Living faithful, fruitful and fulfilled on the mission field
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As we go to new nations and begin ministry there, the idea of fruitfulness is on our minds. We imagine the impact we can have and the lives that will be changed because of us being there. This is a noble thing. We should desire fruitful, impactful lives.
In John 15, Jesus, talking to his disciples, gives us the biggest key of all to bearing fruit. It isn’t some complicated tool or clever missional approach. Instead, it is as simple as it can be. “Remain in me”, He says, “you will bear much fruit.”
“ Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
Jesus
He gives the powerful illustration of Himself as the vine, and us as branches attached to the vine. If you have any experience farming or gardening you know this. If you remove a branch from it’s connection to the vine it becomes useless.
It will slowly die, and fade away. It has lost its purpose.
Even if that branch wanted to, it has no way of producing fruit. Why? It has no connection to a root system that will give it nutrients, the things which give it life, and make it healthy.
Jesus says that the same is true of us in both our life and pursuit of fruitful ministry. We are dead, when separated from Him. We have no power within ourselves to produce fruit.
God has given us many gifts to use for His Kingdom. We may have done much to prepare ourselves for mission and developed skills to help us have an impact. These are great, but mean nothing if we are not rooted in Jesus.
To be rooted in Jesus, simply refers to our ongoing connection to Christ. It is about our relationship with Him.
There should be no greater priority in our lives or ministry than our intimacy with Jesus. It’s such a simple key to fruit-bearing! Yet in a busy, demanding world, it’s so easy to lose focus, to be distracted, and have our time with Jesus squeezed out.
That’s only avoidable when we make it a great focus, when we consistently create space in our day that is for our Lord. We must make Him a part of every aspect of our lives.
“Jesus taught that your highest priority must be your relationship with Him. If anything detracts you from that relationship, that activity is not from God. God will not ask you to do something that hinders your relationship with Christ.”
Henry Blackaby
It’s good to evaluate your relationship with the Lord. There are three core areas essential to a healthy, intimate relationship with Jesus. We will call these the triple-core.
Often we gravitate to one of these more naturally. Another is more challenging. If we do not have all of these elements present in our walk of faith, we will find our relationship with Jesus unbalanced.
The triple core is:
1) the Word (reading, studying memorizing or meditating on, scripture.)
2) prayer (conversation with God.)
3) worship (praise and adoration of God.)
We need to know the Word of God. It is the foundation of truth and necessary for relationship with Him. We need prayer because it brings us from a faith based on knowledge into an actual relationship with God. Worship is needed because as we discover more of God’s nature and character, it is the only true and right response to Him.
Take time often to evaluate these three areas of your walk with God. The depth of your relationship with God is a key ingredient in your journey into missions. It is always God who puts in our hearts a desire to share our faith. It is always God who puts in our hearts a desire to go to the nations. It is always God who puts in our hearts a desire to see communities transformed.
He was the one who has called you into missions and He wants to be a part of every step of the journey to get you there. Be assured that God is not in a hurry to do this. His relationship with you is His top priority for you.
He is not a military general rushing you out to war. He is a loving Father wanting to work together with His children to expand His family.
Those of us who have more driven, task-orientated personalities, can find ourselves running ahead. We charge into the next task while forsaking, or at least minimizing the relationship.
For God, every moment spent with you is precious. Everything you do in preparation to “get there” is important to Him, as important as what we do when we actually “get there”.
Jesus shares a story in Matthew seven about a wise and foolish builder. You probably know the story, it’s a staple of children’s ministry programs worldwide. The foundations that the builders lay affects the ability of the house to withstand the coming storm.
I guarantee that if you are in ministry for any length of time, you will face storms. Living on the mission field magnifies both the intensity and frequency of these storms.
A good foundation takes time to build. Foundation building is the season you are in as you prepare for ministry overseas. Because God is relational, there is no formula for how long this might take or the steps that He may have us go through. Look at some of these examples of God’s preparation for calling found in the Bible:
Moses was raised as a prince, a grandchild of Pharaoh. But it was not from this position that God called him to free the Israelites. After murdering an Egyptian, Moses spent forty years exiled in the wilderness. Only after this, He was ready to step into his true calling. It was then that God dramatically encountered him through a burning bush.
David was anointed by Samuel, the chief prophet of Israel at the time, to be King of Israel as a young boy. We do not know the exact age but theologians believe it was between the age of ten and fifteen. He did not become that King until he was age thirty. He spent 15 (or more years) shepherding, serving King Saul, and then fleeing from him. This happened before God released him to fulfill his calling.
When Paul was saved by one of the most dramatic conversion experiences of all time, one would think he would start ministry immediately. That’s not what happens. The Bible is remarkably quiet on what happened in the first twelve years after Paul’s salvation. We know he spent two years in Arabia. He preached for a while in Jerusalem, where he faced some persecution and fled to Tarsus for nine years. God was preparing Paul for effective ministry and his true calling as a minister to the Gentiles. He would become the greatest evangelist to ever walk the earth.
Elisha, the prophet, was a young man when Elijah adopted him as a son, threw his mantle on him, and in doing so, called him into the position of a prophet. Yet for the seven or eight years, he served Elijah, no events involving him are recorded in Scripture. He reenters the story only as Elijah is about to be taken to Heaven. He famously asked for a double portion of the inheritance. What was God doing in this season to prepare Elisha for his ministry to come?
Although Jesus was the son of God and was divinely born on earth, it wasn’t until he was thirty years old that Jesus was released into ministry. We know surprisingly little about Jesus’s childhood and early adulthood. We know that he grew in “wisdom and stature, and favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52). How was God working in Jesus to prepare Him for His calling in this period?
It is interesting that in most of these stories, we do not know what was happening during these seasons of preparation.
It is the journey with God that sets you up for fruitfulness. Do not rush this process. Do not take it slowly either. Seek the Lord and follow His timing, obeying every step along the way.
Sometimes this guidance will be clear and the steps will have an obvious purpose. At other points the waters will be more murky and you may not even know the reasons why you are taking a step forward. Filter every decision through your calling, but always obey the voice of the Lord when it is clear, even if you do not understand the reasons why.
I want to end this aricle by reviewing these two important points.
1) The season of deepening our spiritual roots is never over.
2) God is always preparing us for things that are to come.
We are not talking about a season of preparation and then a life of fruitful ministry. The preparation season we are talking about is a unique season to ready you for the field. It doesn’t stop there though. There are always new levels of depth with God.
The next vision or call released from God will require new foundations and yet deeper roots. We do not ever want to think that we have arrived. We also don’t want to think we need to have reached a certain level before we are ready for the call of God.
Discussion questions:
This week, set a goal for yourself in each of the areas in the triple-core that will enhance your spiritual growth. We’d love to hear what that goal is in the comments below or on the Missionary Life Facebook page.
This week’s blog was written by Andy Yaxley.
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Mission work often attracts mavericks. The challenge, the adventure of going to a far off and difficult place, it inspires pioneer types. Not every missionary has a maverick personality, but many do. These character qualities are a great help in the boldness and tenacity needed for missionary life. They also have a negative side.
It is important to live in submission to authority. We can not afford to operate without spiritual covering, even if we have an entrepreneurial personality.
One place to find that covering is through your missions agency. Another is through a home church. There is great value in establishing a strong, healthy relationship with a sending church. It will help you thrive and be sustained for the long-term.
I was deathly sick. I’d been evacuated from Nepal to a hospital in Bangkok. Thank God for insurance that paid for my flights. A complicated relapse of hepatitis had made my fingernails and the whites of my eyes as yellow as a ripe banana. My skin was horribly itchy as the bile built up in my body.
My liver wasn’t functioning well. Doctors came and went from my room, fascinated with my medical condition, but with no clear diagnosis or treatment plan. Calls were made to infectious disease centers in the USA and Australia as they sought solutions.
After being flown to Thailand, accompanied by a British nurse from the clinic in Kathmandu, she left. I was alone. So very sick and discouraged, I stared at the pictures of my little girls I’d left back in Nepal. I missed them and my husband terribly. I had no idea how long I would have to be in the hospital, or away from them. My husband was coming but had not yet arrived. It would take days for him to make arrangements for our kids and the work he’d have to leave behind.
One lonely and difficult day, my home church surprised me with kindness. They walked into my hospital room…a short-term team on their way to another country with a layover in Bangkok. Hearing how sick I was, they came to see me.
In they walked, carrying a video camera! They prayed for me, worshipped with me, then left a CD player and music to listen to. Their stay was only 15 minutes long, but it brought deep encouragement.
When the team returned home, a video of me in the hospital was played in our church. Thousands prayed for my healing and God answered.
I am so very grateful for the many, many, times our home church, Cedar Valley, has stood in the gap on our behalf. Their love, concern, support, and encouragement has made a huge difference in our success in the mission field!
It has not always been easy to stay connected. Since going to the field, our church has gone through two major pastoral changes. Each time, we have had to work hard to get to know the new pastor, build a relationship, and establish trust. We’ve had new missions committee members, and many changes in church staff.
When we come home, it can feel a bit like we are “out of the loop.” We are no longer known to the new leaders. We don’t have much relationship anymore. At times we wonder, is it worth all this hard work to have a strong relationship with our “sending” body?
It absolutely is!
“While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.”
Acts 13:2-3 ESV
Paul and Barnabas had a sending church. It was the church in Antioch. During a time of fasting and prayer, the church leaders felt God speak to them about sending these two out. They owned that decision and were a part of it. Later we find the team reporting back to the Antioch church about their missions activity.
It is easy to think we can go on our own. Gather friends and supporters and don’t worry about the hassle of getting your church’s backing. Pastors today, especially in large churches, can feel quite unapproachable if you are not well-known in the church or are young. Sometimes, they want you to contribute to the church’s local needs rather than step out in missions. That can be discouraging.
In spite of these barriers, it is still crucially important to pursue a positive relationship with your home body.
Before going to the field, be willing to serve. If you are not a faithful and active member, they are unlikely to “send” you. Get involved. Serve in the kids’ programs, ushering, cleaning, or in whatever needs to be done. Don’t think a church will support and send you if you have not prioritized contributing to the church’s vision.
When you return home, though time is short and it may be difficult, do your best to make a contribution. This will help renew relationships.
Don’t wait for them to ask you to share. Find opportunities to talk about the need that has gripped your heart. One time when home, we made it a goal to request time to share in every Sunday school class and small group.
Honor your pastor, elders and other leaders by showing you value what they think. Don’t be afraid of their input. Listen and take it to heart.
Don’t neglect communication when on the field. Make phone calls, send emails, or video messages. It shows you care. Fill out whatever forms they ask of you on time.
When on furlough, make an appointment with your pastor. Take him/her out for lunch or coffee and pay the bill. Ask questions about their vision for the church. Show genuine interest. Contribute where you can. If there are changes in leadership, you may need to work hard to get to know them. The relational investment will pay off.
Having a sending church that understands your vision and work is a great support. If they are able to support you financially, that is great. Don’t make the relationship about the money. Their prayers and sending of you are what is most important. Finances often follow, but should not be the main reason you connect with your home church.
My husband and I haven’t done this perfectly. Sometimes we’ve not put in the effort or have been too drained when we came home to do all that’s mentioned above. We keep pressing on.
Sometimes missionaries are sent, but later they lose their home base. Churches split, or a pastor has a moral failure and the church dissolves. What do you do then? You must find another church to send you. It’s worth the investment and effort. We need to think long-term.
What difficulties have you faced in developing a relationship with a sending church? I’d love to hear those in the comments below or in the Missionary Life Facebook group.
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“I’m not finding anyone who is open to the gospel,” he told me in a call. I asked further questions. “Who are you wanting to reach?” He described his vision to reach high caste Hindus in his area. As we talked further, I asked him how he went about sharing the gospel. “I tell them they shouldn’t worship gods made from hands but should worship The One who created everything instead.”
A true statement, but not the best place to start with devoted Hindus. At some point, you need to speak the truth in love to those who follow other gods, or ways of approaching God. Jesus is indeed the only way to the Father. He said of himself, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man comes to the Father, except by me.”
Attacking another person’s religion and cultural values is neither wise nor fruitful. It is distasteful, unkind, and creates huge barriers for them to “hear” the gospel you are trying to share. At the same time, we live in a day and age where being tolerant has become a more important virtue than loving people enough to share the truth. We need to learn to boldly and relationally share the reality of who Jesus is for us and who He can be for them as well.
When we first went to Nepal, our first several years were devoted to language and culture learning. Our hearts longed to share the gospel with the unreached around us, but we faced a huge language barrier. In some ways, this was good. It slowed us down and forced us to take time to learn more about the Nepali Hindu worldview.
At first our learning was on the surface. We noticed things like food, clothing, how their houses were built, how they greeted one another. Slowly our language ability increased. We began to learn about deeper worldview issues. Things like what they believed about how the world began, the caste system, and reincarnation. This understanding would inform our witness.
Being foreigners, when we visited a Nepali home, we were welcomed warmly. Nepalis are generous and hospitable people. We’d sit on the floor, drink delicious cups of sweet chai, chit-chatting about their family, the weather, and other things.
Almost always, sometime within the first ten minutes of conversation, a question would surface. “Do you eat cows?” This question particularly came up, if we mentioned any kind of spiritual topic.
Most Hindus in Nepal (at the time we were there), had never heard about Jesus. They had little idea of who He was, why He came to earth, or what He did when here. His life, death, resurrection, and the reason for those things, was new information for them.
What they had heard though, was that Christians eat beef.
Hindus worship the goddess Laxmi who is represented by a cow. The cow is sacred for Hindus. In Nepal, it was against the law to kill a cow. At the time we lived there, the punishment for this was as great as the punishment for killing a person. It was a very big deal to them that Christians ate beef, a major barrier preventing their coming to faith.
If this obstacle didn’t come down, it was hard for them to listen to our message.
Soon after we moved to Nepal, my husband and I made a decision. We would stop eating beef as long as we were focused on reaching Hindus. It was not easy to do. Before this, hamburger had been a staple part of our diet.
Reading 1 Corinthians 8, we knew that food was not what was important. It could indeed be a stumbling block. We stopped eating beef completely.
After that when people would ask us, “Do you eat cow?” We had an answer ready. One that removed the barrier. “No, we don’t. We know that the cow is a sacred animal for Hindus. We want to respect your culture so we don’t eat beef.”
We then could move beyond that barrier into further relationship and begin sharing the gospel message. As we continued to learn, we identified other important barriers and bridges. This informed how we presented the gospel in that context.
“But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. Be careful however that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak.”
1 Cor. 8:8-9 NIV.
In this article, I will share the first three of eight points. Next week, I’ll add five more.
When approaching someone from another culture or religion, be respectful. Don’t attack their culture or beliefs. Typically, Western cultures place little value on tradition. Youth around the world, tend to disdain the traditions of their ancestors and enjoy exploring new things (be it drugs, sex or a new religion or cult). That does not mean their interest will stick as they age, mature, and marry, nor is it a good pathway to reaching their entire family.
Instead of attacking their beliefs, show value for them. They are “God-fearers.” If they pray five times a day, that shows a certain hunger for God. You can affirm that. If they fast, or go to the temple, or have certain important rituals, be curious. Ask what those things mean to them. Be respectful of their devotion. This is a great place to begin.
Within other religions, as with Christianity, there is a wide range of people. Some are radically devoted, others are nominal. Most have some level of allegiance to their religion that is greater than most “cultural Christians” have. This is because religion is strongly tied to community and identity. You can’t underestimate the degree of loyalty they will have to a religion they don’t actually practice much nor understand well. It’s there, under the surface, even with the most nominal or rebellious teen.
Get curious and ask open questions. As you do this, be careful that your questions are to learn and understand, and aren’t perceived as a hidden attack.
For example, you might ask a Muslim friend something like, “I’ve noticed that many Muslim men have beards. I’m super curious…what is the reason men in your culture don’t shave?” Listen well and repeat back to them what you hear to make sure you’ve understood their perspective.
When talking with someone from another culture and/or another faith, stay away from my God/your god language. You want to build bridges, not walls (more about that in the next article). Don’t compare using these kinds of words. They divide and separate you from them. Instead, recognize their desire for spiritual things, spirituality, etc. Are they a seeker of God? Do they respect and honor God in some way, even if they don’t yet know Him as you do?
In Acts 17, Paul was in Athens. He began his conversation with the Athenians by talking about one of their altars. It had the inscription “to an unknown god.” He didn’t condemn them for making this altar or say, “We don’t make altars like that in our religion.” Instead, he used that as a bridge to help them understand who the God they were worshipping is!
Do you have people of another faith and culture around you? Maybe they work in your office, or their kids go to your kid’s school, or you meet them at the market. Begin relationship with them by showing respect, interest, and being curious about their beliefs.
Who will you start a learning conversation with this week?
I would love to hear how these conversations go in the comments below or on the Missionary Life Facebook page.
Two billion people on our planet are born, live and die without even once hearing the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ! That’s an injustice that doesn’t end with death. Many Christ-followers want to help right this wrong. Why not personally share the good news …