Being missional requires not only obedience to the Lord and living a holy life; being missional also involves paying attention to detail. The scripture says in 1 Corinthians 14:40, “Let all things be done decently and in order.”[1] Matthew 25:23 says, “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.”[2] The scripture also tells is in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”[3]
Baruch is a man found in the book of Jeremiah. He was a scribe for Jeremiah. He would record the things the prophet would say and served faithfully as Jeremiah’s secretary and right-hand man. At one point Baruch was offered a job in the palace to serve the king, but he turned it down to work for Jeremiah. In Jeremiah 36 we learn of an interesting story. Jeremiah dictated to Baruch a message to be sent to the king. It was a message from the Lord concerning judgement that was to fall on Judah if they did not repent of their sin. Baruch very carefully wrote down these words making sure nothing was missed and that the message was clear. When the message was delivered to the king of Judah, he burned the scroll. He did not want to hear it. Baruch, following the instructions of Jeremiah, rewrote the entire message. Baruch was a very studious man, and he was man that took his job seriously and paid great attention to detail.
Lessons from Baruch
Our spiritual condition depends on our attention to detail. There are many things in life we pay attention to. There are many things we put a lot of effort in. But, do we put a lot of effort and attention to our personal walk with the Lord? The condition of our soul depends on the amount of attention we give it. Do we engage in real meaningful Bible study? Not just a short ‘feel good’ devotion. Do we have a quality prayer life? Do we take seriously the work of prayer? Do we find ourselves on our knees every day? To live a missional life, we cannot neglect our personal walk with God.
Our family’s prosperity depends on our attention to detail. Certainly, this principle can apply to financial prosperity. More so, however, this principle applies to the success and the missional thrust of our family. Parents, it is one thing to be there, and it is another thing to be there. Meaning, you can’t just simply be present in the lives of your children, you must be engaged. Do you listen? Do you pay attention to the things that your children are dealing with? Do you show them that you are concerned and that you what is important to them is also important to you? The success of your children depends on the level of encouragement and support you give them.
Our missional work depends on our attention to detail. Just as our personal walk with God and our family needs special attention, so does the work of the church. It is easy for a church to become stagnant and lazy and just go through the motions. To see God work in amazing ways and to fulfill the mission God has called us to, we must pay close attention to every detail. It’s the little things that make a difference. Faithfulness in the little things produces God’s blessing and the success of the mission.
Encouragement for Baruch
In Jeremiah 45:1-5 we see God giving encouragement to Baruch. He is concerned for the condition of his country, and he cries out in grief to the Lord. He is grieving over the coming destruction of Jerusalem. It is easy for us to get discouraged in living a missional life. Sometimes we grow weary in well doing. We faithfully serve the Lord but to no avail. No fresh movement of the Spirit. No souls being saved. No growth in the church. We work hard. We are true to the mission. Yet, nothing happens. This can bring great discouragement to many and may even cause some to abandon the work. The Lord saw this in Baruch and He offers words of encouragement that serves as encouragement for us today as missional people.
Your decision to serve was the right decision. There is never a time when a decision to live on mission and serve the Lord is a wrong decision. We may make poor decisions as to the manner in which we serve, however, serving the Lord is never a bad decision. The highest calling anyone can have is the call to serve in ministry. It is an honor to serve the Lord. If you are a born-again believer, you are given that honor too. Every believer is called to serve the Lord. When you say ‘yes’ and live in obedience to God’s call, you made the right decision. Never doubt your decision to serve the Lord. No matter how bad things get or how difficult the work is: your decision to serve was the right decision.
Your life matters. The tedious work that Baruch did behind the scenes was an important work. He was not on stage and well-known like Jeremiah, however, Jeremiah could not have done what he was called to do without Baruch. There is no task too small or too big in the Kingdom of God. Every servant of God matters. Every job matters. Even the smallest of tasks is essential to the overall work.
You are not alone. Every servant of God gets discouraged. Imagine all the missionaries that served for years and years in foreign lands planting the seeds of the Gospel and never having one convert. I am sure they had days when they thought, ‘what’s the use?’ Yet, they stayed faithful. You are not alone in serving the Lord. There are others out there working hard for the Kingdom of God just like you. Don’t let the lack of results get you down. Instead, let it motivate you to try new methods and do whatever it takes to reach others with the Gospel. Don’t give up. Do not grow weary. Keep on keeping on for the glory of God, knowing that you are not alone.
God will never abandon you. With the looming threat of the destruction of Jerusalem, God tells Baruch not to worry, he will never be abandoned. One of the greatest promises in God’s Word is the promise that He never leaves us nor forsakes us. We live in a godless society that is becoming increasingly difficult to reach with the Gospel. I know its hard. But, God is not through with us yet. There is still work to be done. He will never abandon His people.
Warren Wiersbe says, “When we’re serving the Lord and His people, we never want to seek great things for ourselves. The only important thing is that God’s work is accomplished and God’s great name is glorified. John the Baptist put it succinctly: “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). A crisis doesn’t “make a person”; a crisis reveals what a person is made of. The crisis that followed the destruction of Jerusalem was like a goldsmith’s furnace that revealed the dross as well as the pure gold. It’s too bad there wasn’t more gold.”[4] Baruch faithfully served the Lord behind the scenes by helping Jeremiah. He paid close attention to every detail, and he did his job well. Yes, he got very discouraged. But, God did not give up on him nor did He abandoned him. May God help us to be missional even when the mission is difficult. The joy is in serving the Lord. The results are just an added bonus. Be faithful. Be missional. Serve faithfully in every detail.
[1] The New King James Version. (1982). (1 Co 14:40). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Mt 25:23). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
[3] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (1 Co 10:31). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[4] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Decisive (p. 163). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
Pastor Chris Noland 
Amen Pastor. He must always increase for His Glory and Honor. Thank you Lord for atoning for our grievious sins.