The Mission of the Church, Part 2

As we’ve been learning from John 20:19-23, the Lord Jesus wills for every believer to be wholeheartedly sharing in the mission of His church. Practically, this means mutually submitting to, and participating in the life of a local church.

Here are just a few suggestions for how members of RCG can keep pursuing faithfulness to the Lord and one another:

1.  Regularly review and pray through the “Membership Commitment” you affirmed when you became a member.

2.  Pray regularly for other members at RCG, in light of examples like Eph. 1:15-20, 3:14-21, etc.  The “Membership Directory” can be a great resource in doing this.

3.  Joyfully participate in our main corporate gatherings on the Lord’s Day, including Equipping Hour, Corporate Worship, and our Evening Gathering.

4.  Prayerfully and actively look for specific ways to minister to others in the body. Notes of encouragement, meeting physical needs, helping a younger Christian grow, taking initiative to meet new people – these are just some of the ways you can minister.

Not only is belonging to a local church a beneficial blessing for every believer, it is God’s will for all of us, so that He would be all the more glorified through us.

What a joy to share life in Him with you at RCG!

The Mission of the Church

As we’ve been seeing over the last couple weeks from John 20:19-23, the Lord’s purpose for the mission of His church is crystal clear.  In the power of His Holy Spirit, the church has the privilege and responsibility of proclaiming and living the Gospel of God’s peace in Jesus Christ, for the glory of the Father.  This is the church’s singular calling, with life-altering implications for every believer.

Andreas J. Kostenberger, in his excellent book The Mission of Jesus and the Disciples, expands on the significance of this clear mission with these words:

“As Jesus was completely devoted to do the will of the one who sent him (e.g. John 4:34), the disciples too, are to subordinate themselves in the accomplishment of their mission to the will of their sender, Jesus.  Jesus’ call of people to follow him constitutes their decisive encounter with the will of God (my emphasis.)  From this call onward, the personal life of the messenger is determined exclusively by this charge.  The disciple is to be completely subordinated to the will of his Lord until death.” (p. 195)

 May God give us grace to completely subordinate ourselves all the more to His good, acceptable, and perfect will – until death!