by Eddie Lyons
We must be mission-focused. What is the reason for the Baptist Bible Fellowship? Why do we have colleges, the Mission Office, a Church Planting Office, and the Tribune? For that matter, why do we serve in our local churches? We must never forget why we do what we do. We do not exist to perpetuate a fellowship, colleges, or departments. Our institutions exist to serve the mission of Jesus Christ.
One of the greatest clarifying statements I have ever heard came from John Ortberg: “Jesus did not start a church and then give it a mission. Jesus started a mission and then gave it a church.”
From the moment Jesus began his ministry he was on mission. He looked at the crowds of people and noted they were fearful, empty, hurting, hopeless, confused, and dying. He had come to save them. Matthew puts it this way:
But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” Matthew 9:37-38
One of the great things about our Fellowship is that, at our core, we, the laborers, are committed to evangelism, discipleship, and the truth of God’s word.
We are also deeply committed to the local church. Local churches are free to find the best way to reach the people in their unique cultural setting. Each cultural setting requires every pastor to discover how to communicate the Gospel so it can be heard and to develop a sense of community that fits the people of that area. Our desire is to plant churches in the north and south, east and west, rural and urban areas. We are a multi-generation Fellowship. It is our goal to reach people everywhere in every culture of every generation. The message does not change, but the presentation must.
When we are mission focused we are able to celebrate the diversity in our Fellowship. No one method or style will work across the board. When we gather together at our meetings we should expect and celebrate diversity. Our churches should have different styles of programming. Our activities and methods should be varied.
We must strive to move with the times and reach all generations. We must honor the older generation and be grateful for their faithfulness and sacrifice. The elders need to celebrate that young leaders have taken the heart for the mission and are doing things differently, with creativity and innovation while not compromising the truth. When our Fellowship remains mission focused we will be able to serve one another with grace and love and move with unity in the middle of diversity. We have come together to reach this world as laborers in a great harvest that must not be lost.