Missional Engagement

   Dr. Elias Medeiros of Reformed Theological Seminary has said, (in Resources, from Nov. 8, 2017) “In the way I define the word “missional” is this: mission means to live as a saint, one of the Lord’s.”  In addition, he says, “It means to live as a sent one, to think as a sent one, to write as a sent one for the sake of God’s glory, the edification of God’s people the church, and the salvation of the lost, across the street and around the world.”

WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

   Dr. Medeiros discusses this topic because there is no real consensus about the word “missional.”   Others have used the term to seemingly distance themselves from a sales pitch kind of evangelism.  They have wanted to see their task as missionaries or church planters as a more “organic” and “relational” effort in making connections and friends and seeing that develop into a discipling relationship.

     Still others use the term to be wholistic in invading various cultures with the truths of the Kingdom, and these would include what it means to be fully human, to understand the Imago Dei, the brokenness of cultures in regard to evil, and injustice, and to proclaim the Lordship of Christ in all areas so that cultures might be transformed.

ESSENTIAL MEANING

   The essential meaning of being missional must come from John 17, which is the source of Dr. Medeiros comments.   Jesus said in John 17:18, “As you (the Father) sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.”  In this passage of the prayer of Jesus to the Father we learn essential things about Jesus and ourselves.

1. God the Father sent Jesus into the world.

2. As the Father sent the Son so the Son sends all who have believed in him.

3. Those of us who have believed in him have been sanctified in the truth by the Word of God.  This makes us holy, or saints.

4. We are sent by both the Father and the Son, into the world.

5. We are to bear witness that the Father did indeed send the Son.

6. The power and quality of that witness is our unity, our “oneness” which portrays the oneness of the Father and the Son.

7. Jesus wants the world to believe in him and know that the Father has loved them.

CONFLICT

   But there is conflict among various preachers and teachers, between various evangelists, missionaries, and church planters about the whole concept of missions and how we do it, and what are its aims.

    Some of the conflict goes back to a disagreement between those who have sought to get non-Christians to decide to pray a sinner’s prayer, and those who called for a more creditable profession of faith by having such decisions be the first act of being a disciple.  As one ministry, the Cedine Bible Camp, motto used to be, “Disciples not Decisions.”  Fundamentalism and Evangelicalism was accused of practicing “decisional regeneration” rather than calling for real faith which produced the fruit of righteousness.

    Others have had conflict over what it means to be a witness in the world.  They have stressed the “quality” of the believer’s life, in terms of love for both other saints in the Church, and love for the lost.  They have stressed more of a ministry of presence rather than an agenda of reaching.  They have stressed the concepts of human flourishing and peace. They have stressed the practice of mercy and justice and less of an aggressive verbal witness in calling people to faith.  Some stress this while still being energetic in proclamation, others have used “presence” as an excuse not to preach.

RESOLUTIONS

    There is much that can be spoken about concerning both the theological and methodological failures of the missionary enterprise, but this is a short paper.

I would like to reflect on some positive features of being “missional” from John 17.

1.  Every Christian is sent into the world.  Now one might say they feel more left in the world than sent, but either way, Jesus has not taken us directly to heaven after we believed, and he has said that he and the Father have “sent” us into the world.  Therefore, we are on mission. Our challenge is to “engage” it.

2. That mission has theological content.  We are sanctified by and in the truth, which Jesus interprets as the Father’s Word.  It is the truth of the Gospel (that Christ has come from the Father, died for our sins, and risen again) that we are to proclaim.  This is a message we must speak, preach, and use to persuade people of the world.

3. This mission has an aim, that people of the world who do not yet believe in Jesus would come to believe that the Father has sent Jesus, and that the Father loves them.  Without achieving that aim in every person of the world we have not yet accomplished our mission.  If one is not engaged in trying to achieve that goal they are failing in their mission.  If we are engaged in trying to finish this task (which we might assume is unending until Christ returns) we are still “on mission.”

4. There is a credibility built into being a saint that helps convince people to believe that the Father has sent the Son.  That credibility is the quality of our “oneness,” our unity.   This unity is built on love, which is the evidence that we are truly disciples of Jesus.  We must give evidence of being loved by the Father, not simply by giving out a propositional message, but by loving each other, and loving the people of the world for whom Christ came.  When we love, we flourish.  When we love we care about persons, and humanity.  When we love we practice mercy and justice. As John Perkins says, “Love is the final fight.” 

END.