Drifting Away From Our Mission

I am currently preaching through the book of Genesis. It is probably one of my favorite books of the Bible, because it displays the drama of God’s unending love for his creation in the face of willful disobedience and rebellion.

In studying chapter two of Genesis I came across a profound thought from Walter Brueggemann. While not always agreeing with his analysis, I did notice something I was in partial agreement with. In looking at Gen 2:15-17, he states, “Human beings before God are characterized by vocation (cultivating and protecting the garden), permission (enjoying the blessings of God), and prohibition (Trusting him out of obedience).” (Bold parenthesis, my additions to original quote)

While I agree with him on these points, I believe he left out one vital characteristic of humans before God: community (encouragement and accountability between brothers and sisters in Christ). Before humanity can gain the proper perspective on any of these four characteristics, they must have their relationship with God restored. This can only be done by a personal encounter with Jesus Christ that is defined by the acceptance of the Savior and His Lordship.

In expanding Brueggemann’s thought further, how can our convention keep these four characteristics together?

In vocation, churches have been called to propagate the gospel by means of the Great Commission. In doing this, we cooperate with each other. We find in the Genesis account of the Garden, Adam’s and Eve’s failure to protect it from outside enemies, namely the serpent (satan). The serpent brought doctrinal error into the Garden, thus leading Adam and Eve to disobey God. We not only cooperate in sending missionaries, we also cooperate in protecting this endeavor from doctrinal error.

In permission (having access to all the trees in the garden including the tree of life, i.e. authority), God has given us the authority and abundant blessings of His Word and Spirit in achieving our vocation of the Great Commission. When we turn from the abundant resources found in His Word along with His Spirit and seek pragmatic solutions that focus on unbiblical practices, we show our rejection of God’s generous goodness. We no longer work under God’s authority. In other words, we seek that which God prohibits which is outside of His authority. By staying away from what God prohibits, we show our trust in Him and the authority he has given us rather than trusting in ourselves to accomplish the mission.

Finally, the Great Commission was not meant to be carried out by isolated individuals. Christian community is not defined by isolation. William Carey had the prayers and financial support of churches in Britain to carry him to India. Today, missionaries of the Southern Baptist Convention have not only the prayers and financial support of cooperating churches, they also have the support of the IMB in training and offering assistance to missionaries before and during their time on the field.

What can cause the SBC to falter in its vocation of the Great Commission? I believe the greatest threat to the SBC and reaching the world for Christ is a slow yet steady acceptance of worldly pragmatism over revelation. Pragmatism says, “Minimize doctrine because it only divides and gets in the way.” Yet Paul told Timothy to be an approved workman “rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim 2:15) and to avoid “worldly and empty chatter” that leads to “ungodliness.” (2 Tim 2:16) He also told the church at Colosse not to be taken “captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world.“(Col 2:8) BTW, Paul does not equate the traditions of men to doctrines rightly divided from the Word of God.

If we allow ourselves to be deceived by the serpent of old, we will fail in our vocation and calling. Some say that the foundation of cooperating in the missionary task is the task itself. Yet we see continual warnings about falling away from the truth. (2 Tim 3:1-5, 4:3-4) Doctrine is the glue that holds missions together. It keeps us together in getting the message and method right. God has called us to make disciples (vocation). God has given us permission (authority) in carrying out this vocation. Yet, he provides parameters (prohibitions) from His Word not to follow worldly schemes. Finally, he has brought together a community of churches to encourage missionaries and each other. But in this community, accountability is necessary to keep each other focused on the accomplishing the mission the way God demands.

Because Adam and Eve failed to trust God by not focusing on what He provided while engaging in what He prohibited they had to abandon cultivating and keeping the Garden. Ultimately, abandoning biblical distinctives, that Baptist churches have cherish, for the “wider tent” philosophy in ecumenical pragmatism will lead the SBC to drift away from her mission in bringing like minded Baptists together in accomplishing the Great Commission.