“The Missional Church: Sent Into the World”
Does Tim Horton’s Sell Coffee?
Jesus has called His followers to be part of an exciting mission in the world, offering grace and eternal life to all people. But sometimes we’re so preoccupied with ‘doing church’ we’re in danger of forgetting our original mission.
A couple of Saturdays ago, there were yard sales going on all over Wingham, including ones for YFC and Right To Life, so my wife and I decided we’d do our charitable part in going to support them! Afterwards, we stopped at Tim Horton’s. With all the yard sales happening, Tim’s was just crawling with customers. The drive-thru lineup extended almost out to the street. Inside, there was a long line of customers that doubled back on itself. This gave one lots of time to look around.
When my turn came to order, I asked the girl at the till, “Can a person buy cups of coffee here?” Now, seeing as they were extremely busy and so as not to be a total jerk, I quickly added that we’d like a large triple-triple and explained, “It’s just surprising that your menu overhead nowhere actually lists cups of coffee for sale.” The assistant manager who was standing nearby stopped to look up at all the menus and decided it was true. She explained the menu section that usually lists cups of coffee had been plastered over by a banner listing a special offer.
Cars were lined up bumper to bumper, and people were standing queued for considerable distance, for something that had accidentally been dropped from the posted offerings. Yet it was the store’s principal product. From time to time we in the church need to be careful that in our busy-ness and activities as a charitable enterprise, we haven’t forgotten the main thing we were designed to make available to people. Churches can become focussed on keeping the wheels spinning, maintaining the corporation while forgetting our original mission.
At our District Conference and special National Assembly earlier this month in St Catharines (simulcast with the West District one in Calgary), Milfred Minatrea challenged EMC congregations to be “missional” rather than focussed on maintenance. He noted that as Jesus had been sent on a mission from God the Father, Christians also are sent on a mission - and not just mission-aries, but every Christian. John 17 details several features about Jesus’ mission, and ours by comparison.
Jesus says to His Heavenly Father in v18, “As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.” The verb is the Greek word from which we get “apostle” - someone ‘sent’; in Latin it’s missio, hence mission. Here Christ is clearly passing the baton: as the Father sent Him, so He’s sending the disciples – and, through them, us (Jn 20:21). As He was sent, so we are sent; His mission becomes ours. But just what was Jesus’ mission?
The rest of the chapter lists several purposes behind Jesus’ mission. V1 Jesus prays, “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.” So one reason we are sent is to glorify God – to honour and praise Him and cause Him to be renowned. In Jesus’ case, the principal way He did this was to die for our sins so we could be put right with God. In Jn 12:27 as the time for his painful death draws close, He’s troubled, but refuses to be asked to be saved from it because, as He says, “It was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your Name!” V32 goes on to predict that Jesus would draw all men to Himself when He’s “lifted up from the earth”, that is, crucified. It may be the situations that stress us the most that end up giving most glory to God, if we consciously let Him be in charge and seek His strength for our predicament.
V2 shows another reason Jesus was sent: “That He might give eternal life to all those You have given Him.” In v3 eternal life is defined as KNOWING the only true God and Jesus Christ. In v6 Jesus says, “I have revealed You to those whom You gave me out of the world.” And v26, “I have made You known to them...” So giving eternal life by making the Father known is a major part of Jesus’ mission. John 1:18 says, “No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.” Jesus resembled the Father so well that in chapter 14(7) He could tell Philip, “If you really knew Me, you would know my Father as well...Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father.”
This isn’t a detached scientific kind of knowing, as in knowing how to calculate the hypotenuse of a right-angled triangle, but an intimate personal knowing: in short, this is all about relationship. “Now this is eternal life: to be in a living relationship with the only true God, and Jesus Christ...” So as His followers, we need to be modelling a dynamic moment-by-moment relationship with God.
This relational type of knowing is shown in Mt 7:21-23. Jesus warns, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” It’s not even working wonders that qualifies us for heaven, but knowing Jesus, finding out what the Father’s will is, what’s on His heart, and doing it.
In v4 Jesus says He has glorified God “by completing the work You gave me to do.” Part of mission is being obedient, carrying out the task assigned to us. We anticipate hearing the words spoken to those in the parable who managed wisely the talents they’d been given: “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” That’s commendation for completing the work, sticking with the job till it’s finished.
Drop down to v8 where Jesus notes, “I gave them the words You gave me...” Also in v14, “I have given them Your word...” Words that were accepted, and resulted in conviction (“knew with certainty”) and belief. Jesus entrusted many teachings to the disciples and expected them to pass them on. V20 He refers to “those who will believe in Me through their message” - so He’s relying on His followers to re-communicate His words. Paul told Timothy, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.” (2Tim 2:2) Are we passing on Jesus’ teaching in such a way that others can recall it and tell others in turn? Are others believing in Jesus through our message? This calls for creativity in presenting the Good News to modern ears, while remaining true to the basic facts of what Jesus has done.
V9 Jesus prays for His disciples – that they would be protected and united, and in v20 He prays for those who will believe in Him through their message. Praying for others is a very central aspect of our mission. In Luke 22(31f) Jesus tells Simon Peter that Satan had asked to sift him as wheat, then adds, “But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” A prayerful person anticipates setbacks and struggles of others and goes to bat for them in the spiritual realm by praying to head off the attacks.
V12 Jesus says to the Father, “I protected them and kept them safe by that name You gave me.” Like the police or the military, a Christian’s mission is to protect. That responsibility may mean we have to stand between the person and the attack to absorb the blows; that’s what Jesus was doing in prayer and at the cross. Proverbs 24(11f) talks about our responsibility to save and protect those who are stumbling toward a dead end: “Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.If you say, "But we knew nothing about this," does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay each person according to what he has done?”
In v13, Jesus notes He has said these things “so that they may have the full measure of my JOY within them”. He came to bring us joy. Back in chapters 15(11) & 16(24) He said, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete...Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” This is different from the world’s brand of ‘happiness’ that depends on feeling comfortable and amused; joy can be experienced even when conditions are far from ideal.
V19 Jesus says, “For them I sanctify Myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.” To sanctify means to set apart for sacred use, make holy, separate from profane things and dedicate to God. By His death Jesus totally dedicated Himself for God’s purpose of redeeming us, on our behalf. It’s a giving-up-oneself for another, instead of having a me-first or self-serving attitude. Note in v17 it’s the truth of God’s word that helps us be sanctified. Taking time to study and absorb Scripture reinforces our moral resolve. Paul gave this counsel about sanctified living to the Ephesians (5:3f): “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.” Our behaviour should be noticeably and positively different – that’s part of being a witness.
[cartoon] An editorial by Harold Jantz in ChristianWeek comments on Ron Sider’s recent book, The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience. “Sider maintains the Bible has little authority in many Christian’s lives. Leaders aren’t modelling a simple lifestyle. He cites studies that show Christians are spending 7 times as many hours watching television as in Bible reading, prayer and worship. Large numbers who claim to be Christian haven’t learned to cultivate a Biblical world view...On the whole, he finds a great deal of marriage breakdown, a high level of racism, declining patterns of giving, and much capitulation to the sexual mores of our time among evangelicals.” Jantz comments, “It appears that evangelicals are finding it increasingly difficult to distinguish themselves from the cultural sea in which they are swimming. We keep telling ourselves that we need to be able to communicate with the culture. To be evangelistic is by definition to build bridges to folks of all kinds. It means identifying with people. Jesus did that. We must too. But in the process we are losing our difference. We’re becoming like the world around us. We need to face up to the reality that we’ll have lost our witness if we cease to be different from the world around us.”
We are called to be different, to be sanctified, set apart for God’s use – in the world, sent into the world, but not of the world. And not a snobbish ‘look at me’ kind of better-than-thouness but a simple, tuned-into-God concern to be pure and free so available to serve others.
And coming to v26 at the end of the chapter, Jesus saves the best for last. He says He’ll continue to make God known “in order that the love You have for Me may be in them and that I Myself may be in them.” Jesus was sent on a mission to bring us eternal life, real relationship with a God we actually know; He gives us God’s words, protection, joy, holiness, love, and in fact His very self through the Holy Spirit. He came so we might experience God’s deep love for us and companionship. John’s first letter (1Jn 4:9,12) says, “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him...if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” Amazing – I’m just another creature but the Maker of the Universe actually cares about me, and wants to live through me to touch other lives with His love.
Mission as GC2: Great Commandment / Commission
So that’s how Jesus capsulizes His mission – what He’s been sent for – the eve of His death. He sends us into the world for a similar cause. More traditionally our mission as Christians has been expressed in Jesus “Great Commandment” and “Great Commission” – GC2 as it’s been called lately. The Great Commandment, from Lk 10:27, emphasizes loving God with our whole being, and our neighbour as ourself. In Jn 13(34f) and 15(12) Jesus emphasized a ‘new’ command – “My” command – “Love each other as I have loved you.” Love for God and people is the focus of the Great Commandment.
The Great Commission comes from Mt 28:18-20, Jesus’ ‘marching orders’ just before He ascended. He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [note the similarity to Jn 17:2 - ‘You granted Him authority over all people...’] Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” The Great Commission emphasizes reproducing disciples by teaching them to accept and believe and act upon the words He gave us to transmit. A multiplying movement of men and women that will impact all societies. This is what we’re to be about as His Church. It’s not called “The Great Suggestion”!
Milfred Minatrea describes the “missional” church as having what he calls 4 “missional dimensions”: love God; live His mission; love people; lead them to follow. These consist of 8 “Passion Actions”: ‘Love God’ involves Worship and Obedience. John Piper says, “Worship is the fuel of missions...Missions exist because worship doesn’t.” Regarding Obedience, Missional Christians hold themselves and other members of the Body accountable. Joseph Stowell of Moody Bible College said of the disciples’ obedience, “They followed Him [Jesus] into the face of uncertainty...For followers, all the question marks fall into line behind Christ, who is the exclamation point.”
Living His Mission consists of Serving and Sharing. Jesus wrapped a towel around His waist and took the role of a servant. Missional churches are convinced that through ministry, they touch Christ; so they offer extensive ministries to meet physical, social, mental, physical, and spiritual needs of people in their communities. They share the message of hope and availability of grace to which they have responded. They are challenged to “be the presence of Christ” in their communities.
Loving People involves Embracing and Inviting them. Embracing may mean churches group together in a community to tangibly help the poor, the helpless, and the homeless. Inviting means missional churches create multiple entry points through which the spiritual inquirer can begin the journey toward faith; they invite people to ask difficult questions about faith in God.
Leading People to Follow entails both Equipping and Empowering. Equipping means it’s just the beginning, not the end, when a person becomes a follower of Christ. Church leaders have the task of equipping the saints for the work of service (Eph.4:12). Empowering means members are deployed in ministries through their passion and equipping can produce Kingdom fruit.
After getting excited about the possibility of moving into the former Catholic building earlier this year, it was disappointing for the engineer’s report to put the kybosh on using it from a safety angle. But the Lord must have something even better in store for us. In the meantime, use of rental space makes us more like what Minatrea calls “simple churches” such as cell and house churches. Not having to pay the upkeep for a building allows us to be more missional. Minatrea notes, “Simple church missional communities reflect a much higher percentage of their total expenditures to caring ministries within the local community and to missions beyond the locale...It is not unusual for a simple church to dedicate as much as 80% of its total offerings to mission purposes beyond the local community. In fact, such churches seek to invert the traditional church percentages, where typically only 15-20% of resources are allocated to mission causes beyond the local church.”
Being sent into the world by Jesus means the mission field begins just beyond our own front porch. Missional congregations encourage members to identify a “primary mission field”, the sphere in which they have ongoing relationships with the largest number of unchurched people. For some, their primary mission field will be among family and extended family members; for others, their neighbourhood, or their workplace – wherever a disciple accepts responsibility as one sent to bear witness to the reality of Christ’s redeeming love. In a typical church, members’ primary mission fields might include numerous neighbourhoods, schools, various businesses, a local golf course or particular sports teams, or the Lions and Rotary clubs.
In one case, a church through a demographic profile became aware of the large percentage of single parent households with elementary-age children in their community. Having no single adult members, they were unaware of their needs. Visiting with community agency leaders, including the counsellor at the local elementary school, they became aware fo a number of issues that are perennially present among single-parent families living in the area. The church then investigated potential ministries they might offer to address critical needs. Using a community survey, they identified the most desired ministry that it was within their resource capacity to provide. Their after-school ministry for latchkey children became a model in the community. Over time, the face of the congregation changed to include a significant number of single parents.
In another instance, a church realized it had no relationships among school administrators or faculty. Because the church cared about the development of young people, they wanted to be able to influence the community’s education processes. They made an appointment with a school principal and presented him with a chequebook for an account containing $1000. They asked him to be their agent in caring for kids in that school, for example using $50 to buy a pair of shoes for a kid who needed them. When the account got low, they would fill it up again; they left the accounting up to the principal. They concluded, “We just want to help make it a little easier for you to do what you normally do.”
The pastor recalls, “When we finished talking, there sat this big old principal, just crying like a baby.” After some time 18 members of his staff were attending the church, and initially most of them were not Christians.
Missional churches are rediscovering God’s purpose: that all the nations have opportunity to know Him and gather in praise of His glory. They’ve heard God’s probing question, “What would it look like for a church to turn the world upside down today?” (Acts 17:6) Jesus continues to send His followers into the world to glorify God, share His word, make known His joy and love and offer of eternal life – a never-ending relationship in which we know Him and are known. Let’s pray that we may set ourselves apart for the adventure!