Issues Facing Missions Today: 39.16 Mission as Renewal Ministry
Introduction
Our sixteenth point to evaluate in the proposed Missions 101
course is
Point 16: ‘Foreign
missions is really something of the past: Asia is now sending missionaries,
North and South America and Australasia are Christian, the Church is growing
fastest in Africa, there is no open door in the Middle East, and Europe is
where the Church started.’
An obvious focus
in our course in response to this dubitable perspective is to discuss the
unfinished task in evangelistic mission.
For that I might suggest engaging the project of mapping the unfinished
task in missions undertaken by Mission Frontiers.[1] What I would like to consider, however, is another
matter that arises: the proposition that not all mission work is
pioneering, evangelistic work. My
interest is not here about holistic missions, whereby the task of mission is
expanded such that it can never be a finished task (‘you always have the poor with
you,’ Mark 14.7; Mt. 26.11; Jn. 12.8).
Rather, my contribution here will be to reflect on mission—Great Commission
missionary work (Mt. 28.18-20)--as renewal ministry.
In this regard, mission to the West (or in South Africa and countries in
Europe, North America, and Australasia) comes into clear focus.
Sometimes evangelism and church planting provide the appropriate
focus of missions in a certain region; sometimes Biblical teaching and Church
renewal rise to the forefront of missionary efforts. All such concerns are characteristics of
Great Commission missionary work (Mt. 28.18-20). Paul’s missionary work was pioneering (‘not
where Christ has already been named,’ Rom. 15.20). Yet his ‘second missionary journey’ began
with revisiting the churches established during his earlier missionary
travels. His letters, moreover, were
attempts to teach established churches from a distance even as he pressed ahead
with new pioneering activities. These
letters were, on some occasions, concerned with correction and renewal.
Mission to the West may involve a replanting of the Church
in fallow ground, in fields that have returned to hardened soil infested with
thorns and thistles. In such
circumstances, the Church’s missionary activity is once again evangelistic, and
denominations and churches in the region need to support new evangelism rather
than protect existing yet dying parishes.
Furthermore, much of renewed mission to the West needs to involve revival
or renewal work. The line between churches
still alive but needing revival and churches already dead is sometimes
difficult to determine.
Dying, Dead Religion
In his excellent work on the history and dynamics of Church
renewal, Richard Lovelace stated:
Periods of spiritual decline occur
in history because the gravity of indwelling sin keeps pulling believers first
into formal religion and then into open apostasy. Periods of awakening alternate with these as
God graciously breathes new life into his people.[2]
(40).
Formal religion, I would suggest, is that form of religion
whereby liturgy becomes rote; Scripture’s authority is attacked while the community’s
own dialogue is considered authoritative; dynamic belief is reduced to a mere, philosophical
worldview; the call to radical discipleship of Jesus is equated with either
social conservatism or a cultural, liberal activism, no longer challenging—not even
uncomfortable; mission becomes little more than foreign, short-term excursions
and de-emphasizes proclamation of the Gospel; invitations to conversion are
replaced with concerns for religious dialogue; unity of the faith is understood
as tolerance of diversity rather than agreement about the singularly true
Gospel of Jesus Christ; the power of God is understood only as forgiveness and
redemption and not also as transformation and God’s working of miracles;
finances are devoted primarily to operating costs, salaries, and buildings; and
so forth. If so, then the formalization
of religion is, as Lovelace suggested, the doorway to apostasy.
Yet there is hope.
Mission is God’s mission. Renewal
is renewal by the Spirit of God. Nothing
is so dead that God cannot resurrect it.
To seek such revival, though, requires realizing that what were once
Christian communities witnessing the Gospel have become sick and, all too
often, have already died.
Characteristics of
Renewal
More important than determining whether a church or
denomination has died is to focus on the characteristics of revival and the
dynamics of renewal. We more easily
confirm what is alive than that something is dead—we call a doctor to confirm a
death, but a child can say if something is alive. Lovelace suggested five distinguishing marks
of a genuine work of the Spirit of God in renewing the Church: the church that is being
renewed by the Spirit (1) exalts Jesus Christ, (2) attacks the kingdom of
darkness, (3) honours Scripture, (4) promotes sound doctrine, and (5) pours out
love toward God and humanity.[3]
It is actually important to expand this sort of a list, acknowledging that it is difficult to provide a complete list or ordering of the characteristics of renewal. The leader of the first great awakening of the Church in New England, Jonathan Edwards (18th c.) expands on several of the characteristics of revival noted by Lovelace and would also have us add some more characteristics. What follows are some further elements of renewal from Edwards’ Thoughts on the Revival of Religion in New England, part I (written in 1740).
Regarding
honouring the Scriptures, Edwards says,
If we take the Scriptures for our rule, then the greater and higher our
exercises of love to God, delight and complacency in him, desires and longings
after him, delight in his children, love to mankind, brokenness of heart,
abhorrence of sin, and self-abhorrence for it; the more we have of the peace of
God which passeth all understanding, and joy in the Holy Ghost, unspeakable and
full of glory; the higher our admiring thoughts of God, exulting and glorying
in him; so much the higher is Christ’s religion, or that virtue which he and
his apostles taught, raised in the soul (Thoughts
on the Revival, I.II.I).
Relatedly,[4]
Edwards stated that revival is marked by a conviction of the truth of the
Gospel (cf. Lovelace’s ‘sound doctrine’):
to a firm persuasion that
Christ Jesus is the Son of God, and the great and only Saviour of the world;
and that the great doctrines of the gospel touching reconciliation by his
blood, and acceptance in him, are matters of undoubted truth. They have had a most affecting sense of the
excellency and sufficiency of this Saviour, and the glorious wisdom and grace
of God shining in this way of salvation; and of the wonders of Christ’s dying
love, and the sincerity of Christ in the invitations of the gospel.
Several
additional characteristics of revival that Edwards notes include the following
five. There is (6) a deep repentance over sin.
For this point, Edwards draws attention to several revivals in the 17th
century, including one in 1625 in the west of Scotland. Many people, he says, were
so extraordinarily seized with terror in hearing the word, by the Spirit
of God convincing them of sin, that they fell down, and were carried out of the
church, and they afterwards proved most solid and lively Christians (I.II.III).
Another characteristic of revival is (7) a concern for propagation of the Gospel. Edwards speaks of a ‘deep distress for the
souls of others’ (Thoughts on the Revival,
I.II.II). Related to this, are (8) actual conversions. The advancement of the Gospel to new
frontiers and among new ethnicities characterizes revival:
there have been many of the remains of those wretched people and dregs
of mankind, the poor Indians, that seemed to be next to a state of brutality,
and with whom, till now, it seemed to be to little more purpose to use
endeavours for their instruction and awakening, than with the beasts. Their minds have now been strangely opened to
receive instruction, and been deeply affected with the concerns of their
precious souls; they have reformed their lives.... (I.IV)
A ninth, related characteristic of revival is (9) a seriousness about the things of God. Edwards states in regard to the New England
revival that:
There has been a great increase of seriousness, and sober consideration
of eternal things; a disposition to hearken to what is said of such things,
with attention and affection; a disposition to treat matters of religion with
solemnity, and as of great importance; to make these things the subject of
conversation; to hear the word of God preached, and to take all opportunities
in order to it; to attend on the public worship of God, and all external duties
of religion, in a more solemn and decent manner; so that there is a remarkable
and general alteration in the face of New England in these respects (I.IV).
Edwards expands his comment about a sense of seriousness
about God:
They have also been awakened to a sense of the shortness and uncertainty
of life, and the reality of another world and future judgment, and of the
necessity of an interest in Christ. They
are more afraid of sin, more careful and inquisitive that they may know what is
contrary to the mind and will of God, that they may avoid it, and what he
requires of them, that they may do it, more careful to guard against
temptations, more watchful over their own hearts, earnestly desirous of knowing
and of being diligent in the use of the means that God has appointed in his
word, in order to salvation. Many very
stupid, senseless sinners, and persons of a vain mind, have been greatly
awakened. (I.IV)
Finally, revival of the Church is characterized by (10) a change in people’s practices:
There is a strange alteration almost all over New England amongst young
people.... [They have forsaken] frolicking, vain company-keeping,
night-walking, their mirth and jollity, their impure language, and lewd
songs.... And there is great alteration
amongst old and young as to drinking, tavern-haunting, profane seaking, and
extravagance in apparel.... (I.IV)
Edwards reiterates the role Scripture plays in guiding Godly
conversations—another practice evident in churches experiencing revival. Relatedly, a stricter observance of the Lord’s
Day, confession of wrongs to one another, making restitution, awareness of the
worthlessness of mere religious performances (I.IV).
Conclusion
The task of Great Commission missions (Mt. 28.18-20)
involves teaching disciples all that Jesus commanded. This would include sound teaching of the Kingdom
of God, of the Gospel, of Holy Scripture.
Such teaching is foundational for new believers, essential for
growing as disciples of Christ, and the key for any correction of error. Missional work involves not only evangelistic
efforts but also training in discipleship and teaching in order to revive the Church
where it has fallen into error and laxity.
Revival and renewal of the Church is an essential part of missions. Where the Church needs correction and renewal,
such as in many parts of the West, the task of mission continues. While some regions of the world require a planting or replanting of the Church, other regions need a mission of renewal along the lines described by Richard Lovelace and Jonathan Edwards. Thus, evangelistic missionary efforts may proceed geographically, but renewal ministry and Biblically sound teaching is more universal and ongoing.
[1]
See: http://www.missionfrontiers.org/issue/article/mapping-the-unfinished-task. Accessed 6 November, 2015.
[2] Richard
Lovelace, Dynamics of Spiritual Life: An Evangelical Theology of
Renewal
(Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1979), p. 40.
[3]
Ibid., p. 42. Also, over several
chapters, Lovelace discusses the preconditions of continuous renewal (under the
topics of knowing god and knowing ourselves, the depth of sin, the flesh, and
the world), the primary elements in renewal (justification, sanctification, the
indwelling Holy Spirit, and authority in spiritual conflict), and the secondary
elements in renewal (orientation towards mission, dependent prayer, the
community of believers, theological integration, and disenculturation).
[4] My
own efforts to promote sound doctrine have particularly in recent years been
directed towards the heretical affirmation of homosexual practice in mainline
denominations and some other churches, colleges, and institutions in the
West. My co-author, S. Donald Fortson,
and I have just completed the final editing for this work, which is especially a
study of primary sources in church history, Scripture, the Ancient Near East,
Judaism, and ancient Greece and Rome. It
should be in print by January, 2016: Unchanging
Witness: The Consistent Christian Teaching on Homosexuality in Scripture and
Tradition (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2016).