The Assumptions and Presumptions of Outreach

I love it—It is simple, clear and it gives me a vision about what my life, my group and my church should look like.

“Love God, love each other and love the world Jesus sends us to serve”

Though this is my church's vision statement, this isn’t a new vision for God’s people. It is the vision that Moses laid out back in Deuteronomy. The Jews understood themselves to be the light of the world (Isaiah 49:7). In Paul’s day however, the vision for outreach became a false prop that enabled them to see themselves favorably without dealing with their own inherent flaws.

"if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark,… You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? As it is written: "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.

Romans 2:18-19, 23-24

The Jews were proud in their national identity to be a light to the world, yet they weren’t living out the vision on the inside, so instead of being a light to the Gentiles, causing them to bless the name of Yahweh, they only drew curses to Yahweh from the mouths of the Gentiles.

Bono sung once, “that we glorify the past when the future dries up.” Similarly, when living out the "love for one another" becomes hard, churches can look outward to missions and projects outside of their own sphere, not to be a light, but to feel good about themselves. They don’t minister out of an overflow of the richness of their Biblical community. They reach out as a substitute and a false prop to keep them from doing the hard work within their own lives and their own community. It feels good for a while, but eventually what is in the well comes up in the bucket.

I used to think this way about small groups. I used to disdain groups that helped one another with their own projects. I thought to myself—they should look outward and help those outside the faith—and I was right. But, It would be vain and short-lived for them to only think about ministering outside if they are not committed to meeting the needs of each other. We cannot forget Jesus command, “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34)

To pursue the great commission without honoring and obeying the Great Commandment is hypocritical, vain and will end up causing us to not fulfill either.

How do we do both?