You wonder, then, if there are
specific men that the Lord God has graced, equipped and placed in the local
churches, from where they are specifically sent out to be the heralds of the gospel,
what is my role as ‘an ordinary Christian’ in the evangelization of the
peoples? This is a very important question that should be so highly regarded
for in it lies the hope of those unreached peoples to hear of the wonders of
the grace of God in Christ, our Saviour. We do not need the so called 'radical Christians' - we need faithful believers. Those who take the Commission of Christ serious enough to move with the gospel, in His power and presence. When the Lord gave the Commission, there was no requirement to be radical, but to just to be a faithful follower, a disciple.
You
can only be missional if you are a faithful Christian in your local church. This
understanding is most important at this time when everyone is being told to be
a missionary. You don’t all have to go to the mission-field – there are those
who have to go and will go because God has put it upon their hearts to go, and
He has provided the means of sending them through His church. But the sending church has to
remain functioning as a church! This means that there are those who will be left to be part of the sending church, who are crucial in the support of the work. We must resist the pressure from para-church organizations that put undue pressure on us all to abandon our churches to go on missions. Please remember that missions are not an end in
itself – the purpose of missions is to plant churches. But churches are only to be planted by other churches - if they will be properly constituted churches.
Missions gather peoples, nations, tribes and languages into local churches, which exist to offer worship to God. In the words of John Piper, missions exist because worship doesn’t. Worship exists in the local churches, because they gather, just as heavenly worship is of a gathered assembly. Therefore, faithfully gather with other people who have known God’s saving power and worship God – you were saved to glorify God. The church is the institution designed by God through which His manifold wisdom is displayed in the universe. And in all eternity, God will be magnified by His people whom He has graciously saved. What does this mean for you?
Missions gather peoples, nations, tribes and languages into local churches, which exist to offer worship to God. In the words of John Piper, missions exist because worship doesn’t. Worship exists in the local churches, because they gather, just as heavenly worship is of a gathered assembly. Therefore, faithfully gather with other people who have known God’s saving power and worship God – you were saved to glorify God. The church is the institution designed by God through which His manifold wisdom is displayed in the universe. And in all eternity, God will be magnified by His people whom He has graciously saved. What does this mean for you?

2.
Devote yourself
to fellowship – Christian fellowship is another means of building and edifying the saints. Iron sharpens iron, so saints sharpen each other, as they pray for one another, love, care and even admonish each other. There are those who by their fellowship have been led to
believe that the Lord is sending them on missions. When such a person goes from
this warm fellowship, he will be assured of a strong fellowship by which he can
depend for prayers and support. It is where the fellowship bonds are close, and
loving that missionaries are produced. This is both edifying and inspires
confidence. It is where there is brotherly harmony and unity that the Lord
commands a blessing. Where there is such a fellowship, brethren will be
encouraged to share their resources for we have read, And all who believed were
together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions
and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day
by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they
received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor
with all the people.
4.
Give
generously for the cause of the gospel – When we realize how much the
Western Christians have invested for our evangelization, then we would be less
attached to our money. A number of good Christians men who are consumed by the
zeal to see sinners brought to Christ have said, “If you can’t go, then send
someone.” To send someone means you work hard, in your job and give generously
for the support of those men who have been sent out. It is not for nothing that
you have so much salary, or resources. It is not for nothing that the Lord has
given you the business acumen you have. The reason why you are doctor, the architect,
engineer or lawyer is so that through these resources His cause may be
furthered. But too many of you think that it is so that you may change from
living in a one-bedroomed to a three bedroom, from Kibera to Kileleshwa, from a
Toyota Corolla to Aston Martin. The reason that you have more is so that you
can give more for the eternal cause of Christ – the giver. This should be done
within the context of your church, lest you be defrauded and make the cause of
the gospel to the unreached suffer. Paul devotes the book of Philippians to
express his gratitude for their gifts – “…
no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you
only. Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again… having
received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice
acceptable and pleasing to God.” (Phil. 15-18)
Churches should send mature and tested Christians to the missions fields. As the church continues in its ministry of equipping the saints for the work of ministry, people are not only trained to godliness (holy men are needed for missions) and are equipped as their gifts and abilities are identified in their churches. We must not think that only zeal is needed to go on missions - you need to be first of all qualified men (if you are not qualified to serve as a pastor of your current church, then you are not qualified to serve as a missionary!). There is no Biblical example of a woman sent out to be a missionary, because primarily the aim of missions is church-planting and women are not qualified, nor suited to be spiritual leaders of a church of Christ (see 1 Corinthians; 1 Timothy 2:11-14). The qualifications for elders are masculine (see 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9)
Each one should faithfully play his Christian duty, pray, support and give such resources and encouragement that are useful for the effectiveness of the one in the mission field. The faithfulness of both the missionary and the sending church is what flourishes the gospel cause.
Each one should faithfully play his Christian duty, pray, support and give such resources and encouragement that are useful for the effectiveness of the one in the mission field. The faithfulness of both the missionary and the sending church is what flourishes the gospel cause.
Thank you for this insightful piece Pastor Murungi, I could see the different roles all Christians within a local church can play to support missions. Indeed, 'only faithful Christians can be missional Christians.' God bless you.
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