The above statement may be both offensive and stating the obvious. I can still remember standing in a parking lot and talking to a former co-worker about his latest support raising campaign. He told me that he used this line in his support presentation as to why he was working with Bible schools training missionaries.
I thought two things when I heard this. First, I wondered whether this guy would ever raise funds with the ever so slightly, brash way of presenting his vision. Second, he was right. I don’t mean that God has an over supply of stupid missionaries, and since that quota has been reached, He has closed the door for now on accepting any new ones. Nor would I imply that I am somehow in the “smart missionary” group looking down on someone else. More, the bottom line is that in order to achieve full potential in missions or ministry or life for that matter, we have to be prepared and knowledgeable. Passion and vision are great and necessary, but not enough.
Enter where we left off last time and the transition to the story of Josiah. You may recall (if you actually read the last post, or are you here instead because you Google searched the word “stupid” and are here by accident?) that we left off with the last blog by putting our latte down, and pondering our response to this time in church history we find ourselves in. Both 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles spend quite a bit of time talking about the reign of the good king Josiah (2 Kings 22-23 and 2 Chronicles 34-35). Both accounts together tell us that from age 16 on, Josiah became a passionate follower of God. He began then to truly “seek the God of David”. At age 20, Josiah began to initiate a series of reforms over his nation, most of which focused on removing the influence of idolatry. His reforms are so radical that they sweep out of his political kingdom of Judah and affect the land to his north that used to be under the control of Israel. Of all the kings, only Josiah seems to measure up and exceed the standard of David in every way.
We could look at this story and see the value of passion and a sold out man for God (or person to be PC). However, there is a key event which transforms Josiah personally as well as his revival. At age 26, Josiah gave instructions to clean out the temple of God in Jerusalem. While there, they find the “Book of the Law” which apparently had become lost. This “Book of the Law” was what we think of as the Bible! The “people of God” had lost the Bible. We aren’t sure for how long, but when you look at Josiah’s father and grandfather, it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to think that it had been 70 years with no Biblical influence on the kings of Israel.
When the Book is read to Josiah, he tears and clothes in grief as he realizes that God’s judgment is coming down on his people. He sees how far his people are still from obeying the law of God. In fact, his reading of the Book prompts an even broader reform and time of purging listed in 2 Kings 23. The list of things purged is a nightmare inducing list full of idolatry, even in the temple itself. For all of Josiah’s passion and seeking of God, without the Book (the Bible), his passion wasn’t enough to change his nation or know truth. He needed both passion and knowledge to affect a true change.
At this point, I turn to you and yell in a loud voice, “Will we be the generation of Josiah?” Mainly, because that would look cool on a T-shirt, “The Josiah Generation”. I can see the hats, bumper stickers, etc… until I get sued because I am sure someone has already trademarked this in the church. So, if we want to see true change in our church, community, workplace, nation, and world, it will take more than our passion. Or, does God really need more stupid missionaries?
The Bible Nerd 