I most likely won’t be blogging at least October 10th or so. Tomorrow, September 24th, I leave for Morogoro, Tanzania with a group of 11 others for a short-term missions trip. We will be working closely with local missionaries and pastors, primarily working with university students, conducting pastor-training and working with the Luguru people group.

Before I go, I want to share a few thoughts related to missions. The purpose statement of our church is To equip God’s people to delight in His glory and declare that glory to the nations! God has been gracious to us, a small, rural Texas church to live out this purpose. We take very seriously the call to make God’s glory known to the nations. In fact, we often say that if you think this is the church for you, you’d better register for your passport now.

Though many of you are familiar with John Piper’s book Let the Nations Be Glad, I want to take a moment and reflect a bit on his (and our church’s) approach to missions because it might be a bit different from how many of us have traditionally thought about missions. Let me illustrate what I mean: the other day I ran into another local pastor at lunch. He had just returned from a short-term missions trip, and the first thing out of his mouth was a number; a number of professions followed by raves about the success his church had. This is the typical view of missions and evangelism.

Let me clarify, because many are probably thinking, “Well, of course missions and evangelism is about seeing people saved, isn’t it?” Yes and no. We would see a subtle but significant difference in underlying approach. We view missions (as well as all of life) under the banner of God’s glory. In other words, missions is about God, it’s not about men and women, boys or girls; it’s about God and His glory. As Piper puts it, missions exists because worship does not.

We see throughout Scripture that what the Lord does, He does for His own name’s sake (1 Samuel 12:22; Psalm 23:3; 25:11; 31:3; 79:9; 106:8; 109:21; 143:11; Isaiah 48:9, etc.). While many are quick to admit this, we often miss the implications. Browse even just this short list of verses and notice that, even when God is acting in such a way that His people benefit, He is acting for Himself, not for us. Missions is not about men. Scripture certainly justifies saying that God loves His own glory more than He loves us. God acts for His own glory, whether in creation itself (Psalm 19:1), hardening Pharaoh’s heart (Exodus 14:4) or in salvation itself (Psalm 21:5) and He will protect His glory (Isaiah 42:8).

We see from early on that the point of going forth was that others might give the glory to God that He deserves. 1 Chronicles 16:24 commands God’s people to tell His glory to the nations. But we also see the idea that, when God’s glory is rightly declared, men, women, boys and girls will receive benefit as well. God’s glory brings with it the happiness of His people (1 Chronicles 16:10). But, that subtle difference is this: are we going pursuing a number, or are we going pursuing God’s glory?

Now, I need to clarify again: realigning our priority to God and not man in no way infers that we treat people with any less sensitivity or compassion. Rather, such an approach ought to have the opposite affect, because we are seeking to most glorify God, and we do so by loving as we have first been loved (1 John 4:19).

I just want to encourage you to examine your motives for everything that you do. It is not enough that you have men and women in mind if God’s glory is not the drive for absolutely everything that you do. I would also like to ask that you keep us in your prayers in these specific ways:

• Worship of God would fuel all that we do.
• God would prepare “divine appointments” for the proclamation of His Word.
• For traveling mercies.
• For patience with one another and uncontrollable circumstances.
• That we would encourage the long-term workers there and not be a hindrance.
• That we would return with renewed joy in God.

Even if you can’t pursue long-term missions-work, please seek out opportunities for short-term trips, and please support those who go. There is no greater act of obedience, and there is no greater way to have your eyes opened to God’s glory than to see Him work all over the world.

Short-term missions puts names and faces to the “every nation and tribe and tongue.” We leave praying that God would be known among the nations, and we come back praying that God would touch individuals that we’ve met.

Consider Jesus’ last command as your first priority:

Read Let the Nations Be Glad by John Piper.
Read God’s Heart For the Nations by Jeff Lewis.
Read Shadow of the Almighty by Elisabeth Elliot.
Read Operation World by Patrick Johnstone.
Download We Are The World by some really bad singers.
Download We Are The World by USA For Africa.