“Thinking Like a
Missionary” – Part V
Message #5 in
TLAM Series
INTRODUCTION:
Last
Sunday I ran out of time and did not get through everything I wanted to say but
fortunately this series of studies is kind of like a chain of link sausages—you
can whack the thing off about anywhere and it does not change a thing. So today
we are in the 5th instalment of a 6-part teaching series that I have
entitled, “Thinking Like a Missionary.”
As I have explained each week, my goal is to help us begin to see ourselves as real
missionaries, commissioned by God to bring the Gospel to this very real mission
field, which for purposes of this make-believe scenario we are calling
Ourtownistan. As an aid to renewing our thinking and breaking out of some old
thought patterns I have invented an imaginary scenario and have invited all of
you to enter the story.
The story goes like
this: We are a team of missionaries, sent out under the sponsorship of a
mission agency called the New Life Mission. Our mission leaders have sent us
here to this tiny country of Ourtownistan to share the Gospel of
Jesus Christ, to make disciples, and to plant healthy, self-governing,
self-propagating, self-supporting local churches. We have recently arrived and
are just beginning the process of evaluating our mission field to put together a
workable strategy to begin to fulfil our mission here. That mission, in short,
is… “To win
people to Jesus Christ and help them grow to be like Him.”
We
are a diverse team—a variety of ages, some married and some not, some with
children, having varying levels of education and ministry experience, as well
as a broad spectrum of spiritual gifts, talents, and skills. However, we are
all part of the same team with the same heart and mind to win the Ourtownites
to Jesus Christ. We love one another, respect one another, and rely on one
another in our commitment to get this job done. We are all very conscious of
God’s sovereign divine call on our lives and we know that if we are to be successful
here it will only be by faith in Him and in the strength of His might.
TRANSITION:
I
have been telling you that missionaries the world over have long been
characterized by a set of 15 commitments, or principles that govern their lives
and ministries. So far, we have looked at the first 9 of those. Let’s review
those briefly.
#1 is that missionaries own the Great Commission
individually. They believe that Christ’s order to “go
out and make disciples” applies directly to them. They do not wait for the rest
of the church to get on board.
#2 is that missionaries embrace God’s call personally.
They do not wait to be hit by a bolt of lightning. They recognize that missions
is all about obedience, not about waiting for some mystical experience to
confirm God’s call. That call already came, 2000 years ago. The question is, “Are we going to obey that call?”
#3 is that
missionaries identify God as their source of strength and acknowledge their
personal weaknesses. They understand that on
their own they are nothing, but with God they are “more than conquerors.” They rely not on programmes and tricky
methods but upon the Holy Spirit to open doors, to touch hearts, to empower the
message, and to prepare the harvest.
#4 is that missionaries know that they are dependent on a
support team of “rope holders.” Not everyone stands on
the front line at the same time. Mission
also depends on faithful people doing the unglamorous behind-the-scenes work.
That is because mission is about teamwork. We are all called to be God’s
missionaries and we all have a role to play in completing the mission.
#5 is that missionaries are committed to go where the
people live rather than wait for the people to come to them.
#6 is that missionaries invest the time and effort to survey
their mission field so that they can locate the “entry
points,” the places where they can begin to make contacts, build relationships,
and eventually earn the right to share their faith in Christ.
#7 is that missionaries make the commitment to learn the
heart language of the people so that they can communicate the Gospel in
ways that touch the felt needs of the people. We discussed the
fact that by “language” we mean more than just the words in a particular idiom.
I gave the example that Ireland, Pakistan, and the Philippines all use English
as their official language, but that does not mean they really speak the same heart
language.
#8 is that good missionaries love the people
genuinely. In 2 Cor. 6:6 Paul speaks of “unfeigned love” being one of the hallmarks of a true Christian.
Likewise, in Romans 12:9 Paul writes, “Let love be without hypocrisy.” People can see
through phony love, and phony love turns people off—to us, to our message, and
to our Lord.
#9 is that successful missionaries adopt the culture and
history of their host country to become one with the people.
They know that to win the nationals to
Christ, they first must sell themselves. To win a hearing we must live out the
Gospel as we proclaim the Gospel. In other words, before we can share the Good News, we must be good news to the people we
are hoping to win to Christ. Theodore Roosevelt is credited with saying, “People don't care how much you know until
they know how much you care.” That is certainly true of our desire to share
the Gospel. If we want to win the
Ourtownites to Jesus Christ, we must be willing to become part of their world.
We must find ways to go to them, rather than expect them to come to us.
MAIN BODY:
…Which brings me to something I told you
about last Sunday at the close of my message. Do you remember back when you were
in school and at the beginning of the day you would have “Show and Tell”? You
would take something to school to demonstrate to the class, or you would tell
about some experience or adventure that you had had. Well, it is time for Show
and Tell. I told you last Sunday that I had decided to do something kind of
wild and crazy, at least for a Baptist preacher. I have been urging all of you
to get out of your ruts and comfort zones to meet new people and make friends
in the community. I decided it was time for me to begin taking my own advice.
So, on Tuesday I drove down and parked in front of the Penguin Tavern &
Eatery on the corner of 17th and Tacoma.
For months now I have been observing their
sign out front that advertises “Taco Tuesday.” That sounded good to me, so I
went in and sat at the bar next to three other guys who were already deep in
tacos and conversation. The barkeep was a nice young woman who was very
friendly and welcoming. I visited with her for a few minutes then ordered a
soda and a couple of tacos. The food was good, and the people there seemed
genuinely glad to see me. I enjoyed it so much that I ordered another drink and
two more tacos. When I got ready to leave the girl told me to be sure and come
back. I assured her that I would be back next Tuesday for some more of her
tacos.
Since I told you last Sunday that I was
going to do it I just thought I should give you a report about how it went.
Nobody got saved. I did not even tell anybody who I was or invite anybody to
church. Right now, I am just concentrating on getting to know some new people
who may never walk through these doors, so instead, I am going to walk through
their doors. I think that is what Jesus would do. I plan to go back and visit
my new friends at the Penguin. And I plan to do some other crazy stuff like
that too. If that bothers you, call me up and we will get together for a chat
and some prayer. Better yet, I’ll take you out for tacos and a brew.
Principle #10 is that
missionaries must learn to feel the needs of the people and to sincerely empathize with them.
This is a topic that has led to much conflict among Christians. On the one hand
there are those who emphasize what has been dubbed “the social gospel.” That expression usually refers to the idea
that if we just meet the physical needs of people, they will come around
sooner or later to understand our underlying motives and will eventually want
to know about our Christian faith. On the other end of the spectrum are those hard-liners
who say, “Just give them the Word. Preach
the Gospel and let God worry about their other problems. We will just
concentrate on getting them saved.” The truth is somewhere in the middle.
Humans have needs. They
need food, shelter, companionship, medicine, clothing, etc. And we must
remember that even Jesus fed the multitudes and healed many of their sicknesses
and diseases. He was concerned for all their needs. We must be also.
Principle #11 is that missionaries find ways to contextualize
the Gospel and to proclaim it in culturally relevant ways.
This is not only important for modern missionaries, it was also a constant
concern of the apostle Paul, and I can prove it. Check out Colossians 4:2-6 (as
well as Ephesians 6:19-20). In the Colossians passage Paul sincerely asks the
believers in Colossae to pray for him, and his prayer request is five-fold:
1.
That God will give him open doors to
proclaim the Gospel
2.
That he will have the courage to speak it
boldly (lit. to herald it)
3.
That he might be able to make the message
clear
4.
That he might make the most of every
God-given opportunity
5.
That he might know exactly how best to
speak to each person
The Ourtownites have
their own cultural grid through which they will filter everything they hear us
say. Therefore, we must make sure that we do nothing to plug up their filters
and keep the Gospel from getting through.
Let me give you a
painful example. A few years ago, Oregonians were asked to vote on Measure 36,
which was about the definition of marriage as between one man and one woman. Our
church like nearly every other evangelical church in the state believed that we
needed to step up to the plate and encourage Christians to cast their vote for
biblical marriage to hold back the onslaught of immorality in the form of
homosexuality. So, we handed out signs and bumper stickers to our members. We
also allowed the Oregon Family Council to put up a big sign on our church lawn
that said, “Vote YES on Measure 36.”
Some of you can remember
what went on. The sign was torn down about 4 times by angry protesters. We even
ended up on the news as being one of the churches targeted. But that was not
the real damage. The real damage came in the form of closed hearts and closed
minds to anything else we might have to say because the liberal, open-minded,
pro-gay people of our very left-wing progressive community came to the
conclusion that we are only one step removed from that other Baptist
church they have heard about, the one that pickets at gay funerals with signs
that say, “God Hates Fags!” and “Turn or burn!” You know the church I am
talking about, the one that also demonstrates at funerals of soldiers
killed-in-action with signs saying, “This is God’s punishment for not killing
the homosexuals,” etc.
We did what we thought
was right at the time, but looking back, I think we shot ourselves in the foot
for sharing the Gospel with this community. We have been playing catch-up ever
since. We allowed a political issue that is not that important from an eternal
perspective, to get in the way of keeping the door open to the community to
present Jesus as Saviour and Redeemer.
Principle #12 is that
missionaries work hard to develop friendships that last rather than mere
surface relationships. The Bible says in Proverbs 17:17, “A
friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” That
principle is true in all times, in all places, and in all cultures. Genuine
friendship is a transferable concept. But friendships do not just happen
automatically. They require hard work. They require an investment of time spent
together, values in common, and shared adversity, sacrifice, and loyalty. If we
want to have an impact here in Ourtownistan we must form strong, lasting,
genuine friendships with the people here. If they see us as
just-passin’-through to lay a little religion on them, then they are not going
to be willing to listen to what we want to share. We must be willing to take
the time and put in the effort to invest in people’s lives.
Principle #13 is that
missionaries understand the concept of conserving the harvest.
Several times in the NT evangelism and disciple-making are likened unto
farming. Let’s look at the steps:
ü After
choosing a promising-looking field the first thing the farmer does is to
prepare the soil. He does that by removing rocks, cutting down trees and
brush, pulling up roots, burning the stumps and slash, and tilling and
fertilizing the soil. For us here in Ourtownistan we may need to undo some bad
impressions from the past. We also need to invest in preparing the ground by building
friendships, establishing social networks, and getting to know people.
ü Then
the farmer carefully plants the best seed he can afford. We too are in
the seed-planting business, but our seed is the Word of God and the truths
about Him, and no better seed exists anywhere. It is living seed filled with
power and potential, and God promises that it will never return void. Sometimes
that seed is best couched inside our own personal testimony of God’s
life-changing grace. That is one form of seed-planting.
ü Then
the farmer weeds the field, in faith, and waters the rows even though
there is no visible sign of coming success. We do the same thing. We must keep
doing the right things and reaching out in faith, even if we are not seeing
visible signs of new life. The sprouts will come!
ü When
the tiny shoots first start to appear, the farmer fends off the birds
that would steal the seedlings and destroy the harvest. We must do the same
thing. Satan and his cronies will come along to try and steal the grain, pluck
up the shoots, and sow tares in our field. But we must never forget that “greater is He who is in us than he who is
in the world” and “we are more than
conquerors through Him who loved us and give Himself for us.” We must stand
firmly against him clothed in the power of Christ.
ü When
the grain is full-grown the farmer sets aside every other obligation to prepare
for the harvest. When the time of reaping comes the farmer works day and night
to get in the crop before the rains come. Farmers tend to be tightly focused
people, driven to produce a healthy harvest. Likewise, missionaries do not
entangle themselves in activities that have no potential for evangelism and
disciple-making. Everything they do is measured against the straightedge of
“THE MISSION.” Our mission here in Ourtownistan is… “to win people to Jesus Christ and help
believers grow to be like Him.” We
must not get caught up in non-essentials. The Bible says, “Work for the night is coming when no one can work.” “Redeem
the time for the days are evil.” “We will reap if we faint not.”
ü The
farmer puts up his crop in barns and silos, rejoicing in the harvest and giving
thanks to God for His mercies. The Harvest comes from God. As Paul said in 1
Cor. 3:6, “I
planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth.” Missionaries
understand that and they do not take credit for things that only God can do.
CONCLUSION:
For
the past two Sundays I left you with a homework assignment: to think about
where the Ourtownites really live and what might be some possible entry points
into their culture, their community, and their families. You have all been here
“in country” now for a while. What have you observed? How can we get out among
these folks to begin building bridges of friendship and networks of
relationship? If you need me, I’ll be down at the Penguin talking with my new
friends about Jesus.
Outreach Opportunity Ideas
1. Welcome new people who move in on your street
Take them some goodies and a “Welcome to the
Neighbourhood” card. Just walk right
over and introduce yourself. Take the initiative! It is hard the first
time but after that it gets easier. A half-century ago, it was the social norm
to welcome new neighbours to the community. We need to revitalize this
practice. It is a wonderful way to cement new friendships.
2. Get outside
This is not going to happen much in the winter
months but spring through autumn have many sunny days. Getting outside is a
great way to meet your neighbours. Grow a garden in your front yard, sit and
read on your front porch, and play with your kids outside. The more your
neighbours see you, the more comfortable they will feel in talking with you.
3. Take the initiative and organize something
- Set a date to invite a couple of
neighbours over to play board games or cards.
- Organize a community book-lending
library.
- Organize a canning group for summertime
canning.
- Start a community garden on an empty lot.
[Get permission first from the owner.]
- Invite your neighbours over for coffee or
evening refreshments on the patio.
- Organize a neighbourhood dinner swap.
- Start a weekly C.S. Lewis Book Club in
your home. Advertise it in the local paper.
- Start a weekly Chess Club or fly-tying
group.
- Begin a Neighbourhood Bible Discussion
group in your home. Make up a flyer and invite all the neighbours on your
street. Serve coffee and a dessert.
- [For those in the US] join your local
Neighbourhood Watch. Become a block captain. Hold the monthly meetings in
your home.
- In April bake up a bunch of homemade
chocolate-chip cookies and take a dozen to each family on your block with
a “Happy Easter” card.
4. Get some exercise
Go out for a walk or run. Walk your dogs. Go
for a bike ride. The more you can get out of your house, the more you are going
to see your neighbours. Do not make excuses, just do it. I promise the new
relationships you are going to make will be worth the effort you put into them.
5. Volunteer in the community
- Volunteer
at “Meals on wheels” to take food to elderly folks and shut-ins.
- Volunteer
to be a reading tutor at one of your local schools.
- Attend the community meeting every month and get involved.
- Start attending the PTA meetings at your children’s school and
get involved.
- Become a volunteer at the local library.
6. Join a club
Think about what interests you, whether it is
a sport, such as hiking or skiing or walking; or a hobby, such as reading,
gardening, investments, or photography. Most larger towns and cities have a
wide variety of clubs from which to choose. Check the local paper and websites
for upcoming events or news of clubs in the area.
7. Take a class
A great place to start looking would be at the
Community Centre. Painting, languages, or even belly-dancing can not only teach
you some new skills but will help you get acquainted with people in the
neighbourhood.
8. Take a risk and do something totally outrageous
Drop in at the Penguin Tavern for tacos on
Tuesday. Start conversations and make friends. Or become a fan of your local
sports team and go to the games and cheer loudly.
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