Mission is languishing between Felt Need and the Real Need. There
is a misconception among Churches and Mission organizations that lack of money is
the number one reason for the gospel yet to reach the ends of the earth. A
casual survey or discussion would confirm this truth that money tops the list
as potential risk apart from various other threats for the gospel to reach
every person on earth. Apparently, money becomes the crucial prayer point.
When Jesus along with His disciples was taking the good news to all the villages, towns, and cities, He saw the need for workers not money. He says,"...the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the Harvest to send out workers into his harvest." Matthew 9:37-38. Today the needs are compartmentalized that the need for people is usually downplayed. People have been replaced as crowd gatherers and money generators. This point needs our attention as “People” are the need for the mission and pastors, leaders should focus on encouraging, training, equipping, and sending people to share the gospel in their area of influence. Then every strategy will revolve around spiritual multiplication, evangelism model and approaches, etc. Christ’s mission gets skewed as it’s invariably seen from a financial perspective and every plan, strategy, approaches, proposals, and campaign is twisted trying to build wealth. Unfortunately, pastors and leaders stoop to begging, borrowing, and stealing in the name of building God’s Kingdom.
It is a sad spectacle to see widely, the lesser gods are managing the mission. Mission and Church have become a status. Leaders are living in a make-believe world that they are doing everything right and serving God when what they are really serving is money. Jesus warned us about it already. "...You cannot serve God and money." Matthew 6:24 NLT. The need for money brings along into mission all its vices like power and status. Today, models and approaches have become Organizational/Church identity. They have become Unique Selling Point (USP), to generate money. God’s mission happens to be the means to accomplish their personal mission. This is exactly what upset God with the shepherds through prophet Isaiah, "These dogs have fierce appetites; they never have enough. And they are shepherds who have no discernment; all of them turn to their own way, every last one for his own profit.". Isaiah 56:11 CSB.
I remember in one of the pastors’ meetings how the two mites of the poor widow were misinterpreted as money is an important component in Church Ministry because Jesus sat and watched what was being put in the offertory box. The parable of the 5000 was misinterpreted as Jesus created pressure on the disciples for food and were made to think how they can generate money and be prepared for an event like this. That pastors and leaders should know to catch the right fish to find the coin in the mouth of the fish. The heresies are so deeply rooted today that many missions, Christian Organization and Churches largely have become an enterprise and a scam.
I wonder how pastors would interpret Apostle Paul’s traumatic experience, "Five times I received the forty lashes minus one from the Jews. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I received a stoning. Three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a night and a day in the open sea. 26On frequent journeys, I faced dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, and dangers among false brothers; 27 toil and hardship, many sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, often without food, cold, and without clothing. 28 Not to mention other things, there is the daily pressure on me: my concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation? 30 If boasting is necessary, I will boast about my weaknesses. 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is blessed forever, knows I am not lying. 32 In Damascus, a ruler under King Aretas guarded the city of Damascus in order to arrest me. 33 So I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped from his hands." 2 Corinthians 11:24-32.
Jesus is God enthroned in majesty and there is no other demigod. Praise God if we are not exposed to such threats. Many of us are accustomed to operating from a safe and luxurious positions some with lots of constriction and limitation. In any case Christ mission is the mandate, a commandment and a mission given to the Church and to individuals. Based on the need, God will provide resources. Do not allow the need for money to overtake and rule Christ Mission. If it happens, you start living with a shadow mission and working to mobilize money than people, and that can be too dangerous. You may want to read my blog I wrote about SHADOW MISSION. This is the matter of the heart and personal retrospection. Can we abandon any god's that have the power to rule us? I want to leave you with this verse for making a personal commitment with God our Saviour. "O Lord our God, Lords beside thee have had dominion over us: but by thee alone will we make mention of thy name.". Isaiah 26:13 KJV. May we stay focused to the true Mission, sincerely.
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