"I just really thought I was going to find the treasure."
I just really thought I was going to find the treasure
This line was spoken by Benjamin Gates, acted by Nicholas Cage in the movie National Treasure. He and his team of treasure hunters have seemingly come to the end of the road. Despite the clues leading them to the treasure chamber, it’s empty and ransacked. Gates is despondent as he delivers the line.
Since it has been 20 years since National Treasure was released I don’t think I need to give a spoiler alert before I let you know that they do find the treasure in a room next door that has another secret entrance. (“The secret lies with Charlotte” anyone?)
If I’m honest, I am in the same place in my pursuit of seeing a movement of new disciples and churches:
I just really thought I was going to find the treasure.
I started sharing my faith seriously about 8 years ago. After reading books like Church Planting Movements by David Garrison and Movements that Change the World by Steve Addison, I thought that by this point I would have a simple house church network at a minimum, or maybe even see an actual movement of new disciples and churches. I really thought it was going to happen. I really wanted it to happen. I’ve been praying for it to happen. I really want to see lost people come into the Kingdom of God by the dozens… hundreds… thousands. But it hasn’t. It isn’t. And it is really disappointing.
I have only seen one baptism that wouldn’t have happened on its own eventually. (Meaning: more baptisms have happened through people I have trained, but my hunch is that all of those people would have been baptized eventually anyway because they were part of solid churches or in ongoing discipling relationships). Regardless, we’re at single-digit baptisms.
I’ve had more failed church starts and discovery studies and training groups than sustained ones. Probably 10 times more fails. Literally.
Feel free to stop reading my blog and listening to my podcasts if you consider me a fraud. As I said, I’m about done myself.
My original version of this post ended there, or even worse. But thankfully I had some timely encouragement at a problem-solving retreat. (If you don’t have a rhythm of meeting with others for encouragement and accountability as you pursue the great commission, you need to get some. We all need it.)
In that moment of discouragement and disillusionment in National Treasure, the line that Benjamin Gates’ father gives him is this:
So we keep looking for it.
He points out that the very existence of an empty treasure room is proof that there is still a treasure worth seeking.
At the aforementioned retreat, Jeff Sundell offered us some clear challenges and encouragements in this area:*
“Is our identity in movement? Is our identity in the fruit of our labor?”
“We are sent ones because lostness matters to God. We are sent ones because God is not receiving the glory he deserves.”
“If you got up every day and abided with Christ, shared your story of how Jesus changed your life, shared the Gospel… and did this every day for 40 years and never saw anyone respond, would that be okay?”
“God’s goal is NOT to give you a movement.”
“God’s Goal is to sanctify you to be like Jesus.”
“Being like Jesus will do the greater good than working a strategy.”
“God uses bad news and bad days (or bad seasons) to work his ultimate purposes.”
So are we willing to “keep looking for it”? Or will we give up because we found our identity in something other than Christ? There are countless examples of missionaries who labored for their entire lives without seeing any fruit. Many of those places are the same places where the Gospel is exploding now. But if we are called to be the sowers, will we be found faithful, or will we give up?
What does this practically mean?
Keep praying, keep meeting lost people, keep sowing the Gospel, keep inviting people into simple discipleship and/or discovery rhythms, keeping growing the church (your church) in health. Keep seeking to improve how you go about these things, leaning into the Word to be more Biblical. Train others to do the same.
But most of all it means don’t stop. There is a lost and dying world out there. Keep reaching out to them.
I am single-minded: Forgetting the things that are behind and reaching out for the things that are ahead. Philippians 3:13b NET
*None of these are direct quotes, just implied quotes from my scribbled notes from a mid-level problem-solving retreat that took place in August 2024 near Iowa City.