Missions should be the heartbeat of every local church no questions asked. If you go to a church that is not involved in some fashion in World Missions, rather that is financially supporting organizations, praying for lost nations, or even funding and training their own missionaries I would say with great boldness that your church isn’t being faithful to Christ. That may sound bold but we can’t read the OT without coming to the understanding that Israel was chosen to make YAHWEH’s name great and in the NT we have Matthew 28 and 2 Corinthians 5:20 to let us know that we are God’s Ambassadors of the Gospel message.
What is funny is most of us can recite Matthew 28:19-20 as about easily as we can recite our own phone number. It is obvious that we are to make disciples (which is authentic Christianity not some super Christian) of the WHOLE WORLD!!!! However something occurred over the last 50-60 years in the United States that has somehow infringed upon our call to faithfully fulfill the Whole World piece of this.
I. The Suburban Exodus
Anyone who lives in a major metroplex or have relatives that live in one understand the phenomenon of the Suburbs. Suburbs were created for many different reasons. Sometimes the city became overly populated and people were pushed out, other times developers saw an opportunity to sale homes to people who couldn’t afford city prices but still wanted to own a home, some of the exodus was due to people wanting a safer environment to raise their families, and others wanted more land or a bigger house for their growing families which were more affordable. Whatever the reason the suburbs happened and they are thriving with single family homes, well developed communities and HOA’s and a way for some people to fell safer in gated communities and nicer schools.
What also happened during this time was churches followed suit. For some of the same reasons above churches fled the inner cities and move to the suburbs leaving a void yet to be filled to this day. Many of our churches built an unexpected (or maybe expected) chasm between them and the people they were called to minister to. Time, financial resources, and distance drove a wedge in between the haves and the have nots something that should never exist in Christendom. What I mean is this, those who could flee the city were blessed with financial resources in which those who were not blessed with these resources were left behind to deal with an ever growing problem of crime, poverty, and violence. We see the development of housing projects and Section 8 to help alleviate some of the housing pains which began when the rich could buy up land and put businesses (not to mention our government taking land to serve their purposes) on it pushing the poor further in.
II. The Suburbs creates the Suburban Church.
In the meantime churches followed suit as I said earlier. They left these areas built huge churches and over the years forgot about those left behind to swim in poverty and crime. So, though I think unintentional, what has developed is classicism in the church. For example private school versus public school. Now I wore pro wings up until junior high (man a new pair of pro wings always made you run faster) my grandmother who raise my me and my sister could no more provide for private school than she could a pair of Nikes. If we want to go homeschooling it ain’t even a conversation. As a matter of fact I never even heard the word home school until I move to the Suburbs in 04. But you see there are ministries and pastors who would tell you if you are not homeschooling or at least sending your kids to private school you are in sin. Some of these men and women are very popular.
Other areas of classicism come in styles of dress, some in the way sin is flushed out. Sin in the inner city typically have criminal repercussions while the sin in the suburb seems to be just the opposite (adultery, divorce, abortion) which really have no criminal impact (not included God’s Law). So we have a bunch of unwed mothers (most people I know never considered abortion and actually thought having a child was cool) people in prison and people with criminal records. Finally this classicm is displayed in the way the haves interact with the have nots. You see we become comfortable with ministering to people like us (most churches outreach to communities where they are an ignore communities that they don’t see) and the more we do that the more uncomfortable we become with the ex-con who was converted to Christ, or the young woman who has a few babby daddies that has recently converted to Christ, or the young child who may look to have a negative influence on our child who needs to be converted to Christ and the list goes on and on. We typically minister to those who have the same level of education, same hobbies, same taste in the arts, and same gross income as we do. This practiced over a course of time builds an invisible wall between the different socioeconomic classes that, well after awhile, becomes nearly impossible to get around.
III. However we become convicted when we read the scriptures.
What I mean is if you are in a suburban church that is faithful to preaching the scriptures then you can’t help but to come across Matthew 28 or Romans 10, or 2 Corinthians 5 or the book of Acts. We then, to ease our conscience, find a way to contribute resources to the great commission. Regardless if that is having a missionary fund, going on a short-term mission, or contributing to a missionary agency. We get excited to get cards and pictures of these missionaries and what they have accomplished. We get excited to see rice, fresh vegetables, wells dug, and the Gospel preached in these areas. We then felt that we have done our job to minister to the Gospel. But lets read Jesus’ route to getting the Gospel to these nations in Acts 1:
So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
If we are to take this imperative of Christ literally we see a well drawn out route of how the Great Commission was to be fulfilled. Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, then the other nations. Is what Christ says.
IV. We forget about Samaria most of the time
What most Suburban (not all) churches (regardless of Reformed, Bible, Southern Baptist, PCA, or Charismatic) has failed to do was to stop by Samaria first. During the time of Jesus we understand why this would be a problem given the history between Jews and Samaritans (mixed races). And we can easily see why we are not tapping Samaria today. Race isn’t the problem economics and social classes are. Most suburban churches are caught up in the growth movement so we see no real benefit in ministering to people who can’t make it out to our church anyway. The other problem and what I believe to be the most serious one is WE DON’T REALLY WANT THEM THERE ANYWAY!. Now that might sound harsh but it is as close to the truth as any other reason. The make it clear ministering to the poor can become very messy and can intrude on our church growth strategies. We are at risk of losing our long-term church members who would rather fly a bag of rice and drop if from a plane versus spending time worshipping side by side.
You see in economics they taught us something called “economies of scale”. What this means in manufacturing terms is you produce so much to where you start to break even on your product and every item after that becomes profit. You see Plant, Property and Equipment cost give you a flat cost in which it won’t cost you anymore to produce 100 than 1000 as a matter of fact it is less expensive to produce 1000 due to the profit made on items 101-1000. The same is going on in our churches. Most of the people I am talking about will be takers and not contributors. A woman with 3 kids and no job skills becomes a liability not an asset. A guy with 2 felonies and is one fight away from an automatic 25 year bid is a liability not an asset. A poor widow with no family and no retirement is a liability not an asset and so is a troubled teen. Now I am not saying not to be skeptical and not set up some type of conditions but the Suburban church is doing very little.
However Christ told the disciples to go to Samaria! This was not an option but a command. He said “you WILL BE MY WITNESSES”. He didn’t say they might or they should consider it. And Samaria was not an option. We have made Samaria an option. It is much easier to minster to someone like me than someone not like me. It is even better to minister to someone who can be an asset versus a potential liability. This my friend flies in the face of these verses found in James:
2:1 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?
Are many of our churches guilty of this? You bet we are. Was this a problem 2000 years ago? It wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t. You see because of our sinful nature we all have the tendency to separate ourselves and it just so happens that this propensity for separation is more greatly displayed in economic terms. If I build a new building and it can sit 500 people and I am looking to grow another 100 I am not looking for 100 that may have a negative impact on what the 400 are already doing.
V. Final Thoughts: Comfort, Christianity and its Non-Compatibility
First I want to appeal to the cross in all of this. Christ died for all of our sin even partiality and comfort. When we trust Christ our sins are forgiven. However, that doesn’t mean that we ignore His commands either. Comfort in this life is one of the easiest ways to detour us from a passionate ministry towards the poor (also it is a huge barrier between race reconciliation but that is a different post). As humans we desire comfort. As Americans we expect it. We don’t want God intruding on our plans for a College Degree, a nice family, our 2.5 kids, our IRA or 401K’s, that nice comfortable salary right out of seminary, our plans to first do youth ministry then plant a church in a thriving city. We don’t want God to tell us to forgoe all of that in order to take the Gospel to those he has placed in adverse economic and social conditions. So instead we send people on mission trips half way around the globe instead of packing up and going 25 miles south, or across the tracks, or even to the church around the corner. We have plans and we want to stick to them
However, the abundant life is not found in the accumulation of things or even the fullfillment of our dreams. The abundant life is found only in Christ and following His commands to have every nation, tongue and tribe saturated with the Gospel. So that book deal, that PhD, that MBA, that nice home all may need to be put off to fulfill this. Maybe building that youth wing and having your name on the whos who list of most influential theologians or pastors may not be it for you. Maybe God has called a lot of us to minister to people who are going to cost us all of the above. Maybe God is calling us to a life of little fame and popularity. Maybe God isn’t calling us to be those people who host or even speak at big time conferences but as someone once said in which I will revise “Why stoop so low to a big time suburban church when God has called you to minister to the greatest harvest ever, the inner city”?
In closing we must not forget Samaria. I know it seems more profitable to plant in thriving cities and metroplexes, I can’t imagine the sacrifice of seminary, the late nights, the cost, the stress and then go minister to a church the size of 50 – 75 most of who will backbite, gossip about you and keep you up late at night. I know there is a lot at stake for you pastors with big time Suburban churches or with aspirations for such a church, but isn’t one soul worth it. One of the seeker guys said something that is theoretically true “if there was only one person for Christ to redeem His would have still endured the cross for that one” shouldn’t we have the same heart?
Don K. Preston in an Up Coming Radio Debate
Covenant Radio, with sponsors Jeffrey McCormack and William Hill, will be hosting another debate, on May 22, 2008 at 7 PM EDT (6 PM CST).
The disputants for this debate will be Don K. Preston, who has engaged in debates on Covenant radio in the past, and Mr. Melvin Jones.
Mr. Jones has a BSEE from Tuskegee Institute 1974, and is of the Reformed/Monergistic persuasion. In his eschatology he is a premillennialist, and holds to a physical return of Jesus Christ. He teaches occasionally for the Standup Ministries (www.standupministry.com) through a web cast, and worships with Hillcrest Baptist Church, Temple Hills MD.
Mr. Jones is involved with the Website: http://www.pulpit-pimps.org a site that addresses the men and women who take advantage of the more vulnerable and ignorant members of the Body.
On the website, Mr. Jones gives the purpose and focus of his ministry in the following way:
“This site exists to do two things. First, I want to make you religious sloths angry enough to stop giving the pulpit pimps your hard earned money. You earned it and no one should be allowed to bilk you of it through religious blackmail.
Second, I want to equip those of you who still have more than three working brain cells with the information you need to fight the pimps and pimpettes’ gross distortions of Christianity and the Christian life.
I have grown weary of watching the church get devoured by the wolves and greedy men who want to benefit from the ignorance of their congregations. This site is my contribution to getting the Church back to where it belongs.”
The debate with Mr. Jones came about due to one our regular visitors to this site, who had interacted with Mr. Jones and a related radio ministry. I was contacted, asking if I would be willing to debate someone from the ministry. I expressed my interest, but, the head of the ministry was not willing to engage me. However, Mr. Jones has stepped forward and the discussions will proceed. We appreciate his willingness to engage in these discussions, and feel that they will be profitable.
You can listen to the debate live, on http://www.Covenantradio.com on May the 22, at 7 Eastern time, 6 Central time.
Depending on the time available, there may be two propositions. Don K. Preston will affirm the following.
Resolved: The Bible teaches that the Second (i.e. final) coming of Christ occurred at the time of the fall of Jerusalem in A. D. 70.: The Bible teaches that the Second (i.e. final) coming of Christ occurred at the time of the fall of Jerusalem in A. D. 70.
Don K. Preston: affirm
Melvin Jones: Deny.
If time permits, Mr. Jones will also have an affirmative, which will be:
Resolved: The Bible teaches that due to Jewish unbelief and rejection of Jesus in the first century, the Davidic Kingdom was postponed until the Second Coming of Christ which will occur at the end of the current Christian age.
: The Bible teaches that due to Jewish unbelief and rejection of Jesus in the first century, the Davidic Kingdom was postponed until the Second Coming of Christ which will occur at the end of the current Christian age.
Melvin Jones: Affirm
Don K. Preston: Deny
We very much appreciate the opportunity to engage in these discussions, and express our appreciation to Jeff McCormack and William Hill for their good work on Covenant Radio.
Don K. Preston
Hey Brah…
Post reminds me of the conversation we had awhile back on the issue of culture/poverty…..but regardless, glad to see you’re placing the word out here too.
If you or anyone has the chance, there was a message from Mark Driscoll on the issue (who really seemed balanced, even though it was on the issue of defining what is the Emerging CHurch—-but it seems relevant seeing that much of what’s being advocated in this post is similar to what he was saying):
http://download.marshillchurch.org/media/2008/02/24/20080224_emerging-church_audio.mp3.
I was grateful for his expounding on the issue of the importance of THE CITY (which is something the book I pointed out in the initial post, URBAN MINISTRY, also discussed at length)……&
For some books on folks who’re interested, one of them I’ve been investigating is called “The Urban Christian: Effective Ministry in Today’s Urban World”
(by Ray Bakke) ….the other being “Urban Ministry: The Kingdom of God, the City & the People of God (by Michael Ortiz & Harvie Conn)…..there are numerous others and of course, seeing that you’re from the streets, I’m certain you could roll em’ out easily.
Curious, Brother Lionel, whether or not you’d even think it necessary for one who has never experienced urban ministry to read about first before going out to work it–
Forgot to add this one as well entitled “The First Urban Christians: The Social World of the Apostle Paul” (by Wayne A. Meeks ), which goes pretty in-depth on the issue
In the book, Meeks studies the earliest Christian communities established by St. Paul—-and it was interesting seeing how the kat dealt with the image most people have of the first Christians being poorer peasant and agrarian people (which often tends to give credence that the SURBURBS is where it’s at)….., but the reality is probably different. While the gospel may have been first preached in such settings, the faith started in urban areas and spread first from one city to another, then to the countryside.
Ffor those trying to flee the city and head to the surburbs, people forget that THE IDEAS SHAPING THE REST OF HOW CULTURE FLOWS STARTED FROM THE CITY.
I am an experience guy first Gabriel. What I mean is that we have the Bible and we have people and that is all we need. I think sometimes we spend too much time in textbooks and theoretical hogwash (though I believe the books you mentioned can be a plus but not the catalyst) instead of going in with both of our feet. The other thing is we already have people and churches doing this but they have very limited impact because of theological training and financial resources.
Samaria is not forgotten, but very much in play! What I’ve seen and experienced is the opposite. We have quite a few churches in our urban areas, but the ministries are geared to attract the suburbanites and their financial resources. It was even said by one Pastor that the reality is, your support won’t come primarily from the community (the hood) in which you exist, but from those you’re able to attract from suburban areas.
What’s even more interesting is these churches have had little impact in their communities in terms of statistics. Drug sales and gang violence are still rampant. Teenage pregnancy, underemployment and unemployment numbers are largely unaffected. I contend that it’s largely due to a desire for “success and growth” which in themselves aren’t wrong desires. But many churches have tapped into these “success and growth” formulas which are espoused because they’ve been tried and proven by these “numbers” driven ministries .
So you’re absolutely right in the attitude being this desire to not “mix” classes which could potentially upset the apple cart. But this is not exclusive to some of the suburban churches, it’s happening in some of the urban churches as well. Jesus said if HE be lifted up, HE’d draw ALL men. HE (Christ) is the LIGHT of the world. Well in many churches, they do an excellent job of exalting the “lesser” light. Christ is really no longer the draw, it’s programming, personalities… even consumer branding! All to draw or attract.
Because for many, success in the church is based upon what society deems as success. In society success is well defined and expressed by tangibles, measurable’s, proven formulas which bring about the desired results. But biblically, God time and time again did more with less and it’s quite evident that in some circles of the church, quantity has been chosen over quality. In today’s economy, Jesus’ ministry would be considered a failure purely based upon numbers (quantity). Yet the quality of the numbers is quite evident.
It’s really a sad situation when you’re in Samaria, yet the Samaritans remain unaffected by your presence.
I Ain’t Nobody!
I think that is what I was trying to convey bro. I am saying the churches that currently exist in the urban environment exist for themselves and the Gospel is rarely if ever proclaimed with any great authority. There are a bunch of churches needless to say but what exactly are they conveying? I sat in a church most of my childhood and one thing is for sure, the exclusive message of Christ and my need for Him because of my inherited Sin from Adam was never conveyed. Most sermons didn’t mention Christ much at all. I went a couple of years ago when I was in MI visiting and the pastor was talking about Christ suffering in Hell and fighting the devil and it was just some pure foolishness. Once again nothing about the Gospel though Christ, Hell and the Devil were the major characters in the sermon.
That is why, though I have been challenged, I am saying we need Reformed Biblical Theology. Why? Because I believe it to be the most faithful to a Christ Centered approach to the scripture versus man and his effort. I am not looking for MDiv, PhD or any type of seminary training, but I do want to see competent men proclaiming the Good News with authority and conviction and that my friend is non-existent. As we go in share in some communities we see that people have been members of churches for years and greatly involved and don’t have a clue what I mean when I ask them “what is the Gospel”. Even if you don’t believe it if you have spent anytime in a church this should be clear. I am not saying all Reformed church goers are Christians but they should at least understand what the Gospel is and who are the key players (The Father, Son, Holy Spirit, Adam, man and Satan) and how this all fits together. My opinion but this is my conviction.
As it relates to Samaria Christ had to explain to woman at the well by saying “God will not be worshipped on any mountain”. Then proceeded to give her the Gospel. This is what are churches should be doing because computers, literacy, college, and lower crime rates still does not deal with the issue of sin, death and judgment. This is our ultimate problem and those can be venues or catalyst to help us build relationships with our communities but if we don’t give them Christ and Him crucified what we did was worthless in the end.
Hey Lionel,
Thanks for the challenge. As a new multi-racial church in a area between Baltimore and Washington (Columbia, MD), I appreciate your thoughtful and insightful exhortation to go to Samaria. We in the burbs can be very comfortable serving from a distance and yet God is calling us to engage all of life. The gospel affects all of life! God is at work!!
Lionel, you are so on the money with this! Too many people think our society is more homogeneous than what it is because they only interact with people who are like them, even on Sunday morning. Then, when they see someone from the other side of the proverbial tracks, they think, “That’s not normal: they should be more like me.” This thinking is so wrong and it’s being exploited by the enemy to keep people on both sides of the tracks from the Kingdom.
I would add that your admonition goes both ways. Take away the economic lens of disenfranchisement and we see equally faithful people on both sides who should vie to cross the tracks in ministry. Were it not for my black brothers and sisters in Christ who ministered to me spiritually when I went through dark times of sin, I wouldn’t be on the road I am today.
Hey Jim P,
I am likewise. If it were not for Shannon who gave me my first opportunity to lead a bible study and who prayed for me and helped me through my first corporate america job I wouldn’t be here today. He has been a huge blessing and we are like brothers many times (geography and time keeps us apart).