MISSIONAL ADVOCACY

“For I, the Lord, love justice, I hate robbery in the burnt offerings; and I will faithfully give them their recompense and make an everlasting covenant with them” (Isaiah 61:8).

While denying justice is a moral wrong, a greater sin might be our silence in the face of injustice; having the opportunity, position, influence and power to be an advocate for those who have no voice and choosing to do nothing. God’s truth, the transforming power of the Gospel, and the presence of Christ in his church, can and does accomplish more by accident in the arena of social justice than does any government program on purpose.

A SONG OF SALVATION

“Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day” (1 Chronicles 16:23).

As disciples, the song of our heart emerges not from the the shakiness of our ever-changing senses but the abiding certainty of our never-changing Savior. Ours is a song of salvation that transcends our circumstances. Whether or not we sing is never the result of a stylistic issue but a spiritual condition.

THANKS-FILLED MEMORIES

“I thank my God in all remembrance of you” (Philippians 1:3).

When they come to mind, good memories should invoke us to pray and offer thanks for the source of those remembrances (v.4). While sitting under Roman guard, we learn from Paul that such a discipline as this becomes a ministering resource in times of uncertainty. It is this spirit of thanksgiving in all things (1 Thess. 5:18), that any one troublesome thing is placed in proper perspective. 

A PROMISED MEANS

“For this purpose I also labor, striving according to His power which works mightily within me” (Colossians 1:29).

While the Greek word translated as “labor” is normally associated with a task that brings about physical exhaustion, Paul says that he, nonetheless, keeps going forward by the power of God’s indwelling Spirit. The apostle is living out the promise of Jesus, that you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you (Acts 1:8), and the assurance that the Father will send you another Helper, that He may be with you forever (Jn. 14:6). As such, we are empowered by the Spirit of the resurrected Christ, to do his work, until He comes again.

TWO FRONTS FOR EVERY PERSON

“We proclaim Him, admonishing every person and teaching every person with all wisdom, so that we may present every person complete in Christ Jesus (Colossians 1:28).

The two strategic fronts of the church, necessary to the fulfillment of her missional task, are the proclamation of Jesus, and the discipleship of those who commit to following him. Knowing that those who endure to the end shall be saved (Mt. 24:13), Paul understood that the appearance of a good beginning is meaningless if it is not brought to completion with a good ending. Along with the importance of seeing others come to Christ, of equal concern is what happens to them the day after and the years to come.

CHRIST BRINGS CLARITY

“that is, the mystery which had been hidden from the past ages and generations, but now has been revealed to His saints” (Colossians 1:26).

What was once a mystery, veiled in covenants, feasts, festivals, temples, and sacrifices, has now been made fully evident in the person of Jesus Christ; Christ himself being the true knowledge of God’s mystery (Col. 2:2). It is an understanding that greatly simplifies the message we hold forth regarding the redemptive purposes of God. Instead of being sidetracked by the nuances of vain theological speculation, we can all speak with confidence about Jesus and our relationship with him— “One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see” (Jn. 9:25).

COMMISSIONED TO PROCLAIM

“I was made a minister of this church according to the commission from God granted to me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God” (Colossians 1:25).

From Jesus (Mt. 28:19-20) to Paul, the commission from God to the church gives priority to the proclamation of God’s word (1 Cor. 15:1-3; 1 Tim. 4:13, 2 Tim. 4:2-4). What the church must recover is an understanding of the unequivocal kinship between God himself and the word he has inspired as the means through which he speaks. By this the in-breaking of the kingdom of God among men, and the pronouncement of Good News for all humanity is made known.

FOREVER ALIVE

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away” (Matthew 24:35).

The enduring and future-oriented character of God’s word is made evident in the lives of his disciples. While most see, understand, and respond to things on the basis of personal bias, favoritism, preferences, current thought or popular opinion, our worldview is shaped and being shaped by the dynamic activity of God’s word being made alive in us. It is the very thing that distinguishes us as the community of faith.

EXPECTING MORE

“You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end” (Matthew 24:6).

For the return of Christ to be truly appreciated it must be understood as the anticipation of God doing more. This spirit of expectancy begins when we no longer want what we currently want. It is the understanding that God is working to accomplish something that gloriously exceeds anything we have ever known or currently exists. The Day of the Lord is the hope embraced by those who do not cling tightly to the offerings of this world.

UNITED ON ALL FRONTS

“And all the believers were together and had all things in common” (Acts 2:44).

While our tendency is to read scripture and think the early believers were people like us, and in circumstances like ours, such was not the case. There would have been no people group more impoverished, powerless, and marginalized than these first believers being described by Luke. Because they had nothing, they shared everything so that no brother or sister would be without. The bond of faith would unite them in mission, duty, and responsibility. When selfish greed is transformed to gracious charity, it becomes easier to unite on all fronts.