God's Mission

I have mentioned in this space, a number of times, that God has placed his family in the world to partner with him to complete his mission. What is his mission? Perhaps the most succinct statement of God's mission is found at the end of the gospel of Matthew.

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And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

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The main focus of God's mission is making disciples, baptizing them, and teaching them to obey.

To make a disciple, God's family connects a person to Jesus by introducing him to the gospel, and demonstrating what life as a disciple is like. The person, then, recognizes that his life does not agree with God's design, and that God condemns people who do not follow his design. But the person, also, recognizes that the Father sent the Son into the world to die for mankind's sin. So, the person accepts, and believes, in Jesus' work to reconcile, to redeem, and to justify, mankind. The person agrees to turn his life, and to live a lifestyle that agrees with God's design. And the person chooses to give his primary allegiance to the Father, Son, and Spirit. 

This is a general description of the process. Not everyone follows this process exactly. I know of people, who realized God is the primary, and absolute, authority over all creation. Therefore, people should bow, and give their primary allegiance to the Father, Son, and Spirit. They, initially, did not understand their sin, and their need for forgiveness. They chose to follow Jesus based on an understanding of authority. They learned soon afterward about sin, and Jesus' act to bring forgiveness.

Baptism does not have any effect on a person's life, and relationship with God. It is a symbol, and a proclamation, of a person going through the process we just explained, and making a choice to stand with Christ. The person is announcing his intention to follow Christ. 

Teaching to obey is the continuing process. Once, the decision process, that baptism symbolizes, is complete, a person needs to move down the path of completion, and realization, of God's design. Jesus, as a person, is a picture of what God's design is supposed to be like, and what each person is to make progress towards. We, all, as followers of Jesus, need to continue in the process of agreeing with him, and continuing to make choices, and changes, so that we all end up obeying all that Jesus commanded.

One author organized all of Jesus' commands into seven groups, or seven general commands. If we focus on the seven, we can spend a lifetime trying to master them. There is a balance between exerting our own energy, and relying on God's grace. Maybe not a balance, but a simultaneous exerting, and resting in grace.

We cannot exert ourselves, and earn saving grace. But we can exert ourselves to live in agreement with God's standards, and design. We can position ourselves to receive grace from God for transformation.

I admit I do not totally understand how this agreement between exertion, and rest, works. I can think of activities that will put us in the correct position to receive grace: reading and meditating on God's word, prayer, and worship. I know of some who would encourage silence, solitude, and fasting. And probably others.

The aim is to get into position to receive grace, to change our hearts, and, as a result, change our actions, and practices. And, then, to complete Jesus' commands more completely, and purely, without ceasing, until he returns.

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Jesus' Seven Commands

• Repent and believe
• Be baptized
• Share in the Lord's Supper
• Love
• Pray
• Give
• Make disciples

God's Family

The church -- meaning the people, and family, of God -- have a few particular roles.

They are first to be disciples of Jesus. The concept of a disciple is similar to an apprentice. Apprentices learn from a master tradesman, for a particular trade by being with him, learning, and practicing, the skills of the trade. Jesus' disciples followed him, watched, and listened to him. And they were given assignments to go, and do, as he did. The church should be continuing this mission.

Second, they should be producing new disciples. This is done by proclaiming, discussing, and talking about the gospel, Jesus' message, in a reasonable, gentle, loving, way.

And in support of this presentation, the church should demonstrate God's character. Jesus did not just travel, and give sermons. He acted. He fed people. He healed people. He loved people. The life of the church needs to be a mixture of proclamation, service, and mercy. Many christian organizations argue for one over the other. In Jesus' life, they were one package. In God's family, they need to be the same.

The church needs to also mix deciding, and acting, in obedience to God's word, but also to listen, heed, and rely on God's Spirit. The Spirit is the leader, and the power source, for God's family. We must complete what we know. We must also allow him to work with us, adding his power to our actions. We must also listen as he directs.

Scripture describes the church using the human body as a metaphor. The body is a combination of many parts, formed into one unit, to complete his mission. God has enabled, and directs, different people in his family to do different things. We can see talents, and gifts, in people. So, God's people in God's family will do different things. But the different parts need to remember, they belong to the whole. They are part of the family. And when the world looks at the family, they need to see Jesus. Fulfilling his mission. One heart. One mind. One purpose.

Everyone Has A Part

Paul continues his theme of unity in Corinthians, by discussing the design of God's family.

The word for church in the original language (ekklesia) literally means "the called-out ones". It was generally used to refer to a group of people, assembled to perform a particular task. A town's city council was referred to as an ekklesia.

God's people are called out to complete his mission in the world. To proclaim the gospel, and bring into his family, people from every nation, every tribe, every people group, and every language. To complete this mission, there are numerous jobs, assignments, and responsibilities.   New ground, without the gospel, needs to be identified, and reached out to. Areas need to be saturated with the gospel. Areas need to be saturated with prayer to alter the spiritual climate. New ones need to be grounded in God's Truth, and introduced to a new way of life. Lifestyle changes, corrections, and adjustments, need to be identified, and implemented. People's spirits need to be encouraged, loved, consoled, and comforted. And there are physical services: household repairs, meals, medical care, and rescue from disasters.

God's mission is not one thing. It is the creation of a community, a family, in tune with Him, and one another. As a result, there are a multitude of needs to meet. And God has developed his body to meet those needs. He gives his Spirit to each new family member. And the Spirit empowers each member with a gift. And each gift is the ability to complete one of the functions, one of the assignments, in God's family. And without that function working, God's family will not work as God intended.

So, we can look around at all the people in our local family of God. Each one has a place in the family. Each one has a role in the family. Each one has an assignment, that when completed, makes God's family function better, brings God's mission closer to completion, and demonstrates God's character to the world, because it expresses the love, and unity, of God's family.

It may not be the same as our role, and assignment. But that does not mean it is not needed, or valuable. If it is needed by the body of Christ, then we all need it, for our good, and our growth, and the growth of God's Kingdom.

It may not take place on Sunday morning. It may not take place in the Sunday meeting. It is still necessary for God's mission.

Not one person is the same. Not one gift is given to all -- except the gift of the Spirit, who gives all gifts. If they are in God's family, we need them, the church needs them, and the world needs them.

Lord's Supper

Paul wrote his letter to the Corinthians, because they had gotten off track in a number of ways. Paul brought the gospel to the city, and it was received with joy. But then cultural practices got mixed in with the gospel.

Now, God created culture. So, expressing allegiance to Jesus through cultural expression is not necessarily wrong. Scripture can be translated into a people group's heart language. Praise, and worship, can be offered using a particular cultures art forms, music, dance, or poetry.

Jesus translated the Lord's Supper from the Passover. The Passover is celebration of deliverance from slavery in Egypt. The Lord's Supper is a celebration of deliverance from slavery to sin. Jesus took the symbols of Passover -- bread and wine -- and applied them to the context of the new covenant. Unleavened bread, eaten in haste, to his body. Blood on the doorposts and lintels to his blood.

The problem came when the Corinthians connected the Christian celebration with the celebrations done before Christ, and the gospel, came to them. They would have celebrations for the other gods. They have to be the same, right?

Of course, they were not the same. The pagan feasts focused on me having a good time. The Lord's Supper focused on everyone's need, because of sin in everyone's life. The Lord's Supper focused on Christ's work of redemption, which we all need, and which we all received.

So, if someone is more concerned about how much food is piled on his plate, while others have none, then we have one more symptom of division. If we are all part of God's family, then it should matter than some of the children are provided for, and some are not.

A prominent theme in this letter is unity. How meetings, and other practices, are handled, demonstrates how all people are viewed. And we need to look at ourselves, make sure our hearts are right before God, so we act, and respond, rightly, with love, and unity, toward others.