It’s been said that if you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time. Aside from being an old cliché, it’s actually one of the most important truths for success in any and all areas of life. Regardless of your career or vocation, your age or gender or your socioeconomic status, having a goal is essential for success. In many of our endeavors however, it’s not simply enough to have a goal, it must be the right goal.
This is perhaps most important when it comes to the church of Jesus Christ. A failure to understand the mission of the church will dramatically hinder its effectiveness. If the mission is misunderstood, then the church will likely over emphasize certain aspects and de-emphasize others. The result will be a church that is imbalance and perhaps accomplishing good things but not the main thing.
I recently read a book entitled “What is the mission of the church?” by Greg Gilbert and Kevin DeYoung. In it, they attempt to answer that question by going to the only source of authority on the matter, the Bible. It should be said that there has been much debate in recent years over the mission of the church. There is no lack of disagreement over this question, but I believe that DeYoung and Gilbert have written one of the most fair, balanced and biblical books on this subject. This book has generated much debate over the past month, which demonstrates the disagreement among evangelicals in determining the mission of the church. While some of the disagreements are minor, some are significant enough to keep the church preoccupied with good things while they neglect the main thing.
My goal is not to explain every argument or nuance of the book, I hope you will consider picking up a copy and digging in. I truly believe that getting this right will keep you on track instead of sidetracked. Many believe that the mission of the church is to redeem the culture, renew the earth, bring social justice and establish peace. DeYoung and Gilbert argue that the central mission of the church is to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ as the only hope for salvation – to make disciples. Consider the following quote:
“The book of Acts is especially important because in it we can actually see the scope and nature of the earliest Christian mission. If you are looking for a picture of the early church giving itself to creation care, plans for societal renewal, and strategies to serve the community in Jesus’s name, you won’t find them in Acts. But if you are looking for preaching, teaching, and the centrality of the Word, this is your book. The story of Acts is the story of the earliest Christians’ efforts to carry out the commission given them in Acts 1:8.”
Even if you think you understand the mission of the church, this book will challenge your thinking of the gospel and the individual responsibility of every Christian. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Buy it, read it, embrace it. Let’s not get sidetracked, our time is limited.