Missions 101

As 2012 comes to an end and 2013 looms, I reflect once again on the nature of the gospel. Our work in training pastors is to help them understand the gospel, practice it in their lives, and proclaim it to others, all with a view to helping the nations worship God when they have understood him through the gospel. In thinking through how God has used TLI and many other ministers of the gospel, I cannot help but think again on the nature of the gospel of which we are all ambassadors. Following are some observations on what the gospel is. These are not new, but simply reminders of what we already believe and hold onto. We must be reminded of these things lest we became lazy and presume to know them when we don’t. 

Definition

Simply, the gospel is the good news about God (and Christ). It is a message of salvation addressed to a lost world, that tells what God has done to save sinners and how those saved ought to live before God. The high point of the gospel is not what we must do to be saved but what God has done in Christ to save us.

The Nature of the Gospel Message

As we proclaim the gospel message, there are certain elements that we must be conscious of and take seriously. Only then will we proclaim it well and expect it to do its work. We note the following elements of the gospel:

The Gospel is Power

The gospel is God’s power that accomplishes salvation for all who believe (Rom. 1:16). God works through the gospel message to bring people to himself. Through the gospel, those who believe are reconciled to God, redeemed, delivered, and justified (see Rom 3:23, 24; 8:1; 1 Cor. 15:1, 2; 2 Cor. 5:18-21; 1 Tim. 1:15; cf. Acts 3:13; 4:27).

Source of the Gospel

The source of the gospel or the author of the gospel is God and Christ. We read that it is “the gospel of God” (1 Thess. 2:9), or “the gospel of Christ” (1 Thess. 3:2). God and Christ as the source of the gospel mean that both are the author of salvation. As such, it is not from man (Gal. 1:11, 12; 2:16) since man cannot produce the means for his own salvation. He is unable to do so and so depends only on God (Eph. 2:1, 5, 9). Therefore, from beginning to end, it is God alone who works in Christ to save man.

Emphasis of the Gospel

In the gospel message, the emphasis is not on man but on God. The emphasis is placed on God’s sovereign work to save, and his unmerited grace. Thus, it is the “gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24; see also Rom. 3:23-24; Eph. 2:6-10; Titus 3:4-7).

The Message of the Gospel

What does the gospel communicate? Again, we look to Scripture for an answer. We find that the message of the gospel centers on the person of Jesus Christ. It reports the historical events surround the life of Christ (Luke 1:1; 24:14, 18) and centers on his death and resurrection, all in fulfillment of Scripture (1 Cor. 15:1-5; Acts 2:23; cf. Gal. 2:20). His death was a saving event, in that he died for our sins (1 Cor. 15:3; Gal. 1:4). His resurrection was for the vindication of Jesus (Acts 2:23, 24; 3:13-15; 5:30, 31), vindication of God (Rom. 3:25-26), and for our justification (Rom. 4:25) 

Witnesses of the Gospel

By witnesses, we are referring to the evidence that supports the gospel message. The apostles appealed to evidence to support their gospel, and that evidence is Scripture itself (1 Cor. 15:3, 4; Rom. 3:21; Acts 26:22, 23). All of the Old Testament bears witness to Jesus, who is the center of the gospel (see Luke 24:24ff). The apostles themselves were witnesses of the gospel message, so what they proclaimed was true (Acts 1:8; Luke 24:48; Mark 3:14; John 15:26; Acts 2:32). The witness of the Old Testament and the apostles is primary in giving support to the truthfulness of the gospel message. 

Demands of the Gospel

The gospel demands repentance, faith, and baptism. The gospel clearly calls sinners to accept the gospel and repent from sin (Acts 3:19; 17:30; 2 Cor. 7:10; 2 Tim. 2:25), and turn to Christ in faith.  The gospel is not something to be ashamed of, since it is the power of God and through it God saves sinners (Rom. 1:16, 17; Gal. 3:11; Eph. 2:8; Phil. 2:12, 13). The gospel then appeals very strongly that we be reconciled with God (2 Cor. 5:20) and this is more so because there is no other means of salvation except the means provided by God.

Messengers of the Gospel

Knowing the implications of the gospel, how are sinners to hear it in order to be saved by it? God does not only send the gospel, he sets aside people to proclaim its message (Rom. 1:1). Those set apart for the gospel feel an obligation to proclaim it (Rom. 1:14; 1 Cor. 9:16). We can say that all believers are indeed ambassadors (messengers) of the gospel of God’s grace (2 Cor. 5:20).

Gospel Affirmation

Those who believe the gospel must affirm Jesus; that Jesus is Lord and Christ (Rom. 10:9; 14:9; Phil. 2:9-11; Acts 2:36; 5:31); that God has exalted him at his right hand and therefore he rules over all (Acts 2:32-33; 10:36).

Promises of the Gospel

The gospel comes with promises, but not material promises. Rather, the gospel promises the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit to those who believe (Luke 24:47; Acts 3:19; 10:43; 13:38).

Being reminded over and over about the essential elements of the gospel helps us to keep these things in focus and communicate the gospel message to the nations in a way that is true to Scripture.

And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come (Matt. 24:14).

If you are considering a short-term missions trip, here are three articles a recently wrote on the topic over at The Gospel Coalition to help you prepare and think through some issues you might not be aware of. 

• Celebrating the Short-Term Missions Boom
• Why You Should Consider Cancelling Your Short-Term Missions Trip
• Toward Better Short-Term Missions

There are a number of helpful resources I would commend to you for further study.

A Guide for Prayer

• Operation World by Jason Madryk

Books on Culture Learning and Interaction

• Serving with Eyes Wide Open by David Livermore
• Foreign to Familiar: A Guide to Understanding Hot and Cold Climate Cultures by Sarah Lanier
• Teaching Cross-Culturally: An Incarnational Model for Learning and Teaching by Sherwood and Judith Lingenfelter
• Leading Cross-Culturally by Sherwood Lingenfelter
• Leading Across Cultures: Effective Ministry and Mission in the Global Church by James Pluddemann

Books on Follow-Up

• Re-Entry Guide for Short-Term Missions Leaders by Lisa Chinn
• What Can I Do? Making a Global Difference Right Where You Are by David Livermore

Books on Organizing and Leading

• Mack and Leeann's Guide to Short-Term Missions by Mack and Leeann Stiles
• Transformission: Making Disciples through Short-Term Missions by Michael Wilder and Shane Parker

Books on Money and Partnerships

• When Helping Hurts by Brian Fikkert and Steve Corbett
• Cross Cultural Partnerships: Navigating the Complexities of Money and Missions by Mark Lederietner
• Toxic Charity by Robert Lupton
• Dead Aid by Dambisa Moyo (read the pushback from Michael Gerson)
• Money, Greed, and God by Jay Richards

Books on Support-Raising

• People Raising: A Practical Guide to Raising Support by William Dillon.
• Viewpoints: Fresh Perspectives on Personal Support Raising by Steve Shadrach

Specific to Theological Education

• Reaching and Teaching: A Call to Great Commission Obedience by David Sills

Turbo Tax is a wonderful thing and I have found it very helpful in preparing our tax returns.  It shows me in a crystal clear fashion how much money I have made and the various deductions I can take – in particular, charitable giving.  Last night as I finished and clicked “Send” to e-file, they alerted me that I had a high risk of being audited.  A few thoughts crossed my mind.

Rendering to the US

I don’t like the tax system in the US – it’s very American to think such a thing.  I don’t think it’s fair (but not in the way most people complain about it), but my conscience and Scripture leads me to believe that fudging my tax return is not a good way to protest.  I’m not going to give the government more or less than they want.  I will stay within the parameters of the law.

Jesus once said, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's” (Luke 20:25 ESV).  I'm sure the Roman government was doing plenty of immoral things with the taxes people paid.  For Jesus, that was not the issue.  He did not take a moral stand by not paying taxes, nor should we.  I am sure that last sentence should be nuanced, but let us have Luke 20:25 start the conversation. 

My Integrity is Worth More Than $900

My wife is amazing.  One of things she does on top having four little children is teach private music lessons.  Before children she was an opera singer (for real!), a high school teacher and a college instructor.  Now she teaches the kids of two families.  They are lucky. 

The IRS would never know if I didn’t enter her income.  When I did, our return dropped $900.  For us, that is quite a chunk of change.   Thoughts ran through my mind for a day as I thought about whether to enter her income.  Who cares, I thought, about a few hundred dollars.   They won’t miss it anyway.

Even thinking of it caused turmoil in my soul.  Could I sell out for a few hundred dollars?  Unfortunately, it was tempting, but in the end I trusted Christ and the promises of Scripture and moved on.  It is amazing how doing the right thing is burden lifting.  

Scripture says,  "A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold" (Proverbs 22:1 ESV).  May it be true of all of us who name Christ as Savior.  Report all your income to the glory of God.

If I am Audited, I Hope They Can Tell I am a Christian Without Talking To Me

Someone might take a peek at tax return, and I hope they can see how much I value Christ.  I remember first thinking something like this a few years ago when I was trying to buy a home and the mortgage broker was a Christian.  He knew my job, my income and my giving.  Was he challenged and spurred on to a life of generosity or was he appalled by how low my giving was?

I know first hand that there are complicating situations that cause giving to increase and decrease in different seasons of life.  There is also a lot of giving that can’t be recorded as a tax write-off, but I hope the IRS agent sees that I value Christ and serve Him, not money.

Jesus said,  “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money" (Matthew 6:24 ESV).  May it be true of us.

And What of the Return

Many of us are going to have money coming back to us.  What should we do?  Are you asking: Does this count as income that we need to give away?  If so, it's the wrong question.  We should ask: How can I use this to glority God?  It could mean employing a friend to do work or helping a non-profit or church.  It could mean buying a gift for a family member.  It's all His.  

Maybe next year I will get audited as well.

When I was in seminary a man I knew came up to me in the library asking me how to pronounce some Greek words out of Revelation 2.  I did my best without thinking twice.  Later I realized he wanted to say the Greek correctly in a sermon.  He didn’t know Greek. 

It’s a situation I hope never to be a part of again and it still makes my stomach turn thinking about it.

"But in the Greek it says…”  I am sure you have heard it before or possibly even said it.  You know the pastor (or you!) is getting serious when they do. 

It is here where I want to throw a whole lot of caution.  It’s a dangerous thing to utter such a phrase in a sermon.  So what follows are five cautions to think about if you dare venture to use this phrase.

1. If you have to say, “But in the Greek…” a lot, you probably are preaching from a bad translation.   I have a friend who teaches Greek at an evangelical seminary who, when he hears anyone say, “But in the Greek…” he says to himself, “Then why didn’t the translators say that.”  You are not using a good translation if you feel the urge to go this way often.
2. You probably only know enough Greek to be dangerous.  Of course, it’s hard to know when you know enough!  Reading Exegetical Fallacies is a good start, but that is just the tip of the iceberg! You are most likely getting insight from a commentary, which you probably do not understand fully.  Be slow to think you understand Greek.
3. Knowing the original languages is a gift from God, but it is also elite knowledge.  99% of Christians don’t know it and when you quote the Greek you undermine the translation in their hands, which is their only access to Scripture.  It sets you a part and can turn you into, at least in the eyes of your church, a professional.  
4. If you really feel there is such an egregious error in the translation, maybe it would be best to say, “I am really helped by another translation here that translates this passage…” There is no reference to Greek and it still allows a thoughtful Christian to think and appreciate the text you are talking about more deeply.
5. Consider your audience.  If you have a bunch of farmers, you might want to steer clear.  If you have a bunch of academics, you might dare mention “Greek.”  You just need to be careful.  Not mentioning Greek does not mean your preaching is shallow.  Academic does not mean more godly.  Deep preaching does not mean more intellectually stimulating.  

These are not excuses to be lazy.  Seminaries don’t teach Greek and Hebrew so their students can forget and discard what they have learned.  Knowing the original languages for most of us is a life-long process which takes a lot of discipline and hard work.  We are average linguists at best, but are afforded the benefit and joy of reading the Word of God in it’s original.  That is AMAZING.  Just be careful how you wield the sword.

I wish TLI could create so much dialogue with one 30-minute video.  In 5 days Invisible Children has raised the profile of Joseph Kony, the man now famous for turning children into soldiers, with a video that has 55 million views.  The video's aim is to bring Joseph Kony to justice by raising his profile amongst people, especially younger ones tied into social media.

It Worked

I suppose that if the goal of Invisible Children in this film was to raise awareness in the US about this evil man, then mission accomplished.  Last night on local news channels in MN, the video was the lead story.  Popular radio commentators talked about it today. While I wonder if everyone has even watched all 30 minutes, it seems most people at least know the gist. 

What Christians Can Learn

This is one example of how quickly new can spread through social media, and Christians would do well to take note.  There are many worthwhile causes in the world that deserve help from people with great talent creating short films.  Christians are known for being behind the times when it comes to anything artistic.  Organizations that do invest in websites, good graphic design, branding and video production have a much easier time explaining their mission and inviting people to partner with them. Just think of Desiring God, Resurgence and others.  

But What about the Finances

Of course, anything that gets this big is going to receive some criticism, and we would be wise to take note.  The Atlantic Wire posted a tongue in cheek article about the finances.  Yesterday's post by Jeff Atherstone also highlighted the problem.  There seems to be some strange things going on with Invisible Children’s 990 (that's the tax form all non-profits file every year).  While reports vary, the group's financial statement indicates that 32% of the money Invisible Children received last year actually went toward direct services (money to Uganda).  The rest was spent on the production of film, travel costs and staff salaries.   Charity Navigator gives them 3 out of 4 stars.  

The rub of course is whether you believe in what Invisible Children is selling.  If you want to give to a non-profit who sees itself as raising awareness in the US by making t-shirts, bracelets and movies, then this is your organization.  If you want to see your money going directly to children in Uganda, you should probably go somewhere else.

What Christians Can Learn

Thank God for the Evangelical Counsel of Financial Accountability.  Started by Billy Graham as a way of bringing financial accountability to Christian organizations, the ECFA logo on an organizations website is a sign that you can trust where your money is going.  To be part of the ECFA you must have your books checked by an independent accounting firm yearly and adhere to the practices set forth by them.  Not only that, but at any time the ECFA can audit their members books to ensure people are following the rules.  The ECFA also has a lot of free resources, including compensation data to help churches and non-profits determine salaries for their employees.  If you are supporting an organization that is not part of the ECFA, call and ask them why!

Another take away is that we must be careful to clearly explain where the money goes, and it should not just be on our tax returns.  For example, TLI's books are open.  We can tell you the salaries of our employees, the cost of training pastors and the administrative fee (10%) that we take for all of our activities.  

But What about the Truthfulness of the Video

Here is where some criticism is justified.  Let me again say - Kony is an evil man.  There are many men like him in the world.  He does need to be dealt with.  But let's look at some facts:

• A 2011 story accused Invisible Children of exaggerating the scope of LRA (Lord Resistance Army) abductions and murders and the use of children soldiers.  That does not mean what Kony has done is not evil.  It just means that Invisible Children expands the facts.
• Joseph Kony has not been in Uganda in six years.  Not only that, we are not even sure he is alive!  This of course is a huge problem. Maybe the makers of the film are just unaware.
• The LRA's numbers are now in the 100's and most of their crimes were 15-20 years ago.  That of course does not lessen what they have done.  The video is just 15 years late.
• The Ugandan security forces are not exactly the kind of group you want to get behind!  As a matter of fact, they have been accused of similar crimes against humanity.

What Christians Can Learn

I have heard wonderful and glowing testimonies from short-term trips of how 1000's of people have come to Christ because of the trip that was taken.  I have read wonderful and glowing reports of how villages have been saved, sickness has been thwarted and churches have had their physical needs met, all from a group of 10 people who stayed somewhere for 10 days.

We are prone to exaggerate or imagine that our service has created bigger results than we think.

This is a problem.  It is so easy to exaggerate numbers.  I have caught myself doing it, almost as if it were natural.  Let's all try not to exaggerate how much we do and even relay the truth to supporters when things do not go as planned.  This leads to a great deal of transparency.

Western Charity - Toxic or Helpful?

I do not doubt the intentions of the filmmakers or those who are reposting this video all over Facebook. However, when the dust settles, what actually is going to be accomplished?  I offer some guidance here.

First, I would encourage you to read Toxic Charity and When Helping Hurts.  These two books might open your eyes to the complexity of giving to charity and the often harmful things we as Western Christians cause through our generousity.  $1 trillion dollars in aid has been given to Africa in the last 50 years and they are worse off because of it!  It's good to think through why this is.  I am so thankful that people in the United States desire to help people in desperate need.  We just need to be more careful!

Second, read what Ugandans have to say.  Read the thoughts of a principal of a Christian University.  Read what a survivor of the LRA's attacks, whose life has been transformed by Christ says about this video.  Read what some Ugandans are saying.

Third, think about supporting gospel centered organizations that are restoring the broken lives of those who have been oppressed by the LRA.  Support ARCC, who is the only school I know of that has a degree in Child Development as well as an emphasis on disability ministry.  If you know anything about Africa, you know that this type of education is important.

Lastly, don't just repost a cool video until you know the facts.  Helping is just not that simple.