Common Misconceptions in Missions

Phillip Pritchard

Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to dispel some common misconceptions in missions.

In the Book of Acts we see that the Apostle Paul gave his testimony three times. In all three accounts we see two questions asked each time. Each time these two questions are asked they are always asked in the same order. The first question is, “Who art thou, Lord?” The second question is, “What wilt thou have me to do?” The first question establishes the worth of Christ, while the second question establishes the will of Christ.

In this era of ministry we have become more interested in the duties of ministry. These things have their importance and place, but the person that gave these duties is far more important to consider and devote our attention to. It is as if we have been so busy with the harvest that our conception of the harvest has become distorted because we have not spent any time at the feet of the Lord of the harvest. We need to return to the principle that the Apostle Paul taught us through his testimony. First, know who your Lord is before you know what He asks. For those who are in ministry of any kind, this is a common happening. We all too often place more importance on the task than we do the task giver. 

What is the purpose in missions? Why do we perform it in our churches? Should it be the main focus and purpose of our churches? What should be the focus of the churches that send missionaries? The missionary or the people the missionary are being sent to reach? These are all good questions, but all these can be answered rather easily. The answer is, it is all for the glory of God. The lack of worship to God is the reason missions began. Worship is the fundamental purpose of the church. There has always been a central theme in the work of God and that has been, simply put, Himself.

According to Let the Nations be Glad, by John Piper, “Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exist because worship doesn’t. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever.” ¹

People of the world have been worshiping anything but God for centuries. Honor and praise to God are not welling up in the hearts of people when they see His glory throughout creation. They are not worshipping the one true God. This is why missions exist.

The resounding issue in missions is that God’s glory has been dishonored among the peoples of the earth. The ultimate problem in the world is that God has lost his place in the heart of his own created. Missions are an avenue in which we try to turn back the heart of the heathen to its God, and restore the worship that is due Him. We must see the infinite, all-powerful Creator of the universe, who holds every person in the palm of His hand, and sustains their very being at every moment, has been disregarded, disobeyed, blasphemed and dishonored among all peoples of the world. This is the ultimatum in missions. God’s glory and greatness must find its proper place among the peoples of the world.

This principle of God’s glory being supreme in missions is seen clearly in Isaiah 42:8, “I am the Lord that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.” God has made it clear throughout Scripture that the motivation for His actions, is that of His own glory being made known throughout the world.

If there was not anything else to substantiate that God’s glory is the ultimatum in missions, then take the example of Jesus Christ as proof. The Glory of His Father is the reason He came into this world. Romans 15: 8-9 says, “Christ became a servant to the circumcised, in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy.” It does not get any clearer; Christ came simply for the glory of His Father.

With that being said, the Great Commission that was given in Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 16:15, and Acts 1:8, was not given just to an elite group of “missionaries,” but to all those who profess Christ. If the Lord Jesus Christ thought it unworthy to become lower than the angels just so that his Father receive the Glory due him, how much more should we run and spread His fame and glory? Remember, missions exist because worship to the most high does not. We need every available resource to be at the disposal and fulfillment of this task, and may we not rest until every knee bows in adoration.

We need to now discuss compassion. If we say that missions is only about God, and Him receiving glory then where does compassion for the lost come in? One could not argue that Jesus, while on earth, came not only to proclaim the righteousness of God and uphold his Glory as God, but also to rescue sinners from everlasting misery. Unbelief not only dishonors God, but unbelief also destroys the soul. Everything that discredits God also damages man. Sin not only decreases God’s reputation, but also increases man’s suffering.

Missions are for the purpose of both the restoration of God’s glory, but also to rescue the heathen from his ever present demise. Matthew 9:36-38 says, “But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, the harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.”

Most interpretations of these verses usually conclude that the Lord is pleading for more laborers to work in His harvest. This interpretation may be correct, and yes, this is important. We need more laborers to work relentlessly to harvest the ripening fields. I can almost see the Lord as He looks across this multitude. He looks out and sees a multitude of people who could be praising His Father. He sees just one more group of people that do not know of there wonderful Creator. A Creator, who cares, loves and deserves every ounce of their devotion. It is through that eye of compassion that He sees the lack of worship throughout the world. And it is through that compassion that Jesus urges His disciples to pray for more laborers. “The harvest truly is plenteous” it is as if Christ is saying, “Would you look at all the potential voices that could be echoed to heaven in adoration, the hands that could be raised to praise the one true God, the knees that could bow with humility.”

The more passion you have about the glory of God the more compassion you will have for the lost. What has happened with our churches today? Most concepts in the minds of Christians are that missions are an elective of the church. The reaching of the heathen is just a burden that the missionaries and the pastor has. This conception needs to be drastically changed in a rapid motion. Every believer is to be a well versed “news stand” that consistently proclaims Christ. Every church needs to make missions the very heart beat of their church. Without missions as its priority why should the church even exist? Yes, missions exist because worship does not, but the church should be placing the glory of God being restored as its top priority. We will never make a significant impact in changing the way this world worships God, unless our burden for the lost is backed with compassion to reach them also.

The final problem I see is the lack of commitment among Christians today. Someone once said that, “To see the world turn from its pitiful state to a place of worship before the God of the universe would be easy.” The collapse of commitment is seen in all aspects of our society, but it is seen so much more shamefully when it comes to the tasks of Christians to their God. We quit at the drop of a hat, but if we are ever to see this world come to the glorious knowledge of this man named Jesus Christ then it is going to take some undying commitment from Christians who have a desire to see God glorified and the lost saved.

Woodrow Kroll in his book titled The Vanishing Ministry of the 21st Century states, “Commitment always starts with the subject not the object.” ²  There has been to many times in my life have I done things for the wrong reasons, especially when it comes to service for my Lord. Colleagues of mine go to the mission field hoping to stay committed to a people group, or to the task of planting churches. These are all good things to be committed to and devote your life to the fulfillment of, but we need to realize the very essence of our service must be found in our relationship with God. Our commitment can be to the object or to the subject that sent us to reach the object. This means our commitment should be to God not the tasks of God. God longs to sustain you in every aspect of your life, even in your service to Him and for Him. He still longs to be the focal point of our service, our lives, and His creation. To me the determining question would be that of, is He not worthy of our service?

¹John Piper, Let the Nations Be Glad (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House Company, December 2005), Pg. 203

²Woodrow Kroll, The Vanishing Ministry of the 21st Century (Grand Rapids, Kregel Publications.) Page 86