"No Shortcut to Success" (Matt Rhodes)

TITLE: No Shortcut to Success: A Manifesto for Modern Missions (9Marks)
AUTHOR: Matt Rhodes
PUBLISHER: Wheaton IL: Crossway Publishers, 2022, (272 pages).
 

In a quick-fix society, people want fast results and easy solutions. If there are short-cuts, take it. If not, make one. This has unfortunately impacted the philosophy of Christian missions. Thinking that modern methods could spark a quick and easy approach toward missions, many people are looking for ways to bypass traditional approaches by adopting quick-fixes and practices. This has appeared in various forms that seem logical at a superficial level but lack foundations. Author Matt Rhodes gives a critical analysis on the popular shortcuts being adopted in many modern approaches to missions. Some feel that professionalism is to be avoided in favor of relational skills. Others prefer speed or silver bullet strategies. Still there are some who are skeptical of anything too "intellectual" or "academic." The temptations are real. Just hearing about "amazing successes" from anecdotal sources might scupper any attempts to be trained in the traditional ways. Such sources tempt planners with numbers like some success story. Rhodes critiques the Church Planting Movements for their overemphasis on rapid growth instead of biblical shepherding. He questions the notion of a DNA for rapid growth, saying that they prioritize sociology over theology. In a nutshell, such approaches tend to be based on management over biblical principles; numbers over patience; results over means; and human expectations over spiritual movements. 

In a nutshell, the author shows us that there is no shortcut when it comes to doing God's work in missions. There is no substitute for competence, diligence, and conscientious equipping work. Going back to the Bible, Rhodes show us a better and more biblical approach. A missionary is an ambassador for Christ. That means to establish "Christ-centered churches" that are mature and will multiply in an enduring way. It means to clearly communicate the gospel just like the disciples in the New Testament, clearly, credibly, and boldly. He supplies several milestones in the ministry of missions. Milestones that connect missionaries with their churches in prayer, in dialogue, and in ongoing support. That also includes adequate training and equipping in Bible, practical skills, language, worldviews, communication skills, etc. That is discipleship and spiritual growth for missions. While the work might seem mundane and dependent on training the human person, that does not mean the Holy Spirit is absent from such endeavors. It does not mean the supernatural is absent. 

My Thoughts

This is a needed pushback against the many expectations of a "fast-food" mentality in our world, even among churches keen to see a return on their investment. There is no substitute for plain hard work and biblical training. Moments of miraculous intervention do not just occur according to our expectations. They occur when we are faithfully working out the will of God and exercising the gifts we have been given. Christians should not over-amplify the work of the Spirit just to downplay the importance of theological training and missionary equipping. Just like doctors who need to go to medical school before they are qualified, missionaries too need to go through the training schools in order to be ready for the mission field. There are cases of miraculous equipping of individuals that led to numerous conversions, but those are the exceptions rather than the norm. The thinking believer should not depend on anecdotal evidence to form a whole new doctrine of missions. For that matter, just because one has memorized John 3:16 does not mean one ignores the 66 books of the Bible! Simplicity is good but not simplistic thinking. Desiring success is fair but not at the expense of biblical criteria. Wanting quick results must not supersede our dependence on the Holy Spirit. Remember how Jesus told the disciples in Acts 1:8 to wait in Jerusalem for the coming of the Holy Spirit?

Rhodes has reset our modern expectations in an engaging and readable way. By pointing out the dangers of over dependence on modern methods and rapid expectations, he shows us the relevance of William Carey's wise words to attempt great things for God and to expect great things from God. The expecting should not cloud our understanding of the attempting. God will work in ways we least expect. While we wait, let us wait actively but being faithful in equipping ourselves to share the gospel, both in our local as well as foreign contexts. Short-cuts are nice to have. However, they are more the exceptions rather than the norm.

Matt Rhodes grew up in San Diego, California, and has lived in North Africa since 2011. He and his wife, Kim, serve as part of a church-planting team to a previously unengaged people group.

Mark Dever (PhD, Cambridge University) is the senior pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC, and president of 9Marks (9Marks.org). Dever has authored over a dozen books and speaks at conferences nationwide. He lives in Washington, DC, with his wife, Connie, and they have two adult children.

Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book has been provided courtesy of Crossway Publishers and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.