Have you ever been a part of a mission team on a trip? If so, where did you go? What did you do? When we think of mission, we might think of 'hands on' work among impoverished people, and in out of the way places, be it Africa or Central or South America. And that would be true. Another word for mission - outreach - gives a far richer and deeper meaning, and should be what the church is about when it goes beyond the walls.
Outreach is 'putting legs (or, hands and feet)' to our witness. As James said, 'If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace; keep warm and eat our fill,' and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that' -(James 2:15-16). No good, of course! If our witness is just words, indeed, what good is that?
Telling the good news of Jesus Christ must be done. Yet, without the physical manifestation of the gospel it can be perceived by the recipient as hollow and meaningless. Ever wonder why Christians at times are tagged with the term 'hypocrite'? It's because, at times, our actions do not match our words. Non-believers notice that. If they know we're 'church people,' they're watching to see how we behave. And it should be that way. We model a life lived in Christ through our words as well as our actions.
It's difficult to separate our witness from our outreach. The two go hand in hand. They intricately are intertwined. James says (2:18), 'But someone will say, 'You have faith and I have works.' Show me you faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith.' - In the preceding verse he says, 'So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.' Can't be any more plainspoken, can it? If you want to read another version of this, read Matthew 25:31-46, the separation of the sheep and goats. Once again, very plainspoken.
The church that is all about words may begin to lose its credibility, especially among those whom it is trying to reach. It pains me when I hear a non-believer (and I've heard many) say they wouldn't trust the Christian who says that one must experience Jesus in their hearts (and that is true), yet their actions don't match their words. Believe me, people are watching! Is this Christian thing real, or is it one big hoax? If you don't think this is happening, then you haven't been hanging around the lost.
So, outreach is important, and is an integral part of our witness. In two weeks we'll talk about the component - nurture - that prepares us to be disciples of Jesus Christ. Without nurture, neither witness nor outreach can be what God created it to be. Something to chew on as we travel the discipleship journey. See you on the road.
Grace and peace,
Mike
May 31, 2015