Swiss Watches. Southwest Airlines. H2O. Binary Code. Male and Female. (8th of 8 Illustrations)
Understanding the Two Structures of God’s Redemptive Mission
Dear Reader, I am explaining the relationship between church administrations and mission agencies by suggesting analogies, such as Lighthouse and Flint.
Dear Reader: Send me illustrations from your own experience of the relationship between Churches and Mission Agencies. Contact me here.
Below are eight more illustrations:
Swiss Watch and Gears. Those tiny gears in a Swiss watch are like mission agencies. We know what happens when the gears are removed. [Blincoe: Sadly, the Reformers removed the gears and could only talk about mission. It was a catastrophic mistake, as we explain here.]
Synagogue and Jewish Hevrah. The reader knows about Jewish synagogues. But does the reader know about Jewish mission societies? In fact, Paul’s missionary band resembles a Jewish hevrah. More about that soon.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Southwest Airlines. The Federal Aviation Administration regulates but does not operate the airlines, such as Southwest Airlines. Regulating is different from operating. The FAA does not “run” Southwest Airlines. Southwest Airlines has its own governing board. This resembles the relationship between the Church and mission agencies. The mission agencies should submit to the church, as Southwest Airlines submits to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The creation of man and woman. The Bible says, “God created man in his own image; In the image of God he created him; male and female He created them.” So there are two to make one image. The congregation is one; voluntary associations is the other. It takes two, baby.
Binary Code. A “unity” of zeros and ones. The zeros cannot say to the ones, “I have no need of you.”
Water is H2O. That’s two parts hydrogen, one part oxygen. Will the hydrogen say to the oxygen, “I have no need of you?”
The pillar of fire by night and the column of smoke by day. The fire at night told the people of God to assemble. The column of smoke sent them toward the Promised Land. These two resemble the assembly of the faithful and the leading of God to go forth into the world.
Next: A Biblical Basis of Mission Agencies. Jewish Mission Societies in the New Testament (1st of 4)
Here are links to all eight illustrations in this series:
Two Fishing Boats and a Great Catch of Fish
A Double-Helix–Churches and Mission Agencies
A Double-Helix–”Missional One” and Missional Two”
William Carey’s Two Structures
Swiss Watches. Southwest Airlines. H20. Binary Code. Male and Female.
