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Grow & Go - January 2024

I was fresh out of a seminary class concerning the biblical theology for life and Mission of God’s people and about to head off on my first cross-cultural mission trip with Amy at my side. We were both eager, excited, and prepared to ‘Go Beyond’ the walls of the church in hopes of taking the gospel to the nations in the country of Jamaica. I had been studying up on different gospel sharing methods and was ready to change the world with the Word of God. However, God had His own plans for this trip and showed me that the greatest change that would occur was to be in my own heart.

We go with our own expectations.
There were countless hours of strategic planning, the gathering of materials, and agendas put together for our trip, but there was something being forgotten. We were forgetting the simple fact that in all things “my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord” (Isa 55:8-9). The One true and living God of the universe was at the helm and I was not. We were going with our own plans and expectations of how we thought God was going to move amongst the people we would minister to on the trip and how we would be used. What I had hoped would be this grandiose time of gospel proclamation where many would be saved by both the preaching of the Word and through our time visiting in the churches, ended up being more about “equipping the saints” (Eph 4:12) than “proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom” (Matt 4:23). What happened is God changed my expectations from the things I thought should happen on mission for Him to what He wanted for each of us.

God changed our direction
If we are not careful, we can turn what we believe to be the mission of God’s people more into what we feel it is, instead of allowing the Holy Spirit and the Word to guide us toward His desire for us. I hear if often said by Pastor and have adopted the statement that “we move as God moves” and find this to be a fully accurate summation of how we are to think, not just locally on mission, but while doing the work of missions no matter our location. Each place we travelled on this trip I showed up prepared and ready for God to empower me to proclaim the gospel, but God “who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,” (Eph 3:20) had it planned that I was to equip others with practical ways to share the gospel and give books to the leaders. They knew the Word of God, their pastor had invested
in them by teaching that “all things that pertain to life and godliness” (2 Pet 1:3) is found in the Scriptures, and it was clearly written on their hearts (Rm 2:15). They just needed the gospel sharing materials that I possessed and taught how to use what they had little access to. The churches we helped had a zeal just as great as my own for the advancement of the gospel, and I was going there to change them. What really occurred is that my life was the one changed by their love for God’s Word. I believe each of us left Jamaica and came home with a greater desire for each of the spiritual disciplines due to their witness and passion for the Word. The greatest thing, however, for me to
observe was their concept of time, Island time. All schedules are a suggestion there, and not a guarantee. In our busy culture where time is of the essence, time equals money, and is considered of immense value. On Island time however, people show up to church services when they show up and get finished worshipping when the pastor has completed his preaching. God changed my direction by slowing me down, removing me from the excessively busy patterns of life, and helped me really see the beauty in being content with having only His Word. 

Missions reveal our dependence on Him
The first thing that occurred when we arrived heading off through the treacherous mountain hills crossing the island to the other side, was recognizing that God is completely in control, and we are utterly dependent on Him. There were more times that I can remember closing my eyes in prayer and asking the Lord to keep us all safe, as we stared down in inches separating us from the cliff’s edge. I was asked to preach with only a day’s notice and no idea this would be called of me before going. Nevertheless, in all these things God removed each of us from our comforts and revealed our total dependence on His provision, reminding us that since the beginning of time He is worthy of our trust. Then He saw us through it.

Let each of us be reminded whether we are going on mission down the street or across the globe, to give up our own lofty expectations and anticipate that God is going to move how God is going to move.  This will require us to “move as God moves” (Pastor) and humbly submit ourselves to where the Lord is leading, even a change of direction. May each of us recognize that whether we are taking the gospel down the street to our neighbor, or across the seas to the nations, we are completely dependent upon God to complete the mission of God’s people “to go and make disciples” (Matt 28:20). 

Grow & Go - December 2023

I just want to start by saying that I am extremely humbled and thankful to be one of your pastors here at Oakhill leading in Discipleship and Missions.

As many of you who know my wife and I, you will quickly see that we love to spend time with our church family. We love for you to come to our house for a meal, go swimming, hosting life groups, and view our home not just for us, but to do the work of ministry for His Glory, and for the purpose to “advance the gospel” (Phil 1:12). The reason why the desire even exists for the ministry of hospitality is out of the overflow of what Christ has done in our lives. Christ displays the mark for us where we are given, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mk 10:45).

God through His Word has shown us the ministry of hospitality is of so much importance that He has made it a qualification for Elder (1 Tim 3:2) as they oversee the flock that God has entrusted. Therefore, it is imperative that Elder’s do the work of ministry by shepherding the church and being hospitable. Although, this is not just for church leaders to exhibit. There is not a better place for Christ’s redeemed to show hospitality than in our homes with an open-door mindset where people know that when they are among us, they will be loved and cared for. This is important both within the walls of the church and in the public square.

One place we can look for as an example of the ministry of hospitality is in the New Testament at Priscilla and Aquila. They set the bar for us as Christian husbands and wives
doing the work of hospitality ministry together as a team where the Apostle Paul gives us that “The churches of Asia send you greetings. Priscilla and Aquila, together with the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord” (1 Cor 16:19). Priscilla and Aquila had been relocated, scattered from Rome, and settled in Corinth, but
they were still absolutely resolved to share Christ and right doctrine with others. This duo used their home not only to share a meal with others, but to make disciples, no matter where they had ended up in their journey, and without excuse. For the believer, many of us can think back to a time when a couple like Priscilla and Aquila opened their homes in hospitality, shared a meal, shared their lives, were transparent and real, and more importantly they shared Christ with you.

We just celebrated Thanksgiving when many of us opened our homes to family and friends over a meal. Let me encourage you for this to be the normal pattern of life and opening your doors to the unchurched, “loving your neighbor as yourself” (Lev 19:18; Mk 12:31) by using our homes as places of ministry pointing people to the gospel, and to the local church. It is fruitful and helpful when we can slow the busy patterns of our lives down, share a meal together, talk candidly about the
struggles of this life, while pointing to hope we have through Christ for eternity. It is also helpful that people see that our lives match up to what we say and there is no more intimate place for this to be witnessed than in our homes.

Let me also encourage those who are leading life groups or are a part of a life group at Oakhill, that being hospitable is key for them to be successful. These are places where real gospel community exists to “grow in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet 3:18) and for us to be fruitful in this area of ministry requires that we be inviting to those who come to join these groups. Not everyone that comes to our groups will be longtime church members and might even be newer believers, so it is important that we recognize these gatherings to serve Christ by seizing the opportunity to serve others who come.

In closing, the most important reason for hospitality is that it would be an inroad to the gospel. Let the remembrance of what Christ has done in your own life showing you unmerited grace that we did not deserve (Eph 2:8-10) serve as the catalyst to be hospitable. Just as man has a responsibility to respond to the gospel, we also have a responsibility once we have been saved to show hospitality to those who know not Christ, and the hope found in His Word.

• For further reading this week about hospitality also look at these texts – Heb 13:2; 1 Pet 4:9; Rm 12:13; Tit 1:8;
  Lk 14:12-14; Act 28:2; Is 58:7.