Witnessing Justice Like Never Before

“Witnessing Justice”

Matt. 28:19-20; Rev. 20:11-15

 

SUBJECT: HELL/EVANGELISM

THEME: Perhaps a better understanding of Hell will stir us to become more consistent evangelists for our Lord.

RELEVANCE: Our compassion for the perishing multitudes must be informed and aroused by the realities of Hell, to encourage us to become involved or remain with the task of evangelism. Multitudes are dying without Christ and going to Hell, who will give themselves to consistently point them to Christ?

INTRODUCTION:

The dreadful final future of the unsaved is distinctly outlined for all to witness! Rev. 20:14-15, And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. [15] And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

This is why we need to be motivated to share the Gospel and send out missionaries! Our neighbors and the world are destined for a Devil’s Hell forever! We must be concerned to reach them for Christ before it’s too late.  

MESSAGE:

What Should We Do Now with This Information?

Two facts present actions we must take in obedient submission to Christ and the Great Commission….

A. FIRST, WE WILL BE THERE TO WITNESS THIS JUGDMENT!

Matthew 12:41-42, The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. [42] The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

·       Jesus rebukes the religious leaders of His day for demanding more miraculous signs. He warns that the repentant men of Nineveh (who heard Jonah) and the Queen of Sheba (who sought Solomon’s wisdom)—will stand at the final judgment to condemn Jesus’ unyielding generation. Historically, Nineveh and the Queen of Sheba repented. Yet, Jesus’ contemporaries rejected God standing right in front of them. Instead of responding with humility to even small glimpses of God’s truth, these proud Jewish leaders rejected physical proof and Christ Himself. But not in the final judgment of the unsaved!

·       Likewise, the Great White Throne Judgment is the final, ultimate judgment described in Revelation 20:11-15. Jesus Christ presides as the judge sitting on the great white throne, as God has given all judgment to the Son. The unregenerated dead, both great and small, stand before God after being raised from the dead. Unbelievers from all eras are judged by their deeds recorded in the books. Anyone not found written in the Book of Life is cast into the lake of fire, which scripture calls the “second death”. “Death and Hell” are also thrown into this fire. Again, unbelievers are sent into the lake of fire.

·       We will witness the judgment of the eternally lost, observe the proceedings to witness the vindication of God’s holiness, and we will witness their final sentencing to be cast into the lake of fire! Some of these individuals will be people we know! Every person will be there without even one exception. Beloved, this event will be colossal!

·       Believers will not face condemnation or sentencing at the Great White Throne Judgment because it is specifically designated for the unredeemed dead. However, believers will be present as witnesses to God’s ultimate justice and righteousness.

God’s standard of justice remains uncompromised. Remember Christ’s blood demonstrates God’s righteousness, proving that He does not ignore evil. Through this judgment, God remains perfectly just proving His moral consistency despite previously overlooking past sins in human history.

B. SECONDLY, WE MUST PROCEED AGRESSIVELY WITH THE GREAT COMMISSION! This magnificent authorization is our Lord Jesus Christ’s closing directive to his disciples and to us by application to make disciples of all peoples worldwide, baptize, and train them to obey his commandments. Regarding His continuing spiritual presence throughout all time! Christ promises and reassures us we are never alone as we undertake his final instructions seriously crossing whatever human boundaries that may exist to execute His expectations.

·       Matthew 28:19-20, Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: [20] Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

·       Mark 16:15, And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

·       Luke 24:46-49, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: [47] And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. [48] And ye are witnesses of these things. [49] And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

·       John 20:21, Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

·       Acts 1:8, But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

·       Acts 8:4, Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.

o   So, tell somebody in some manner about Jesus’ saving grace every week.

o   Financially support missions and missionaries who are doing the same work or have similar priorities in other locations.

o   Belong to and support churches who take the Great Commission and the Kingdom of God seriously submitting yourself to Christ’s authority in that institution. Many ‘churches’ unfortunately have forgotten these words of Christ in pursuit of greater attendance, entertainment, novelty, selfish goals, religious experiences, personalities, and monetary affluence!

o   Devote yourself personally to being a faithful witness of the Lord Jesus by sharing the everlasting hope of Christ.

o   If possible, go out on visitation and outreach to follow up, express compassion, and evangelize regularly.

o   Tell all your family members about the Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord immediately or as soon as possible.

o   Arrange a discipleship relationships sharing the importance of obedience to God, daily walking with the Lord, prayer fellowship, Bible reading/direction, and adherence to the Spirit’s guidance.

o   God will not be mocked or disregarded forever…people are accountable to Him as Creator!

Submitting to this commission involves aligning with Christ’s authority to share the gospel worldwide, fostering fellowship through baptism, and teaching believers obedience to Christ’s directives.

CONCLUSION:

Beloved, we need compassion for the perishing multitudes stirred by the reality of Hell! Such reflections encourage us to become involved or remain committed to the tasks of evangelism and discipleship. Sometimes we grow indifferent towards this area of ministry, we can even prize our relationships with a lost person more than we cherish their soul’s salvation. We can even respect people more than we respect the Lord…. Multitudes are dying and will go to Hell all over the world…. Who will give themselves to consistently get in their way and point them to Christ? Often, we miss the important work of showing God will vindicate His righteous nature…perhaps we never really realize this significant ministry, but people are accountable to the Creator Himself. He will judge finally one day…. Beloved, it’s guaranteed!

The First Leg of the Race

TEXT: JOHN 20:19-23

SUBJECT: MISSIONS

THEME: God extends to each of us the grand privilege of co-laboring together with him in worldwide missions—the ministry of reconciliation. The four Characters of this passage represent the four legs of the world missions’ relay race, and we will consider their labors through the course of human history on into the future.

INTRODUCTION:

1.  Mission is the work of God, and it began in the Garden of Eden after Adam’s fall into sin. That is correct, missions did not began merely 2 thousand years ago with the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. It began with the entire Godhead as the Father leads.

2.  Now let us consider ourselves in a “Missions Relay Race” with four Participants. John chapter 20 give us another Great Commission passage, and in this instance the entire Godhead is mentioned in relation to Christ’s church. Of course all of this is in the context of advancing and continuing the ministry and mission of God in the world. The four Participants are found in verse 21, “Father,” “Me,” “You” and in verse 22, “Holy Ghost.” Each participant represents another part of missions’ history on into missions’ future. Each time the baton is passed from one participant to the next, we enter another leg of missions.

LESSON:

THE FIRST LEG OF MISSIONS: JOHN 20:21 “Father” (Jn. 5:17)

THE LABOR OF THE FATHER; A WORK OF PREPARATION

John 5:17, But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.

According to John 20:21, The Lord Jesus is unmistakably the Son of God sent by Father God—God’s sent One. Jesus is operating in full harmony with the Father’s will and goals, and here as the sent One he commissions his disciples/apostles and sends them into the world to evangelize.

Up to the point when the Son starts His public ministry, the Father is busy preparing, situating, designing, and sovereignly bringing about his great purpose of redemption. Jesus says, “My Father worketh hitherto….” He is organizing and providentially guiding history on a course that provides salvation to humanity—preparation. This is the labor of the Father; His incredible contributions to the plan of reconciliation.

So then, since The FALL in the Garden of Eden, God has been busy about the Ministry of Reconciliation. Christ Jesus executed the critical role of presenting himself as the supreme sacrifice for our sins. And as we preach the gospel we engage in this Ministry of Reconciliation. This statement presupposes several thoughts.

       A.  THE FATHER PREPARED A PLAN (Gen. 3:1-24)

If humanity is to be reconciled to God, it presupposes that the human race had a relationship with God previously. Generally, in principle you can’t restore or reunite total strangers or two that have never been united! Humanity cherished a relationship and fellowship with God in the person of Adam (we were all in Adam). Adam is not only a literal person, but he is both the Federal and Seminal head of the human race. That is, he represented all humanity officially, and we all are biologically connected to him. Humanity’s treasured relationship to the Almighty Creator was changed and this incredible fellowship with Him was severed by SIN when Adam rebelled in the Garden (Gen. 3). Ever since that Fall, we are all born in sin and separated from God. The spiritual connection between God and fallen humanity is utterly shattered and dashed to a trillion pieces. Hence our need to be reconciled; a reconciliation we cannot effectuate ourselves…it depends entirely upon the Lord God’s initiative. Let’s take a look at his great plan.

                 1. The Father’s Plan of Salvation: The Picture of the Salvation (Gen. 3:21)

Genesis 3:21, Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them. 

Because of Adam and Eve’s sin, God sprung into decisive action providing a covering for them. This primitive form of atonement involved sacrifice of life—death and bloodshed. When God provided “coats or skins” it prefigure how he would ultimately provide atonement and covering for fallen humanity through a substitute and representative. In essence we have the Gospel and the Father’s plan of Redemption—Reconciliation—in embryonic form:

                         a. The Plan Involves the Grace of God

                         b. The Plan Involves the Shedding of Blood

                         c. The Plan Involves a Covering by Righteousness

                         d. The Plan Involves a Substitutionary Sacrifice (innocent blood)

                         e. The Plan Involves Acceptance of God’s Salvation by Faith

These same principles of salvation are brought to their fullest expression in the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. In this incredible passage the Father foreshadowed them brilliantly!

                 2. The Father’s Plans for a Savior: The Promise of the Savior (Gen. 3: 15)

Genesis 3:15, And I [God] will put enmity between thee [Satan] and the woman [Eve/Mary], and between thy seed and her seed [Jesus]; it shall bruise thy head, and thou [Satan] shalt bruise his heel.

The Protevangelium is declared first by the Father! Though Adam and Eve along with all humanity will suffer greatly under sin’s curse, enslavement and the brutality of Satan, the Father declares the good news that Satan and sin will ultimately be defeated by the “Seed of the woman,” which is the earliest reference to the Lord Jesus in the role of Savior/Deliverer. Again, this portrays God coming to our rescue. Note in detail what is given in Genesis 3:15:

                        a. Satan is exposed as the Enemy of the Human Race

                        b. The Savior will be Virgin Born into the Human Race    

                        c. The Savior will be Victorious over Satan and Sin

                        d. The Savior will die a Vicarious Death by means of Crucifixion

Furthermore, we are informed by the Apostle Peter how the eternal Godhead planned for humanity’s reconciliation before the creation of the universe.

First Peter 1:18-20, Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, (Rev. 13:8; Tit. 1:2-3; 2Tim. 1:9-10; Eph. 3:11)

No, the matter of our reconciliation is not piecemeal, disjointed, willy-nilly, random, or haphazard. It is the very plan of God being pictured, forecasted, and prefigured in such passages. A plan that would unfold over several millennia, but a fully intact strategy with specific outcomes in view—reconciliation to God. What love and grace it must involve to devise such an elaborate and extraordinary plan. Another observation here is irresistible…. God does not merely react to developments; he is a planner, designer, strategists, and manager. Understanding what would happen in the future, he proactively devised an incredible plan for reconciliation. Thus, before there was a world, God had a well thought out plan as to how he will redeem fallen humanity.

       B.  THE FATHER PREPARED A PEOPLE (Gen. 12:1-3)

Genesis 12:1-3,  Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:  2,  And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:  3,  And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

God in his wisdom and grace selected and used the Nation of Israel to provide to the world the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. This was a tremendous and arduous undertaking to be certain!

                  1.  God Prepared a Man: He Called Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Gen. 26:1-5; 28:12-15)

                  2.  God Prepared a Nation: He Choose the Nation of Israel/Jacob (Numb. 24:17)  

                  3.  God Prepared a Tribe: He Choose the Tribe of Judah (Gen. 49: 8-10; Lk. 3:33)

                  4.  God Prepared a Family: He Choose the Family Line of David (Isa. 9:7; Lk. 1:32, 33)

                           a. Through David’s son Solomon—Joseph—Foster Father of our Lord Jesus

                           b. Through David’s son Nathan—Mary—Virgin Mother of our Lord Jesus

                 5.  God Prepared His Son:  He Sent His Son into the World (Jn. 20:21; 3:16, 17)

The unique role of the Jewish Nation in God redemptive plan cannot be overstated. All the families of the earth will be blessed by the Seed of Abraham! All of the toil and challenges and struggles with the Nation of Israel to keep them distinct and devoted to Him is a part of the Father’s plan to supply the only hope of salvation the world will ever know. Through the lives, history, struggles, documents, Scriptures and covenants, the Savior’s entrance into the world would not be strange and unanticipated. Through the nation a stage was being set for the Savior to step out on and provide our redemption. How thankful I am to the Father and the Jewish Nation for giving the world the Lord Jesus Messiah.

       C.  THE FATHER PREPARED A PERSON (Jesus Christ, the Son of God)

Hebrews 10:5-7, Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:  6, In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.  7, Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.

This is typically what we celebrate at Christmas season, the incarnation of the Son of God. The birth of the Messiah…the coming of the Savior, Lord, and new born King! Through the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit, Mary conceived and the Lord or Glory was placed on earth inside the body of a young virgin name Mary. Yes, the seed of the woman is Jesus and the woman is Mary. As the Scriptures predicted, so our Lord comes to execute the very will and plan of the Father voluntarily. Ultimately, all of the Old Testament animal sacrifices pointed to one singular Sacrifice—the death of Christ at Calvary for all sinners everywhere. The Father sent the Son to be Prophet, Priest, and Potentate:

                 1. This Person is to be The Prophet: He will Proclaim God and the Message of God to the People

                 2.  This Person is to be The Priest: He will Mediate between God and the People and even become the Sacrifice for the People’s Sin                                                            

                 3.  This Person is to be The Potentate: He will Reign as God over the People

This will be developed more fully in the next article in this series. Clearly the Father is a designer, strategic planner and project manager. Throughout his leg of the race we witness extraordinary wisdom, power, grace, love, patience, determination, and hope. The Father is not putting forth a token effort, nor is he casual about worldwide evangelism. He cares deeply and has sacrificed greatly that we sinners might be reconciled to him. All of this preparation and labor is for our benefit and reconciliation to him. 

Listen, preparation is never a waste of time and resources in a worthy cause. Preparation for service to God is still a praiseworthy endeavor. Invest the time, energy and effort to be excellent in your ministry for Christ’s glory. Secondly, anything worth doing is worth doing with your entire being. Throw yourself into service to Christ and the ministry of evangelism because the impact is eternal. It is worth the time and effort to present sinners with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Thirdly, give in support of world missions endeavors as one who fully realize you are entering into a grand privilege of co-laboring together with the Almighty. Set aside resources to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the greatest work on earth—reconciling lost humanity to the Lord God Almighty. Fourthly, trust the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior for the forgiveness of sins and to be reconciled to God. It is not through religion, rituals, human relationships, or our performance that we are saved. No, God saves us by his grace through faith purely motivated by his great love for us. Repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ who died for our sins, was buried, and arose from the dead the third day as the Scriptures said he would. That is correct, Jesus Christ is the Son of God and living Savior who triumphed over death, hell, sin, and the grave! Like me, you are guilty of more sins than you can count…you need the Lord…just like me. We all have sinned...we all have lied, stolen, cheated, and put other things before God. Admit to God your sinfulness and ask him for forgiveness. I did this, and God forgave me. He will forgive you also. Turn to Jesus in faith for forgiveness of your sin today. There is no reason to put this decision off any longer. Trust the Lord Jesus Christ.

Since the Son has been born into the world and his mission defined, the Father God now passes the baton to the Son of God. Yes, the Father ran his portion of the race with power, wisdom, determination, zeal, grace, and focus; now he passes the baton to his darling Son. Mid-stride as Jesus takes the baton we enter the second leg of missions.

Is Church Relevant?

Is Church Relevant?

John 1:35-51 (Jn. 1:43)

 

Theme: The invitation to follow Jesus Christ is the most valuable request you and I will ever get.

Relevance: Humbly accept Christ’s request and follow Him in church-based ministry all your life with as few interruptions as possible!

Introduction:

Because there are several false churches in the world, many false teachers deceiving the unsuspecting, and too many scandals related to modern Christianity people are turned off by religion and church. Even in mainstream Christian denominations people have a growing sense that church has no real contribution to make in their lives. They have their education, careers, and families to worry about and church does not help them with either. Church is perceived as merely one more thing to fit into already very busy lives.

But what if we entertained the idea of what Jesus deems relevant instead of what we think is relevant. Maybe we should open our minds and expand our horizons to perceive a worldwide impact that still matters in 1,000 years! Perhaps we are thinking about relevance in terms far too small…too limited…too selfish. In John 1:43, Jesus issues an invitation to “Follow me.” What does He have in mind, and how does that relate to church involvement today?

Message:

What must we understand about the invitation Jesus made to “Follow me” in John 1:43?

“Follow Me!” These are tremendous words because of the One who said them and the privileges they afforded. Jesus offered a closer relationship with himself as the friend, guide, mentor, coach, and model of real righteousness. The Savior is still issuing this simple, yet sublime, invitation to all men everywhere.^[1]

There are several valuable points relevant to the invitation Jesus made to “Follow me.” Accordingly, He means:

1)    Followers keep company with the Lord Jesus and one another as believers.

2)    Followers live according to His ways—living by faith. This is a call to do life in relation to the Father, to Christ, to the Holy Spirit, to His church, and to others.

3)    Followers join Him in the redemptive initiatives of God. The call to discipleship essentially means joining and partnering with Him in the worldwide redemptive enterprise—timeless ministry that brings others into correct relationships with God.

Furthermore, it was customary for a disciple to take the initiative and select the rabbi they would follow. Jesus intentionally broke with this customary practice by choosing his own followers. In essence, Jesus selected you as His disciple (Jn. 15:16; Eph. 1:4; 2Thess. 2:13; Rom. 8:29-30; Acts 9:15).  

What does the call to discipleship have to do with the relevance of the Church? What does discipleship involve?

The call to discipleship is the very nature of a church, when that responsibility is lived out as God intended.  An individual disciple is one part of that body, that church assembly. Discipleship involves joining the company of others who are also disciples and working together with Christ through church ministry to bring lost persons to God. Jesus addresses churches repeatedly regarding discipleship responsibilities (1 Cor. 1:2; 2 Cor. 1:1; Gal. 1:2; Phil. 1:1; 1 Thess. 1:1; 2 Thess. 1:1; Rev. 1:1&4) throughout the body of the NT as a standard with many other addresses to Christ’s church servants and all believers in general. The entire world evangelism apparatus focused on church disciples reaching the untold and unsaved masses (Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Acts 20:18-28).

Yet many reject church membership and regular attendance because they reject organized religion…they prefer to pray and worship at home privately because they don’t have time for church meetings. They believe that church involvement is a human creation, subject to human manipulations advanced under the administration of fallible human leaders. While there is some truth in these sentiments, Christ still summons His discerning disciples to church-based ministry to the world. By the way…all these observations are generally and theoretically true concerning your workplace or job, grocery store, gas station, schools, universities, childcare establishment, and hospitals! Are we rejecting them too?

While any and every church is not worthy of attending or belonging to, there are some who still afford disciples opportunities to fellowship with Christ deeply, share life with fellow believers authentically, participate in Christian lifestyle fruitfully, and cooperate in sharing the Gospel of Christ with the world through ministry. Truly following Jesus Christ today is effectively executed through serious involvement in a local Bible-believing church. That is a church that understands its nature and mission from Christ’s perspective and not merely one pandering to personal, or the culture’s demands, traditions, or expectations.     

What is the essential nature of a Church?

The Bible affords great insight regarding the very nature of the Church. We see in the New Testament several functions and responsibilities that are true of specific local congregations, and these are portrayed in a positive light (Acts 2:40-47).  The church in Jerusalem early on was very pleasing to the Lord Jesus Christ. Evangelizing, worshiping, fellowshipping, training and teaching, and ministering were all major features of this ministry. But the point here is to define its essential nature.

A closer look at the word “church” should be helpful. It is used 115 times in the KJV. In 114 of those passages the Greek word translated “church” is ekklesia. (In Ac. 19:37, the Greek word hierosulos, meaning “a robber of a sacred place,” is translated also “church.”) Ekklesia means called out. Also philologically, that is the way a word is used, not merely its root meaning, a church is an assembly. We need to be just as concerned about how a word is used, not merely what its roots may be.  The meaning of the word ‘ekklesia’ is defined by its common usage in Biblical times. This being the case, the meaning of ‘ekklesia’ is “a called out assembly.”

A Church focuses on a spiritual mission under Christ’s Authority in the present world. Now, a local assembly operates through democratic processes under the laws of the Empire. A Christian assembly function is the great commission, Matt. 28:19-20, its government is democratic (Acts 1:15-26), and it operates under the laws of King Jesus Christ. A church is an assembly, city of believers, on earth within the Kingdom of God. A church should be comprised of believers who have been baptized in accordance with the Scriptures and voluntarily covenant together to fulfill the Great Commission. This includes evangelizing the unsaved, baptizing the new convert, training the saved to live and serve as Christ Jesus taught us. This is to continue through starting new churches in new places the world around until Jesus comes back for us.

The first mention of the word “church” in the N. T. is Matt. 16:16-19. Consider some important lessons and implications from this passage:

1)  The Church was started and is being built by Christ (“I will build”). This is one of His most important present occupations. This refutes the idea that the Holy Spirit started the church on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2.  The Holy Spirit came to Fill and Empower the Church not to start it!  Jesus is the Originator and God’s great arm of creation– and He created the church. Jesus is responsible for the growth and expansion of the faith!

2)  The Church was built upon Christ. The “Rock” upon which the church is built is Christ Himself (vs. 16, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God”)—not Peter (compare 1 Co. 3:11; 10:4; Eph. 2:20; 1 Pet. 2:6). Jesus Himself is the true Rock and foundation of the faith! The church is built on the unshakeable truth and reality of who Jesus is—the divine Messiah. 

3)  The church did not exist until Christ came. It is an entity distinct from Israel not her replacement. There was no assembly like this in the O. T. times (1Cor. 10:32; Eph. 3:3-11).

This powerful passage is worth meditating on because of its importance and relevance to discipleship and church ministry. When we think on Matthew 16:18, we remember in ancient times, city gates were seats of power. This means death and the grave (hell) will not (“prevail”) trap or conquer God’s people. We are to take the spiritual offensive by pushing forward against darkness and sharing God’s eternal truth. Even though doing so may cost our physical lives! Our activities impact eternity, the kingdom of God, and the everlasting souls of people. Spiritual warfare is not about hunting demons. It is about standing strong in the truth that Jesus is the Son of God sent by Him to reach the world with the gospel. Believers do not fight to win a delayed victory. We fight from the victory Jesus already won on the cross and through His resurrection. So, despite intense opposition from demonic forces throughout history, God’s protecting power surrounds His people as we advance the Gospel.

So, a genuine Church is a called-out assembly of baptized believers—disciples following Jesus Christ, associating with fellow believers to live out the Gospel, and sharing it with the world. Following Christ requires involvement with one of His genuine churches. Forsaking churches altogether is forsaking God’s plan for Christian fellowship, development, ministry, and purpose in this age. Yet, it is common to plead with believers to attend church regularly and to involve themselves in the various components of the ministry! Priorities have unfortunately been frustratingly confusing among professing believers!

What is the mission of a Church?

The mission of a true Church is to make known the manifold wisdom of God: the gospel (Eph. 3:10).  Christ gave his church the responsibility of unbinding the gospel, letting it loose in the earth. But with this responsibility comes also the possibility that a church might not unbind the gospel and, by this very default, will bind it.  Not all children obey the Father.

A church is a fellowship of disciples making known to all the gospel of Jesus Christ. Its mission is not to be a fellowship. That is its nature.  It is a fellowship.  Its mission is to make the gospel known.  It is a fellowship on a global mission.

A genuine church from Christ’s point of view affords believers opportunities to follow Him corporately. Being a part of and engaging a church in meaningful worship, ministry, and mission are practical ways of following Jesus Christ today. The Lord Jesus did not start another entity to support Christian living and missions, so it is safe to conclude He deems His original plan as relevant still. To belong to a solid Bible-obeying church with a heart to reach the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and devoted to life and ministry Jesus’s way is the plan of God for every believer without any exceptions.

Conclusion:

I know there are those who have had bad experiences with rotten churches who feel they are the exception. Yes, you may feel justified by walking away from that awful church, but Christ expects you to follow Him still. That means finding a solid church who understands its nature and mission from Christ’s perspective and joining it. Join it to live in right and fuller fellowship with Christ Jesus. Join it to support and cultivate biblical Christian thinking, values, living, and service. Join it to advance the only hope God offers lost humanity of eternal value, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The invitation to follow Jesus Christ is the most valuable invite you and I will every give consideration to. Humbly accept it and follow Him with as little interruption as possible until He returns for us in the Rapture.

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^[1] MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.) (p. 1472). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

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^[1] MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.) (p. 1472). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.