Missionary or Imposter?
"Every Christian is either a missionary or an imposter." C.H. Spurgeon
I remember the first time I read these words nearly 7 years ago. It's not often that truth rises out of the flood of social media and grabs you but this binary logic challenged the core of my identity. I was a Christian (and a very committed one as I saw it). But was I living like a missionary?
If the answer was "no," then was I truly a Christian? ...Was I an imposter?
According to Spurgeon, the question is black and white, yes or no, in or out; "Are you a missionary?"
The truth is I had lived my life, in large part, as an imposter. I had said and done all the right things outwardly but those actions masked my inward desires which were as self-focused as anyone else's. I was out for me, for my pleasure, my advancement and that of my family.
During that time in my life, I had just committed to reading the Bible in earnest and had done some fairly significant (at the time I would have said, "drastic") rearranging of the way I spent my free time. The post-apocalyptic film, The Book of Eli, had left an indelible mark on me as to the importance of the Word of God and, partnered with the investment of a co-worker named Rob Little, for the first time in my life I was turning off the television and opening the Bible every night.
Spurgeon's words, radical as they were, rang true with the New Testament message I had been immersed in. Jesus too spoke in stark, binary language.
"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." (Luke 9:23-24)
Jesus laid out the conditions for being His follower very clearly. We "must" deny self. MUST. If we don't, we're not following Him. Jesus demands us to repent of our own pursuits and push all the chips to the center of the table.
"Anyone who does not gather with me scatters." (Matthew 12:30)
Was I gathering the harvest with Him? Was I actively seeking to save the lost? Was I engaged in making disciples? For 17 years of my Christian life, the answer was "no." At least not individually. And if not helping to unite others with Christ, I was serving as a repellant to the Kingdom.
Jesus gave some clear commands, chief of which were these marching orders for the church - His followers;
"All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And I will be with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20)
I had heard this passage on every Missions Sunday growing up (more often than that to be fair) but until this point in my life, I didn't think it was for me. I wasn't a missionary. I wasn't a minister.
The Great Commission that I was living according to went more like this;
"All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me (but feel free to disregard the following because you're not a professional minister or a crazy missionary). Therefore, stay in church and make yourself comfortable, clapping politely for the occasional baptism of a wayward father, or a son, which happens most. Don't worry about teaching, but be content to be taught and obey the Ten Commandments the best you can."
I had been exposed to faithful Bible teaching, I had great parents who provided a firm faith foundation, I had leaders who invested in me, but still, I had missed it.
See, the truth I was discovering is this; I am a missionary. I am a minister. That's what Jesus calls us to and transforms us into when we follow Him.
"Follow me," Jesus said. "And I will make you fishers of men." (Matthew 4:19)
Every Christian is a minister. Every one of us is a missionary, right where we live. At our call, we received our commissioning. From the beginning, we knew our purpose. Follow me, and I'll make you fishers of men - missionaries.
Jesus calls us near to send us out. He said, "As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you." (John 20:21) You too are sent to send.
The Gospel always finds us on its way to someone else. Don't let the Gospel stop with you.
You ARE a missionary. Who is your mission field?
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p.s. While editing this post, I realized that my intent could potentially be misunderstood. I don't want anyone to read this and feel as thought they must earn God's love and favor by living as a missionary. We are saved only by grace through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Jesus plus nothing equals everything. But although we're saved by grace alone, grace that saves is never alone. It always produces good works in and through us. It was my experiencing the fullness of this grace that Jesus offers us that compelled me to live a life on mission for Jesus. Don't put the cart before the horse. Works don't earn grace. Grace produces works.
I hope that makes sense, but if it's not clear or if I've created more confusion, please reach out to me or one of the other guys at City Church. We'd love to talk with you more about Jesus' great sacrifice for us and why He is more than enough to give us right standing before the Father.
TF
