Mission Before Me

Paul, the great apostle, preacher, theologian, missionary and church planter woke up one morning in a dark prison cell, not knowing if he was going to live or die. He had traveled the world preaching the gospel and planting churches with mixed results. Some believed in the message of a Savior who had died for their sins, while others rejected his message as rubbish or foolishness. All this preaching had gotten him beaten on occasion, run out of more than one town, as well as thrown in jail several different times.

This time was different. He seemed to know deep down that he might not ever walk out a free man. But he might. There was no way for him to know, so everyday was filled with wondering and praying. 

He also did some writing. There were a lot of people who were concerned about him and even though he was in chains there was still work to be done, work that at this moment could only carry on through his pen.

On his mind was a little band of people who lived in Philippi. He might never have visited Philippi were it not for a dream one night. Paul was a transformed man on a mission. Ever since Jesus Christ had arrested him on the Damascus road he had been committed to traveling the world preaching the gospel and planting churches. So he headed for Asia Minor. That would be the field that he would sow the gospel seed. Or so he thought.

One night as he was deep in sleep, he had a dream of a man from Europe standing before him; a Macedonian man to be exact. He simply stood there and said, "Come and help us." Believing that the Lord was re-directing his journey, Paul and his little mission team headed to Europe. The first town they came to on their European adventure was Philippi.

The details of the story are told in Acts 16. He is able to share the gospel, see the grace of God take root in a few hearts, and plant a gospel church in the midst of a pagan culture. But that was a few years ago. If he ever gets out of those chains he might be able to visit the church again, but that's a big if. 

It wasn't easy being a Christian in the first century, especially in the city of Philippi. Many in the church suffered for following Jesus and declaring that Jesus is Lord. Some may wind up in that Philippian jail that Paul himself spend a night in years ago. So, from his place of arrest he takes up his pen to encourage this little church in the gospel. He wants them to know that there is one thing they can be certain of in the future...that the gospel will advance.

As you read this little letter written to such a small, trembling band of believers living for Christ in the middle of a vicious, pagan world you see one flashing message, like a flashing neon sign on a dark night: the mission is more important than me.

Paul knows the reality of his situation, which really boils down to three options. One, beheading; two, torn to pieces by lions in the Roman coliseum; or three, crucifixion. Do any of those sound appealing to you? What he writes to the church in the face of this is stunning and instructive for us.

"I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel...Christ is proclaimed and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life of by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:12-21)

Here is what Paul is saying--in that moment, with the real possibility of dying a horrible, painful death, I don't want to back down. I don't want to wimp out. I don't want to be ashamed. I want to boldly declare the gospel. In that moment I want the mission to be more important than me.

Paul lived in a shame and honor culture. It was shameful to be a prisoner. He expected to be vindicated and not at all to be ashamed. We would expect to read from him, "But instead I will be honored." But those words aren't written. Instead he says that Christ will be honored. He doesn't want to walk into the courtroom and demand his rights and his honor. Why? Because the gospel had radically reshaped his purpose and his goals. Mission before me.

I read somewhere that 100 years ago missionaries boarded their ships to go to the nations with their belongings packed in their coffin. Why? Because if you couldn't fit it in a coffin you didn't need it and also, you didn't plan on coming home. The advancement of the gospel was greater than life itself. To live is Christ, to die is gain.

When your supreme purpose if to magnify Christ, then you will say, "Mission before me." You will put the advancement of the gospel above the advancement of yourself. Instead of praying that your life would be more comfortable, more pain free, more enjoyable, and more blessed with stuff, you pray that you would walk each day into a world hostile towards the gospel and that you would be bold, that you would not be ashamed of the gospel, and that you would magnify Christ by your words and your works.

This little phrase, "mission before me," has become an unofficial motto among the staff at DBC. It is a truth that I regularly ask the Lord to make true in my life. It is also what I pray for the body of Christ. So, when trying to decide what to call this blog, MISSION > me seemed like an appropriate title. 

Lord, let it be true of us, that we live our lives in such radical joy in the grace of Christ that we are able to say, "To live is Christ, and to die is gain." May Christ be the greatest treasure of our hearts so that we don't deceive ourselves by thinking that the things of this earth can fulfill us. And may we be able to say and live out this truth: "The mission before me."