Same Old Mandate

September 25, 2010 by · Leave a Comment

For some Christians, world missions is just one fine idea to toss around in church. They believe the great commission, they believe that the gospel of Jesus should be brought to all parts of the world and they believe that the church has to do it. But not them. Not when it takes them away from their comfort zones, not when it’s such a huge inconvenience to their carefully-planned lives, and certainly not when they have exciting careers to work on.

While most Christians think of world missions as a secondary business of the church, God values it as top priority assignment. The idea is actually as old as the Old Testament. When God blessed Abraham in Genesis 12: 3, He said it plain and simple, “all the nations of the earth will be blessed through you.” When Jonah was eaten alive by a huge fish, he was actually running away from world missions, from reaching the politically powerful city of Nineveh.

The prophets in olden times saw the day when God would blanket the whole world with the message of the gospel just like the waters cover the sea. Godly men and women from many generations knew it, but curiously enough, the vast majority of the church today is ignoring it. To the church, it looks as if world missions is just a post script in the Bible, an afterthought in the master plan of God.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

At the very heart of the gospel is the mandate to reach the nations for Jesus, in fact, the only time when Christ is coming back is when the gospel is already preached to all nations (Matt. 24: 14). God is serious about reaching the nations that Jesus won’t come back until all people groups have heard of the gospel.

I know what you’re thinking. This all sounds cool and great but there’s no way you could get involved. Not because you don’t want to but because your local church doesn’t include this in its agenda. I could only sigh with you. I can’t offer you a work around in this but I wish, I really wish that world missions becomes part of the agenda of even the smallest church in the world for the sheer reason that this is the very heartbeat of God since the fall of Adam.

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Canker Sore Drops and World Missions

September 20, 2010 by · 5 Comments

If you knew the cure of a deadly disease that’s killing thousands of people, don’t you want to tell everyone of this good news?

This is the standard question pastors use to encourage church members to go evangelize and make disciples. In all honesty though, this doesn’t tug at my heartstrings at all. I mean, forgive me but I just think the question is too hypothetical. In my mind, there is no way I could discover anything remotely of medicinal value. And if ever I did manage to stumble into one, I’d probably be too worried it wouldn’t work on others that I’d probably just send an anonymous letter to a famous scientist so he could make further studies on the cure.

But of course that’s just me, and I know that behind that clever question is the idea that I should go and make disciples. Now that’s something I can wrap my head around with. Go and tell. Simple as that. It wasn’t until yesterday that my idea about discovering a cure changed dramatically.

During our small group meeting yesterday, our leader asked us about the highlights of the past week. One of the guys in the group told us how, for almost a week, his appetite was ruined by a canker sore (Filipino: singaw) that wouldn’t simply go away. Before he could even finish his litany of palate troubles, I was already at the edge of my seat. I know just exactly what he needed.

With the eagerness of a satisfied customer who is only too happy to recommend a product he found useful, I caught myself saying, “Do you know that in the Visayas, you can cure a canker sore in less than 30 seconds?” And I went on to tell the group the wonders of Canker Sore Drops, a product that was made Cebu and marketed only in selected parts of the Visayas.

When I was done singing the praises of Canker Sore Drops, I realized one thing: When it comes to canker sores, I have so much to say. I may not be a doctor but I am most certain that what I know is worth sharing. I would gladly repeat my story to the next person with a canker sore if an opportunity arises.

Coincidentally, our current sermon series was world missions- telling people of THE cure. I was surprised at the unmistakable spiritual parallel.

Whenever I encourage people to share the gospel to others, I am almost always confronted with a seemingly impossible excuse: they don’t know enough about God! “What if someone asks me about the Trinity? How am I supposed to answer that?” Most Christians like what they’re hearing in church. They love Jesus, they love church activities, but when it comes to telling others about their faith, they are too chicken to say something.

My sudden understanding of world missions and evangelism in general via Canker Sore Drops teaches one very important lesson for all believers: You DON’T HAVE TO know a lot! You don’t need a degree at Asian Theological Seminary to tell your friends about Jesus. When it comes to sharing the gospel, you only need to talk of the things that worked for you. In my case, I didn’t need to discuss the chemical composition of Canker Sore Drops or the cellular activities that happens right after I apply the liquid into my tongue. I only needed to tell my friend that after twenty seconds, I could eat normally and enjoy grilled fish with delicious “sawsawan” (vinegar, soy sauce, lemon, sliced onions, green tomatoes and red pepper).

What does this mean? It means that saying “Jesus saved me from suicidal tendencies” is far better than conducting a six-week classroom type instruction on “Understanding the Basics of Soteriology.” I mean, seriously, how many in your circle of friends know what soteriology is in the first place? Biblical teaching and systematic theology have their own places in Christian development but they certainly don’t come at the time when you are just beginning to tell the person about your experiences with Jesus.

The funny thing is that we worry about theology so much. We feel like we need to memorize the Bible first before we can tell people of the gospel. The problem is that by the time you already mastered Christian doctrines, you will have stayed within the church walls for too long that you no longer have unbelieving friends around you.

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Afterthoughts

September 3, 2010 by · 2 Comments

For the people of Victory Caloocan, the last two or three weeks have been a series of rapid, high energy activities. We recently launched our new center at the 6th floor of Victory Central Mall in August 29 and the 1,000 attendance barrier that we’ve been praying about this year has just been broken. Everything around us is new- the building, the air conditioning system, the stage, the equipment, the kids’ church and even the computers. It is time to celebrate and rejoice at what God is doing in this church.

And while we are at it, I can’t help but be reminded of what Pastor Ferdie and all the other pastors have been telling us months before: what brought us here may not bring us there- or at least something along those lines. The idea is that the commitment, hard work and sacrifices that brought us to where we are now may no longer work this time. A new approach might be necessary to sustain our present productivity. Who knows what the Lord will demand of us so we can soar to new heights?

To me, this is quite a sobering idea. I came from a religious background where people have an aversion to change. We’d often do something because it proved to be successful in the seventies. I know that’s hardcore backward thinking but somehow I could understand why some people try to hold on to past glories, if only to feel a sense of accomplishment and success. Forward thinking is always risky. It makes everyone nervous. It slaps us with the fact that our minds are finite and limited and we could not see all ends but it forces us to admit that we need the wisdom of God every step of the way.

Amid the festive atmosphere, loud cymbals and outrageous worship this past two Sundays, I realized two things. First is that the Lord blessed us with a new center, not so we can feel cool about it (although that can be a bonus too) but so we can have a bigger venue to make disciples. This place can be filled quickly with people who need Jesus and it is just a matter of time before we can go for another additional afternoon service. That all sounds great and exciting but that also means we need to raise up victory group leaders as fast as we can.

The pace with which we raised up leaders months ago will no longer be enough today. As I looked around my victory group last Sunday, I was gripped with a sharp sense of awareness that the people who were gathered around our little group only represented a tiny fraction of the total attendance. There were still so many people who are not connected in our victory groups, people who come in and out of our services without anybody saying hello to them, people who may need a prayer, a word of encouragement, a friend, a leader to point them to the direction of Christ.

As I’ve always told the guys in our group, there are times when we are only given one chance to touch a person’s life. The guy you sat next to today may no longer be there next week. We may only have today to make a difference and if we miss that chance, who knows what else we missed?

The second thing I realized is the fact that the God who brought us here is faithful and He will provide everything that is needed to bring us to the future He mapped out for us. At least this sounds very comforting. Seeing the need around us is quite pointless and would only lead us to despair if we fail to see the all-sufficiency of Christ in our circumstances. God provides. Jesus got it covered already. And I am sure that that includes finances, leadership, vision, guidance, and everything else in between. Anyone who’s ever read the Bible knows that God is able to work out something wonderful despite the limitations of our humanity.

Tonight, as I lay myself to sleep, I feel secure in these two things:

a.) There’s too much to do, I am needed.
b.) God provides, He’ll help me do what I need to do.

Good night everyone.

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