Mission

OUTREACHING MISSION

Acts: Chapter 2, verses 27 - 32

The church is different to most organisations because it exists, in one sense, more for those who are outside of its membership than for the membership itself. The last thing that any church should be is inward looking, for if that is the case then it means that, although the membership might feel very comfortable, there is little, if any, attention paid to mission. As Christians we are each commissioned by Christ to serve in the mission fields, as outlined in the Great Commission. We are told to take the message of the gospel out into the whole world, and that means that wherever we are we must be ready, willing and able, to fulfil the command. The question should be asked whether we want to be a comfortable church or a Great Commission church. The church exists to be the salt of the earth, the light of the world, and the redeeming factor in a dying society. Everything we do must be for the purpose of reaching others for Jesus Christ. George Barna, who founded a market research group specialising in religious beliefs in the USA and the intersection of faith and culture, wrote the following about growing churches:

“These were people who were passionate about outreach...They saw every event in their lives as having a hand in better enabling them to reach others for Christ. They looked upon life as a opportunity to serve God.”

God has brought together those of us who love Him and who have a love for lost souls in order to claim our world for Christ. To reach out into our world and claim it for Jesus we must have an overwhelming desire to see persons rescued from the restraints of sin and brought to a saving knowledge of the Lord. A simple desire is not enough for this work to be successful, we must be passionate about it, driven by the desire to serve Christ in every way that we live. We must, in the fullest sense, live for Christ.

Recently I attended a Presbytery meeting where several people were being interviewed as potential elders, having had their names put forward by their pastorates. At one point, having been asked to share their walk of faith with us, one lady shared about the way in which she felt called to follow a street ministry, and with the support of her church she was responding successfully to the call. Her passion for Christ was such that she was sharing the gospel in a very public way. Of course, whilst this suited this particular lady it would not necessarily suit everyone, but the lesson that we can all draw from this example is that being passionate about serving Christ means that we must be prepared to be very public when it comes to the matter of our faith.

The gospel must be the first priority in all we do to reach people for Jesus Christ. Of course, if we are to share the gospel successfully, then we must learn more about it, and this means that it must be studied in Bible study, proclaimed in regular worship services, and shared outside the church. Peter and the other apostles were committed to the public proclamation of the gospel. They seized every opportunity they could. Acts 5:25 tells us that even after they were arrested and jailed, they went forth and spoke boldly in the temple in the Lord’s name. If we seek to see our church grow then proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ must be our passionate aim. In the first instance it is each member of the church that must seek to grow, for as those in membership grow in the knowledge of the Lord, so more people will reach out in mission to share what they have learned, and it is as this happens that the church will increase as a direct result. Others will discover a passionate faith when we share our passionate faith with them.

Paul writes that we should be ready to preach the Word in season and out of season. In other words, we must be prepared to share the gospel wherever we are , whatsoever the occasion. The apostles were committed to reaching people in their homes as well as by public proclamation (Acts 5:42).

Our commitment to evangelize the lost is non-negotiable. The apostles let nothing stand in their way of witnessing to the lost, and if we are to emulate the early church then we must be just as committed. In our land we have a generation of people who are biblically illiterate. Even though many people have a Bible in their home but only a tiny percentage read it at all, let alone reading it on a daily basis. Ignorance of Scripture is readily displayed by contestants on General Knowledge TV Quiz Shows, and in general conversation. Even amongst many churchgoers confusion is caused simply by asking them to turn to a particular passage in Scripture, proving that even regular churchgoers do little Bible study.

For the church to be effective in evangelism it is important to understand the mentality of the Biblically illiterate. We need to make every effort to reach them, learning new ways to approach both people and subject. A church seeking to grow must have an enthusiastic commitment to ongoing evangelism, and, above all, we must be patient with people.

The early church did its outreach within the framework of meaningful ministry and missions, sharing what they had as a community (Acts 2:45; 4:32). Perhaps one of the most important and meaningful statements in regard to the attitude of the early church towards the question of mission is found in Acts 4:32, And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; . . . One reason the apostles were so flexible in their ministry is because they knew that their overall mission was to preach Christ and make disciples. They accepted suffering as a part of that ministry. After being flogged by the authorities for preaching Christ the apostles went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name (Acts 5:41-42). Like the disciples, our commitment to ministry and missions will impact our community for Christ. Through meaningful ministries, we communicate that we care. A close correlation exists between our growth and our commitment to a needy world.

Whilst it is good to see our church grow bigger, our primary concern should not be for growth but should be for mission, and for ministry for Christ. When we concentrate on obediently ministering God’s Word, He takes care of our growth. The growth of a plant depends on three things — the seed, the soil, and the seasons. Missions and ministry create a climate in the church that makes growth possible. If we are to be passionate in our outreach, we must be involved in life-changing ministries that will touch lives and make a difference.

May God give us a passion that will not die, a desire that will be fuelled by our zeal for serving the Lord.

Amen