5 Roadblocks to Missions

“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

5 Ways To Do Missions Today

“Be a missionary everyday!

Tell the world that Jesus is the way!

Be it in the town or country, or the busy avenue,

Africa or Asia, the task is up to you!”

Children’s song

Leland and Ben Miller recently returned from a missions trip to Ecuador, and I have asked them to share about their experience this coming Sunday morning. I am excited to hear what they are going to say, as the purpose of their trip was not to domissions, per se, but to experience missions. Hopefully, hearing about how missions is done in another part of the world will give us greater clarity concerning how we can do missions here.

Missions here? Yep, that’s what I said. We are all called to be missionaries and to do the work of evangelism. And wherever the Lord has placed us today, that is where He has called us to be missionaries today!

That got me thinking. How can we be effective missionaries today? So I put together a list of five simple and practical ways you and I can engage in missions today. See if you agree with my list…

§         Invite.

The simplest way you can be a missionary today is to invite someone into your life. If you are a follower of Jesus, your life itself should be a testimony of God’s grace. That means your daily activities should reflect your love for Christ, your desire to see Him honored, and your passion to share Him with others. So, inviting someone into your life ends up as a witness to that grace.

Yes, I know. Someone just read this and thought, “Well, that’s fine for other people, for those whose lives really reflect their Christian lives. But my life doesn’t really do that. So I guess I won’t invite anyone.” To that, I have two answers. First, if your life doesn’t measure up, change it. Ask God to show you what needs fixing, and then get to work. He’ll help you make it right. And, second, you don’t need perfection in this area. The testimonies of our lives are much more than a rigid adherence to a moral code. They are testimonies to God’s all-sufficient grace, even when we blow it. What matters most is the heart attitude.

But what, specifically, can you invite someone to? Well, here are a few suggestions: to church for a worship service, to a restaurant (for lunch, dinner, or just a snack), to your house (to hang out, play video games, or watch a movie), or to the church’s game night THIS FRIDAY at 6:30 PM!

Whom can you invite today?

§         Publish.

Another simple way you can be a missionary today is to publish your testimony online. Most people in our community access the Internet, and social media presents a tremendous opportunity to make your voice heard.

Now, by testimony, I don’t mean the whole account of how you came to Christ. I just mean a witness about what He has done for you or what He is doing for you today. Then again, if you want to give the whole account, that’s cool too.

You can do this using a Twitter account, Facebook account, or a blogsite. The least demanding of these are the first two. A Twitter account provides you with an opportunity to share a daily devotional thought or verse, and the very brevity demanded by the format (each tweet has a 140 character limit) means your investment and effort remains minimal. A Facebook page provides you with a way to keep in touch with your friends, and you can easily post favorite verses or Christ-centered thoughts daily.

Many professional athletes are using Twitter to witness for Christ. One example I know of is Russell Wilson, the quarterback of the Seattle Seahawks. He tweets Bible verses and encouraging thoughts every day. Anyone who ‘follows’ him on Twitter knows he is a Christian. It’s a great example that we can all follow.

That said, I should probably give a word of caution. Be sure your Twitter account and Facebook accounts reflect a Christ-centered life. If you’re doing things you shouldn’t be doing, and people know that from your other posts, they’ll probably look doubtfully on your Christian testimonies. So, again, if you need to clean things up, clean them up – and then start publishing!

What can you publish today?

§         Distribute.

A third simple way you can be a missionary today is to distribute Gospel-centered literature. Tracts may not be as popular today as they once were, but they still have their place. It is amazing what people will read when they’re trapped and bored. (Think of some of those terrible magazines at the doctor’s office!)

My favorite tract is the Bridge to Life tract published by Navpress, but there are many excellent tracts out there. The reason I like the Bridge to Life tract is that it presents the Gospel clearly, using simple diagrams and carefully chosen Scripture verses to explain the need for salvation and how to come to faith in Christ.

The key to using tracts effectively is wise distribution. I think there are two effective methods to distribute them. The first method is to give them as you share a personal Gospel presentation. The tract gives you something to place in the hand of the person to whom you are witnessing, and you can use the tract as you share to reinforce your points and lead the conversation forward.

The second method is to ‘plant’ the tracts in places where people will see them, pick them up, and read them. The possibilities are endless, but I’ll mention a few of ideas. My favorite is to place a tract on top of the toilet paper dispenser in a public bathroom. Another possibility is to place a tract beside the nozzle at a gas pump. (This one can be a bit tricky, since inclement weather can reduce the likelihood of the tract being picked up and read.) A third possibility, and probably my least favorite, is to leave a tract at a restaurant with a tip. (I used to work as a waiter, and I know from personal experience that very few of these tracts are read. Still, if you do leave a tract, please be sure you leave a really great tip, and, again, make sure your behavior through the meal was consistent with your Christian testimony.)

Where can you distribute today?

§         Engage.

Yet another effective way to play the missionary today is to engage other people in ‘redemptive’ conversations. This means to engage them in strategically focused conversations for the purpose of sharing Jesus. This approach may be tough for some people. Everyone has different comfort levels when it comes to talking with other people. Some folks engage with strangers without any difficulty, and others find the experience painful. But if you are an outgoing person, this may prove an exceptionally effective method.

The people I find to be effective with this method tend to be people who are genuinely interested in other people, in their lives and interests. They ask open-ended questions, avoid the expression of strong opinions on minor issues, and subtly and skillfully point the conversation to Jesus.

We can all do better in this area. I know I can. I sometimes fail in this area because I permit myself to be distracted from my ultimate purpose – the sharing of Jesus. I find myself mired down in a discussion of politics or something else – something of relative importance, but not ultimate importance. So now I try to remind myself, going into a conversation, of my end goal – to share the wonderful blessing of knowing Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.

The opportunities for these sorts of engagements are never-ending. Here’s a few: waiting at school to pick up kids, at the dentist’s office, buying groceries at the store, checking out books at the library, getting coffee at Dunkin’ Donuts, and on and on.

When can you engage someone today?

§         Provide.

“Don’t tell me how much you love me until you show me how much you care.” We’ve all heard similar statements. Words of love without actions of compassion are like clouds without rain – full of promise, but disappointing.

My fifth suggestion concerning an effective way to play the missionary today is to provide micro-helps. A micro-help is a small act of compassion done for the purpose of putting ‘feet’ on the Gospel and of providing a doorway for the proclamation of the Gospel.

We all believe in the importance of helping others. Loving others is an essential part of Christian life. It is an expression of our very love for Christ. But sometimes we are at a loss for how to put that love into action. The bigness of the tasks sometimes proves overwhelming. The answer is ‘micro-helps.’ This means determining, as the day begins, that you will be available to help others in small ways as the day progresses. This may include helping an elderly person with groceries, picking up trash from a community playground, assisting someone with a flat tire. It may also include occasional visits to nursing homes, hospitals, and the like. Again, the possibilities are endless.

Providing help to others is a wonderful way of expressing the love of Christ. I encourage you to seek opportunities to help, and, as you do, don’t forget to share your Christian faith. You don’t need to share your whole salvation testimony. Just find some way to share the source of your hope and life – Jesus Christ.

How will you provide today?

Well, there it is… a list of five simple and practical ways we can engage in missions today. Do you agree? Are there other ways I should have added? Do you agree that these really are simple and practical?

Let me know. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

“Be a missionary everyday!

Tell the world that Jesus is the way

The Lord is soon returning: there is no time to lose,

So be a missionary, God’s own emissary,

Be a missionary today!”

Children’s song

-- Christian Pilet