Don’t Give Up Missions

There came a point in Jesus’s earthly ministry when he was no longer welcomed in the synagogues. With no other option, Jesus began to teach in the open air and began to tell parables. Parables are practical illustrations from daily living. Parables are not fables with a moral lesson. Parables are not analogies, where each character represents a contemporary character. Parables are different, because they illustrate a single divine truth.

Our reading, Matthew 25:31-46, the parable of the sheep and the goats, is a judgement parable. That generation saw the scene regularly. As a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, so God will separate the righteous from the unrighteous. The righteous will enter heaven, because they responded to human need. They provided food, drinks, companionship, clothing, and medicine to those in need. The unrighteous were sent to hell because they failed to respond to human need. They were preoccupied with their owns needs and desires. The point of the story is clear – Jesus expects us to respond to human need. In the life of the church, we call responding to human need missions. Christian missions is an excellent way of expressing your appreciation to God for saving your soul. My goal in this blog is to help you appreciate the mission work of the church. I will do that by making three statements about mission work. I hope these statements make you think.

This is statement number one. Missions involve interpersonal relationships. Once you learn the name of the person you are helping, everything changes. Once you get involved in their story, missions come to life. Missions is not charity, missions is deeper. There is nothing wrong with collecting food, paper products or warm clothing. There are many people who need them. The problem is, you never get to know the person who will eat that food, use those paper products or wear that scarf. Charity is fine, but the needy always remain at a distance. Missions involve interpersonal relationships. In my life, I cherish the relationships I have made while helping someone in need. They changed my life while I was helping them. I think and pray for them regularly. If you want to thank Jesus, get involved in someone else’s story. Missions involve interpersonal relationships.

This is statement number two. Missions expose a person’s spiritual maturity. Spiritual babies only think about themselves. The spiritually mature grow to understand that life is about others. No activity in the life of the church exposes spiritual maturity more than missions. If it is true of people, and it is true of churches. If you show me a church that is not involved in missions, then I will show you a church that is on the way to extinction.

On the day missions take a backseat to everything else, your church will begin to die. If you want your church to close, then frustrate every mission opportunity. It is easy to do. You can justify your opposition based on sound business principles. Others will support you because there are other spiritually immature people. The church was never meant to be a business. The church was meant to be an extension of Christ in the world. When the winds of Pentecost blew, the only thing that mattered to those charter members was Jesus. The only thing that should matter to you is Jesus. The spiritually mature understand when we care for the needy of this world we are really caring for Jesus. When we ignore the needy of this world, we are ignoring Jesus. That is what the Master said in the parable. Missions expose a person’s spiritual maturity.

This is statement number three. Missions involve a certain amount of risk. Can I state the obvious? There are many frightened people within the life of the church. Whenever I have gotten involved in a mission project, well-meaning people try to stop me. When I went to the Philippines, people told me, don’t go! Their government is unstable. When I went to Mexico people told me, don’t go! You could get a disease. When I went to Haiti people told me, don’t go! You could be held hostage. Every time I traveled to the former Soviet Union, some well-meaning person warned me that I could be arrested and interrogated. When I tried to help the poor in my nearby city, people asked me, “Aren’t you afraid to be in the city? Someone seems to be killed every day.”

Yes, missions involve a certain amount of risk. Yes, the government may be unstable. Yes, the food may be bad. Yes, the residents may not like Americans. Yes, you may fall in love with someone in need and get your heart broken. However, this is what experience has taught me: The reward of helping those in need is greater than the risk. There is a world of needy people out there whom God loves. How can you turn your back on them? If you don’t believe God is calling you to go, then don’t go. Stay home. But, if God has called someone else to do something, then don’t discourage them. Encourage and pray for them. Never forget, God is with the person he has called into missions. Missions involve risk.

Ernest Henry Shackelton (1874-1922) was born in Ireland on February 15, 1874. His father wanted him to be a doctor, but he wanted to be a sailor. At the age of sixteen, he joined the merchant marines and saw the world. His greatest desire was to travel to the South Pole. In December of 1914, he got that opportunity. He was the captain of a ship called Endurance, which had a crew of twenty-seven men. For years, I read about an advertisement he ran to recruit his crew. This is the fictitious ad:

Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages. Bitter cold. Long months of complete darkness. Constant danger. Safe return doubtful. Honor and recognition in case of success.

The story ends by saying Shackleton could not take all the men that responded to that ad. I was saddened to learn several years ago that story is not true. I wanted that story to be true, because I longed for an adventure. I didn’t just want to live and die. I wanted to make a difference. I am not alone. Many long for an adventure and to make a difference.

I believe you long for an adventure and want to make a difference in this world too. I believe you are desperate to find a way to thank God for saving your soul. The world is filled with people who are in need. How are you going to respond? Pastor of the Saddleback Church in California Rick Warren (born 1954) once said, “The only way to serve God is to serve other people.” Never give up on missions!

Enter His Gates

In 1860, Edward Spencer (1840-1863) was a seminary student at Northwestern University. He also volunteered as a member of a life-saving squad. One night two ships collided in the icy waters of Lake Michigan and over 300 died that night. However, seventeen were saved by the heroic acts of Spencer. That experience changed him. He never fully recovered and died several years later. History tells us none of the seventeen people he saved attended his funeral. Many believe Edward Spencer’s story is the story of contemporary America. Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the world, but few take time to worship him. I am not talking about walking into a church building on Sunday morning. I am talking about truly worshipping him. When was the last time you truly worshipped? That takes us our scripture reading.

Our reading is Psalm 100. David reminds us of two basic things. First, God made us. Without God, we would not exist. Second, God loves us. God did not create us and set us adrift. God created us and hungers to be part of our lives. All God expects in return is our worship. Verse four says, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” The divine truth is as true today as it was generations ago. That is where the problem begins. According to Gallup Research Group, only 30% of Americans worship regularly. That number has dropped by 12% in the last decade. That means that 70% of Americans don’t worship regularly. They are like the survivors in the Edward Spencer story. That is sad, yet the problem doesn’t end there. I do not want to sound critical, but I want to be honest. It is possible to enter a church building and not worship.

I was in the ministry for forty years. I did not retire because I grew tired of preaching or pastoral care. I retired to escape the negativity within the local church. Every congregation has this problem. My last church is the perfect example. I was there for twenty-eight years, so I am qualified to say they had a difficult time getting along. How many examples do you need? People that liked traditional worship didn’t care for the people who went to the contemporary worship service. They considered contemporary worship the flavor of the month. The people who attended the contemporary service saw the traditional worshippers as living in the past. The traditional and contemporary worshippers didn’t care for my early convenience service and wanted to end it. They believed those people would make a change and attend “their” worship service. That simply wasn’t going to happen. People didn’t care for the youth because they never went to worship and only participated in the annual mission trip. The kitchen crew criticized anyone who didn’t help. The choir criticized anyone in the congregation who had a musical opinion. The organist played too loud. The praise team sang too long. The second-hand clothing store made the church smell funny and took up too much space. The daycare never paid enough rent. The district office brought strangers into the building. The sewing ladies believed the whole church was against them, but no one knew they existed. The custodian was too talkative and lazy. The secretary wasn’t welcoming and loved drama. Everyone knew how to fix my church, but it wasn’t broken. The church was welcoming new members and was financially sound. By the end, I was exhausted. Everyone knew I took a nap on Sunday afternoon. They thought I was tired from preaching three times. Truth be told, I took a nap to recover from all the complainers. Every Sunday morning, I spent hours talking to people, but Jesus wasn’t brought up one time. It is possible to go to church and not worship.

Mark Twain (1835-1910) had a point. He once said, “80% of the people who listen to your complaints don’t care. The other 20% think you deserve it!” This is also true, those that criticize the most, are criticized the most. I love retirement because I get to go to church and worship God. Very few talk to me, and I don’t care. I also don’t care what songs are sung, or if the bathroom lights are shut off. This is the question I must ask you. What is your attitude when you go to church? Are you more concerned about having your complaint heard, or are you more interested in praising God? Negative words in the life of the church cause damage in three ways.

First, critical words deny God’s sovereignty. When you enter his gates with critical negative words you deny God sovereignty. Complaining people are telling the world they are not happy, and things are not up to their standards. When you complain it is all about you! You are the one who is setting the standard. That is why people who don’t act like you frustrate you. That is why you aren’t happy when things are done your way. That is why people who don’t think like you or hold your core values irritate you. When you complain it is all about you! This is the problem: church is not about you, church is about God. It is God who sets the standard. People don’t come to church to hear about you. People come to church to hear about Jesus. People come to church to experience God!

Second, your critical words disrupt Christian unity. In the perfect church we are all united in the name of Jesus. That sounds easy, but it is hard to do. As a matter of fact, it doesn’t happen very often. The most challenging part of any pastor’s job is uniting the people. If you have ever uttered those words, “Why don’t people support this?” then you understand my frustration. It is my experience church seldom unites around a program. People will unite around a crisis. Churches will unite when the building burns down. Churches will unite at some natural disaster. Churches will unite during some national crisis. The good news is we don’t face a crisis very often. They seldom come so the church is generally not united. Satan loves this fact. A content church is the perfect breeding ground for complainers. I used to think people complained because they had a lot of problems. Experience taught me people complain because they feel like they lack influence. Complaining doesn’t change anything or make situations better. Complaints amplify frustration, spread discontent and discord. Proverbs six tells us there are six things the Lord hates – one of those things is a person who stirs up conflict in the community.

Third, critical words discredit your witness. American clergyman A. W. Tozier (1897-1962) said, “Among those sins most exquisitely fitted to injure the soul and destroy the testimony, few can equal the sin of complaining.” This is as practical as I can make it. In church people vote two ways. First, people vote with their feet. If they like what is happening, then they come. Second, they vote with their wallets. If they like what is happening, then they give. If they don’t like what is happening, then they don’t come or give. There is something ugly about that behavior. As a pastor I was not afraid to let those people walk away. They didn’t really come for the right reason. I have never been interested in membership, I was only interested in discipleship. Never forget! You are an ambassador of Jesus Christ. In other words, you are to be representing Jesus in this world. How are you doing with your assignment? You may be the only Bible someone ever reads. Are you representing Jesus in a way this is pleasing to him or are you an embarrassment?

I am not going to end this blog with an inspirational story. I am going to end this blog with a challenge. I challenge you to evaluate your attitude about your church.

Is your heart filled with gratitude? Are your words affirming, or are your words critical? Satan loves your critical words. Critical words deny God’s sovereignty. Critical words destroy Christian unity. Critical words discredit your witness. I hope the words you utter at church are positive and affirming. Those are the words that God loves. Do you remember today’s scripture?

Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.

Wake Up, Show Up, Speak Up

Rita was a parishioner of mine in the Cleveland area. When I knew her, she was a good United Methodist. However, she was raised Roman Catholic. As a child the Methodist Church in her neighborhood stood between her home and her school. Her mother made it clear: never go into that Methodist Church! We are Catholic! If you go into that Methodist Church, you will commit a sin, and you may go to hell. Little Rita believed those words. One day on her way home from first grade a thunderstorm struck, and she had to make a difficult decision. She could walk into that Methodist Church and sin, or she could face the wrath of that storm and not sin. Little Rita remembered the words of her mother and faced the storm with tears in her eyes.

Many in Rita’s generation had similar stories. They were raised in a world that told them not to trust different branches of the church. People see the differences in others, God sees what we have in common. Every branch of the Christian church believes in the resurrection of Jesus and nothing else really matters. Our world has become much more complex. My great-grandfather was the last Adams to live on a farm. There is an excellent chance he never met a non-Christian. There is an excellent chance my grandson will know many non-Christians in his lifetime. That reality leads us to an interesting question: what is your response to our polytheistic society? That question leads us to the Bible.

Our reading is Acts 17:22-28. Paul finds himself in the city of Athens. It was a city of great history. Five centuries before Paul, Athens had been at its height of glory. It was the home of great art, philosophy, and literature. On the day Paul arrived, it was still a great city. It was the home of the leading university of the day and boasted the great philosophical tradition inherited from Socrates (47 BC-399 BC), Plato (427 BC-348 BC) and Aristotle (384 BC-322 BC). Paul should have been happy, but Paul was disturbed. With his own eyes he saw the idols dedicated to all the false gods. Like contemporary America, Athens believed in freedom of religion. It is for that reason our scripture speaks to us. The great evangelist is confronted with the same question that I asked you today — as a disciple of Jesus Christ, what is your response to our polytheistic society?

According to the Pew Research Group, the largest religion in the world is Christianity, 31.1% of the world’s population identifies themselves as Christian. The second largest religion in the world is Islam. 24.9% of the world’s population identifies themselves as Muslim. 15.2% of the world’s population identifies themselves as Hindu. 6.6% of the world’s population identifies themselves as Buddhist. 15.6% of the world’s population is irreligious. With the advancement of transportation and communication, we have seen our world grow smaller. The chances of you never meeting a non-Christian today is very small. For this reason, I would encourage you to do three things. These thoughts are not original. They came from United Methodist clergyman James W. Moore (1938-2019).

First, we need to wake up! The First Amendment of the United States constitution says: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. The first amendment protects five basic freedoms. It is the freedom of religion that grabs our attention.

The constitution of the United States is a good thing. It protects our basic freedoms, including the freedom of religion. That freedom is much wider than protecting your right of being a Christian. It says that anyone can worship in the way that they wish. The first amendment protects the right of the Jews and those of the Muslim faith. It protects the New Age folks and the Scientologists, like Tom Cruise (born 1962). I don’t have to tell you the times are changing! Our country is changing! There are non-Christian groups being formed every day in our land. Jesus is no longer the only show in town. Americans worship many gods. We need to wake up to that fact. As a disciple of Jesus Christ, you need to wake up!

Second, we need to show up! The Archbishop of Canterbury William Temple (1881-1944) once said, “Go into the world and preach the gospel and use words only when absolutely necessary.” In other words, we need to show the world that Jesus has made a difference in our lives. We need to show up to help the hurricane victims. We need to show up at hospitals and orphanages. We need to show up at nursing homes and the food banks. We need to show up and respond to international needs. We need to show up to tell the world that we are sincere people. Our priorities show the world Jesus has made a difference in our lives.

I worship at Church of the Lakes in North Canton, Ohio. It is about an hour drive from my home. My soul is worth the drive. I am never disappointed. It is a healthy church. The people are nice, and the message is always solid. Each week in worship there is a mission spotlight. It is aways different. The church offers a smorgasbord of missions. They are involved in local missions. They are involved in regional missions. They are involved in national and international missions. My wife Kathryn has been asked to do a mission spotlight on our mission work in Estonia. I am proud to be part of a church who isn’t afraid to get involved in missions, because our world has many needs. As Christians, we need to show up and respond to our needy world. As a disciple of Jesus Christ, you need to show up!

Third, we need to speak up! We must be able to articulate our faith and tell the world what we believe. Do you know what you believe about Jesus? I do not expect you to have a well-developed theology like the apostle Paul, but you need to know that the cornerstone of our faith is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the one thing that separates Christianity from the other religions of the world.

For several years, I would spend my Monday mornings listening to the worship service at the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York City. At the time, Tom Tewell was the Lead Pastor. I remember listening to the worship service the Sunday after September 11^th. Tewell participated in several ecumenical services after the attack. At one such service, he was the only Christian and was assigned to offer the benediction. The rabbi was to read scripture. An imam said a prayer. A politician said a few words. Tewell was interested in why he was assigned the benediction, so he asked. The organizer said, “Of all the faiths and philosophies represented, Christianity is the only one that offers the most hope. You believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. You have a living Savior. The rest of the founders are dead!” That is what makes Christianity different from other world religions. We need to be able to tell people what Jesus means to us. We need to be able to tell people what Jesus has done for us. As a disciple of Jesus Christ, you need to speak up! Let me end with this story.

South African Anglican bishop and theologian Desmond Tutu (1931-2021) was at a meeting with the minister of law and order in South Africa. He took that opportunity to talk about the Gospel and how Apartheid went again the Gospel. The minister of law and order didn’t want Tutu to wake up, show up or speak up. He wanted Tutu to shut up. However, Tutu refused to stop talking. He said, “Mr. Minister, with all respect, you are a man and not God. You are nothing more than a scribble in the pages of world history, but Jesus Christ will live forever!” Desmund Tutu was right. Someday every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. But until that day comes, we need to wake up, show up and speak up.

Church Paralysis

When I first retired, I worshipped in a small membership church in eastern Ohio near the Pennsylvania line. I have nothing negative to say about them. They were nice people who took great pride in their church building. Weekly before worship, they would gather in a circle of chairs and visit. They talked about all kinds of things. They reminisced about the glory days of their church and how the community had changed. They talked about their illnesses and the latest news. They talked about the latest conquest of their high school athletic teams. They talked about everything, but they never talked about the future of their church. It was the big pink elephant in the middle of the room. Everyone knew it, but no one wanted to admit it – their days were numbered, their church was dying. Their pastor tried a variety of things to help them continue in ministry. She suggested they start a food pantry, but the idea was easily shot down. She held and paid for a Vacation Bible School for the community, but most members didn’t care. Some believed the denomination should write them a generous check to continue.

They got so desperate they asked me what they could do to save their church. They pulled me off to the side one Sunday and asked me what to do. I said, “do something! Anything is better than nothing.” I suggested updating their Facebook page, collecting school supplies for the local school, or talk to visitors. It would have been nice to change the paraments to reflect the correct liturgical season. They listened patiently, but in the end, they did nothing. They were suffering from what I call “church paralysis.” Churches are excellent at doing nothing. That small membership church in eastern Ohio is not alone. Many churches are excellent at doing nothing.

There is a blogger named Paul Alexander. He wrote a blog called Six Reasons Churches Refuse to Change. This blog has some merit. These are his reasons. Perhaps you can find your church in his list?

Procrastination – Have you ever attended a church meeting where nothing happened? After ninety minutes of talking, nothing happened. The time was spent reviewing the members’ workday, family problems and medical conditions. In the end, a failed program from the past was brought back. The truth is no one expects it to be successful this time.

Structure – Have you ever been part of a church where some committee acts as the ultimate authority. They vote down anything they don’t like or understand. They vote down anything that doesn’t benefit them or their friends. Committees should help people do, not frustrate, ministry.

Focus – Have you ever attended a church that was more interested in the members’ needs than the needs of anyone outside of the church? They are more concerned about seeing their birthday printed in the bulletin, than they are helping strangers obtain basic human needs.

Desire – Have you ever attended a church that was consumed by the members’ likes and dislikes. Selfish individuals like things their way. They expect everyone to worship in a style they like. They expect everyone to sing the songs they like. They want to worship at a time that is convenient to them. There is very little thought about what others like or what others find beneficial.

Money – Have you ever attended a church meeting where a new idea for ministry was shot down because of a lack of money or questionable insurance coverage? Money is an excellent excuse for doing nothing. Jesus spoke more about money than any other topic because money is important. How we spend our money reveals our priorities. Have you ever noticed there is never enough money for things we don’t like, and we can find money for the things we like?

Fear – Have you ever been part of a church who is afraid they will upset important church members? If they leave, there is no one to replace them. If they leave, they will take their money. The important members like the status quo, so churches do nothing to keep key people happy.

I will admit it, every church I served had these elements. Every church, to some degree, suffers from church paralysis. This is painfully true. On the day any church becomes more concerned about themselves than the world, it stops being the church God intended from the very beginning. After all, the church is the only organization that exists for its nonmembers. All this takes us to our scripture reading, Matthew 21:18-22.

It is Monday of Holy Week. The events of Palm Sunday are nothing more than a memory, and the crowd had dispersed. It is early in the morning and Jesus was alone with the disciples. They are headed back into Jerusalem. The author goes out of his way to tell us, Jesus is hungry. He spots an innocent fig tree to satisfy his hunger. It is full of leaves, which means it should have been full of its fruit. However, there is none. Out of character, Jesus curses the fig tree, and it instantly dies. It is the only thing Jesus ever cursed. The meaning of the story is lost to our generation, but Jesus’ generation understands the point clearly. It is a judgement story. Like the bald eagle which represents America, the fig tree represented Israel. Its leafy state was false advertising. Israel was being cursed because she was not fulfilling her divine purpose. There should have been fruit, but there was none. Like the fig tree, God expects the church to fulfill her divine purpose too. It is not enough to just exist and look good – we must be productive. The dead tree must have acted as a reminder to that generation that existence is not enough. Through the eyes of God, they had to be productive. Many unproductive churches are suffering the same fate as the fig tree.

April 16, 2023, was a sad day for my small membership church in extreme eastern Ohio. That was the day they held their last worship service. That church existed for over one hundred years, but no more. The large check from the denomination never came, but the denomination did close her. Except for the few remaining members no one seemed to care, and they didn’t care enough to do something. The church died of church paralysis. That church is not alone.

According to the Barna Research Group, approximately 3,700 churches close in America annually. Scattered across America are countless repurposed church buildings. My area is no exception. Former church buildings have been turned into art museums, childcare centers, adult daycare centers, beauty salons, private residences, restaurants, distilleries, and breweries. Recently, I discovered a former church that had been repurposed into a meadery. The worst is when an old, closed church building falls into disrepair. It is my guess, most of these churches did not close because the people weren’t nice. They did not close because of some sin committed by the members or the clergy. They did not close because the Gospel was not relevant. I believe many of these churches closed because they suffered from church paralysis. They simply refused to do something.

Like the dead tree, those repurposed church buildings stand as a warning to every functioning church. It does not matter how large your church is today. It does not matter how active your church is today. Church paralysis can happen at any church. It is not enough to just exist – every church must be productive. What new thing has your church done lately? Churches were never meant to be monuments of some past glory. They are meant to be a productive part of society. LifeWay’s Thom Rainer (born 1955) once said, “Some churches would rather die than get out of the comfort of the past.”

Examining Missions

We find ourselves in the twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew. It is my favorite parable, so you may remember these opening words. There came a point in Jesus’s earthly ministry when he was no longer welcomed in the synagogues. With no other option, Jesus began to teach in the open air and began to tell parables. Parables are nothing more than illustrations from daily living. They are not analogies, where each character represents a contemporary character. Parables are not that deep; they are only told to teach a single divine truth.

So, what is the truth Jesus is trying to teach in the parable of the sheep and the goats? Jesus expects us to respond to human need. It is our way of expressing appreciation to God for saving our souls. We are not saved by our good works – we are saved by grace. Our only hope of salvation comes through our faith in Jesus Christ. That is why missions are so important to the life of the church. My goal in this blog is to help you appreciate missions. I will do that by making three statements about missions. I hope these statements make you think.

This is statement number one. Missions involve interpersonal relationships. Once you learn the name of the person you help, everything changes. Once you get involved in their story, missions come to life. Missions is not charity – missions is deeper. There is nothing wrong with collecting food, paper products or hats and mittens. There are many people who need them. The problem is, you never get to know the person who will eat that food, use those paper products, or wear the hat. Charity is fine, but the needy always remain at a distance. Missions involve interpersonal relationships. If you want to thank Jesus, get involved in someone else’s story.

My wife has spent much her life helping unadoptable Russian orphans. Through the years, three of these orphans came to the United States to get prosthetics legs and they stayed in our home. One year two of the boys came at the same time. Stas came to get his first prosthetic legs. Kolya came to get his legs repaired and adjusted. Stas was eight years old and stayed away from me. Kolya was sixteen and became my friend. He did what my daughters never did – he stayed up late with me and we watched the NCAA basketball tournament. He opened up during those late nights and we shared our lives. One night Kolya and I were talking. Wanting to give him a hard time about being Russian, I asked him a question just to get a reaction out of him. Knowing the Nazis nearly overran his town of Dmitrov during the war, I said to him, “Kolya, what did you learn about World War II in those rotten Russian schools?” Sixteen-year-olds are great in any country; they are just so unfiltered. Kolya rubbed the top of his head and gave me a smirk. He said, “We learned the American generals weren’t very good and that was why the war lasted so long.” We both laughed and I said, “I’ll tell all my veteran friends we had rotten generals during World War II.” I told a vet that story and he said, “The kid was right! We did have rotten generals”. The best thing about that night was that I got to spend time with Kolya. Another day, Kolya and I were driving in the country, and he asked me if all the houses we passed had electricity. I said, “Yes!” He said, “Wow!” Kolya is a fine young man, and he taught me something. Missions is not charity. In missions, we get involved with the needy. How involved are you with the truly needy? Missions is a great way to thank God for saving your soul. Missions involve interpersonal relationships.

This is statement number two. Missions expose our spiritual maturity. Spiritual babies think it is all about themselves. The spiritually mature understand life is about others. No activity in the life of the local church exposes spiritual maturity more than missions. Your response to missions says a great deal about your spiritual maturity. If it is true of people, then it is true of churches. If you show me a church that is not involved in missions, then I will show you a church that is on the way to extinction.

On the day missions takes a backseat to everything else, your church will start to die.

Listen to what I am about to say: if you want your church to close, then protest every mission opportunity. It is easy to do. You can justify your opposition based on sound business principles. You will get some support from fellow church members because the spiritually immature are always with us. They don’t get it. I heard it many times in the ministry. “We can’t afford it!” “The congregation won’t support it!” “The insurance won’t cover it!” This is the painful truth to the spiritually immature. Churches aren’t businesses. The churches were never meant to be a business. The church is the only organization that exists for the benefit of its nonmembers. The church was meant to be an extension of Christ in the world. When the winds of Pentecost blew, the only thing that mattered to those charter members was Jesus. The only thing that should matter to your church is Jesus. The spiritually mature understand when we care for the needy of this world, we are really caring for Jesus. When we ignore the needy of this world, we are ignoring Jesus. This is not my opinion. That is what the Master said in the parable. If you want to thank God for your salvation, then get involved in missions. Missions expose our spiritual maturity.

This is statement number three. Missions does involve a certain amount of risk. Can I state the obvious? There are many frightened people in the church. Whenever I have gotten involved in a mission project, well-meaning people try to stop me. When I went to the Philippines, people told me, “don’t go!” Their government was unstable. When I went to Mexico people told me, “don’t go!” I would be taken hostage. When I went to Haiti people told me, “don’t go!” I could get a disease. When I got involved in Mill Creek Workcamp, which brought 400 young people to Youngstown, Ohio, to help the residents with basic home repair, people said to me, “Aren’t you afraid to be in the city of Youngstown? Someone seems to be killed every day.” My wife Kathryn and I have gone to Russia several dozen times through the years. Every time well-meaning people tried to frustrate us. They said, “The Russians will arrest you and you will never return home.”

They are not all wrong, there is a certain amount of risk. Yes, the plane may go down. Yes, the food may be bad. Yes, the residents may not like your brand of politics. Yes, you may fall in love with one of the orphans and get your heart broken. However, this is what I have learned: The reward is far greater than the risk. There is a world of needy people out there whom God loves. How can you turn your back on them? If God has not told you to go, then don’t go. But, if God has called someone to do something, then don’t discourage them. Pray for them. They will pack their common sense. Missions involve risk. Missions are the best way to thank God for your salvation.

I read this story years ago. Ernest Henry Shackelton (1874-1922) was born in Ireland on February 15, 1874. His father wanted him to be a doctor, but he wanted to be a sailor. At the age of sixteen, he joined the merchant marines and saw the world. His greatest desire was to travel to the North and South Poles. In December of 1914, he got that opportunity. He was the captain of a ship called Endurance, which had a crew of twenty-seven men. Most of those men were recruited from a simple newspaper advertisement. It read:

Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages. Bitter cold. Long months of complete darkness. Constant danger. Safe return doubtful. Honor and recognition in case of success.

Some have questioned the authenticity of the story, but it doesn’t seem to matter. The story still resonates in the heart of many. Why? Because, people long for an adventure. No one just wants to live and die. We long for an adventure and an opportunity to make a difference. I believe you long for an adventure and you want to make a difference in this world too. I believe, you are desperate to find a way to thank God for saving your soul. Founder of Saddleback Church Rick Warren (born 1954) wasn’t wrong. He once said, “The Only way to serve God is to serve other people.”

They Continued

We are in the fourteenth chapter of Acts, verses one through seven. Paul and Barnabas are on this first missionary journey. As I said in my past few blogs, their method of teaching was straightforward. They entered a community, located the synagogue, waited until the Sabbath, and talked about Jesus.

In our text for today, we are told they are in Iconium. Guess what they did? They entered the community, located the synagogue, waited until the Sabbath, and talked about Jesus. In my last blog, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, I talked about the three reactions you can expect when you talk about Jesus. They are illustrated once again in this text. The Gentiles were good because they accepted the Good News. The Jews were bad because they ignored the Good News. Some of the Jews were ugly because they wanted to prevent anyone from hearing the Good News. Verse 4 tells us the whole city was divided. Everyone had an emotional opinion. The debate was so heated that some formed a plot to stone the apostles. When Paul and Barnabas got wind of those plans, they fled town, but they didn’t stop talking about Jesus. They traveled about twenty miles to the cities of Lystra and Derbe. When they got there, guess what they did? They entered the city, located the synagogue, waited until the Sabbath, and talked about Jesus. Verse seven summarizes it for us. It says, “They continued to preach the gospel.” I know it doesn’t sound exciting, but continuing to preach the gospel is extremely important. It is the only thing that really matters in the life of the church. We must talk about Jesus! Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) once said, “If the church stops talking about Jesus, then the church has nothing to say.” We are not much different than Paul and Barnabas. They had to talk about Jesus and so do we. Sadly, many churches have gown mute.

The building sits at 702 Mahoning Avenue in Youngstown, Ohio. It is located next to absolutely nothing. However, at one time it was considered “out in the country” next to the once proud city. It is the home of Hopewell Theater, one of the community theater groups in my area. I have been inside several times because my wife Kathryn has been in several of their productions. It wasn’t built as a theater; it was built as a church. It doesn’t take much imagination to imagine the good old days. The audience sits in uncomfortable pews. The chancel area has been replaced by a small flat stage. The fellowship hall in the basement has been converted into tiny changing rooms. Every time I go, I ask the same question, “What was the name of this church?” Every time, I get the same answer, “I don’t know.” The next line has nothing to do with the quality of the productions. However, it has everything to do with the unknown church. Every time I walk into that building, I grow sad. That building was not built for entertainment purposes; it was built to tell people about Jesus. That building does not stand alone.

There are other church buildings that have been “repurposed.” There are far too many examples. Former church buildings have been repurposed into all kinds of things. In my community, former church buildings have been turned into daycare centers, beauty spas, microbreweries, and art museums. That is not all bad. I like young children, attractive women, cold beer, and art. However, the whole situation makes me sad, and the trend is not over. More churches will close, and new businesses will be opened on those sites. According to Lifeway Research, approximately 4,500 churches close in America annually. The vacated buildings are often large and sit on public locations. I learned long ago churches are much like people. They have a lifeline. When they are young, they grow and thrive. When they are old, they decline and die. However, this is not the end of the story. The church will continue.

The same study tells us 3,000 new churches start in America annually. They are easy to overlook. They are not found in obvious locations. They are found in strip plazas, malls, bars, and private homes. It is easy to see them as a threat to the established church. I try not to do so. I find them to be the next chapter of the church. Society is constantly changing, and the church must evolve to adapt. Many believe the largest churches in America in thirty years have not yet been started. Many active church members do not like these church starts because they are not interested in continuing church traditions and ways. Instead, they are interested in promoting Jesus, like Paul and Barnabas. I would like to think all these churches will succeed, but many will fail. They will be replaced by even newer churches. However, one thing is clear: The church will continue because the church is of God.

In seminary I heard a lecture that changed the way I look at the church. The professor told us the church will exist forever, because the church performs various divine functions unique to the church. This is the list:

Worship The church has no other option than to worship God. It is a public event. It is the one thing every congregation must do to remain a church. Style of worship does not matter. The only thing that matters is the heart of the worshippers. In worship, we publicly declare our love for God.

Spiritual Disciplines Believers have no other option but to practice the spiritual disciplines. It is a private act. The church encourages us to pray and study the Bible. In those, we share our lives with God and learn about his ways.

Fellowship The church faith was never to be lived in isolation. We need one another. Fellowship has little to do with learning someone else’s name and having fun. Fellowship has everything to do with holding one another spiritually accountable and encouraging one another.

Service The church must give everyone an opportunity to serve. Jesus cared about the basic needs of individuals. He cared that people had enough to eat and he cared about their health. The same must be true in the church. Galatians 6:10 says, “As we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

Evangelism In the great commission, Jesus commands us to go into the world and make disciples. To be a disciple, you must be a disciple, yourself. That means two things. Are you living in a way that is pleasing to God? Are you able to tell the world what Jesus means to you?

St. Andrews Episcopal Church was in Austintown, Ohio. I was there several times for a variety of reasons. I did not consider that congregation to be old. I considered it to be a younger congregation. That is why I was so surprised to hear the news. The church was closing, and the building was being put up for sale. In other words, the congregation did not die off; they gave up. They grew tired of all the fundraising. They grew tired of the building maintenance and all the pastoral changes. One day they simply locked the door and never looked back. Today, that building is a counseling center with a wonderful pipe organ. Every time I drive by that building, I am sad. It wasn’t constructed to be a counseling center. That building was built to proclaim the Good News. The building was built to tell people about Jesus. Yet, that is not the end of the story. The church will continue.

Roman Emperor Constintine (272-337) once said, “Our hearts are restless until we find our rest in God.” He knew what many in our time have forgotten. As moral beings, we need God! First, we need God in this world because our lives are incomplete without him. We will never experience spiritual peace without God. Second, we need God when we leave this world because without Him there is no hope of salvation. That is why the church is so important. That is why the church will continue.Let me end with this simple story.

A couple took their son, 11, and daughter, 7, to Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. As always, when the tour reached the deepest point in the cavern, the guide turned off all the lights to dramatize how completely dark and silent it is below the earth’s surface. The little girl, suddenly enveloped in utter darkness, was frightened, and began to cry. Immediately, her brother replied, “Don’t cry. Somebody here knows how to turn on the lights.” Can I state the obvious? Our world can be a dark place and the church is the only one who knows how to turn the lights on. That is exactly why the church must continue to preach the Good News. Fear not. The church will continue!