Sharpening Your Focus and Deepening Your Commitment to God’s Mission.

by: Jerry Benge

As I mentioned this past Sunday in our Missions’ Moment, Cornerstone is designating the month of June as Missions Month. While we regularly talk (or sing) about missions as it comes up in the texts that are preached, in our worship songs, and in special reports (via Mission Moments, Mission Luncheons, or missionary newsletters), we want to encourage our members to grow in thinking biblically and strategically about missions. Let me begin to illustrate why this is so important.

First, it is all too easy to idealize missions and missionaries. I have observed that missionaries are often given a special status (something akin to “sainthood”) for selling their possessions, getting on a plane, and leaving behind the American Dream to go abroad and share the Gospel with people who live in other cultures. Certainly, there are missionaries who are deserving of support for their obedience to the Great Commission. But how is this determined?  The Bible offers a vetting process. Questions about one’s call to missions and what is involved in the recognition and confirmation of that call must align with the Scriptures (1 Timothy 3: 1-7; Acts 13:1-3). A “passion for missions” or “love for adventure” may get people to the field, but it will not keep them there. Not all missionaries are qualified and equipped.

This brings us to another critical concern. What is the goal of every legitimate missionary endeavor? Here the Bible could not be clearer: The planting of a healthy, reproducing church (Just read the book of Acts along with I Timothy and Titus and you will see the point!)  During my time serving as a missionary in Ukraine, I was surprised by the number of missionary colleagues who did not grasp this point. They were busy doing lots of good things, especially activities that were aimed at evangelizing. Some also recognized the need for discipling (which of course is vital!) However, few saw that the end game was the development of a healthy local church. Many could not even define what constituted a healthy church. Fuzziness on this point inevitably results in churches that are spiritually weak and in no position to make the Gospel visible to the surrounding community. In the end, they not only fail to reproduce other churches, but usually die within a generation or two. What a tragic way to invest our resources! We must settle for nothing less than God’s priority! These are just a couple of illustrations to stimulate our minds toward biblical clarity in our thinking and godly wisdom in our implementation of the Great Commissions. There is much more coming in June!

Your next step (if you haven’t already done so) is to drop by the church bookstore and purchase a copy of Gospel Meditations for Missions ($3.50 plus tax). This one-month devotional guide will get you into some key Bible texts in missions along with brief thought-provoking and even soul-stirring thoughts about missions. (You can also get an e-copy if you prefer on Amazon for $2.99). The plan is for all to read it, starting on June 1 through July 1. There will be several other opportunities for missions’ exposure throughout the month of June, beginning with a Missions Luncheon featuring Emmanuel Ndolimana on June 2.  In mid-June there will be a sign up for prayer support for our Short-term missions’ team that will be heading off to minister to the First Nation people on Manitoulin Island, Ontario from June 29 to July 6. Finally, we will be posting links on Cornerstone Connection throughout June to give you access to helpful articles, thought-provoking podcasts, and powerful videos about what God is doing in missions and what you can do to be part of His plan. In fact, below is a link to a brief article just published this week by Brooks Buser of Radius International. Take 5 minutes and check it out. It provides a big picture perspective of what we are aiming for as a church to be more faithful and strategic in missions:

 https://www.9marks.org/article/a-better-way-to-look-at-missions/?lang=hi



Get ready to be stretched for the sake of God’s plan for the nations,

Jerry

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