Do you ever read Scripture and find it challenging? Most Christians, to be honest, would admit serious discomfort with some of the content provided by Jesus Himself. In Matthew 10:16-22, it is likely that Jesus definitely got the attention of the disciples—and the rest of us. How do you react to this content?
“Listen! I am sending you out just like sheep to a pack of wolves. You must be as cautious as snakes and as gentle as doves. Watch out, for there will be those who will arrest you and take you to court, and they will whip you in the synagogues. For my sake you will be brought to trial before rulers and kings, to tell the Good News to them and to the Gentiles. When they bring you to trial, do not worry about what you are going to say or how you will say it; when the time comes, you will be given what you will say. For the words you will speak will not be yours; they will come from the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
“People will hand over their own brothers to be put to death, and fathers will do the same to their children; children will turn against their parents and have them put to death. Everyone will hate you because of me. But whoever holds out to the end will be saved” (GNT).
To be honest, I’ve never preached on that section of Scripture. (My guess is that most pastors haven’t preached on that text.) Yet it does remind us that life—even for the Christian—is not always easy. Consider your life, present and past. Think about the realities attached to your challenges, issues, and problems. Reflect on the challenges that surround your life, your family, the nation, and our world. Jesus has promised you eternity with Him. Yet you clearly realize that life is not entirely heaven on earth. You are not alone. Like all Christ-followers, we thank God for the enormous blessings that we receive.
And yet we are honest enough to realize there are challenges and tragedies in our journey. In the end, faith in our Savior is the promise that eternally changes everything. Pain, disappointment, sorrow, and other challenges remind us that we have the promise of Heaven in our hearts in spite of the tough realities of this world.
Why would Almighty God allow this wonderful—yet challenging—mixture of inexplicable joy and painful sorrows? Some people actually reject faith in God, the love of Jesus, and the powerful promises of eternity. Why isn’t there “heaven on earth” even for those of us who are Christ-followers? Perhaps it is because calamity clarifies.
Sin and Grace
It is likely that every person who has ever lived has experienced the pain of sorrow, disappointment, and discouragement. In the face of sin, pain, disaster, and death, there is the spiritual power of grace. There is Jesus. There is forgiveness. There is hope.
It appears there have always been pain, suffering, division, and wars. Yet out of the ashes of destruction, death, and discouragement, there is renewed hope. After World War II, there was an explosion of the Christian movement, an increase of pastors, and the birth of many new churches—as well as whole denominations. In spite of the cultural hurdles, the Christian faith has grown in far-off places such as Asia, South America, and Africa south of the Sahara Desert.
The former Soviet Union reflected some classical remnants of Christianity. Yet after the fall of the Berlin Wall and a dramatic change in political leadership, thousands of young adult professing Christians were released from prisons. They began planting hundreds of churches using rented facilities—often used for entertainment through the week. When Church Doctor Ministries was asked to provide Christian training for young adults in Moscow—not far from Red Square—hundreds of believers attended a week-long seminar.
Discomfort Increases Receptivity
If you have ever lived in another country—far from your own—you have experienced some form of culture shock. Years ago, my wife and I spent 18 months in Australia. It was my fourth year of seminary, so I transferred from the seminary in St. Louis to a seminary in Adelaide, South Australia. (In those days, there was no Internet. Letters were the main connection with our families in the States, and they took at least three weeks to arrive.)
When we arrived in Adelaide, we had no house and no car. We had only a small amount of money. I was enrolled in Luther Seminary, and my wife, Janet, taught in a grade school. Early on, we took a bus to visit a Lutheran church. As we arrived, the friendly people caught our “Yankee accent.” It was great to be with a new set of friends. However, after the long journey, we were almost broke—we literally had 20 US dollars to last a week, after which my wife would get her first paycheck from the elementary school where she taught. During that worship service, they took an offering. We were in the front row—with nowhere to run and nowhere to hide! We gave our offering, trusting God for what seemed to be impossible. That night, we went to bed knowing that we had no money, there would be no income for the week, and we had no food. The next day, we received a letter from my mother in the United States. In it was a check for $20. We learned—early on—calamity clarifies!
Calamity and the Church in North America
Not every church in the US is in a state of calamity. Many congregations are healthy and growing. If you are part of a church like that, thank God!
Janet and I are blessed to attend a church led by our son, Jon. The blessing is not just the family connection—we get to see the grandchildren as well as Jon’s wife, Esther. The real blessing is that Jon, like many pastors, knows the outreach effectiveness issues that God uses to grow healthy and thriving churches.
Perhaps 50 to 60 percent of the churches in North America are maintaining but not growing: not reaching the unchurched people in their communities. Why?
Most pastors in mainstream denominations and in some independent movements are equipped to maintain their churches. Unfortunately, they are not geared to also reach out to those who are unchurched in their communities. The leaders of these churches recognize that they have more funerals than baptisms. They notice that the median age of worshippers is older than the average age of those in the community. Why? Many pastors have never been trained in what is called missiology—the biblical dimensions of effective outreach to those who are unchurched. For most pastors and their churches, there has never been training to become missionaries to their own communities.
You have probably seen congregations where the parking lots are full. Having several worship services signals health, vitality, and growth in numbers of people. What is the difference? Many pastors are well-trained to maintain or moderately grow a church. Most often, those who are growing churches are considered to be the exception. Many believe the growth is tied to a pastoral leader that is exceptional. While that may be the case, in most churches that are growing, the pastor, staff, and leaders operate from a missional posture. If that challenges you, you are experiencing calamity! Perhaps you—your church—needs a mission model that clarifies. The good news? You can do something about it. Pray to the Lord and ask for mission guidance. Ask God to give you the calamity that clarifies!
Dr. Kent Hunter is the founder of Church Doctor Ministries, a mission to help local churches renew, revive, and thrive. He is the author of Who Broke My Church? 7 Proven Strategies for Renewal and Revival. He has written more than 40 books aimed at helping Christians to renew the Christian movement and reach our world for Jesus.