The West reaches the rest?

Timothy Tennent pointed out a mega trend in world missions, ‘The Collapse of the “West-Reaches-the-Rest” Paradigm’’ In his work Invitation to World Missions: A Trinitarian Missiology for the Twenty-first Century he wrote, “Western Christians have been slow to grasp the full missiological implications of the simultaneous emergence of a post-Christian West and a post-Western Western Christianity.” Simply put, white western people are no longer the majority senders in missions around the world and our ability to reach our own nation has weakened.

global-interaction-homepage I sat with a group of evangelical pastor’s recently where we were joined by a Ukrainian gentleman who was sent by Ukrainian Baptists to an African nation. We celebrated the work of the Lord in his life and prayed for his efforts. The response from the group encouraged my heart, while at the same time reminded me of our Western view of world missions. A Ukrainian to Africa was an unusual concept to listening ears.

God is raising up a kingdom labor force all around this world. The speaker, Eric Costanzo (@eric_costanzo), for the gathering reminded us Christianity is roughly spread among Asia, Africa, Europe, North America and South America at 20% each. Australia clearly factors in, but for the purpose of illustration, Christianity is a global phenomenon. In fact, only in recent history has the West been the center of the Christian faith. Tennet wrote:

The notion that areas that were once the traditional “mission field” could become, over time, the new heartland of Christian vitality was hardly contemplated by most Western Christians. Yet, Jerusalem, Antioch, North Africa, and Constantinople were at one time all at the center of Christian vibrancy, but today these places have only a very tiny remnant of Christianity remaining and, with the exception of Jerusalem, are almost most completely. In contrast, places like Lagos, Nigeria, and Seoul, South Korea, where the presence of Christianity at one time seemed almost unimaginable, are today vibrant centers of Christian faith.

Our eyes must be open to this reality. God is completing the work of #NoPlaceLeft and he is using ALL his people to accomplish his will in the power of the Holy Spirit. As I met with Jessica, a #NoPlaceLeftOKC resident, we talked through a personal and multiplicational response to this reality here in the US. May you be spurred by her responses:

We should regard EVERY believer as a laborer in the kingdom, regardless of background.

If God is raising up laborers all around the world who are sending and being sent for the work, then non-western believers should be trained and equipped as full partners in the gospel. There should be no air of superiority in our Christianity. We crossed that bridge in Acts 15 and there is no reason to return. Even the Gentiles received the Spirit and are fully empowered by the Holy Spirit to accomplish the work of #NoPlaceLeft. We will do well to remember that Westerners are “gentiles” along with our brothers and sisters around the world. The foreigner, refugee, sojourner, widow, and orphan are all potential kingdom multipliers who can be sent with the gospel of the kingdom to the ends of the earth.

When we encounter western Christianity’s culture of superiority towards non-western believers, ask a perspective changing question.

The superiority culture is most often a worldview perspective, meaning most don’t notice that they even think that way because it is the lens through which they see. Sometimes we simply need to help people focus on the lens instead of beyond it. A simple question can help do the trick. Here is a possible example:

How would you respond if an Asian missionary shared the gospel with you here in the US?

Our international brothers and sisters, those already believers and those who will be in the future, can and will be strategic partners in reaching the diverse cultures of the United States. Much of what I learned in recent years has been from South Asians, Haitians, Iranians, and Venezuelans. When you share the gospel with an international, assume those who believe could be the next Hudson Taylor or William Carey. Don’t overlook them. In fact, empower and encourage them, you just may find yourself becoming the disciple.

Until there’s #NoPlaceLeft…

Great Commission Cooperation (Part 2) – Do Not Compromise on Theological Convictions

Great Commission Cooperation Series Introduction

If we want to see #NoPlaceLeft, it will take all of God’s church new and old, together. However, we must be realistic about unity. Over the next few weeks we will share some thoughts on how we are trying to navigate the terrain from our team in #NoPlaceLeftOKC. We are striving to cooperate in mission as much as possible, while also not asking each other to compromise on deeply held biblical convictions that differ.

Part 1 – We must strive for unity without uniformity.
Part 2 – We must not compromise on our theological convictions.
Part 3 – We contribute we do not control.
Part 4 – We must honor the work entrusted to others.
Part 5 – We must practice grace.
Part 6 – We must not be afraid to wrestle with our differences to learn from one another.

Part 2 – We must not compromise on our theological convictions.

24943217432_439d1f7005 — Brett Jordan Flickr via Compfight cc

If someone was to create a top five list for barriers to cooperation between Christians, theological differences would be in the race for first place. Convictions are held because we believe them to be right. Changing a deeply held conviction from the scriptures should take prayer, time, significant new information, and possibly incompatible and unexplainable situations. Even in these scenarios one may not budge on a personal conviction. So what do we do when individual’s deeply held convictions encounter one another but aren’t compatible?

The Joker once said to the Batman, “This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object.” In my experience, the moment of differing theology creates a discussion that quickly turns to debate, then takes on the form of doctrinal evangelism. Sometimes if the doctrinal evangelism doesn’t work, then it becomes doctrinal boxing, then doctrinal MMA, then character questioning until finally the doctrine is forgotten. It becomes personal, leaving behind a wake of relational collateral. What was meant to be life giving becomes the very opposite.

The disciples encountered this moment. Jesus just finished giving little children monster hugs while teaching his followers about the vital role of the seemingly insignificant in the kingdom when John came to tell him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us. But Jesus said to him, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will not be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. For the one who is not against us is for us” (Mark 9:38-40). John thought the enemy were those not in their tribe. Jesus reminds him, if they are doing the same work, they are moving the work forward. They are with us. Is our goal to get everyone to believe our tribal flavor of Christianity or to see the work of people from every tribe, tongue, and nation gathered around the throne?

The undercurrent that unifies Christians has always been the work of the gospel. The outflow of the gospel has been growth in our faith through the promises of God and the way in which we view those promises. Our view of these promises becomes the basis of our theological convictions and is therefore very personal.

Unity cannot require compromise on theological convictions.

Some of those convictions separate Christianity from all other religions. (See We Must Strive for Unity without Uniformity) Yet even those convictions that are within orthodox Christianity must be held tightly, even in disagreement. The personal nature of our convictions cause us to tread on conscience each time we compromise. Each compromise erodes our ability to act in faith. This is not to say we staunchly hold a conviction no matter what. We will, as I am sure you have experienced, grow, change, and behave differently as our understanding of God and his Word increases. This is to say, however, that training ourselves to ignore our conviction siphons the fortitude to stand on them when faith requires our absolute devotion to the promises of God. It is our love that mitigates the potential conflict, not our compromise.

Our love for one another will be demonstrated in our handling of theological differences.

Pride is pushy and self-promoting. Love is patient and kind while at the same time honest and firm. All Christians evangelize because they are people, and all people evangelize. Have you ever met a person who didn’t try to tell you their opinion on something eventually? The cultural idea that we should not impose or try to convince another of our opinion is a nice academic experiment that never works practically. Case in point, the idea that you should not impose your ideas on another is an imposed idea. However, sharing your convictions as salt to flavor the conversation is very different from expecting the other side of the conversation to agree and follow your lead each time. We are salt and light. We are not convince and control. Love is patient and kind precisely because, love is the overflow of conviction that God loves through his patient convincing and trustworthy control of all things. I can trust him to change me, them, or both. Love allows me believe strongly and cooperate intentionally. Love for one another and prayer for his truth and correction is the overflow of the conviction of God’s love.

Who you choose as the object of your evangelism builds unity or conflict.

When we primarily evangelize our doctrines to one another, rather than the gospel to the world, we lose the mission as our undercurrent of unity. We will find ourselves fighting flesh and blood instead of the powers and principalities. Robust discussions on God’s Word are healthy and even beneficial to the work because they challenge and grow us. Just ask yourself this question. Is my goal to train a believer to follow my doctrine, or to train a believer to follow Jesus and his Word in order to build convictions that will last a lifetime? It won’t be you that keeps them going when the trials come. Their trust in the promises of God will do that.

This world is in need of Jesus. Your belief in God’s promises drive your conviction to engage the mission. We need that faith built on the rock to forge past the trials that will no doubt come. So do not compromise on your convictions. Teach others to find that same trust in Jesus and his Word. But, remember the in next doctrine conversation you have, the believer with whom you are speaking can be a partner in the gospel or an object of your evangelism. When you feel the urge to debate the second coming of Christ, remember half of the world hasn’t heard of the first. In so doing, you might find your view of Revelation changing.

Until there’s #NoPlaceLeft…

Don’t Burn Yourself Out

We all have limitations.

Balancing our limitations with the burning drive to see a multiplying church among people from every tribe, tongue and nation creates tension. This tension screams out in all of your relationships when you struggle with the balance of drive and personal limitation. You see what needs to be done. You know you can’t do it all. You fall into the trap of rationalizing anger towards everyone you assume fails to do their part.

14651391318_a03cc298f1 — alicemelofotografia Flickr via Compfight cc

Nothing keeps me awake at night more than knowing #NoPlaceLeft is not yet a reality. I constantly try to figure out ways to do more, to be more efficient, and to rearrange our life to be ready at anytime to obey the Great Commission. I spend time in prayer asking the Father in Jesus name to give wisdom in stewarding relationships, casting off personal hinderances to multiplication, and helping find contentment when my limitations produce frustration. In this process, the steadiness of Jesus in the face of so many limitations astounds me.

The limitations of Jesus astound me precisely because they were limitation by choice.

“Turn these stones to bread.” Jesus was 40 days hungry. The request was well within his ability. He chose to follow the will of the Father.

“Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, worn out from his journey, sat down at the well. It was about noon.” The Son of God became a man knowing full well that he would be worn out from journeys.

“Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came.” Jesus could only be at one place at one time. He had to leave one group of people in order to reach another.

Jesus chose limitations. Could it be that our personal limitations are actually kingdom advantages? Could it be that our mutual need for partnership fosters the kingdom necessity for multiplication? Did Jesus model for us limitations empowered by the Holy Spirit so we might follow his lead?

You must find grace and joy in your limitations, or your limitations will create bitterness and embellishment in you. Bitterness because you will see limitations as a hinderance. Embellishment because your limitations create a sense of inferiority and you feel the need to hide behind a better version of your story. If Jesus willingly chose limitations, should we not consider them an act of grace in our life?

Here are some perspectives why your limitations are the grace of God.

When you can’t, you must trust that God will.
When you have reached capacity, you must release responsibility to another.
You can’t take the praise and therefore give the praise.
You ask for help and gain a partner.
I becomes we.
The Church becomes a necessity.
You rest because you were never intended to do it all.
Your rest gives you time to breath in Jesus.
Your reminded you need the Holy Spirit.
You must ask and pray.
Breathing in Jesus produces joy and the overflow you need for your kingdom work.
You stay in the work, don’t burn out, and the kingdom keeps a faithful laborer on the team.

Are you wearing out? These thoughts are simply birthed out of my own recovery from the edge of the burn out cliff. Jesus has returned my joy, but an act of surrender was required in my heart. Pride required repentance. The Father’s heart and His millennia long work to fill the earth with worshippers required my trust. Rest required my attention. The work required my overflow.

I pray these thoughts help you, should you find yourself burning out or slow you if you are headed there:

Accept that you have limitations.
Know your capacity.
Know your gifts and primarily operate within them.
Don’t compare your ability with another.
Don’t compare your fruit with another.
Give thanks and encourage others in their abilities and fruit.
Rest with Jesus for the the joy set before you.
Give all of your overflow in Jesus to the work. Keep none for yourself.
Remind yourself that God loves this lost world more than you ever will and it is his desire that none should perish and that all will come to repentance.

Don’t burn yourself out. We need more laborers, especially the ones we already have.

Until there’s #NoPlaceLeft…