U.S. Christians and the Coiled Spring
Three times. That’s how many times I’ve seriously considered going overseas as a missionary. Compelled by the immense global need and the relative “gospel wealth” we have in the U.S., my heart has long beat for global missions. But I haven’t gone. Most of you reading this haven’t either. Which gives rise to the question: ought that be our aim?
Recently my thinking has shifted somewhat on this. Let me share with you how. It begins in Matthew’s gospel.
Matthew’s gospel could be called a disciple-making manual. Matthew alone includes the Great Commission - in fact, he ends his gospel with it. Matthew includes more of Jesus’ teaching to the disciples than do the other gospels. Moreover, Matthew gives far more detail into Jesus’ pre-cross sending out of his disciples.
A third of the way into this disciple-making manual, Matthew describes Jesus walking through the cities and villages, looking out upon the vast crowds. I think it’s a critical moment in the book. He famously tells his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few” (Matthew 9:37b). And his solution, surprisingly, is earnest prayer: “Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
The great harvest-needs mean there is a need for gospel workers.
And the need for gospel workers means there is a need for gospel-fueled prayer.
You could write it like this: Plentiful harvest → Need for workers → Prayer for workers
However, I don’t believe Jesus assumes that this prayer will never be answered. Quite the opposite. The assumption is that the Lord of the harvest will indeed raise up workers for his field.
And this is where my thinking has most shifted.
From my vantage point as the Director of Ministry for Neopolis, I hear story after story of workers eager to go into the harvest. God is answering the prayer. There are laborers for his field. But they lack something critical: funds.
I know of a group of wise, mature pastors in East Africa ready to put on equipping conferences to train a generation of pastors on how to handle the Scriptures. But they can’t. Insufficient funds.
I was told of a thriving church plant in Germany that has grappled with closing its doors because of insufficient funds.
There’s a church in Kenya that would hire a ministry resident and train him, if only they had the funds.
There are eager young expositors in Cuba itching to preach the gospel and plant churches. But it is incredibly difficult due to the immense poverty.
While it’s true that the world could always use more laborers, it’s also true that one of the reasons there are so few laborers is that the funds are lacking.*
The global church is rising.
The vast majority of the world has viable churches.
There are eager church planters and pastors spanning the globe.
There is a coiled spring waiting to be sprung.
Certainly, prayer is critical to springing it. It’s what created the coiled spring to begin with. But funding is also key. You could write the need like this:
Plentiful harvest → Need for workers → Prayer for workers → Workers prepared → Need for funds
Or you could state the need this way: The harvest is plentiful and the workers are plentiful, therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to provide funds to enable the workers to go into the harvest field.
Some still need to go. Unreached people groups remain.
But just as important, at least from my vantage point, are people who are willing to pray earnestly and give sacrificially. That might be the “radical” we need. That might be the radical God is calling you to pursue.
The spring is coiled. The workers are ready.
The Lord of the harvest is answering prayers.
Let us joyously embrace our part.
*Jesus doesn’t make “going” dependent upon funding, and many faithful gospel workers have gone without funds and seen God provide. Yet these realities do not negate God’s call on those with money to steward their resources well in a way that fuels Kingdom growth, nor does it negate the critical role giving plays in missions.
