Deliberate Oversight!

If it is one thing that I want to emphasise in all my writings and conversations, it will be none other than ‘Mission'. Though lingering for ages, it is making sense to few and is always an avoidable option for many. Most often the Christians in the Churches are continually instructed and exhorted on Christian ethics like how to be good, godly, loving, benevolent, being a good husband /wife and a good parent. These are integral to any individual irrespective of any religion or creed. But then, when it comes to missions to the unreached world, it dilutes into a nice Christian philosophy. The Churches and Christians long to do something about it and eventually do nothing.

The gift of the Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12 is often misunderstood for the anointing in 1 John 2:20, 27. Every individual who makes a commitment to follow Christ and becomes His disciple embodies Christ’s anointing. The anointing and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is often confused with the gift of the spirit. Holy Spirit is always misunderstood for something other than being a witness for Christ. Acts 1:8 which clearly states, “But you will receive the power when the holy spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.”. Today, this is immediately referred to the day of the Pentecost and people who spoke in tongues. But then again, the truth is distorted with either a lie or half-truth. The Churches and Christians fail to understand the implication of the people who spoke in tongues. They were heard by people from so many languages and races who gave their lives to Christ. I have spoken about this in my earlier blogs too.  The great Pentecostal event was measured by real evangelism and measurable outcome which is found in Acts 2:41 “So those who accepted his message were baptized and that day about three thousand people were added to them.”.

Paul emphasises with these words in 1 Corinthians 12:29 “Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all do miracles? Do all have gifts of miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?” The gifts vary but the commission to the unreached does not. The Great Commission is not optional for selected few, but for every individual who accepts Lord Jesus as Savior and Lord. Matthew 28:19 is a mandatory command which says, “Go, therefore, and make disciples in all nations….”.  We are constantly talking about the gifts of the Holy Spirit without equally emphasising on the obedience to Christ’s mission.

Why people are not guilty when they miss to understand and demonstrate the obedience to the Great Commission? Is it because the Churches have made the people comfortable with Church activities and offerings? Why is the outcome of the Churches always about full attendance and not about holding the members responsible for the failure in sharing the gospel with the non-Christians? Most of the Churches have a history of less than 5% of their members who share the gospel and lead people to Christ. But whereas 95% and more are the once who fall in the category of the Pharisee who said in his prayer “I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.” (Luke 18:12) without remorse.  Many have no concern for the dying soul. We need to confess not only for the sins of commission but for the sins of omission too.

Let us not forget the call of Christ which requires us to be a disciple maker (Matthew 28:19) not just survive as a branded Christian. Mark the words in the Great Commission passage which says, Go, therefore, and make disciples. The disciples are the one who make disciples. But today in Churches the disciples are the ones who have a discipleship course certificate but sit in the Church unaccountable to the mission of God laid out for every individual. This deliberate oversight can be costly for all of us. Let us not forget, Jesus calls Himself a Good Shepherd by constantly moving about taking the good news (Luke 8:1). The purpose of the Church is to be the carrier of the Gospel to the dying world, not a reservoir.

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