The Salty Bride

Imagine this: a guy tells you,"Hey man, I really like you and I want to be friends, but here is the deal: I can't stand your wife.  Your bride is annoying.  There is always conflict surrounding her.  I am bored whenever she is around.  She is really hypocritical, and honestly, I just don't want to have anything to do with her.  But, remember I like you and I think we should hang out."  Now if you are like me, you are not going to have a lot more to do with this guy after this conversation.  Sadly, this is exactly how some people treat Jesus.

The Church is the bride of Christ.  As I  have already covered: the Church universal is represented by the church local.  So for someone to say that they love Jesus but not his church, is to say that they love him but hate his bride.  Jesus builds an analogy of his bride being salt and light (Matt. 5:13-17).  She is supposed to stand out and be different.  In Jesus' day salt was very useful not only for adding flavor to food but also for preserving food.  It was a daily essential.  The church is made up of people who are just as essential.

Scripture offers several more metaphors for the Church.  Those who make up the church are described as branches on a vine (John 15:5), a field of crops (1 Cor. 3:6-9), an olive tree (Rom. 11:17-24), a building (1 Cor. 3:9), a harvest (Matt. 13:1-30; John 4:35), a holy priesthood (1 Peter 2:5), a pillar of truth (1 Tim3:15), and a new temple (1 Cor 3:16-17).  All of these metaphors can be used to explain why being a part of the local church is essential for a believer, but let's look at one final analogy that is used in several different places in scripture. In 1 Corinthians 12 Paul explains that the church is the body of Christ which is composed of different parts.  We have different roles to play in that body.  So for someone to claim to be under the headship of Christ (Eph 1:22-23), but to not be an active part of his body is nonsensical.  If Christ shed his blood for you and has redeemed you from your sins, he has a purpose and plan for you as a part of his body.  To follow Christ means to submit to him as the head, and the head wants the body together.  A hand that is doing its own thing apart from the rest of the body is useless.

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." (Eph 2:10)

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Sheep need Shepherds

Have you ever received a gift that you were not real excited about?  I grew up in a family of very practical gift givers.  Probably next to my dogs my horse Poco was my favorite pet, but when my seventh birthday rolled around, right after we got Poco, apparently my parents told everyone to give me gifts that would be stuff that we could use for the horse.  As a seven year old I did not see the silver lining in unwrapping presents for a horse such as a mineral block.  (I mean seriously who gives a seven year old a mineral block for his birthday?)

While at the time I did not really appreciate the gifts that I was unwrapping, I now look back at all the fun that I had as a result of having those gifts.  I have many fond memories riding on Poco.  Had I not received those gifts, I would not have been able to enjoy Poco for her intended purposes such as horse back riding.

I find this to be a good analogy for the situation today with those who claim to be Christians who do not need the local church.  You see in Ephesians 4 Paul tells us about the gifts that Jesus Christ has given us in order to be able to grow into mature Christians.

"And he (Jesus) gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of the ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes." - Ephesians 4:11-14

You see our goal as Christians is to grow into maturity.  What does maturity look like?  Well it looks like Jesus.  He is our standard that we are striving to emulate with our lives.  Anyone who has been striving for this for very long, knows how hard this standard is to meet.  The great news is that Jesus didn't just leave us alone to try to figure it out, he gave us help.  He gave us the apostles and the prophets who we still have in the form of the Scriptures they produced, and he continues to raise up evangelists to lead us to him.  Once we know him as our Lord and Savior, he gives us shepherds and teachers to help us grow into maturity.  This is his gift to us.  The problem is many times when we first encounter this gift, it does not really seem like the gift that we wanted.  One of the jobs of the pastor/ teacher is to take us to the word of God and show us the ways that we are not yet mature in Christ.  And honestly, this is not fun.  It is not fun to have your lingering sin revealed to you, and so at times it is tempting to say, "Can I get a gift receipt for this gift and take it back?"

While at times the local church and its pastor seem the same as a mineral block does to a seven year old, we need to recognize in the end that pastors are a gift from Jesus to us.  Christ has given us shepherds over our souls, ultimately for our good.  Instead of complaining and being downcast about the gift we have been given, let's see it for its intended purposes and be grateful.  Just like all the horse supplies that I received, pastors are of no benefit to you unless you use them.  If you do not sit under their teaching, engage their counsel, follow their leadership, and participate in their churches, you will never experience the blessings of this gift.  I leave you with the thoughts of a pastor from years ago during the protestant reformation.

"By the ministers to whom he has committed this office, and given grace to discharge it, he dispenses and distributes his gifts to the church, and thus exhibits himself as in a manner actually present by exerting the energy of his Spirit in this his institution, so as to prevent it from being vain or fruitless.  In this way, the renewal of the saints is accomplished, and the body of Christ is edified; in this way we grow up in all things unto him who is the Head, and unite with one another in this way we are all brought into the unity of Christ..." -John Calvin

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Ekklesia

"The New Testament, written in Greek, used the word ekklesia to describe 'C/church.' Ekklesia is a compound word consisting of ek, meaning 'out of,' and klesis, 'a calling.'  Used one hundred and fourteen times, ekklesia is sometimes translated as 'assembly' (three times), 'church' (seventy-four times), 'churches' (thirty-five times), and 'congregation' (two times.)  Therefore, whatever the C/church is, it consists of a group of people who have recieved a calling out of something for a particular purpose." - J. D. Payne, Missional House Churches, p. 21-22.

In answering the question as to why Christians need a local church, it is important to consider the original word that is translated as church.  As the early church was forming they needed a word to use to talk about this new thing, the church.  They landed on the word that was currently used for an assembly.  Whenever there was need for a meeting of the people in the town a herald would go out and summon people to come together in a certain place to meet and discuss the issue at hand.  The word ekklesia was used to refer to those people who had been called out.  

How does this word paint the picture for the church?  Let's consider what Jesus said in John 5:24-25:

"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life.  He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.  Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live."

 Let's put this together with what Paul explains to the christians in Ephesus about what happened when they were saved.

 "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ." Eph 2:4-5

So let me ask you, have you heard the voice of the Son of God?  Has he thus made you alive and called you out of your death and darkness?  The church is the gathering or assembly of those who have been called to follow Jesus.  From the origin of the church it's name symbolizes the fact that it is made up of a group who has been called out.  The Holy Spirit is the herald who calls us out of darkness into the light, and anyone who has been called out is expected to come together.  So, from the beginning of Christianity, the idea of a Christian who does not assemble with other Christians is a foreign concept.

I leave you with this instruction from the Apostle Paul to Titus:

"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.  Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority.  Let no one disregard you." Titus 2:11-15

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The global Church is represented locally by local churches.

It is interesting that the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John)  only have record of Jesus using the word "church" twice; both of which are found in Matthew.  So, since we don't have record of Jesus saying much about the church could we not assume that it is not that important?  All that matters is having a relationship with Jesus, right? 

Let's look at what Matthew records.  In Matthew 18 Jesus is speaking of the process of church discipline (this is another answer to be covered later as to why we need the local church.)  However, prior to that, in Matthew 16:18-19 Jesus lays out for Peter how he will be used in establishing the Church: 

"And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.  I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven..."

It is clear from what Jesus says here that there is a direct connection between his "Church" and the kingdom of heaven. (And by the way, we have record of Jesus saying a lot about his kingdom.)  The terminology "kingdom of heaven" appears 31 times in the book of Matthew.   At the beginning of his ministry he is warning people to repent because the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.  To be a follower of Christ means that you have an inheritance in his kingdom, and in turn you are a part of his global Church.  So we cannot dismiss the importance of the Church because we don't have record of Jesus saying the word a lot.

So what is the connection between the global Church and that group that meets in that building down the street from you?  We see the beginning of the global Church in the book of Acts.  In short: the Holy Spirit comes upon the Apostles, Peter preaches, people are saved, the Church is started.  Later in Acts 20:28 Paul is giving instructions to the elders of the church at Ephesus.

"Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood."

It is clear from this verse that the church is comprised of those whom Jesus bought with his blood, thus they have been redeemed.  So is Paul instructing the elders in Ephesus to pay careful attention to all believers everywhere?  No, they are to pay careful attention to the believers whom the Holy Spirit has made them overseers.  This is a subgroup of the whole group of global believers.  They are to care for the church of God at Ephesus.  This is very clear from the context of this passage.  This is just one example from scripture, but we can see throughout scripture that the local church in a specific location is to be seen as a part of the global Church representing the kingdom of God.  Anyone who has an inheritance in the kingdom of heaven should be associated with and a part of the church.  The local church is supposed to be representing the kingdom here and now, and those who are a part of the eternal kingdom are to be its representatives. 

I will close with an illustration.  Think of it this way, the local church is an embassy for the kingdom of heaven located on foreign soil.  This world is corrupt and fallen, but the church is a safe haven for those whose citizenship is ultimately in heaven. Its purpose is to do the work of the kingdom.  In the church the citizens come together and reflect on their true identity.  The local church is the venue for the praise of their king.  It is the place where the citizens can learn more about their heritage, their king, and their traditions.  The local church represents their Lord to the host nation by being a local embassy for the kingdom of heaven.  A Christian who does not participate with a local church is like an ambassador who does not use their embassy.

"Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.  We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God." - 2 Cor 5:20

Click here to read 11 reasons why Christians need a local church.

Why do Christians need a local church?

I have read a lot on the internet lately about why Christians should or should not "go to church."  Some are claiming that they are closer to God because they do not go to church.  Others are saying that they have found what they need in the form of community outside of the church.  Many of these articles are very well written and lay out what appears to be a compelling argument which led me to consider the question at hand.

I think to fully understand why we need the church we also have to understand what the church is supposed to be, and how it is supposed to function.  If I were to put all of this information in one blog post, it would be way too long and you would get as lost reading it as I would writing it.  I have come up with eleven different answers to the question at hand.  I will be publishing these answers over the days ahead.  You can click on the titles below to see the answers that have already been published and subscribe if you want to be notified as the rest of the answers are published.

1.  The global Church is represented locally by local churches. 

2.  Ekklesia

3.  Sheep need Shepherds

4. The Salty Bride

5. Bread, Blood, and Water

6. The preaching of the word

7. Accountability and Discipline

8. History and Progress

9. The need for reformation

10. All the "one anothers"

11. Fellowship

What reasons can you think of for why Christians need a local church?  Why do you or do you not attend church?

What are the keys to effective short-term mission trips?

 This post is the addendum to my post answering the question: Why do you go on short-term mission trips?

 

1. Go and work with missionaries whom you already have a relationship.

Short-term trips should be a part of a much more robust missions emphasis for a church.  If missions for your church boils down to random short-term trips, you are missing out.

 

2. Make sure whatever you do on your trip fits into an on going framework of completing the Great Commission.

Your trip is a small stroke of paint in a much larger painting that is taking place over time in the area you are serving. Try to discern how your work in this short span fits into completing the Great Commission.  

 

3. Submit to authorities on the ground.

A lot of the time we feel that we know best.  Well, as an outsider in the culture, you need to go as a learner and welcome the guidance of those who will be there long after you leave not only in what you do but how you do it.  

 

4.  Be respectful of the culture you enter.

Find out ahead of time things that might be culturally offensive to the people you are working with and make sure you don’t do them.  Also, be ready to eat whatever they put in front of you and thank them for it!

 

5. Take the right number of team members.

On some trips a small team is best, on other trips a large team is best.  The key is to work with the people in the country to discern how many people are needed for the work that is at hand.

 

6. Take the right set of giftedness in team members.

I have been a part of all different types of mission trips.  It is important to match spiritual gifts with the work that is to be done while there.  For instance, on one trip we offered a concert to the local community where the gospel was presented.  It was necessary for us to have musicians with us for that to be possible.

 

7. Avoid vacation mentality.

I have been on too many trips with people on the team who constantly talked about wanting to go shopping or see the sights.  Remember you are there to serve the kingdom of God not collect trinkets. 

 

8. Plan ahead to maximize effectiveness.

Most of the time these trips will cover a small window of time.  Plan ahead as to how you will use your time and what resources will be needed.  Go prepared.

 

9.  Be flexible.

The great thing about having a plan is that you can deviate from it.  A primary key to missions is being flexible.  Things will not go as planned and you need to be ready to adapt.

 

10.  Have fun.

There is great joy in serving the Lord both at home and abroad, so have a good time while you are at it.

Click here for: Why do you go on short-term mission trips?

Why do you go on short-term mission trips?

Well intentioned individuals have been making a stink about how the American Church needs to dial it back on short-term trips and just stay at home.  I have come up with a list of ten reasons why I go on short-term trips as well as a list of ten keys to effective short-term mission trips.

 

1. Obedience to the Great Commission.

Jesus left us with the words: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Matt 28:18-20)

Picture from our trip to Haiti.

A consolidated literal translation of the Greek could read “as you are going: make disciples, baptize them, and teach them.”  This has 2 implications: 1. Jesus expects his disciples to be going.  2. The going does not exclusively mean to the other side of the world.  As you are going about your day at work or school today, make disciples.  The best people to go on mission trips are those who are adept at making disciples where they live.

2. To get to experience what God is doing in the world. 

“If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.” (Psalm 139:9-10)

Picture from soccer outreach camp in Calgary.

Every time I go on a mission trip, I am reassured and challenged by the fact of how big my God is.  Wherever I have been, (Indonesia, Calgary, Romania, Spain, Haiti, Mississippi, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, Guatamala) I have found that the same God whom I know and love is at work in those places redeeming and restoring his creation.  I walk away with a proper view of myself in light of the grandeur of almighty God over the nations.

Christianity takes on cultural forms wherever it goes.  I find experiencing Christianity in different cultures helpful for me in stripping away the cultural baggage added to genuine Christianity in my life.

3. To be a blessing to those who are there.

“When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments…Do your best to come before winter.” (2 Tim. 4:13, 21)

Worshiping in the home of missionaries in Spain.

Since the origin of missions in the first century, it has been a task that is not accomplished alone.  The apostle Paul was reliant even to the end of his life on fellow believers throughout the world to help support him and encourage him in his ministry.  If Paul needed support and encouragement, our missionaries today who are on the frontlines definitely do. 

One of my goals in a short-term trip is for the missionaries remaining after we are gone to feel encouraged and uplifted by us being there.

 

4. To be a part of making and teaching disciples

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." (Phil 2:12-13)

Student working with Haitian kids at VBS.

As I go I want the Lord to use me, my time, and my energy to be a part of ministry that is going to continue long after I am gone.  So I pick trips where the work that we do will fit into an overall Great Commission accomplishing plan.  I pray that the Lord continues the work in the people whom I work with long after I am gone.

 

5. To teach the disciples who go with me.

“And he (God) gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of the ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11-12)

My role in the church is to serve as a shepherd / teacher.  I do not know a better way to equip the saints under my charge for the work of the ministry than to take them alongside myself as we do the work.  I can teach about missions with words and studies until I am blue in the face, but I do not see people become alive and passionate about it until they experience it first hand. 

6. To be a blessing to those who go with me.

“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” (1 Thes 5:11)

Through working alongside one another on a short-term trip, you are able to really discern and assess the spiritual gifts of those who are with you.  These trips are a great way to build genuine fellowship with one another and encourage each other in the gifts that the Lord has bestowed upon the members of the team.  The bonds formed on a short-term trip should last long after the trip is over.

 

7.  Submission to God’s sovereignty.

“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed?  And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?  And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’” (Rom 10:14-15)

Vacation Bible School in Haiti.

God in his infinite sovereignty has chosen to bring about salvation and the spread of the gospel through human agents.  By taking part in missions, I get to be a part of what he is doing in the world and get to be one of those with beautiful feet bringing the gospel. It is a very joyous task to be a part of for sure.

8. The Glocalization of the world.

“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12:31)

Team handing out Christian literature at International Arab Festival.

The glocalization of the world is a term that has emerged recently in international business and missions circles.  Basically what it means is that through modern technology and transportation the whole world is local.  So when Jesus tells us about our neighbor, the application can lie in loving someone on the opposite side of the world whom you interact with regularly.  An example of glocalization lies in the fact that this blog which up to this point only contained three posts has been accessed in ten different countries around the world. This also means that the nations of the world have come together and might be closer than you think.

So how does the glocalization of the world factor into my going on short-term trips?  It is so easy to go now through modern transportation.  The better question would be: Why would you not go?  I have brothers and sisters in Christ around the globe whom I love, and I get the opportunity to go and see them without much trouble, why not?

9. Increase the overall sending in missions 

Mission Team with Missionaries in Calgary.

“At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints.” (Romans 15:26)

There are three ways that you can send when it comes to missions: 

1. You can send yourself 
2. You can use your money to send others
3. You can send your prayers to work in the ministry there.  

My goal in short-term missions is to increase the number of people doing all three categories of sending.  In preparing this blog post I dialogued with several of my brothers in Christ who are currently serving on the mission field.  One brother who has spent a lifetime on the field and hosted numerous short-term teams said this:

“It is a common truth that we are only truly involved in what we participate in. By having members actually go, the involvement factor is much higher.  Many people use an automatic deduction to send their missions offerings in, and often forget they even are participating.  Because one of the greatest investments in missions is in the prayer activity, simply sending money often robs the people of the privilege of praying also.  Churches that don’t send out missionaries tend to lose the vision, and eventually forget why they even exist. So, from the participatory point of view, it is wise to actually send missionaries out.” – John Lohrenz

John and Jan Lohrenz in Spain.

I know that there are those who discredit the fact that short-term trips lead to long-term missionaries and increased support for missions.  I find that the people who claim this do so based on the fact that the number of short-term trips is increasing and the number of long-term missionaries is remaining steady.  Two points here: 1. They ignore the testimony of those long-term missionaries stating the fact that God used short-term trips to get them on the field.  2. They miss the point that with the glocalization of the world, individuals can go on multiple short-term trips in a year to the same place instead of having to quit their jobs, sell all of their possessions, and move to that place.  So in fact it is now possible to have long-term effectiveness while being present frequently on short-term trips.

10. The missionary task of the body of Christ is not finished yet.

“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” (Rev 7:9-10)

Malaysia

We have not yet reached all the nations.  There are those out there who claim that we are being bad financial  stewards because we are spending a lot more money to send American missionaries or even worse Americans on short-term trips when we could support numerous native missionaries at a fraction of the cost.   Yes I do support supporting native missionaries and find this to be wise.  But the fact remains that we have not reached all of the tribes of the world.  In modern missions we refer to tribes as "people groups."  The Joshua Project reports that 2.91 billion people currently live in an unreached people group, meaning they have no viable access to the gospel so there are no native missionaries we can support.  We must continue to send and I find that participating in short-term trips is a great way to help people experience God in missions and discern if He is calling them to go to one of these people groups.

Continue reading: ten keys to effective short-term mission trips