Returning To Biblical Missions

What does it mean to "return to biblical missions"?

Several years ago myself and a good friend and colleague of mine, Elbert Smith, were discussing how we could make our training for missionaries, national partners, and volunteers more strategic and more practical. One of the outcomes of this discussion came the idea that everything we presented would come from one or both of two sources; The Word of God and The Works of God. This caused us to ask two questions.

1) Do we see this concept or practice in Scripture?
2) How do we see God moving in the world today to bring lost souls into His Kingdom?

Joshua 1:8 states: "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success."

When you look at all of the plans and strategies being implemented around the world today, a close examination of these strategies reveal that those which are inline with biblical teachings are producing the greatest eternal fruit. The good news is that we do not have to keep coming up with something new, but instead, just keep remembering what Scripture both teaches and promises.

Then in Psalm 111:2, we read, "Great are the works of the Lord; They are studied by all who delight in them."

Especially in IMB circles the buzz words for several years now has been Church Planting Movements. It is undeniable that a significant amount of observation and evidence exists to support the claim that this is a work of God, a mighty movement of the Holy Spirit. With the emergence of CPMs we see characteristics and practices that has helped return our focus on the early days of Pentecost and the rapid spread of the gospel in the years that followed.

However, at the risk of sounding heretical, we must be careful not to fall into the trap of believing that CPMs are the last word on missions and mission strategy. Even a cursory review of modern missions history will show that we are currently riding the latest wave of mission thought and practice and even if we can't see it yet, another new wave is forming just over the horizon. But until this new wave begins to build, we need to be sure that we do not miss the opportunities that lay before us today.

So, I will ask the question again, what does it mean to return to biblical missions? Here are just a few of my responses.

1. My first and primary source for mission strategy is found in Scripture. The Bible is replete with examples and commands that allows us to go from lostness to saved, saved to church, and from church to multiplying churches.

2. We call it best practices, but I believe the Bible calls it the work of the Holy Spirit. We need to be spiritually sensitive observers, showing both discernment and wisdom as we seek to determine where and how God is working to redeem lost men, women, boys and girls to Himself.

3. Lostness should impact everything we do so that everything we do impacts lostness.

4. I do not know who originated this phrase, but I heard it first from Bruce Carlton. "Church is not where we meet, but church is who we are."

5. Jesus said that a tree is judged by it's fruit. Are we bearing eternal fruit or are we taking up space that could be used by someone else who would bear fruit?

6. If we consider the apostle Paul a missionary model for us to follow, then it's important to remember that almost everywhere he went he left behind, new believers, new churches, and developing leaders. More on this in a future blog.

Returning to biblical missions is rediscovering the value and impact of 1st century principles and practices in a 21st century world.