obedience to the christian walk, and so they start a church, raise up someone that has God's calling on their lives as the pastor, baptize people, and glory to God, we have a church!! Unfortunately, by and large, that is where it ends. And the third part, the teaching, the discipling, never takes place.

Why? because those are the sexy part of missions. It's sexy, attractive, to let everyone know that you had so many people accept the Lord!! Or that you started a church! These show results!! But have we really gotten to the point that all we care about are results? What about these souls, new believers, new pastors, who are left on their own? Oh, the missionary may go back and visit them once a year, and bring back reports on growth; but that is not discipleship. And that is the reason so many churches, so many pastors, so many believers are struggling today. There is no one to help them, guide them in their christian life, teach them how to hear the voice of the Spirit guiding and directing them, giving them discernment; no one to teach these pastors anything on biblical doctrine, on the importance of sounding out biblical teaching, teach them the importance of ethics, of a balanced christian life.

In todays missions, so many have risen their hands at a meeting, been told that that means they are saved, and on their way to heaven. There is nothing wrong with bringing people to a place of decision in their spiritual lives, the problem is the lack of teching and discipleship, even among the pastors. The christian church no longer knows what it means to live for Christ. In the first world countries, we do not know what it means to suffer for Christ, and in the developing countries, too often, the focus is on copying american culture, or even living off of the gospel, permitting sin, etc... and that is something they get from looking at our way of life, our christianity. I do believe that evangelists have their part in missions, a very specific and essential part; but pastor/teachers, pastoral care, discipleship and training, is what's greatly lacking. Once the church leaders, the pastors, teach not only personal revelation, but also personal commitment and accountability, personal service in their local church and community, the church will grow and flourish; and with it, so will the culture, the nation.

The christian church, missionaries and evangelists have all gone after the "sexy" part of missions, getting people to raise hands, saved, baptized, building a church, etc; or working in social projects that have a great community effect; but we are working on the appetizer and the dessert, and not focusing on the main course, that which will sustain the church for the following generations. Why? Because discipleship is a week to week, month to month commitment. It is something that does not show instant fruit. It is filled with trails and hardships. In other words, it's not sexy missions, is just plain old missions. And for this reason, there are few that do it or support it. And because of that, the christian church, and missions, are in the dire straights that they are today. There are few people that go out, take the time to get to know these pastors, pour time and resources into them, to strengthen the local church.

This our failing in missions, this is the field of missions that we have left untouched, this is the current need in missions; and it is a need that is so great, and so obvious, that we cannot afford to ignore it any longer. The other is necessary, yes; a balance is necessary in missions. But just as we cannot live only on appetizers and desserts (no matter how much that would appeal to us) the christian church, and missions, cannot and will not survive on altar calls and social works. We need discipleship, teaching and training; and people who are willing to go and do that, and others who will support those that do so, regardless of wether it's as attractive or appealing as the rest, but rather focused on that it is what God has called us to do!!

TO BE CONTINUED...