The Bible records Jesus using this phrase to slam the pharisees and the scribes for their hypocrisy. At one time He quoted what Isaiah prophesized and He called the people, Hypocrites! Jesus said, ‘Isaiah prophesied correctly about you when he said:’
“This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. They worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines human commands.” Matthew 15:7-9.
How true today! Religiosity has seeped in, not only subtly but boldly. Being Christian has almost no implication to what people claim to be. Week after week people crowd the church to fulfill their duties, sing and dance to the music of the performances and leave empty. Life grinds with the same cycle of leading their lives in their own terms for the remaining six days with a set of goals confining to secure life for now and for the future. The priorities are mostly self. Christ’s mission and Church’s mission are unfulfilled and ignored.
Today, for many, Church is merely a ritualistic obligation, and Sunday becomes the means where a little portion of their time and money is used to fulfill their church obligations. People attend Church week after week and act as if they understand it well but fail to live as they are the Church. I invite you to ponder over these questions?
- Does the believer understand the purpose of his/her existence?
- Has the believer understood correctly the meaning and purpose of the Church?
- Is Christ’s mission to the unreached a familiarity or a just a means for filling the Church treasury?
- Does a believer repeatedly hear the call to reach the lost, from the pulpit or is it just a soothing sound, a lullaby to relax their tired minds with inspirations, encouragements and motivations?
Our engagement is the union with Christ, and it does not rest on us or even the church. The goal of union with Christ moves from each of us toward others in the formation of Christ’s new community, the church and an outward once again toward the world in mission as we seek to draw others into communion with God. To be united to Christ is to be sent into the world as the agents of the triune God, who gathers worshipers from the ends of the earth.
John Piper while explaining the mission of the Church states, “The aim of all ministry and missions: To make God look great in salvation, and to make man glad in God.” Timothy Keller states, “a Church should not simply have a missions department. It should wholly exist to be a mission.” Once you understand missions rightly, you may find that you are far more qualified and needed than you thought.
Jesus stated, “I have other sheep. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice.” (John 10:16) Jesus was focused on bringing the other sheep and therefore He asserted “I must bring them also”. Today so much is spoken on so many things and more primarily about giving. And people are convinced too that they cannot go empty-handed while they go to Church (Deuteronomy 16:16). I have heard several time pastors lashing out in the congregation not to be misers while it comes to giving. And they add a note, that they are giving it to the Lord. But why the same weightage is not given for many who all their lives have come empty-handed with no souls? If the pulpit delivers ambiguity, then the outcome will be hypocrisy.
John Piper rightly pointed out “everyone who believes on Jesus has eternal life. And everyone who doesn’t perishes.” Mission is urgent. Christ’s mission is our mission and if we do not understand this, we will knowingly or unknowingly start living a hypocritical life. Your mission is not entertainment but to make Christ known. Your mission is not drawing a crowd, but to make disciples. Christ must be the Church’s only attraction. As David Strain states, “Mission has to be at the heart of a healthy church because the church is the community of disciples united to Jesus. Union with Christ leads to community and results in mission to the glory of God.”
You may read the last blog HERE