Loving the Church . . . Blessing the Nations

Pursuing the Role of Local Churches in Global Mission

George Miley

• Publisher: IVP
• Year: 2012
• Print ISBN:
  9780830856992
• eBook ISBN:
  9780830859177
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Religion

Rediscovering the role God designed for the church in mission is a critical issue facing the missions movement today. That role is to glorify God by planting churches among every tongue, tribe, and nation. Planting churches amid unreached peoplesis a complex process. It calls forth every ministry gift and the contribution of every believer. Imagine a businessman, a construction worker, a schoolteacher, and an engineer all working together to support the development of a local church amongstan unreached people group in another part of the world. Most Christians will not leave home and go elsewhere to minister. If they are to participate in God's global mission, they must be affirmed, developed and released right where they live, in thecontext of their local church. This book shows how churches can become centers of mission vision and implementation and so accomplish God's design for the local church.

1

Our Passions

On March 16, 1987, leaders from seven churches gathered to spend a day together. Our purpose was to explore a vision that was living within us—that our churches would focus on how we might start new churches within a strategically selected unreached people group. Throughout the day we shared our individual journeys, prayed for each other, and learned from one another.

We represented a variety of Christian traditions. Some came from denominational churches and others from independent ones. Some were rooted in one theological stream and others in another. But those were not the issues that day. We discovered compelling common ground in worship, prayer, God’s heart for all nations, and a whole set of core convictions. What had brought us together was far more powerful than anything that might separate us. When the day was over, we knew we wanted to meet again. We were unaware of it, but Antioch Network had just been born.

Antioch Network

Antioch Network is an expanding fellowship of local churches that are focusing strategically on extending God’s kingdom among unreached peoples. We embrace the biblical imperatives imperfectly articulated in this book, not as accomplishments we claim, but as goals to which we aspire, depending only on God’s grace to sinners. This book is Antioch Network’s manifesto.

Its scope, however, must reach far beyond Antioch Network. The only reason for referring to Antioch Network is to establish that the principles here articulated have not been set forth in an ivory tower disconnected from real life. They are being embraced and lived out, albeit imperfectly, by actual churches and their leaders.

This book is intended to be a call to, and affirmation of, churches everywhere. It is a cry from the heart about Christ, his actual presence among the community of believers, and his astonishingly grace-filled intention to bless every nation on earth. It is the blending of many voices, the distillation of what untold numbers of churches have and are experiencing. My first mentor in church life and ministry was a church leader in India—Bakht Singh. His influence has deeply enriched these pages. Remembering him prompts me to gratefully acknowledge that other church leaders in Asia, Latin America, Africa, and Europe have taught me volumes.

And we are still learning. It feels like we are standing at the entrance to a vast treasure chamber filled with dazzling riches with which Christ is gracing his Church. “To him be glory in the church” (Eph. 3:21). “Declare his glory among the nations” (Ps. 96:3).

A Manifesto

Manifesto: A public declaration of motives and intentions—Webster’s New World Dictionary.

I write for church leaders who want to make a public declaration of motives and intentions: to proclaim what we understand God has called us to be and do, to speak out our convictions, and to call more churches and their leaders to join together in catalyzing and serving a movement, focused on the final frontiers of world evangelization. These passions were originally formalized in August 1996 and revised in January 2003.

We Are Passionate . . .

1. To see the Lamb worshipped among all peoples. The eighteenth century Moravians, originally a Christian community (church) of around six hundred adults in Central Europe, matured into the most significant Protestant missionary movement of their time. They were propelled forward by the conviction that “the Lamb must receive the reward of his suffering.” Jesus is worthy of nothing less than to be proclaimed, loved, worshipped, and obeyed in every cultural context. It is the final destination of all human history: “All nations will come and worship before you” (Rev. 15:4).

2. To see the local church be held in high regard. Scripture describes the Church as “the fullness of him who fills everything in every way” (Eph. 1:23) and says, “through the church the manifold wisdom of God should be made known” (Eph. 3:10). This is exalted language. Christ endows churches with an awesome capacity waiting to be developed and released. Soon after the resurrection, churches became bases from which church planting teams were sent out among unevangelized cultures (the Gentiles). Kingdom blessings are delivered through spiritually vibrant, culturally relevant churches that are being reproduced throughout society.

Soon after the resurrection, churches became bases from which church planting teams were sent out among unevangelized cultures (the Gentiles).

3. To see every believer be esteemed as a gifted minister. Christ through the Holy Spirit has generously distributed a dazzling variety of spiritual gifts among God’s people (Eph. 4:7–8, 1 Cor. 12:7–11). And with good reason! Establishing God’s kingdom among every people on earth is a complex process. It calls forth the spiritual gifts, natural abilities, vocational expertise, and life experiences of every believer. The task is too multi-faceted to be viewed as the exclusive domain of a group of religious professionals, though they are certainly included. They are part of the body too! Every believer is invited to join with the Father in fulfilling his mission on earth and is graced with the capacity to play a significant and deeply fulfilling role.

4. To see mission rooted in community. Community is the environment of extended family. It is committed relationships developed over time in the midst of real life, providing nurture, support, accountability, and staying power for the long haul. Most believers will not leave home and move somewhere else to participate in a mission. It is not the Father’s calling for them to do so. If their unique contribution to God’s global purpose is to be made, it will take place right where they are, in the context of the Christian community of which they are a part—their church. Church is not a series of religious meetings. It is a way of life.

5. To commit to the pastoral care of those we send. One fundamental image God uses to identify himself in Scripture is that of a father. His mission on earth can be described as God forming a family for himself from among all peoples. It is unthinkable that he would author approaches to world evangelization that are cavalier about the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of those he sends. God’s purposes are most effectively carried out by people who do so out of a fullness rooted deeply in the resources of Christ and overflowing with worship, thanksgiving, and joy. Mature churches are rich with those competent to care pastorally.

6. To view godly character as primary. We live in a compulsive age that tries to hammer us into its image. Voices all around tell us that we should be busy and rushed. We are tempted to elevate ability and take action based on it alone. God is slower. His goal is Christ-likeness in the inner person. Accomplishments, even those done in Jesus’ name, that do not come forth from the wellspring of godly character will ultimately implode. Man is looking for better methods. God is looking for purer people. The greatest need in mission is not more activity (although more activity is certainly called for), but more men and women of godly character.

The greatest need in mission is not more activity, but more men and women of godly character.

7. To keep prayer central in all we do. A twenty-four–hour prayer chain that endured one hundred years fueled the Moravian missionary advance. Unreached nations are walled off from the kingdom of God by powerful spiritual forces hostile to Christ and his Church. Only the gracious working of God can tear these walls down, and he has chosen to do this work in response to the faithful, faith-filled prayers of his people. As we mature beyond our illusions of what our means can accomplish and grow in our passion to see the hand of God revealed, our joy in and capacity for prayer will deepen appreciably.

8. To see churches cultivate God-honoring relationships beyond themselves. Each church carries awesome potential, but if any church begins to think itself is sufficient and doesn’t need the rest of the body, that potential is dampened. Jesus’ endowment of gracious strengths does not erase areas of need. As relationships of love and trust are cultivated among the wider body of Christ, strengths can be extended and help received. Churches benefit considerably through ongoing interaction with other churches, mission organizations, and mature leaders who have been entrusted by God with a wider ministry among his people.

9. To see the body of Christ be united. Jesus is doing new and beautiful things in uniting his people. Churches are finding one another: denominational churches, independent churches, charismatic churches, non-charismatic churches, etc. We are discovering that the things we share—worship, prayer, love for our neighbor, a passion for God’s glory among the nations, and, above all else, Christ—far surpass anything that might differentiate us. Churches and mission organizations are learning to honor one another. Racial and cultural barriers are crumbling. We are not talking about organizational sameness but spiritual unity created by Jesus’ residence among us. “Is Christ divided?” (1 Cor. 1:13). Of course not! Antioch Network is intentionally committed to the scriptural injunction to “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3).

Predominately churches have left the formation of strategy to agencies and have just sent people apart from understanding the strategic needs and opportunities in the world.

A note concerning mission organizations: In our passion to champion a high view of the local church, we must be careful to affirm and honor the God-designed role of mission organizations. (You could also use terms such as parachurch organizations, sodalities, apostolic teams, etc.) Throughout the history of the Church in mission, their contribution has been biblical, unmistakable, and profoundly significant. The vision of Antioch Network was born in a mission organization and owes its foundations to perspectives gained there. We honor the ministries of our brothers and sisters who are called by Jesus to serve him in mission organizations. Churches need mission organizations. Mission organizations need churches. We all need one another!

10. To see mission initiatives be strategically focused. Our God-designed finiteness limits what any one of us can effectively undertake. Therefore, our mission initiatives need to be strategic in order to bring maximum glory to Christ. Traditionally many churches have developed mission commitments without strategic integration. Predominately churches have left the formation of strategy to agencies and have just sent people apart from understanding the strategic needs and opportunities in the world. Responding to opportunities as they come up might seem right at first, but the end result will be a shotgun-like effect to which our people will be less and less able to meaningfully engage. The central questions become “What does it mean to complete God’s purpose among all nations?” “What strategic opportunities remain?” “In which one(s) is God calling our church to be his channel of blessing?” That is where we focus.

These are our passions. Pastors, business people, church planters, laborers, engineers, students, mothers, administrators, and artists, let’s join together in living them out!

This book is intended to be a call to, and affirmation of, churches everywhere.

All nations will come and worship before you. (Rev. 15:4)

The human heart cries out for personal significance. We were created that way. We have a visceral need for our lives to have meaning. When this need remains unmet, an almost unbearable soul-destroying emptiness engulfs us. It fosters compulsivity and addictions of many kinds.

Our Creator is a person of purpose. He is on the move, carrying out his grace-filled, compassionate intentions for humanity. He designed us to participate with him in fulfilling his mission on earth. Herein lies the ultimate purpose for which each of us individually was designed and created.

God’s global purposes are not the sole domain of “missionaries” or “clergy” or “full-time Christian workers.” No! But that discussion is for later chapters. To be able to make the decisions that will release our personal, God-ordained role in carrying out God’s global mission, we need to have a working understanding of a vital question: what is God’s mission on earth?

2

Every Nation

What precisely is God’s mission on earth? We need to know. When we do, we can be about getting it done. We can avoid investing energy and resources in activities that may be well intentioned but inadequately conceptualized. We need to know from Scripture what the mission is. Much has already been written on this subject that is excellent and need not be repeated here. In this chapter, we intend only to pause long enough to establish the final goal on earth toward which God is taking us. Thy kingdom come, on earth! This is the foundation on which we build. Th...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Loving the Church . . . Blessing the Nations
• Contents
• Foreword
• Introduction
• 1 Our Passions
• 2 Every Nation
• 3 Unreached People
• 4 Every Believer
• 5 Christian Community
• 6 The Local Church
• 7 Serving in Teams
• 8 The Church at Antioch
• 9 Identifying Apostolic Leaders
• 10 The Character of Apostolic Leaders
• 11 Developing Apostolic Leaders
• 12 Releasing Apostolic Leaders
• 13 Apostolic Organizational Structures
• 14 A Call to Faith
• 15 A Call to Corporate Prayer
• 16 The Moravians
• 17 Ownership
• 18 Strategic Focus
• 19 The Stages
• 20 A Movement
• Notes
• About the Author
• Endorsements