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REFLECTION

The theme for our reflection is “Not ready yet.” “Not ready yet” means that something is in progress and will be available or suitable at a later time. It is also expected to take place in the future based on some indicators. It can indicate a need for more time before proceeding, but it does not necessarily mean “never”. We shall reflect on our need for discerning church leaders. They must prioritise the mission of the church. They need to know which grounds to set camp and those that are not ready yet.

Beloved in the Lord, Jesus was a strategic leader. He had a blueprint for executing His mission of redemption in the world. The strategy is to call the first disciples among the Israelites. He would train and equip them for the salvation of the Jews. Later, the mission of salvation would expand to the Gentiles and Samaritans. The Gentiles were unbelievers, and the Samaritans were people from Samaria, a region north of Jerusalem. In Jesus’ day, the Jewish people of Galilee and Judea shunned the Samaritans. They saw them as a mixed race who practised an impure religion. The religion was considered half-pagan. It was for this reason that “Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness…These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. (Matthew 10:1,5-8). The purpose of the strategy is that when the Jews see and experience the light, the world would be drawn to the light. It is also the fulfilment of the prophecy written in Isaiah when God said “…I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” (Isaiah 49:6)

How is Jesus’ missionary strategy relevant to the mission of the church in the 21st century? The relevance of Jesus’ mission strategy is that Church leaders must not abandon believers who have backslidden. We must have a strategy of reviving and restoring those who were once believers but are lost. As we re-evangelise and revive the lost and dying members of the church, we are building the Salvation Army to expand our mission to other people who are in the darkness of ignorance and captivity of sin. These are people who have never encountered the Lord Jesus Christ. They need the testimony of those who have been saved. The Gentiles and Samaritans need the testimony of the Jews who have experienced the glory and salvation of the Lord. It is for this reason that when Jesus was departing, He expanded the mission beyond the Israelites to all nations. He said to the disciples, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20) Similarly, the mission of the church is beyond the four walls of the church to all nations. The church must train and send competent pastors, evangelists and missionaries to preach the Gospel, “8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. (Matthew 10:8) This is why the missionaries not only preach the Gospel but also set up schools, hospitals, agricultural and economic empowerment projects to equip communities in which they operate. My Church, the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana, founded many developmental and relief projects, as the first established church in the Volta Region of Ghana by the Bremen Missionaries in 1847. The EPCG built schools, hospitals, and had training institutions and agricultural projects to support the church and communities in the Volta region. Christian leaders are called upon to continue implementing Jesus’ missionary strategy of capturing the known grounds to the unknown grounds. We must never become complacent but continue to preach the Gospel. A church that fails to have a strategy of bringing back its backslidden members and to witness to many who are out there in the darkness will surely be a dying church. Jesus never anticipated a dying church but a church that is alive and active through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. A church patiently waiting for the second coming of our Lord and Master Jesus.

In summary, we have discovered Jesus missionary strategy of starting from the known to the unknown. We need discerning church leaders to prioritise the mission of the church. They must know which grounds to set camp. They should also recognize those that are not ready yet. Usually, it is best to start with familiar grounds and move to unfamiliar grounds.

PRAYER

May the Holy Spirit direct the mission of the Church for the salvation of the world. Amen.