Proclaimer Blog
Why preachers must embrace missions
I happen to think that missions is an imperative for the church and, thus, not something that a church leader can choose to ignore. But a church is quite able to be committed to missions without its main preacher being so. I think that’s a shame. I’m just en route back from South Asia where I’ve been spending ten eventful days (a bomb and an earthquake in one day alone) and here are three observations why preachers should be committed to and involved in the work of missions:
- Missions aids our understanding of the text itself. So much of our Bible reading and Bible study is culturally bound. It’s only when you see the Bible being taught and understood in different cultures that you can throw off some of the shackles and limitations of your own. Visit a culture where people really do go into ministry for money (1 Peter 5.2) and your understanding of that chapter will be greatly transformed, for the better.
- Missions aids our understanding of the goal of the text. One of the great themes of the Bible is the ingathering of nations to worship the living God. You see that in every church to a certain extent, but truth is most of us are rather mono-cultural. See the world and see the goal of God’s great mission more clearly! It may sound stupid but it wasn’t until I walked down to the River Ganges and saw Hindus worshipping the river and washing away their sins that the lostness of the lost really hit me.
- Missions aids our application of the text. Human hearts differ little across the world and across cultures. But we are often blind to the particular worldliness that infects our hearts from our own culture. Seeing Christians in another culture opens eyes to worldliness both in them and in us. And seeing that worldliness and calling it out for what it is means our application of the gospel of grace is that much sharper.
Preachers should be committed to the work of missions. For the gospel. For their preaching.