“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands” -Revelation 7:9
John Piper famously wrote: “Missions exists because worship doesn’t.” I first read that statement when I was in seminary. I have given mental assent to that truth all of my ministry. I believed, at least in an academic sense, that the reason churches give so much time and money and energy to mission work is so that the worship of God may increase all around the world. But until last week, an academic understanding of that truth was all I had.
Last month I went on my first international mission trip. A team from the church I pastor went to Recife, Brazil to serve with missionaries from our church – Craig and Mary DeLille. I went on the trip because I’m the new senior pastor of a church who gives an extraordinary amount of money and time to missions and I wanted to understand why. I wanted to see for myself what all the fuss was about.
I didn’t get it after the first day, when we hosted a family retreat for two local churches. The retreat was wonderful and meaningful, but it didn’t answer my questions. I didn’t get it after the second day, when we hosted a retreat and training session for local pastors and their families. I didn’t get it after the morning of the third day, when we hosted a retreat and training session for missionaries and their families. Those events were wonderful as well, but they still didn’t answer my questions.
I got it on the evening of the third day. Our team attended a local Brazilian church that night. Shortly after we walked in, although the church was singing in Portuguese, I realized I knew the song. The church was singing “What a Beautiful Name It Is” by Hillsong. The second I realized what song the church was singing, everything clicked. Tears filled my eyes. I began to sing in English as my new friends sang in Portuguese.
That’s why we do missions. That sound – voices from every tribe and people and language singing praise to the beautiful name of Jesus – that is the end of missions. Missions exists because worship doesn’t. But one day missions will end. Missions will end because the beautiful name of Jesus will be worshipped by every tribe and people and language. Until that day, the work of missions must go on. Missions is worth the money. Missions is worth the time. Missions is worth the endless hours on an airplane and the moving to a country far different than your own. Missions is worth it because the name of Jesus is worthy. That’s the truth – and now I get it. If you’re struggling to understand missions, to get it, let me encourage you to do what I did: go see for yourself. Go with an open heart and an open mind. Listen for that sound, that little glimpse of heaven on earth – people from every tribe and people and language praising the Lamb. When you hear it, you’ll get it too.
John is the Senior Pastor of Faith Presbyterian Church in Germantown, TN. He and his wife Shannon have been married for eight years and have three children.
