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Bryan: Like any occupation, there comes a time when a missionary or missionary sender will have to answer the age-old question: "So. how's it going?" How it's going on the mission field can be an intimidating question. What does Great Commission success look like anyway? Is it one convert or 100? What kind of progress has been made on translating scripture? Is there an indigenous church? Is it healthy?
Pastor Chad Vegas has been writing and speaking about a biblical definition of success on the mission field for decades, and this week's question from Brandon gets right to the point. Brandon asks, "How do you measure success for God's plan?"
Chad: Brandon, thank you for your question. I actually think there are a few ways we can answer this.
First, we could measure success on the basis of whether the stated objective appears to have been achieved. So far missionaries are sent to a particular language group to proclaim the gospel, to translate the Bible, and to gather new believers into a self-governing, self-sustaining, and self-propagating church. Then success is measured by the achievement of that objective. I think this is how many faithful missionaries and their sending churches are gauging their success. And it is true that this is the kind of outcome that would look to be an apparent success story. We ought to praise the Lord when we see this. We want to see as much of this kind of success as God is pleased to give. This is certainly the success we hope for among our own missionaries our church has sent. This is the target at which our missionaries and sending churches rightly aim.
Second, we could measure success on the basis of faithful and unrelenting effort put forth to achieve an objective. So if our missionaries are sent to a particular language group to do this gospel ministry among them, then success is measured by whether they learn the language and culture, sustained their presence among them, shared the gospel openly, and lived a godly life before them on a long-term basis. Paul does say that some water and some sow, but God gives the increase. This means that while our missionaries could head to the field and labor faithfully for decades, they may never see an increase in their lifetimes. They have aimed at the same target as in our first example of success, but the Lord has not sovereignly seen fit to give them the increase of new believers in thus a church plant. Now we do not know the secrets of God's will, so we do not know where and when the Spirit will blow. What we do know is what God has commanded us to do. So we go forth in His grace and do our level best to be faithful. This is success. Certainly it's not the success that any church or missionary aims for. No gospel minister wants to labor for years with little to no fruit. Yet this is rightly called success, as we have fulfilled the command the Lord gave us. We have run the race, we have fought the good fight, we have done what the Lord has given us to do. This is always a success story.
Third, we could measure success on the basis of numerical factors like number of years served and numbers of converts gathered. In other words, if our missionaries are sent to a particular language group to see as many converts in the quickest succession of time as possible, then success is measured by the apparent efficiency of the highest number of converts in the shortest period of time. This is how much of the modern missions world gauges success. And that is a sad reality. Many are attempting gospel ministry with no serious language learning. They do not really know the recipients and what they're hearing when they speak. Further, they're attempting to employ methods never given to us by Christ in His Word. All of this is leading to a growth of false converts and a kind of global syncretism, which mixes Christianity with receptor religions and creates a kind of new religion. But the numbers are being reproduced quickly, and the claim is that the Spirit is doing something new and fresh. Of course, there's no means for you to verify that this is the work of the Holy Spirit, at least not at a distance. But boy, oh boy, do the numbers look good.
It's reminiscent of what Paul spoke about regarding the so-called super apostles who were bringing in big numbers in 2 Corinthians 11:12 he said this:
"And what I am doing I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do. For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds."
I fear there are many on the field pursuing success by way of expediency and efficiency rather than faithfulness to what the Lord has given to His church to do.
But rest assured, the Lord will judge our success as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 3:10 and following:
"According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder, I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it, for no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw — each one's work will become manifest, for the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward."
And what we're contending is that gospel ministry done by godly people in God's way, as laid down in God's Word, will survive and receive a reward.
Bryan: If your church is ready to go deeper on a biblical definition of success on the mission field, visit us at missionary.com. There you can find out about our Church Partnership Program. Missionary church partners receive films, books, prayer guides, and more, all created to inspire local churches to send and to go. And remember to subscribe for a reminder to tune into next week's episode of Ask Missionary with Brooks Buser on finding your lane in missions. I hope you'll join us. Thanks for listening.