How good is your aim? In my youth I learned the art of archery. It was all about the aim. The goal was to hit bull's eye on the target. Over the years my aim improved.
How good is your aim? Not just when it comes to archery. But your aim in life? Your aim in ministry? Your aim as a church? Do you know your target and are you aiming to hit bull's eye?
Our Lord Jesus has given us a target to aim for -- as individuals and also as congregations. He taught us the great commandment which is all about loving God with everything we have and loving our neighbour as we love ourselves (see Mark 12:28-34). The working out of this love for God and others results in followers of Jesus making other followers of Jesus by witnessing to them the good news of salvation, making disciples, and teaching people everything that God has commanded us (see Matthew 28:18-20).
This is the target Jesus has given us. And as churches we embrace this target by making this our mission: we are a church reforming to reach the lost for Christ. But here is the deal, for us as churches and for us as individuals. While Jesus has clearly set up the target, you and I will never get on target until we make this our aim. We need to set our aim on this target. So how do we do this? How do we aim to hit the bull's eye?
In archery they will tell you there are a couple of ways to set your aim. One way is to focus on the target and shoot your arrow instinctively. This will take a lot of practice to perfect this skill. But the more you focus on your target and let the arrow fly, the more you will hit the target. The other way is to use the point of the arrow to line up with the bull's eye on the target.
These are good lessons to remember when it comes to the target Jesus has given us as Christians and churches. We are to focus on the unchurched in our community, those who are lost in sin, the scores of unbelievers we know, and just practice sharing God's love with them, telling them about Jesus, giving witness to the Christian faith. Focus on the lost and then practice making them disciples of Jesus. You probably will not hit the target the first time, but keep practicising your faith with unbelievers. Practice will make perfect. Eventually you will hit the target. Many Christians and churches do not reach the lost for Christ simply because they are not focused on them. They are not practicing witnessing to them. This is the first lesson from archery: focus and practice.
The second lesson is to line up the point of everything we do on the target, on reaching the lost for Christ. Simply line it up! As churches we call this 'alignment': to reform everything we do "to encourage and enable the fulfilment of the fundamental aim." The aim of everything we do is to reach the lost, to realise a growing gospel impact in Australia and the world. That is the point of everything we do. And only until we as churches and individuals keep this point in mind when we aim will we hit the target! It is about alignment.
In archery they will also tell you that when you shoot an arrow, stay in the shot until the arrow is in the target. Never quit looking at your spot until it has an arrow stuck into it. This is also a great lesson to remember when it comes to reaching the lost for Christ. We need to keep our target in focus until we see sinners saved, disciples made, and Christians multiplied. This should never leave our sight! This needs to be our focus until the Lord returns.
Focus on the target, line the point of everything you do on the bull's eye, and keep looking until the target has been hit. Keep doing this and, all the more, as a Christian and a church you will be on target. It is all about the aim.