Connecting Point: Mission Ready

When the subject of heaven and hell come up, some people listen intently, almost as if they are searching for an answer. But, others seem to run and hide. Over the last two months of columns, I have walked this journey with you, the reader. I want to say now, here at the end of struggling with you, the matter boils down to God’s grace and justice. Either we will confront our sinfulness and acknowledge the need for Christ to be our personal Savior, or we will face God’s justice by rejecting his grace and thus spend eternity in isolation and loneliness. For those who suggest hell is neither a big deal nor real at all, think again, eternity is forever.

One of the greatest responsibilities for every Christian comes directly from God; we are commissioned to share the life-giving hope of Jesus Christ with others. Christianity is not a club for “good” people to hang out and do “good” things. Jesus made a clear mission statement to his disciples: “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field,” (Matthew 9:37-38). Today Christians are commissioned with the same responsibility to be active “workers” in a world that is ripe for harvest.

Inevitably, on any given fall day while driving across the countryside, we see ranchers at work in some aspect of harvest. These farmers toil the ground, set water lines, and work cattle, all, for the purpose of producing. They are mission ready.

Chuck Lawless a seasoned church consultant identifies some of the reasons why the Great Commission is more talk than deed. Our churches are comprised of two working pieces practically speaking, pastors and members. If the leadership and membership of the church have little passion and interest in the “mission” then a club mentality takes precedence. Self-interest and a concentrated focus on meeting our own needs sadly become the mission.

However, from my point of view, the days are gone when “The paid clergy do the work of the ministry.” Every believer in Jesus is challenged to persevere in love, to live the Gospel, and to advance belief in Jesus. It is everyday life. Partial obedience to the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) is actually disobedience.

We live in an era where “church swapping” has become a typical pattern of church growth, but such transfer growth has nothing to do with the Great Commission. Maturity in Christ means we set our personal agendas at the foot of the cross and we learn to practice what it actually means to be Christ-like with everyone. Unity within the body of Christ is the benchmark for spiritual health.

I encourage everyone who desires to be in line with the Great Commission to be a faithful member of your church body. Be supportive in every way possible, practice grace and mercy with all those with whom you come in contact, and keep the main objective front and center. The Gospel changes our lives for the better when we stay mission ready.