OH, HOW BEAUTIFUL THE FEET…
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| Beautiful Little Feet |
I walked away with tears streaming down my face and a painful lump in my throat. I got in our Tahoe and Jamie asked what was wrong. I turned to see my three loud, excited little boys bouncing around in the back of the vehicle. “Get your seat belts on,” I proclaimed as I tried to fight back the tears. Jamie was still asking what had happened.
Our boys were so excited because we had been helping some of our close friends pack up the vehicle they had borrowed from another pastor at New Beginnings after being on furlough for the past six months. Our friends were now headed back to the Pacific Rim for another three years. They had been playing with our missionary friend’s children in the yard over the last few minutes.
I was crying because of two scenes: first, after loading up all the kids in our vehicle, I walked back to their vehicle to make sure everything was good before following them to the airport. As I got back there, my missionary friend’s mom was leaning in one door and her dad was leaning in the other door on the other side. Their bodies were shaking and heaving as they wept and clung tightly to the three little kids already buckled inside their vehicle. They were grandparents doing one of the most difficult things a grandparent could do—send their own kids and their grandchildren overseas to areas out of the safety and security they had always dreamt for them. It had been three years since they had seen them last. And it would be three years before they would see them again. I wanted to take a picture to capture this dualistic moment with depths of sacrifice/loss while at the same time gloriously and eternally enjoyable. It was a sacrifice for the missionary friends, for their children, and for the grandparents. At the same time, it was gloriously and eternally enjoyable because this beautiful Man Jesus Christ deserves this as the worthy Creator and Redeemer of every person present in these memorable moments. I didn’t take a pic because I wanted it to remain a private moment between these people and their Savior who called them to this difficult work.
Secondly, a few moments later as I got back in the car already weeping from this scene, I see the seven-year old son jump out of the vehicle and run back to our missionary friend’s brother who had just got into the car behind them. When he saw his little nephew running towards the car he jumped out and met him with a huge bear hug. Another lump formed and I stared in the mirror at my own kids and thought through the whole scene and how my own family would handle this calling.
This is part of the extreme, though worthy, sacrifice and cost that most every missionary goes through. It’s not just the simple comforts of air conditioned rooms, warm showers, shopping centers with tens of thousands of choices for our every craving—it’s watching your mother and father weep knowing that life is truly a “vapor” and no one is guaranteed another week—much less another year. So those moments your parents get to spend with their grandchildren are truly treasured indeed. It brings a more true perspective that life and breath and children are truly gifts from God. Yet this Man, Jesus, assumes His blood and His cause are worthy of wreaking havoc on our lives and our emotions and our plans for His glory.
This is the reality for missionaries.
(Romans 10:13-17 ESV)
[13] For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
[14] How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? [15] And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” [16] But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” [17] So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
How beautiful are the feet that have understood the gospel message and considered it so valuable and such a treasure that they cannot keep it in their own breast! They understand that the Holy Spirit brought them new life and removed the blinders from their spiritually dead eyes as someone else was obedient in clarifying the gospel to them. They understand the gospel is gaining traction and Jesus’ Kingdom is an onward moving force that overtook them and captivated them as it is still on it’s way to other people.
Oh, how beautiful are the feet of those who have treasured this captivating Christ enough to spread His saving gospel to those without it.
DAVID PLATT — NEW PRESIDENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL MISSION BOARD (IMB)
For those missionaries who serve under the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, there was a new President named last week. Dr. David Platt (author of well-known Radical), was voted in as the new President of the IMB. Dr. Platt earned an M.Div, Th. M, and a Ph.D from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He became the Senior Pastor of The Church at Brook Hills several years ago in Birmingham, AL.
This comes as exciting and encouraging news for many in evangelicalism. But there were also some concerns about Dr. Platt taking over the helm of such a large organization in a time where many questions and transitions have the opportunity to take place.
Some of those concerns stem from the recent discussions over the state of the Cooperative Program of the SBC. These are exciting, but crucial times for the SBC, other denominations, and fellow mission agencies striving to get the gospel to the remaining unreached people groups in the world.
For some other’s blogs concerning David Platt being named President of the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention:
“COOPERATIVE PROGRAM” — SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION
(Don’t fade off now—this may seem like raw data, but it is actually quite informing)
The Cooperative Program supports several institutions within the Southern Baptist Convention.
The Cooperative Program uses a little over 49% of it’s received givings to support:
- NAMB North American Mission Board (this is mainly church-planting stateside);
- The six Southern Baptist Seminaries
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Louisville, KY)
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (Wake Forest, NC)
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (Fort Worth, TX)
Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (Kansas City, MO)
New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (New Orleans, LA)
Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary (Mill Valley, CA)
3. The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (Washington, DC)
4. The Executive Committee (Nashville, TN)
The Cooperative Program uses the other 50.41% for International Missions Board (IMB) budget.
The way this works out:
Johnny Baptist gives $10 to his church designated in the memo as “missions.”
Out of that $10, in most states, $6 stays in the state to cover the state conventions/administrations. So we have $4 left.
Out of that $4, the first $2 goes to North American entities (see above, NAMB, Seminaries, etc). So now we’re down to $2.
Out of the $2 remaining, usually less than $1 actually makes it to the most difficult places like the 10/40 Window where over 95% of the world’s least churched areas remain in spiritual darkness. Out of that $2, much of it goes to already “reached” areas where many churches and much evangelical work is currently established.
The question began to be asked, “If the sole purpose and premise of starting the Southern Baptist Convention was to truly take the gospel to all the world—with an emphasis on world missions—then why is so little actually reaching those places that have no church, no gospel, and no Jesus?”
{ For a pdf flowchart click here: }
This type of questioning caused quite a debate back in 2009-2010 when there was a resurgence of many pastors, laypersons, and theologians asking to see more monies allocated to the unreached people groups of the world.
Now, if those numbers are somewhat concerning to you, I want to both calm your concerns and at the same time stir you to more involvement and more accountability.
Many pastors and churches have recognized that that seems to be a somewhat broken system for truly allowing people’s “missions” giving to reach the unreached people groups lying in the 10/40 Window. This is where the discussions, prayer, and involvement are needed.
On one side of the aisle, pastors who had long supported this system took this as an offensive attack on the way they had led the SBC during the last few decades with this set up in place. Other pastors began to lead their churches to give a smaller portion to the Cooperative Program, while some were writing much larger checks directly to other missions organizations that focused primarily on unreached people groups in the 10/40 Window.
Now there was a real problem: Pastors and churches inside the SBC who had fed from the hand of the long-established Cooperative Program through providing top notch seminary training for their pastors, as well as all the other institutions these churches and pastors benefit from having, were now writing checks to other solid missions organizations (Pioneers, Wycliffe, New Tribes Mission, Frontiers, SEND, TEAM, etc) because they saw their laser-focused pipeline of resources and monies connected directly to the 10/40 Window.
This was not so for most Southern Baptist churches across the country, but some of the larger churches throughout each state with more spotlight, if donating large amounts to outside agencies, were pointed out. Add to this that some of these were churches that were Southern Baptist in their affiliation, but also connected to the Acts 29 Church-Planting Network (or other networks). Some of the large, mega-churches that had pastors (David Platt, Matt Chandler, etc) with large followings through media or podcasts were usually the ones brought into the discussions. This is where some of the concerns came from.
There was great need for Christlike attitudes, patience, love, cooperation, and consideration of many complex factors. The issues of finance and structure are not of first importance. The mission of Christ’s church and fulfilling the Great Commission while revealing Christlike attitudes is of first importance.
The “Great Commission Resurgence” was formed in 2009 by strong and Godly voices such as Johnny Hunt (President of the SBC at that time), R. Albert Mohler Jr. (President of Southern Seminary), Danny Akin (President of Southeastern Seminary), and several trusted pastors like Ronny Floyd (FBC Springdale, AR). But there were also very Godly and seasoned leaders who opposed this questioning of the system. At the end of the day, after much discussion and debate at the annual meeting, there was shift in 1% of the monies towards the IMB and least reached areas. Now, 1% may not sound like much, but in a denomination this large it is a good and measurable first step.
This is where I believe the hiring of David Platt as the President of the IMB will have see great fruit in the future for our King.
A RADICAL RESURGENCE
Make no mistake about it—the International Mission Board (IMB) is an incredible, focused, well-trained missions organization with passionate Great Commission zeal. This is the greatest missionary force on the planet. They have over 4,800 missionaries which makes them the largest mission organization in the world (they had over 5,700 back before 2009). And remember, these are people who have left parents and friends and family and churches and are raising their children in difficult, uncomfortable, sometimes very dangerous settings away from the love and involvement of their grandparents and families.
I am very excited to see Dr. Platt as the President of the IMB because I believe he shares a passionate, radical resurgence in his own heart for seeing a laser-intensive focus of resources of the SBC to further our church-planting in the 10/40 Window and the darkest corners of the earth.
I believe he will use a patient approach in partnering with pastors, theologians, and church leaders, who have differing theological views, to bring vision and execution to the IMB leadership for furthering our gospel initiatives.
I believe Platt has a beautifully radical vision of what true resurgence can look like if churches and congregations celebrate what God is doing through the SBC and IMB to help make disciples of all nations.
Will you join me in praying for David Platt, the IMB missionaries, and the SBC leadership as they cooperate together in living for this great and worthy Savior?
Will you join me in praying for some of those unknown, disappearing beautiful feet that are taking their families and the gospel to peoples who have no idea of the beautiful saving grace you and I enjoy everyday?
Will you join me in praying as Jesus instructed us concerning the global cause, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray, therefore, for the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into His field.” Will you join me in praying for laborers to be sent into the harvest fields?
Sankie P. Lynch
www.nbchurch.info
www.nbfamilies.info
sankie@nbchurch.info
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