10250 North Freeway @ West Road
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10250 North Freeway @ West
Road
Houston, Texas 77037
Tel: (281) 447-8484
Peculiar
Misunderstandings
Written by Dr.
Lester Hutson
Copyright
- Lester Hutson - 1989
This material is copyrighted and may not be copied or reproduced
without the express written permission of Dr. Lester Hutson.
Message #15
MISUNDERSTANDING CHURCH SPONSORED MISSIONS
Text * Acts 13:1-3
Central to the Christian faith is the concept of advancing the Christian cause. Thus, almost every group which calls itself Christian has a missions program which is a program designed to reproduce itself in new geographical areas.
I. MOST CHURCHES DO THEIR MISSIONS WORK IN A RATHER CENTRALIZED WAY:
A. Most Churches who identify themselves as Christians, though they bear no earmarks of being true Churches of Jesus Christ, do their missions work through a central headquarters:
1. In other words, the work of missions becomes the work of "the church" or "the denomination;" not any congregation in particular.
2. For example mission works by the Catholics, which has been extensive for many centuries, has been directed through the headquarters in Rome. The Anglicans, Methodists, and Lutherans all have similar systems.
3. In this system, a good portion, if not all of the monies generated in a specific congregation, go to "the church" or denominational headquarters. Only enough for local operations is retained or returned to the individual congregation. The local congregation is not expected to initiate any "new congregation effort". That responsibility, and all decisions related to it, rests squarely and solely upon the shoulders of headquarters.
B. Many true churches of Jesus Christ have embraced and practice an approach very similar to the one just described:
1. A large number of missions boards or agencies have been established. The Southern Baptist Convention has a large and powerful missions board; and so does the Baptist Bible Fellowship, The American Baptist Association, The General Association of Regular Baptists, and The World Baptist Fellowship, just to name a few. Then there are missions boards which are not tied so closely to any group. There's Maranatha, B.I.M.I., Sudan Interior Missions, Wycliff Associates, The Gideons, and many others. Most of these are honorable people, and they are sincerely intent on doing a good work. No doubt, much good has come through their efforts.
2. As a general rule, these missions boards or agencies exist on backing and financial support from the affiliated churches which identify with the board or agency. Each church will send either a percentage of its income, or designate a regular amount to the mission's board. The money goes into the central pool of the missions agency, and is administered by the agency. Although, some of the agencies are set up in a way so that the money from churches is designated to a particular missionary or service. In addition to sending money, the churches usually funnel those, who surrender to missions, from their churches to the board or agency.
3. In turn, the missions board or agency, which is made up of the churches, yet is an organization outside the total authority of any one church, directs and administrates the missions endeavors of the churches in a collective sense. Though missionary candidates come to the agency from participating churches, it is the job of the missions board or agency to get them to the field and to supervise and direct their work. It is the missions agency which has real authority over the missionary and his work. Generally the agency approves or disapproves the missionary to go to the field. The board requires certain training and handles the missionary's funds. It becomes the responsibility of the missions board to guarantee the moral, doctrinal, financial, and industrial integrity of the missionary; and to recall him from the field in the event of his irresponsibility.
4. Outside of sending money and men and having slight input through delegates to establish policy; the local church has almost no voice in the actual functions of its missionary work.
II. CHURCH SPONSORED MISSIONS WORKS ON AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT APPROACH:
A. Churches practicing the "church sponsored" mission's approach are just as committed to missions work as anyone else; they just go about it in a different way:
1. Every mission effort is done strictly under the authority of one local church. No money is sent to a board or mission's agency. Help is given to missionaries sent out by another church; but the money is sent to that church or directly to the missionary; never to some intermediate authority.
2. Each missionary and missionary effort is supervised by the church sending him forth under the direction of the Holy Spirit of God. The church becomes the Spirit's tool to guarantee the missionary's integrity: morally, doctrinally, financially, and as one who is not lazy but a wise invester of his life. The church helps him with training, money, and the decisions necessary to the work. The missionary and his work is literally a part of and extention of his sponsoring church. Other churches usually aid financially and advise; but always the real authority rests solely in one sponsoring church. All decisions related to its missions work are made by that church; never outside its authority.
3. One church may sponsor or act as the authority over one or several missionaries while at the same time assist numerous other churches with missionaries they sponsor. In turn those other churches may help this church with its missions work. Although, in all cases, the missionary work is under the authority of one church; never an agency or board made up by the authority of several churches.
4. The churches practicing "church sponsored" missionary work are not isolationists. To the contrary, they are very much involved with many other churches. Truly church sponsored missionary work is a joint effort between many churches; but a missionary outreach by which the authority over each aspect of the missionary work always stays under the authority of one local church.
B. To some, this approach to missions seems strange or peculiar:
1. In the first place, many have never known anything but the missions board or agency approach. To them, this "church sponsored" missions approach is so different; and so often, anything different is regarded to be bad or wrong.
2. Also, others wonder if it will work. They just can't imagine missionary work being successful, if it is not done in a big centralized way. They wonder how one local church could possibly do a very extensive missionary work. They doubt the effectiveness and credibility of "church sponsored" missions.
3. Still others wonder what difference it makes. To them it doesn't matter one way or the other. They wonder why we are such sticklers about church sponsored missions work, and why we will not participate in any other types of missions work.
III. WHEN VIEWED IN LIGHT OF THE SCRIPTURES, CHURCH SPONSORED MISSIONS WORK DOES NOT LOOK PECULIAR AT ALL:
A. Remember from a previous message in this series that biblically each church is to ever remain autonomous, never surrendering any of its antonomy to any outside ecclesiastical organization:
1. We take literally Ephesians 3:21 which says, "unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen." From this we understand that whatever work is done by any believer to the glory of God, it should be done through the authority of one of the Lord's churches. Surely mission's work is designed to advance the cause of Christ. If so, then it must be done under the authority of a church, if it is to conform to the requirement of Ephesians 3:21. Neither in Ephesians 3:21, nor elsewhere, does the Bible ever state or suggest that God wants glory to come to him through a missions board, association, or any other ecclesiastical organization bigger than or outside the authority of one local church.
2. Any time any church gives even a fractional part of its authority or responsibility in missions to some body outside itself, it loses at least some of its autonomy. There is no way for a church to be a participant in a centralized board system without giving that board some authority or responsibility. Without authority or responsibility, there would be no reason for that board to exist. Yes, the church which participates in a central system gives up some of its authority and responsibility to an organization outside the church; and when it does, there is no scriptural need or basis for the move.
B. Biblically, every missionary effort that ever won the approval of God, was church sponsored:
1. In the first place, the great commission (Matthew 28:19-20) was given specifically to a church. (See Matthew 28:16, then compare I Corinthians 12:28). The first requirement of the commission is missions; reaching out to enhance the cause. And note well, it was given to a church; not a missions agency made up of several churches.
2. Look at the biblical example. When Barnabas went forth as a missionary in, Acts 11:22, he went by direct authority of the church in Jerusalem. Later Paul and Barnabas went forth as missionaries to establish churches in new areas. They were sponsored directly by the church in Antioch of Syria, Acts 13:2-3. On his second missionary campaign, Paul was sponsored by one local church, Acts 15:39-40. As great as Paul was, he was never bigger than the authority of one local church, and always subjected himself to that church authority, Acts 18:22-23.
Yes, other churches helped, but it was always church to missionary; never church to some missions board or other agency. Listen to Philipplans 4:14-18, "Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction. Now ye Philipplans know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity. Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your acount. But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God." Here in the Bible is church sponsored mission's work being practiced, pure and simple. The Macedonians of II Corinthians 11:9 did it the very same way, "And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself." The Philipplans and the Macedonians were not the only ones who did it that way. Paul wrote in II Corinthians 11:8, "I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service."
Search the scriptures. In them you will see churches sponsoring and supporting missionaries, always with the missionary and the mission's work under the authority of one local church. Search on, and look carefully. You will never, even one time, find a hint, let alone a case, of any missions work being done outside the authority of one local church. In the Bible, no board or mission's agency ever existed. God never authorized one, nor promised to bless one. And, no Bible missionary was ever sent out by one, got its real authority from one, nor ever answered to or reported to one.
C. To some, this may not make a difference; but it makes a difference to God:
1. He has written, "God is a Spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth," John 4:24. The "in truth" means God has a prescribed way of doing things. In most areas of worship and service to him, he has not left it up to us to decide for ourselves how it's to be done. He has given us commandment or example on how to do it. For example he doesn't tell us to give just whatever we feel, he says give the tithe (tenth), Malachi 3:10. We are not at liberty to immerse or sprinkle converts, whichever strikes their fancy or ours. We're to baptize them. It's not up to God's people to marry lost people. They're commanded to marry only saved people. And, we're not at liberty to quit Sunday worship, and substitute Saturday or Tuesday for Sunday. No, there are some things he said do, and he gave us a certain way to do them.
2. We understand that is how it's to be when it comes to missions work. God gave us a way, right there in the Bible. We do not see that we have any liberty to substitute another way in its place, especially when the other way would directly contradict his wish about glory in the church, as stated in Ephesians 3:21.
In short, we see no grounds in the Bible for any kind of missions other than church sponsored missions. If we see any church practicing any other kind it is violating the biblical order and example. We believe that doing that is a very dangerous thing. Proverbs 14:12 says, "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."
The example of David attempting to move the Ark of the Covenant up to Jerusalem on a new cart is a sobering reminder that some changes are exceedingly offensive to God. Exodus 25:14 and Numbers 7:9 specifically said that any time the Ark of the Covenant was to be transported, it was to be carried upon the shoulders of the sons of Kohath. As simple and unimportant as it may at first seem, when David at first moved the Ark, he put it in an oxen drawn cart (I Chronicles 13:7-9) like the one used by the Philistines to send the Ark home in I Samuel 6. Perhaps the substitution seemed insignificant to David and all his people; but it wasn't insignificant to God. God's anger was kindled against him at the threshing floor of Nachon, and God killed Uzzah there, II Samuel 6:6-7.
3. Why do we practice church sponsored missions work? Because we believe that is how God wants it done. In the Bible, the only place where we have God's Word on how it's to be done, they were doing it the church sponsored missions way. Why should we be so presumptuously bold as to substitute another way for God's way?
D. Someone may be asking if his church sponsored mission's way works:
1. It has and it does. lt's the only way ever tried in the Bible; and my, what a phenomenal success it was! The book of Acts is a history of one of the greatest success stories in the history of mankind. Despite all resistance, which was enormous, the cause of Christ advanced like wildfire. Churches sprang up everywhere. Paul was the greatest missionary who has ever existed (outside of Christ himself); and through his efforts, Christianity spread through the Mediterranean world like an epidemic. As Acts 17:6 says it, Paul and his co-workers were accused of turning the world upside down.
And, they did it and the success occurred the church sponsored mission's way. There was no board or missions agency involved.
2. God's plan works. This very day, hundreds of missionaries are around the world advancing the cause of Christ as the extention of one local church. In some cases, other churches are helping; and in some cases, they're not; but the job is getting done.
And, it's getting done without the graft and corruption which so often accompanies the board system. And, it's keeping the authority in the church where the Lord himself put it. And furthermore, whatever glory God gets from it will come through the church, which is where he said he wants it to be.
3. Why shouldn't we practice church sponsored missions? There is not one thing a mission's agency can do for a missionary that a church or group of churches working together according to the God-ordained example can't do.
4. Yes, we practice church sponsored missions and gladly so. We find it hard to understand why anyone would find such a practice peculiar.
"It Does Make a Difference What You Believe"