Since I was a young boy, I have enjoyed watching cooking shows. In the beginning of the cooking show genre, there were not very many chefs who had their own shows on TV. I remember watching “Yan Can Cook,” Julia Childs, “The Gourmet Chef” and the “Cajun Chef.” These shows usually showcased a very classic technique that could be easily learned by the home cook. These shows were very basic and built on the foundation of the basic skills of the culinary world.

As time went on, these chefs became celebrities. In the 90s, people such as Emeril, Wolfgang Puck and others quickly made names for themselves. Now in 2013, we live in the world of shows based on culinary competition. Chefs are judged on how well they can take basic ingredients and elevate them to restaurant-quality dishes. Each week, the judges throw the chefs challenging curves. These competitions have raised the stakes. Not only do these chefs have to know basic techniques, but they also have to tap into their creative side to take their dishes to the next level.

One of my favorite shows is “Master Chef.” Gordon Ramsey, Graham Elliot and Joe Bastianich judge this weekly completion. Home cooks from around the country audition to be part of a select few who are chosen to compete in the biggest culinary competition in the world. These home cooks are judged on their knowledge of food, cooking techniques, tasting, presentation and creativity. This show reveals quickly which cooks are well-rounded and can take the most basic of ingredients and make them shine. As I watched the “Master Chef” finale last week, I could not help but see the similarities of this show and others with our churches in America.

Every Sunday, churches across the country set up for the biggest spiritual competition in their communities. Each church tries to take the basic ingredient (the fospel) and put its unique spin on it. They are trying to make the gospel palatable and easy to swallow. Churches often showcase other elements of their dishes without letting the main ingredient shine. The gospel, as the best Kobe beef, requires very little cooking time, but the prep is key. If you marinate Kobe beef too long, it can become tough and chewy. It does not need a bold or spicy sauce to make it sing. In fact, Kobe beef is best served rare. The true taste of the marbled meat has a chance to shine. You can really taste the purity of the best beef in the world. The same is true with the gospel. We need to take care and make sure the prep work is done before we begin to share. We must take time and know the ingredient with which we are working. We also must know the taste preferences of our audience. If we were to prepare a very wide range of proteins for this very elaborate dinner, when we begin to serve the main course, we find that every person at this event is a vegan. We would not be asked to cook for this group again. We must know our audience as we share the gospel. The more we know the audience, the better our prep time will be.

Just as a chef knows every flavor profile of the ingredient with which he or she is working, we also must know the flavor profile of the gospel. We must be like a skilled chef as we break down the gospel for this generation. We need to be skilled in every technique that will allow the main ingredient, Christ, to shine. Also, just as each chef puts his or her signature twist on a dish, we can put a signature twist on how we share the gospel. Our talents, spiritual gifts, personalities and experiences help bring our own sense of taste to the gospel presentation. God wants us to serve Him out our unique shape. You are the best chef for the kitchen of life to which you have been assigned. It is up to you to season the gospel with your own unique spin and flare. This does not mean we water down the taste of the gospel or leave out the bitter parts. It means we are skilled enough to take the whole gospel and share it in a unique way. Just as every chef has a few critics who do not like his or her food, we will have critics who do not like what we serve. Resist the temptation to change the menu. God gave the menu to us, and we must be faithful and share each item in the bill of fare. The main ingredient must be the star of the dish. We must not cover up or add to the redeeming work of Christ on the cross. That in itself is a very savory dish that will dance upon the pallet.

So how do we become missional master chefs? First, we must recognize we are missionaries. Biblical faith is growing and spreading as never before in history. One out of every 10 people in the world is a dedicated believer. Although the gospel has spread rapidly, we need to help others develop tools to share the gospel withing their cultures. It is more likely the gospel will be received by an indigenous believer from someone similar to him or herself than by the influence of a foreigner.

The flipside is that churches have become social cliques. We only reach out to those people who are like us. We need to train our people to share the gospel with the culture in which they live. A blue-collar worker will be more receptive to fellow workers than to a Wall Street stockbroker.

Second, the blessing that God gave Abraham of becoming a blessing to all nations begins with the message of salvation. The essential missionary task is to develop a viable, indigenous church-planting movement. That means churches must be growing on their own, led by local people, and continuing to reproduce intergenerational fellowships that will reach entire people groups. One third of the world’s population lives within an unreached people group. We should keep sharing the gospel everywhere we go. Just because a people group has been reached with the gospel does not everyone will come to faith immediately. We must not stop once they are no longer classified as unreached.

Third, in order for indigenous churches to be started and continue reproducing, the local people must become involved. The local people need to be trained to do ministry. We tend to train only a few workers, and soon they become frustrated and overworked. Every member of a local church should take part in sharing the gospel with the people to whom they belong. Local congregations must be given the tools to become equipped for kingdom work. If not, they will become dependent on the paid staff, which results in the death of ministry when those people move elsewhere.

In the New Testament, the church spontaneously expanded. There was no great appeal by the apostles to coerce the local church to go start new congregations. The Great Commission was understood as a tenant of the Christian faith. Believers just did what they were called to do. Wherever the apostles went, they started new churches. They were discipling new believers and turning them loose to do God’s work. We often think only seminary-trained people can do the work in a local church, but that is not the case. The New Testament converts were uneducated men who yielded their lives to the leading of the Holy Spirit. We as a church need to return to this way of mission work. It worked back then, and it works now. Until we realize the power a local believer has in the church-planting process, our world mission effort will become retarded and frustrated.

So I encourage you to become familiar with the taste of the gospel. Try and savor all the flavors. Notice the rich undertones of grace, mercy and love. Be familiar with sharp and pungent taste of judgment. For the gospel to be presented in its entirety, we must create a balanced dish of all these components. The gospel must be presented in such a way that Jesus will shine and the true flavor of salvation can be tasted in every bite.

Let me leave you with this question: For whom are you cooking? Who will taste the dish you are serving? Take time this week and survey your neighborhood, work place, school and church. Take note of what you are serving. Would God be pleased with your dish? If the world were to taste it, would the gospel be so hidden or foreign that it would be lost in the sugary sweet coating we use to make it more appealing? Serve the menu you were given in your unique way. You will be surprised by the number of diners you attract. Just as a local restaurant develops a reputation for the meals its serves, you and your church will develop a reputation from the gospel you have been called to serve.