Book Review - The Cross
One of my hopes is to get good books on Global Missions into your hands and so in addition to ‘Mission’, by Andy Johnson, here’s another good one for you: ‘Cross’, edited by John Piper and David Mathis. Here’s what Leo Parris, our US Global Missions Coordinator, has to say about it…
The Cross Conference has been a wonderful means of grace in helping to raise up young missionaries for many years. It’s one of the many legacies that testify to the impact of John Piper in this generation. Cross: Unrivaled Christ, Unstoppable Gospel, Unreached Peoples, Unending Joy springs from the many sermons that have sounded from that pulpit. It aims to inspire young people to embrace a calling “to cross cultures to bring the gospel to a people group that otherwise has no access”, or to become “an engaged sender.”[1] To be this kind of Christian: “even as you give yourself to making disciples on the tract of land to which you’ve been sent, you connect your efforts with the Global Cause, among people reached and unreached, and you pray and dream and give toward completing the task.”[2] If you are looking for a collection of teachings that may inspire a young person to missionary work, this is an excellent resource.
The chapters flow from a God-exalting, gospel-centered foundation all the way to helping individuals process through their calling. Each chapter is written by a different contributor from a diversity of places ranging from Korea, Zambia, Canada, to Australia. Authors include John Piper and D.A. Carson, Matt Chandler, Conrad Mbewe, and Kevin DeYoung, a treasury of wisdom and gifting
In a more limited scope, John Piper begins the book by covering much of the same ground covered in Let the Nations be Glad. God’s glory in the joy of all peoples is the main goal of missions. Later in chapter 3, Kevin DeYoung shows how a Calvinistic Reformed Theology actually necessarily leads to a passion for missions. Chapters like these embed a heart for global work in proper theological motivations.
A personal highlight of the book is Mack Stiles’ chapter on The Call of God (chapter 6). Stiles helpfully pushes back against overly mystical approaches to missionary calling and argues that missionaries are ordinary people who are inspired by the Bible, informed by the gospel, and confirmed by their local church. In a world where many missionaries sadly speak of calling in a flippant and mystical way, this chapter is precious wisdom.
Matt Chandler (chapter 7) and Michael Oh (chapter 8) thunder forth stirring challenges to embrace the cost of following Jesus into missions. They don’t minimize suffering in missions, but they challenge the reader to consider Jesus as worthy of these efforts. These chapters have greatly influenced people that I’ve read the book with to pursue mission work despite its heavy personal cost.
In his typicall careful and theological style, D.A. Carson (chapter 9) clarifies the connection between ecclesiology and missiology, the local church and missions. Missionaries are raised up by the local church, supported by the local church, and aim to plant new local churches. This chapter is vital for aspiring missionaries because far too many “missionaries” today are disconnected from the work of the local church. The preponderance of NGOs and solo acts needs this corrective call to keep our ecclesiology wedded to our missiology. David Platt concludes this book with a call to the reader to clarify how God wants them to join in his Great Commission.
I’ve encountered no other book that covers so much ground in such a brief and engaging way. This book is an excellent resource to give away or to read with an aspiring missionary. It can be read all the way through, or each chapter can be taken by itself. This book will teach theology, push back against contemporary mistakes in missions, and make real and relevant application. I highly encourage you to use this book in discipleship in your church. May it aid you in raising up a next generation of Christians willing to send and be sent to the nations for the glory of their God.
