Or, Thoughts Regarding Contextualization and Mission-al Living
Scripture:
Date: October 9, 2010
Speaker: Sean Higgins
Or, Thoughts Regarding Contextualization and Mission-al Living
There is a loud voice emerging in some parts of Christianity, with a heart for the spiritually lost, afraid that we are failing to fulfill our commission, afraid that our friends, family, and communities are going to hell, and confident that the church is to blame (at least in large part).
In classic American entrepreneurial spirit, many pastors and other church leaders see the problem (people don’t seem to be interested in the church or in Jesus) and deduce that our disciple-making formula must be flawed or faulty. To fix the problem they have created new approaches, strategies, and programs. Well meaning sheep who also have a heart for the lost see flashes of success when all kinds of unbelievers flock to these fresh, imaginative, creative, emerging churches.
But just because something sounds good doesn’t mean it is according to sound doctrine, and I wonder if we are discerning enough to be suspicious that it might be at best temporal success, or worse, an eternal wreck.
Before you decide that this session must be for someone else, you should know (if you don’t already) that people have left our church over what they perceive to be a methodology that doesn’t work. I don’t think they question our faithfulness per se, but they do question our apparent lack of ingenuity as well as what they consider to be a lack of results.
I corresponded a while ago with someone who felt this way, not necessarily about our church in particular, but his concerns represent the kind of issues and attitude you might hear aimed at churches like ours.
My argument would be that the vast majority of churches today are not on God’s mission but are most concerned with “building up the saints” (or at least maintaining them). When churches ignore their need to embrace their Great Commission calling as something that should impact everything about how they operate…they end up being social clubs that you can join if you want but you’ll have to walk, talk, and look like everyone else.
You can sense the frustration and perhaps the frustration resonates within you. But I think this kind of perspective—represented by this one voice expressing a common attitude—betrays a misunderstanding of the church and of our commission.
First of all, to say that some churches end up being “social clubs” is a straw man. What about the churches that end up being skate-parks or concert halls in their effort to reach the lost? Skate church and football church and tattoo church and rock church are just different kinds of social clubs. I think what he doesn’t like are churches filled with white, middle-class, suburban dwellers like himself.
His biggest concern, however, seems to be that not everyone wants to be a part of church and that must be the churches fault. Something we’re doing, or not doing, makes the church unappealing and is keeping people away.
I agree that the church doesn’t always do what she should (GBC or local churches in general) and that sometimes criticism about our behavior is accurate, even if the proposed solution isn’t. But as you think through why people steer clear of the church, don’t forget that church is not for “the people,” church is for Christians. The church is comprised of believers and church meetings are for the saints. The church gathers for worship and teaching and fellowship and then individual Christians scatter for evangelism.
Unbelievers may attend our services and often do. Obviously we should preach the gospel and pray for their salvation, but where did we get the idea to invite those with no spiritual taste-buds to our corporate feast?
Maybe if we just acted less righteous people would be interested. We see the signs around town, “Such and Such Church: No perfect people allowed” (often with a word misspelled for emphasis). We get it. Someone had a bad experience with a (probably hypocritical) pietistic, proud, professing Christian with no joy and a chip on their shoulder. We don’t like the self-righteous any more than Jesus did.
But righteousness is required in the church, it just isn’t our righteousness. Church isn’t for Christians who are naturally better than non-Christians, church is for those who don’t fear God’s wrath against their unrighteousness because the righteousness of Christ was credited to their account when they believed. But anyone who doesn’t have His righteousness is not safe. Unrighteous people should feel no more comfortable at church than darkness does with light. It should be no surprise if unbelievers want to stay as far away as they can.
The point is, yes we should make disciples and bring them to the church. We should purposefully live with love and speak with grace and tell the truth to unbelievers next door or across the hall or behind the checkout counter. But we should not expect those who are at enmity with God to want to worship Him in the splendor of His holiness. Redefining church won’t fix that.
To say that “the vast majority of churches today are not on God’s mission but are more concerned with “building up the saints"" suggests that God’s mission is simply conversion. When your goal is conversion, you don’t have to be as careful with your methods.
”Contextualization” is a buzzword in Christian conversation these days. A number of nationally known speakers are pressing that responsible outreach requires us to contextualize, that is, put the gospel into terms that postmoderns can understand and appreciate. We were told that the methods of evangelism our parents and grandparents used won’t work today. The current generation possesses less familiarity with the gospel and asserts new objections to Christianity so we must adapt and adjust our strategies appropriately.
But it seems like the majority of the “missional” and “contextualization” conversation is nothing more than an updated version of Evidentialism, which is the offspring of Arminianism. The assumption is still that it is humanly possible to convince someone of the folly of their beliefs and the superiority of Christian faith, we just need new and improved arguments.
This is simply a more sophisticated sounding man-centered approach. Since we don’t see lots of conversions, the problem is diagnosed with us, our methods, and our arguments; it is a failure in our presentation and inability to overcome resistance. So “responsible” outreach is determined by how successful it is, and success is often defined by the number of people who accept our message.
This is nothing other than pragmatism, doing whatever works. Pragmatism may be wearing new clothes but her underbelly is as ugly as ever. It is Ashamed of the Gospel 2.0, where methods are judged on the basis of what works rather than what is right.
The first problem here is that our commission is not just conversion. That is not only narrow but flatly unbiblical. The Great Commission does not exhort us to make great number of converts but disciples. Seeing people get saved is only part of our responsibility. After repentance and faith they must also be taught to observe everything that Christ commanded. God’s mission is more than just evangelism but also edification and equipping. “Building up the saints” is part of God’s mission for the church, hence why He gave leaders to do just that.
The second problem is that contextualization, whether naively or arrogantly, ignores the fact that natural men (1 Corinthians 2:14) (unbelieving and lacking the Spirit) do not need more sensible arguments or a contextual approach per se. Without the Spirit they cannot, they will not, understand the things of the Spirit of God. Without the power of the gospel—not the power of our presentation (Romans 1:16)—and without supernatural regeneration—not our sophisticated reasoning (Titus 3:3-7)—there is no hope of eternal life.
Our gospel is veiled. The God of this world has blinded them (2 Corinthians 4:1-6)! This is no surprise. Whatever else the postmodern mindset includes, it views the preaching of the cross as foolishness (1 Corinthians 1:18). And do we not have very clear instruction on how to handle that (1 Corinthians 1:22-24)? The Jews considered the cross a stumbling block; postmoderns consider its exclusivity offensive. The Gentiles thought the cross was folly; postmoderns do likewise. Plausible words of wisdom get us nowhere with spiritually dead people. Instead, let us depend on God to shine light in dark hearts.
Contextualizing the gospel is used to rationalize every sort of flesh-pampering, sin-minimizing, cross-eclipsing “ministry.” I agree that it is our responsibility to take biblical truth into particular contexts, but it is naive, if not arrogant, for men think that we can persuade men to love God by serving their idols.
Our lives are about mission, the mission to praise God’s name above all others and to enjoy and share Trinitarian intimacy. Therefore, reaching the lost and making friends and building community is important in so far as it is consistent with the truth about God that He reveals in His Word. That means sometimes people won’t want to go to church and it isn’t a problem with church; they don’t like the God they meet there. It also means that wearing a t-shirt instead of a tie is not a certificate of authenticity that your heart is right. It also means that those who glorify God most passionately and make disciples most purposefully are those who know God most clearly and love Him most intimately.
Should we be “all things to all men” (cf. 1 Corinthians 9:22) or should our light stand out starkly in the darkness (cf. Matthew 5:14-16)? We need wisdom to know.
And Other Things I’m Not Tired of Talking About Yet
Or, “Tips” if you’d prefer.
As we wrap up this seminar, here are some final thoughts on disciple-making.
Jesus already walked the road ahead of us and all we need to do is follow Him. As I mentioned before, The Master Plan of Evangelism by Robert Coleman traces Jesus’ steps and is must read material. Jesus called disciples, lived and associated with them, taught them, modeled for them, partnered with them, delegated assignments, did follow-up, and then He left. We are here, not because Jesus filled stadiums with hundreds of thousands of people and preached great messages, but because He focused on twelve ordinary men. Apparently making disciples like Jesus is effective (not to mention biblical).
”Go” in Matthew 28:18 is πορευθέντες, a participle that modifies the imperative, μαθητεύσατε. Also in Mark 16:15, πορευθέντες…κηρύξατε. Though regularly translated as a command, “Go” is more accurately translated “Going” or “While going.” The participle describes action that should occur before the activity of the main verb (in Matthew 28:18, “make disciples”). So, we must make disciples, and we do that as we’re going.
We should train and send missionaries to foreign nations, but realize, we are “the ends of the earth” from a Jerusalem point of view (cf. Acts 1:8). Seattle is 6,766 miles away from Jerusalem. It’s great to Go, but that part is assumed, not commanded.
Making disciples doesn’t require anything special, but it does require everything normal. It usually involves the mundane and the daily. Make disciples at the grocery store, running other errands, attending soccer games, riding in the car, cleaning the house (or someone else’s house), weeding, painting, cleaning gutters. The point is: proactively expose your life to others. Maximize your path crossings.
Contextualization is a bad approach. We don’t need it. But before we get smug about how awesome we’re doing, we need to contend with busylization, or, the fact that we think we’re too busy for this.
I think Steve Lawson is the first person I heard talk about being a disciple like becoming a soldier: it’s free, but it requires everything. It takes TIME. It is not a Sunday only event, or even a two hour meeting at Starbucks. More return comes to those who invest more.
I thought about making Time it’s own gospel tool.
Discipleship may be the toughest thing we’ll ever do. It’s much easier not to disciple. It isn’t always convenient inviting other people into our lives and it can be awkward at times when we get involved in theirs. But no matter how demanding, chaotic, or inconvenient, making disciples is the Trinitarian commission. It’s messy because sin makes life messy.
Living among fellow sinners, learning how to deal with it properly, is the principle form of industrial grade sandpaper that the Holy Spirit uses on us. But many pietists, … withdraw from that treatment, shrinking from it, and all in the name of maintaining their smooth surfaces. But hiding the rough cut lumber in an unlit shed is not the same thing as sanding. (Doug Wilson, Holy Ghost Industrial Sandpaper)
Just because you’re in the mess doesn’t mean your going to learn anything. But if you don’t go into it, you surely won’t.
First, the mess might hurt.
Colossians 3:12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
You will not walk out of your house to make a disciple if you’re naked; you’ll be too exposed. There’s a discipleship uniform for our hearts.
Our Lord sticks us together so we’ll see how valuable and powerful forgiveness really is. He is making us examples of forgiveness, not simply talkers about it. There is nothing supernatural, nothing gospel, nothing Jesus-like in loving those who love us. God created the world in the way He did to show off greater glory by loving enemies and adopting rebels. That is the life He calls His disciples too as well. If we don’t want that privilege of inviting people who hurt us into fellowship, then we have nothing to tell them about God.
Second, the mess will test your patience.
Don’t freak out about sinners or immature believers! Every Christian is born-again into spiritual immaturity! We must be patient with those we shepherd as well as with each other, believing that Christ is at work, even if at a paint-drying pace. The mature exercise of (optimistic) patience is not compromise or carelessness, it is faith in Christ. It isn’t mature to get bent out of shape because a five year old can’t frame a house. Don’t lower the character expectations, work hard .
1 Thessalonians 5:14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.
Admonish. Encourage. Help. These all assume people aren’t where they could be. They are viewed by some as meddling. But we are to rebuke the lazy and slothful. We are to stir up the timid and nervous. We are to aid the feeble and tired. Comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. Discipleship is personal and it requires patience.
The Trinity is at work and not freaking out over sinners or immature believers. Remember: He who began a good work in you, will be faithful to complete it (Philippians 1:6). That changes our approach. Let us stimulate faith rather than stimulate doubt. Why do we plead progressive sanctification for ourselves and act frustrated without immediate sanctification in our disciples?
We can’t out-mess the gospel.
The best curriculum cannot guarantee growth. There are no checklists to complete or shortcuts to wisdom and maturity. Some structure (like organized small groups) may be helpful, but the best program with the wrong people won’t make disciples. On the other hand, the right people with the worst program—or even no program at all—will move forward.
Structures don’t grow ministry any more than trellises grow vines. (Marshall and Payne, The Trellis and the Vine, 17)
Discipleship is personal. How is the person not like Christ? How can we help them be more like Christ?
The air war is great, but don’t let the ground war suffer. Making disciples is God’s goal to share Himself (and His Trinitarian joy) with men and women from every nation. God delights in Himself, and discipleship is His delight extended and shared with persons. Making disciples is completing the Trinitarian commission.
You will be criticized, at the beginning perhaps, for playing “favorites.” Take heart, Jesus’ discipleship model wasn’t “fair” either.
You will kill yourself via unrealistic expectations.
Our rule is: focus on the (faithful) few to reach the many. The appropriate exception is the occasional one of ninety-nine (Matthew 18:12-13). How do you decide when to spend time going after the one? Wisdom.
Also, consider that shepherding not exactly the same as discipling (as we’ve defined discipleship “proper”). It is possible to identify the spiritual condition of someone else, protect them and feed them, without being the discipler of every person.
If the goal is to help others become independently dependent on Christ, then we must gradually train them to depend less and less on ourselves.
So: Explain why you do certain things and why they should, too, and do it as many times as it takes. Throw down the “Because I said so” card as little as possible, even when you’re frustrated that they don’t get it yet. Entertain their questions and their disagreements as they think things through. A fully-trained disciple is not a threat to the process, though it may seem so if we’re worried about our position; there is room in the harvest for two workers.
If you come and soak and don’t give you won’t grow like you should. Your joy will be half of what it could be if you’re not using your spiritual giftedness and pouring back out into someone else’s life. Besides, it would probably help you stop whining about your own life. There is always someone who knows less than you. You can encourage someone. You’re (probably) ready. Every believer has a responsibility to reach out to someone else and make a disciple. Don’t just sit there, disciple somebody.
Titus 2 is a discipleship mandate within the church. Shame on our older men and women for falling short.
Above all else, we must love God and grow (see also 1 Timothy 4:12-16). More than competency, we need character. There are no shortcuts to make disciples because there are no shortcuts to being a disciple.
You don’t need a study-guide. You need to care. Discipleship requires things that we won’t, that we cannot, do on our own apart from Christ. Our own souls, let alone our struggles for the souls of others, don’t have prayer without feeling our last-gasp need for Christ ourselves.
I can’t think of a joyful older person I want to become like who isn’t vigorously pursing their own growth in Christ first.
Haven’t really talked about leading a small group, how plan a two hour meeting, how to decide who to disciple, how to start a conversation with your neighbor, what our responsibility is in world missions and church planting. That’s the thing about discipleship: it doesn’t happen in a day.
My prayer is that God would give us all a passion for discipleship, that all of the saints would take ownership. May He give us a vision and burden for others and keep us from sitting on the sidelines. Let us commit to make disciples of all the nations until everyone is complete in Christ.