“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ,
for it is the power of God to salvation
for everyone who believes.”
Romans 1:16
Leland Miller will be focusing on “The Takeaway” this Sunday at church, and the discussion should raise some interesting questions about missions and about how we can best do the work of missions.
Last week I suggested some ways we can do the work of missions here in our community. This week I’d like to take a look at some roadblocks to missions and suggest ways to get by them. See if you agree with my list of these Five Roadblocks to Missions:
Doubt
We live in a pluralistic society, and we are bombarded daily with messages of toleration. We are told that we should ‘live and let live,’ and we are exhorted to maintain a nonjudgmental attitude toward differing lifestyles and religious beliefs. These messages are preached from the podiums of political offices and from the lecterns of schoolrooms.
But the gospel of Jesus Christ is not a message of toleration. It is not a message of the acceptance of alternative lifestyles and of differing religious opinions. It is built on the presupposition that there is only one true God, and that He has revealed Himself fully in the person of Jesus Christ. And it is also built on the presupposition that man is sinful and stands condemned before holy God. Indeed, the reason the Gospel is Good News is that it tells how man can escape eternal condemnation through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
We who are believers know these things. We know, for instance, that the worship of Allah, as expressed in Islam, is abhorrent in His sight. We know that the pantheism of Hinduism and Buddhism is an abomination. And we know that only the fool says in his heart, “there is no God.” And, most importantly, we know that it is only through the preaching of the Gospel, through the hearing of His Word, that one comes to know and love the Lord Jesus Christ.
And yet, it seems, we doubt. And in many different ways. Some doubt whether the message of the gospel is truly exclusive. Some doubt that Jesus truly is the only way to the Father. And some doubt whether the God we worship is truly as holy as He says He is.
This must be the case, because if we did not doubt, we would be very bold in our proclamation of the gospel.
But what is the answer to doubt? The answer is faith.
We overcome doubt through faith, a reasonable faith that examines the Scriptural truth claims, considers their presuppositions, and determines to act accordingly. I do not act as a Christian with the hope of gaining faith. I act as a Christian because I have faith.
So, today, if you examine your heart, and you find that you have a heart of unbelief, I encourage you to study the Scriptures. Determine for yourself whether these things are true. Then, be settled in your own heart, and act accordingly.
Idolatry
Some people come to Christ and then continue to battle with idolatry. Their gods are the gods of their former lives, and they can be literal (as in the false gods of Eastern religions) or they can be figurative (e.g. self, family, education, career, wealth, health, and leisure).
Idolatry expresses itself in misplaced priorities. Idolatrous believers assert that God and His program are of the highest priority, but their day-to-day schedules reflect something different. They invest in things of temporal value at the cost of things of eternal value. They find it impossible to find time to devote to evangelism, but they find the find time to do the things that they, in their flesh, desire to do.
The answer to idolatry is worship of the true God.
If we will focus our hearts and minds fully upon Almighty God, if we will allow our senses to be filled with and captivated by his Holiness and Glory, we will find our desires for the things of the flesh diminished. Indeed, ultimately, we will find them abhorrent. And as we contemplate the eternal realities of who He is, we will make His desires ours -- and that means we will prioritize the work of missions in our lives.
Sloth
But let’s be honest. Sometimes it isn’t a matter of doubt or idolatry. Sometimes it is just plain laziness. Our minds are convinced, but our volitions are unaffected. We feel tired, and the work of missions seems like just too much work.
The answer to this roadblock is fairly simple: repent and do the work.
That said, I do wonder whether the frenetic pace of our society leads us, ironically, to slothfulness in this area. We are always busy. Though there is more wealth now than ever before, more of us are engaged in full-time work earning wealth. Perhaps, if we are too tired to do the work of missions, we should slow down the pace of our lives, embrace simplicity in terms of material possessions, and develop greater margin in the edges of our lives. This greater margin will provide us with increased opportunities and emotional resources for the work of missions.
Fear
The usual reason people cite for not doing the work of missions is fear. Typically this boils down to a fear of rejection. In America, the rejection we usually experience is social, though sometimes we may be verbally abused. These are realities of living in a sin cursed world.
The answer to fear is faith. One must believe that God is able to protect, preserve, and reward those who are His own. Such faith seems fundamental to the bold proclamation of the Gospel.
Another answer to fear is fear. The problem is not that people are afraid. Fear itself is not the problem. The problem is that they are afraid of the wrong person. Why would you fear someone who can injure your body or your societal standing but could not damage your soul? Would not it be wiser to fear the One who has authority over your soul and to do the thing that is pleasing in His sight, even at the cost of physical or societal injury? This is just a way of articulating the flipside of faith. Because we know that God is, and because we know Who He is, we seek to persuade others. Because of faith, faith in Him, we are able to overcome our fear of others.
Hatred
The last roadblock I see is hatred.
Most of us Christians, if we were asked why we did not share the gospel, would not say that it is because wehate the person with whom we could have shared. But our actions speak otherwise.
A month or so ago, my wife shared a video with me. In that video, the famous magician Penn Jillette described an encounter he had with a Christian. Penn is an outspoken atheist, but he spoke of this particular Christian with great respect. He said that this man had come to him with the openly stated purpose of proselytizing him. This man’s desire was that he would lead Penn to the Lord. Penn listened to what he said and ultimately rejected it, but he said he respected the man for being bold and sharing what he believed. Penn then said that he had no respect for Christians who did not do that. He said, in effect, “How much must you hate someone to not share with them something you believe means the difference between eternal punishment and eternal life?”
It’s a great question. If we have the answer to man’s sin condition, and we are able to share with another person the way to eternal life, and we choose not to, how much must we hate that person?
The answer to this roadblock is, of course, love. We must love others enough to risk all in the sharing of the Gospel with them.
Well, there it is… a quick list of five roadblocks in doing the work of missions. Are there others that you would add? Do you agree with my suggestions and how they can be overcome?
How will you engage in the work of missions today?
“How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?
And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?
And how shall they hear without a preacher?”
Romans 10:14
--Christian PIlet
