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Stephen: The decline of missions in the West is a complicated topic. In fact, it probably deserves a podcast of its own, but it's something that every missionary and sending church has to come to grips with. Not only have churches of North America and Europe lost their zeal for the Great Commission, but even within the church, the philosophy of missions seems to have shifted from "we don't have to do this" to "maybe we shouldn't." Chad, our question today is a long one, but it's worth thinking seriously about. Matthew asks, "What role do you see the West having in current day missions?" He continues, "Many people I speak to about the need for the unreached argue that the age of sending from the West is over and that we should just play a support role because we are too culturally or linguistically removed." It often feels like an echo of what John Paton was told as well, that there is such a need here, so why go when you'd be more effective locally?
Chad: We appreciate your question, Matthew. Perhaps I should start here. You're right that many claim that the era of the West sending missionaries to these unreached areas of the earth is over. They claim that the cultural and linguistic barriers are too difficult for us to cross and the best we can do is be a support. But actually, it's worse than that. Some claim that for the church in the West to engage in missionary endeavors is for the church to practice a form of colonialism. We're forcing our Western culture upon them and harming their native cultures. We're seeing ourselves as their superiors.
Let me tell you what we're to do with these claims. We ignore them. We see them for what they are: unbiblical nonsense.
Now, I know that's really direct. It may even sound controversial, but it's not even remotely biblically controversial. Let me provide you with three reasons for that.
First, we are commanded to go and make disciples of all the nations, or all the people groups, or ethnes, or language groups, baptizing them and teaching them. Let me make a few subpoints. The "we" who are commanded to go is the church. Yes, the apostles are the original audience of this text, but they are the foundation of the church (Ephesians 2:20). And the keys of the kingdom that were passed to them in Matthew 16 are now passed to the church. Jesus promised that He would be with us to the end of the age, not merely to the end of the lives of the apostles. Further, Paul commanded us to pass this gospel on to faithful men who will be able to teach others also (2 Timothy 2:2).
The peoples include those language groups who have never heard of Jesus Christ. The peoples to whom we come receive a new identity in baptism. The peoples to whom we come must repent of their sins, even those sins that exist due to their participation in their culture. And they learn a new culture, a biblical one. Now think of this. They're identified with the name of the triune God, which is a new identity. They are a part of a new people, the people of Christ, the church. And they repent of particular patterns and behaviors of sin that are endemic even in their own culture while they learn a new culture, a new way of life, a new form of worship, a biblical one. This means they receive a new identity in Christ and they learn that their culture even needs some transforming. If they're not able to transform it on a national level, which most are not, they need to be transforming it in their own day-to-day lives. Every culture has sins that are endemic to it. And as Christians, we cannot syncretize or mix together those errors with Christian doctrine and practice. We must repent of them.
Second, no one can be saved unless we send missionaries. Romans 10:13–15 says, "For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they've never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news.'" It's really simple. If missionaries are not sent, then people will not hear the gospel preached. And if they do not hear the gospel preached, then they will not be saved. Thus, Christ's church sends gospel ministers to proclaim the gospel, especially where it has never been heard.
Third reason, the church in the West is not excused from this duty simply because it's difficult or unpopular. We are Christ's church and thus we're responsible to keep Christ's commands. Yes, you can learn the language and culture. No, it's not easy. It's incredibly difficult. But those who complain that it cannot be done are also those who have never done it. Don't lose the lead on that.
I share this podcast with Brooks, a man who has done it. His brother Brandon has done it. His father Brad has done it. Those brothers know a handful of other folks, as do I, who have done it. In our docuseries, we covered historical missionaries who have done it. We will cover more in the future, God willing, who have done it. Someone did it so that the gospel got to us.
Remember, much of what we call the West, particularly Europe, Paul called barbarians. They were backward, pagan, savage peoples. And the term "barbarian" itself is an onomatopoeia. In other words, it's a name that says its own name. And think of this. When the Greeks heard the northern Europeans and the Europeans speak, all they heard was this "bar bar bar bar." In other words, they heard a bunch of unintelligible sounds. They didn't know the language. And yet Paul believed he was obligated to bring the gospel to them.
Friends, that duty has not changed because we're from the West. And it is not easy, but the Lord is with us as He promised He would be. Therefore, we obediently go forth and we ignore all the noise whenever someone brings up this idea that because we're from the West, we shouldn't be doing it. No. Because we're Christ's church, we must obey our Lord and trust He's with us in the doing of that.
Stephen: To learn more about how the Great Commission remains essential for your church today, join our email list at missionary.com to find out about articles, films, books, and more about reaching the unreached for Christ. If you have a question you would like to hear answered on Ask Missionary, drop a comment on this episode, get in touch with us on social media, or send us an email through missionary.com and your question may be featured on this show. And don't forget to subscribe to the show to get notified when the next episode airs next week. Thanks for listening.