When the Church acts Unchristian by Failing to Complete its Mission...

Dates serve as signposts for individuals and for nations to mark significant and even life changing events. For America, the dates of December 7, 1941 and June 6, 1944 are two such dates. And these dates share striking similarities and dramatic differences. On December 7, 1941, the Japanese military attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor Hawaii. A few years later, on June 6, 1944, operation overlord, which we refer to as D-Day, occurred.

The days leading up to December 7, 1941 and June 6, 1944 involved tremendous strategic planning. Yet while both dates are strikingly similar in terms of the complex and effective strategic planning that occurred for their missions, there were dramatic differences when it came to the outcomes that occurred. While the Japanese success was overwhelming it was not complete. The D-Day operation, by contrast, achieved all the mission objectives as a result of the bravery and execution of American and allied forces. Less than one year after D-Day, on May 7, 1945, German General Alfred Jodl signed an unconditional surrender at Reims, France. As these two dates that are etched in the memory of America remind us, a perfect plan for a mission is not enough; a mission is only accomplished when the forces involved actually complete the mission.

That which is true in war is also true in our spiritual life. As followers of Jesus, we have been given a mission to accomplish. And a timeless truth is that Christians act unchristian when the church fails to complete the mission that it has been given by God. The Apostle Paul, in a section of a letter that he wrote to a church that was composed of people who claimed to be Christians but lived their day to day lives in a way the failed to reflect Christ or follow His teachings, talked about how Christians can act unchristian when the church fails to complete its mission:

"According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 3:10-11

In these verses, we see that the church fails to complete the mission when we try to build on the wrong foundation. Paul is explaining to the church at Corinth, and to churches today, that the one true foundation of the church is based on the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel. Jesus Christ and the message of the gospel is the only true foundation of the church; no one can start or plant a church that honors God and advances the kingdom mission that He has given us on any other foundation.

So when follower of Jesus attempt to advance and accomplish the kingdom mission that we have been given by God by building a church on any other foundation than the claims of Christ, the message of the gospel, and the teachings of the Bible, at the end of the day all of their efforts to complete the mission will fail. It is as simple as that.

So what foundation are you trying to use to accomplish the mission that God has given us?