Other Sheep’s Tale
6 min read
14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.”
John 10:14-16
Someone (whom I love) said something that kind of bothered me. The person said, “No one here [meaning Canvas] cares about missions.” And I was bothered because deep down, I felt that maybe the statement is true.
I wasn’t angry at the person (whom I love) for saying it, nor was I angry at my Canvas family (whom I love) for not demonstrating more passionate engagement in missions and evangelism. I think I was bothered because every church community, to some degree, reflects the heart of the lead pastor.
And so the person’s statement was simply yet another motivator for me to follow Jesus to seek and to save the “other sheep” who belong in His pen.
GCC and Canvas has been growing like mad. I’m convinced that it is because we are an evangelical church in the truest sense. When is an evangelical church not truly an evangelical church? An evangelical church is not truly an evangelical church when evangelism and missions is not a part of the church’s spiritual, or at least cultural, DNA.
After all, evangelical and evangelism do come from the same word that means “good news”—that is, the gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s worth noting too that “evangelical” does not mean “white Republican.” The liberal mainstream media has propagated that misunderstanding and the conservative mainstream media has not helped to correct that misunderstanding.
And so if we are truly an evangelical church, what is a truly evangelical church supposed to do with respect to the gospel?
Some churches might focus their priorities on worship services—great preaching, great music, great aesthetics. But those churches will lose momentum whenever the preaching or the music become less than great, or when the building starts to show its age.
Some churches might focus their priorities on relationships and community building—great small groups, great food, great fellowship. But those churches will lose momentum whenever interpersonal conflicts arise—and they always arise—or whenever they start to exclude people who don’t fit in.
Some churches might focus their priorities on Bible studies or children and youth programs or prayer or any number of other things.
Don’t get me wrong. We should all desire and pursue those good things—great worship, great community, great programs, fiery prayer—as long as all of that is grounded in the gospel. But if our priority is not evangelism and missions, we are not really fulfilling the gospel—and we will lose our momentum, and by God’s grace, die as a church.
We call ourselves a gospel-centered church, a greatest commandment church, and a great commission church—the three gcc’s of GCC. That means that if we strive to be a gospel-centered church, neglecting the great commission as a priority for our church, would be a fool’s gambit.
Father, Let me not be satisfied with the fact that we are growing. Let me not focus on our growth as a goal whatsoever or even as a benchmark of our spiritual health. Help me and help us to keep our eyes focused on our Lord so that we may follow our Lord to go where He goes, do what He does, and say what He says. Give me and give us Your heart for missions and evangelism. Use me and use us to share Your powerful gospel, for we are the gospel message. And show me and show us Your glory as many—even some—even one—come to know You and glorify You through our witness. In Jesus’s name. Amen.
