Mission To serve the people of the Comox Valley, introducing them to Jesus Christ, welcoming them into His family, equipping them to follow Christ's example, and loving Him with all that we are.
Readings: Ephesians 1: 3-14, Acts 2: 41-47, Mark 3:31-35,
Church of Our Lord is a Christian community serving the Comox Valley. We have been looking at our Mission Statement the past few weeks. So far we have discussed service to others and how to share the good news about Jesus in a natural way. Today we’re talking about what it means to become and enjoy being part of God’s family, the church, and the riches, rights and responsibilities that go along with that. There are many other metaphors for the church in Scripture: Body of Christ, Bride of Christ, a Temple made of living stones, a new person, the people of God, a royal priesthood, etc. One metaphor is that of a family. It was Jesus himself who taught us to call God our Father; he used the Aramaic word “Abba, meaning Daddy, when he spoke of God. We were not meant to be alone. God himself is a community: three-in-one, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. When he made the first human being he said “it is not good for man to be alone.” We were meant for friendship with God and with others within the community of those who know him as Father through faith in his Son, Jesus.
We all have our own stories: depending on our different personalities and on our own experiences, we may approach or be drawn into this family through one of three different ways, though not necessarily in this order: belonging, believing, behaving.
Belonging: Some people need to experience what it means to be part of a loving, accepting community before they can be convinced of the truth of the Gospel: they need to belong before they believe or before their life-style changes.
Believing: Others have to be convinced of its truth before they will commit themselves. Some people approach the church firstly through intellectual questions. Often they need to come to the place where they accept that Christianity is not unreasonable. That believing in a creator, for instance, makes sense. Being a Christian is so much more than just giving mental assent to a list of doctrines, however, there are certain beliefs that we need to accept before we become Christians: “Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6), We need to understand that there is a God, that Jesus is God’s son and died for us, rose again from the dead and is coming back and so on. Certainly, as we mature in faith it becomes more important to absorb and become more committed to the truths contained in His Word, the Bible. But it is surprising how little we need to believe and how faltering our faith can be to begin with, yet God is still able to meet us and draw us into a relationship with him. If we are aware of our sinfulness, are willing to turn from it and desire to know him even a prayer such as “God, if there is a God, please reveal yourself to me”, if sincerely prayed, will be answered.
Behaving: Still others want to know what practical difference believing in God and being part of his family makes to themselves and to society before they will be persuaded to consider the truth claims Jesus made. We cannot expect people to pattern their lives on Christ until they have met him.
For a few pragmatic individuals, though, trying for a while to live as though it were true (eg praying daily, planning their day as though God were real, living out the golden rule because it makes sense etc) might persuade them that the Christian life-style does work. Of course, there is no way we can really live as Christ would have us do without his help, nor can we earn our way into a relationship with him, that is a free gift.
We cannot expect people to change before coming to Christ but we can expect transformation after meeting him. One cannot have an encounter with the living God and be left unscathed. Growing into the family likeness is a process. As the saying goes: he loves us as we are but loves us too much to leave us the way we are.
Our hope for this fellowship is that it will be a welcoming place, where people can feel safe asking questions, experiencing a little of what it means to be part of a worshipping community, gradually coming to believe in the truth as the scriptures teach it, growing in faith, and learning how to follow Christ’s example together.
We can introduce our friends to Jesus in this kind of comfortable environment. One of the best ways to do this is through an informal course on basic Christianity, such as the Alpha course, where after a meal together and a video explaining various aspects of the Christian faith, folks can discuss questions and perhaps even learn to pray together. God has used courses like that to bring many people from all walks of life into a relationship with him.
As John’s gospel puts it: 12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—
Once we have understood the good news about Jesus, and responded to it, we become members of this community by faith, by trust in Christ, by baptism and receiving his Holy Spirit. We become new creatures, reborn or adopted into his family with all the privileges of being heirs to all the riches God has for us to inherit in Christ. And other Christians are our brothers and sisters.
There is a depth of fellowship that exists between believers in Jesus that cannot exist in any other sphere, although there are some secular settings where friendships can run very deeply: eg on a team that practices regularly together, in a small crew on a ship or in a small military unit. What these have in common is a common mission, purpose and allegiance, a hared experience in facing danger and overcoming obstacles together. Fellowship is deepest when we work together on common goals. In 1 John 15-7 we read
5This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; In him there is no darkness at all. 6If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
Fellowship can only be deep when there is honesty, transparency and accountability to each other. These are best cultivated in small group settings such as a home fellowship, prayer partnership or cell group. At COOL we encourage people to be involved in small groups like that.
Next time we shall talk about becoming equipped to follow Christ’s example.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Unpacking our Mission Statement. Second Installment
Last time we talked about service. We ended with the observation that the greatest service we can offer anyone is to introduce them to Jesus Christ, which brings us to the second purpose within our mission statement:
Mission
To serve the people of the Comox Valley, introducing them to Jesus Christ, welcoming them into His family, equipping them to follow Christ's example, and loving Him with all that we are.
At this point we shall have a brief skit to illustrate what we mean:
Evangelism Skit Script.
Props: bench, bread, garbage can, crusts.
Scene: Park Bench. Beggar 1 sits on bench eating a loaf of delicious fresh bread. Poor Man approaches.
Poor Man: “Whatcha got there?”
Beggar 1: “Fresh bread from the new bakery up on First Street. It’s delicious. There’s plenty. Want some?”
Poor Man: “You’ve never worked a day in your life! Didja steal it?”
Beggar 1. “No. I smelled the fresh bread baking and looked in the window. A young baker there said he was minding his Father’s business and they’d just finished a batch from a new recipe. Did I want some? He said there was plenty more for anyone who was hungry.”
Poor Man: “I don’t accept charity. I’m going to earn my own dough. Heard there might be a job at the dump.” He leaves looking back hungrily.
Beggar 2 approaches.
Beggar 1 calls out: “Want some bread?”
Beggar 2: “Wow, that looks good. Where’d you get it?”
Beggar 1: “At Baker and Son on First. They’re giving it away.”
Beggar 2. “Can’t be any good then, if they’re giving it away. I’ll find my own bread.” He goes off rummaging in the garbage can for some crusts.
Beggar 3 comes by: “How come you’re looking so pleased with yourself?” he asks suspiciously.
Beggar 1, rubbing his stomach: “I’m so full I could burst. The Baker’s son gave me a whole loaf of fresh bread. Never tasted anything like it. Want some?”
Beggar 3, hands on hips: “I suppose you think you’re better than the rest of the neighbourhood now that you have your own supply of fresh bread?” Thinks better of it and adds, “ Mind you, I’m starving.” He sits down on the bench next to Beggar 1 and sniffs at the bread.
Beggar 1: “Here, have some. You’ll never know how good it is until you try it.”
Beggar 3: accepts and chews some bread appreciatively. “Wow, you’re right. This is great. Pity we can’t eat like this every day.”
Beggar 1. “We can. Come with me. I’ll introduce you to the young Baker. Once you’ve met him yourself you won’t have to take my word for it.
The two leave the park and head off to the bakery.
Introducing someone to Jesus is what is called in church language “evangelism” or “sharing the gospel”. Gospel comes from Old English “godspel” meaning “good news”. “Evangel” comes from the Greek evangelion which also means good news. C.H. Spurgeon referred to evangelism as “one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread”. Now, the term evangelism has received a bad rap from caricatures on TV, stereotypes in the media and the televangelist scandals, but nothing could be simpler than telling a friend about something that really IS good news and introducing them to someone you know and love intimately and whom you think they would enjoy getting to know if they had only met him for themselves.
What is the Gospel?
(A)GOD who is totally perfect and complete in himself and who has no beginning or end, chose to create the universe. He is holy – which means he cannot tolerate evil, and he is loving, which means that he loves what he created, especially man.
(B) MAN was made in God’s image, to have a relationship of intimacy with God and to enjoy Him forever. He was appointed God’s vice-regent or steward to care for the Earth. He was give free will, which is the ability to choose between obeying God or going his own way in rebellion. The consequence of this rebellion was alienation from God and from other humans, a loss of innocence, and the loss of the potential for immortality. Sickness and death entered human experience. Each of us has inherited a bias towards evil. The image of God in us has not been eliminated but it is tarnished. We are incapable of restoring the relationship with God which we lost. We cannot earn it or buy it. We cannot save ourselves. Only someone who was both God and Man could bridge the gulf between God and Man.
(C) JESUS –both GOD and MAN. God himself became human in Jesus Christ, living a sinless life, and dying a blameless death, taking upon himself the punishment we deserve for our rebellion and conquering death by his resurrection. He offers to us the opportunity to call God our Father as he did, and to have the image of God restored. He has given us the gift of eternal life with him so that we need not fear death. When we come to faith in Christ he gives us his Holy Spirit to live within us to help us to grow more like him.
This is the gospel. That God was in Christ Jesus reconciling the world to himself. He has extended to us the same ministry of reconciliation, charging us with the responsibility to share this message with others until he returns. He called himself the bread of life and gave himself to us. We share that free gift of bread with others.
What are the barriers to sharing the gospel?
Canadians are polite people. We view religion as a private matter, something not to be discussed in public. We are naturally reticent to appear self-righteous, superior or discriminating and if we are, then that certainly is a deterrent to others. We are also afraid of what others will think of us, perhaps afraid of loss of reputation or how it might affect our friendships or careers if we are known to be serious about Christ. Or perhaps we are not convinced ourselves of the truth about Christ. We cannot pass on to others what we have not received ourselves.
The Christian faith is not something we have invented, earned or purchased. It is a free gift which we are privileged to have received and are obligated to pass on. Coming from that perspective there is no room for pride or self-righteousness, only gratitude. If you had discovered something absolutely marvelous that everyone needed, like the cure to cancer or the common cold, or a limitless source of food or wealth, wouldn’t it be natural to want to share that? So it is with the gospel.
Some people will reject what we say; they may not realize they are hungry just yet. Or they may be offended by the exclusive claims of Christ who stated that he is the Way, the Truth and the Life and the only route to the Father. They may not be prepared to receive a free gift, preferring to try to be good on their own. That does not wash with God.
How do we share the gospel and introduce people to Jesus?
Firstly, by our life-style. If knowing Jesus has transformed your life, then others will be interested in finding out why you are different, just as hungry people are drawn to the aroma of fresh baking.
Secondly by being ready to share what Jesus means to you. People can argue about theoretical concepts but they cannot negate your experience.
Thirdly, by inviting them to a course on basic Christianity such as the Alpha Course or Christianity Explained or Christianity Explored. Or inviting them to church or a small group that meets over a meal or a cup of coffee to discuss issues of life or God. Introducing people to Jesus overlaps with the next topic which is welcoming people into His family.
Mission
To serve the people of the Comox Valley, introducing them to Jesus Christ, welcoming them into His family, equipping them to follow Christ's example, and loving Him with all that we are.
At this point we shall have a brief skit to illustrate what we mean:
Evangelism Skit Script.
Props: bench, bread, garbage can, crusts.
Scene: Park Bench. Beggar 1 sits on bench eating a loaf of delicious fresh bread. Poor Man approaches.
Poor Man: “Whatcha got there?”
Beggar 1: “Fresh bread from the new bakery up on First Street. It’s delicious. There’s plenty. Want some?”
Poor Man: “You’ve never worked a day in your life! Didja steal it?”
Beggar 1. “No. I smelled the fresh bread baking and looked in the window. A young baker there said he was minding his Father’s business and they’d just finished a batch from a new recipe. Did I want some? He said there was plenty more for anyone who was hungry.”
Poor Man: “I don’t accept charity. I’m going to earn my own dough. Heard there might be a job at the dump.” He leaves looking back hungrily.
Beggar 2 approaches.
Beggar 1 calls out: “Want some bread?”
Beggar 2: “Wow, that looks good. Where’d you get it?”
Beggar 1: “At Baker and Son on First. They’re giving it away.”
Beggar 2. “Can’t be any good then, if they’re giving it away. I’ll find my own bread.” He goes off rummaging in the garbage can for some crusts.
Beggar 3 comes by: “How come you’re looking so pleased with yourself?” he asks suspiciously.
Beggar 1, rubbing his stomach: “I’m so full I could burst. The Baker’s son gave me a whole loaf of fresh bread. Never tasted anything like it. Want some?”
Beggar 3, hands on hips: “I suppose you think you’re better than the rest of the neighbourhood now that you have your own supply of fresh bread?” Thinks better of it and adds, “ Mind you, I’m starving.” He sits down on the bench next to Beggar 1 and sniffs at the bread.
Beggar 1: “Here, have some. You’ll never know how good it is until you try it.”
Beggar 3: accepts and chews some bread appreciatively. “Wow, you’re right. This is great. Pity we can’t eat like this every day.”
Beggar 1. “We can. Come with me. I’ll introduce you to the young Baker. Once you’ve met him yourself you won’t have to take my word for it.
The two leave the park and head off to the bakery.
Introducing someone to Jesus is what is called in church language “evangelism” or “sharing the gospel”. Gospel comes from Old English “godspel” meaning “good news”. “Evangel” comes from the Greek evangelion which also means good news. C.H. Spurgeon referred to evangelism as “one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread”. Now, the term evangelism has received a bad rap from caricatures on TV, stereotypes in the media and the televangelist scandals, but nothing could be simpler than telling a friend about something that really IS good news and introducing them to someone you know and love intimately and whom you think they would enjoy getting to know if they had only met him for themselves.
What is the Gospel?
(A)GOD who is totally perfect and complete in himself and who has no beginning or end, chose to create the universe. He is holy – which means he cannot tolerate evil, and he is loving, which means that he loves what he created, especially man.
(B) MAN was made in God’s image, to have a relationship of intimacy with God and to enjoy Him forever. He was appointed God’s vice-regent or steward to care for the Earth. He was give free will, which is the ability to choose between obeying God or going his own way in rebellion. The consequence of this rebellion was alienation from God and from other humans, a loss of innocence, and the loss of the potential for immortality. Sickness and death entered human experience. Each of us has inherited a bias towards evil. The image of God in us has not been eliminated but it is tarnished. We are incapable of restoring the relationship with God which we lost. We cannot earn it or buy it. We cannot save ourselves. Only someone who was both God and Man could bridge the gulf between God and Man.
(C) JESUS –both GOD and MAN. God himself became human in Jesus Christ, living a sinless life, and dying a blameless death, taking upon himself the punishment we deserve for our rebellion and conquering death by his resurrection. He offers to us the opportunity to call God our Father as he did, and to have the image of God restored. He has given us the gift of eternal life with him so that we need not fear death. When we come to faith in Christ he gives us his Holy Spirit to live within us to help us to grow more like him.
This is the gospel. That God was in Christ Jesus reconciling the world to himself. He has extended to us the same ministry of reconciliation, charging us with the responsibility to share this message with others until he returns. He called himself the bread of life and gave himself to us. We share that free gift of bread with others.
What are the barriers to sharing the gospel?
Canadians are polite people. We view religion as a private matter, something not to be discussed in public. We are naturally reticent to appear self-righteous, superior or discriminating and if we are, then that certainly is a deterrent to others. We are also afraid of what others will think of us, perhaps afraid of loss of reputation or how it might affect our friendships or careers if we are known to be serious about Christ. Or perhaps we are not convinced ourselves of the truth about Christ. We cannot pass on to others what we have not received ourselves.
The Christian faith is not something we have invented, earned or purchased. It is a free gift which we are privileged to have received and are obligated to pass on. Coming from that perspective there is no room for pride or self-righteousness, only gratitude. If you had discovered something absolutely marvelous that everyone needed, like the cure to cancer or the common cold, or a limitless source of food or wealth, wouldn’t it be natural to want to share that? So it is with the gospel.
Some people will reject what we say; they may not realize they are hungry just yet. Or they may be offended by the exclusive claims of Christ who stated that he is the Way, the Truth and the Life and the only route to the Father. They may not be prepared to receive a free gift, preferring to try to be good on their own. That does not wash with God.
How do we share the gospel and introduce people to Jesus?
Firstly, by our life-style. If knowing Jesus has transformed your life, then others will be interested in finding out why you are different, just as hungry people are drawn to the aroma of fresh baking.
Secondly by being ready to share what Jesus means to you. People can argue about theoretical concepts but they cannot negate your experience.
Thirdly, by inviting them to a course on basic Christianity such as the Alpha Course or Christianity Explained or Christianity Explored. Or inviting them to church or a small group that meets over a meal or a cup of coffee to discuss issues of life or God. Introducing people to Jesus overlaps with the next topic which is welcoming people into His family.
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Unpacking Our Mission Statement: First instalment - SERVICE
Mission: To serve the people of the Comox Valley, introducing them to Jesus Christ, welcoming them into His family, equipping them to follow Christ's example, and loving Him with all that we are.
Jesus’ teaching can be summarized by two statements: the Great Commandment and the Great Commission.
Great Commandment:
Mark 12:29-32 (New International Version)
29"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself. 'There is no commandment greater than these."
Great Commission:
Matthew 28:19-20 (New International Version)
19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
From the Great Commandment we get the purposes of service (love your neighbour as yourself) and worship (love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength); from the Great Commission we get the other three purposes: evangelism (make disciples), fellowship (incorporation into the family of God through Baptism), and discipleship, (teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you). All that Jesus intended his church to be and do can be distilled into these five purposes. Of course, different churches might describe them differently or major on some more than others. However, balanced, authentic Christianity encompasses these five purposes: service, evangelism, fellowship, discipleship and worship (in the order found in our Mission Statement, though worship is at the heart of all that we do, as the most important of these purposes).
First Instalment
Today we talk about service: Amongst Christian churches there is a tendency to specialize: either emphasis spirituality (eg worship) or social action (eg the liberation theologians or social gospel movement). It is natural for some organizations’ or individuals‘ gifting to be weighted more in one direction or the other. However, biblically-faithful Christianity strives to hold all these purposes together. The Christian faith cannot be reduced to social action or good works. They are the practical out-working of the life of faith. Jesus is our example: the limitless demand of the crowds for miracles of healing and food-multiplication could have occupied all his time. He used his miracles as illustrations for his teaching about the Kingdom of God. Although he served to the point of exhaustion at times, he also left the crowds to concentrate on training his 12 disciples, and took time out to pray alone as well as going to the synagogue or temple for worship.
COOL’s Mission: To serve the people of the Comox Valley, introducing them to Jesus Christ, welcoming them into His family, equipping them to follow Christ's example, and loving Him with all that we are.
Readings: Micah 6:6-8, Philippians 2:2-13, John 13:1-17, Luke 22:24-27. Let us look at the example of Jesus.
1. Jesus knew the SOURCE of his authority and power. That is why he spent so much time in prayer, before every major decision and when most exhausted from ministry.
2. Jesus did not let the world or culture of his day SET his agenda. He refused to let them force him into the role of revolutionary or earthly king in rebellion against Rome. The church should likewise be involved in social justice issues without allowing the political special interest groups to determine what the church’s position should be.
3. Jesus left an example to follow in his STEPS.
• Jesus served without self-pity: he knew he was about to be betrayed, yet he washed Judas’s feet along with the others; he knew he was about to die for them yet he put their needs first. He continued to teach them despite his own impending suffering. He modelled a new kind of leadership: servant-leadership. Christian service means serving when you’d rather not. When it is inconvenient.
• Jesus served despite the unworthiness of his disciples. Judas would betray him. Peter would deny him. The others would abandon him. He did not ask them to clean up their act or to fully understand his teaching before he would serve them. He did not ask them to prove themselves worthy of his service. They did not earn it. Christian service means loving the unlovely, as God has loved us.
• Jesus served without arrogance. He had been God from all eternity, yet he humbled himself to take on the role of the most menial slave and to die the most degrading death Rome inflicted on slaves and traitors. Christian service means serving with humility but without condescension.
One of the first things the early church did after Pentecost was to select a group of seven men to look after the needs of the Greek-speaking widows as they were being neglected by the Hebrew Christians (Acts 6:1-6). From this arose the order of deacons or the diaconate. Deacon or diakonos means servant. Diakonia means service. These words are used in multiple occasions in the New Testament, sometimes in a non-official sense, sometimes of government officials (much in the same way we speak of government Ministers in Cabinet), sometimes the apostles called themselves deacons. The word is occasionally used of Christ himself. Every presbyter or bishop first has to be a deacon; this emphasises the service aspect of Christian ministry. There was no social welfare in the first century: it was up to the family or the church to look after the poor or those who had nobody to support them. Orders of virgins and widows, deacons and deaconesses were enrolled to serve the needs of church members and the poor. The qualifications for deacons were very similar to those required for bishops (1 Timothy 3), indicating that the church did not regard service to be a secondary matter for those who were less spiritual.
There was a division of labour according to vocation and gifting: the apostles’ role was chiefly to teach the faith, start new churches and oversee them, as is the role of their successors, the bishops. The deacons chiefly had the role of looking after the material needs of the believers. Nevertheless, as the church developed, deacons also had liturgical and teaching roles. Stephen was the first martyr. Phillip was an evangelist as well as a deacon. The apostles also were concerned for the well-being of the poor: Paul and his closest assistants raised money from amongst the other churches to help aid the poor in Jerusalem during a famine, for example. We cannot use the excuse that because our gifting is washing dishes we don’t need to share our faith with our friends and neighbours, or, that because we are gifted at preaching we have no responsibility to the poor or suffering.
Throughout history practical service has been part of the ministry of the church. Christians were known for taking in orphaned or abandoned children. Some sold themselves into slavery to share the gospel with slaves or risked leprosy to minister to lepers. Monastic orders founded the first hospices or hospitals. The evangelical revival in the Church of England during the 18th and 19th centuries was accompanied by an outpouring of concern for social issues such as child labour, factory conditions, prison reform, alcoholism and slavery. It was evangelical Christians who brought about the end of slavery within the British Empire. The 19th century missionary movement combined educational and medical missions alongside preaching the gospel. Unfortunately, during the 20th century, social concern and faithfulness to scripture tended to be separated as what used to be called the mainline churches promoted social justice while fundamentalist churches concentrated on the evangelism and doctrinal purity. This is a false dichotomy.
We serve because the Father expects it, the Son modelled it and the Spirit equips us for it.
How should we serve? We can serve with our time, talents and treasure. This coming week think about how you could use your time, your talents or your treasure to serve others in Christ’s name. He said even a gift of cold water in his name is as though we did it for him.
Examples of how COOL members serve:
Africa Community Technical Services, a non-profit which provides clean water and other development projects in Africa.
Compassion: sponsoring needy children in the third world.
Habitat for Humanity: building houses for people who could not otherwise afford them.
L’Arche: friendship in community for mentally challenged adults.
Order of St Luke: healing prayer.
Sonshine Lunch-club soup kitchen.
St Joseph’s Hospital: healthcare for the community.
Transplant Society
Tutoring
Visiting Extended Care Unit
Youth Unlimited.
Finally, Pope Benedict is reported to have said that the greatest service one can do for someone is to introduce them to Jesus Christ. Next time we shall look at how to do that.
Acknowledgements: To Rick Warren, author of Purpose Driven Church and Purpose Driven Life and to Timothy Keller, author of Ministries of Mercy, The Call of the Jericho Road.
Jesus’ teaching can be summarized by two statements: the Great Commandment and the Great Commission.
Great Commandment:
Mark 12:29-32 (New International Version)
29"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself. 'There is no commandment greater than these."
Great Commission:
Matthew 28:19-20 (New International Version)
19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
From the Great Commandment we get the purposes of service (love your neighbour as yourself) and worship (love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength); from the Great Commission we get the other three purposes: evangelism (make disciples), fellowship (incorporation into the family of God through Baptism), and discipleship, (teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you). All that Jesus intended his church to be and do can be distilled into these five purposes. Of course, different churches might describe them differently or major on some more than others. However, balanced, authentic Christianity encompasses these five purposes: service, evangelism, fellowship, discipleship and worship (in the order found in our Mission Statement, though worship is at the heart of all that we do, as the most important of these purposes).
First Instalment
Today we talk about service: Amongst Christian churches there is a tendency to specialize: either emphasis spirituality (eg worship) or social action (eg the liberation theologians or social gospel movement). It is natural for some organizations’ or individuals‘ gifting to be weighted more in one direction or the other. However, biblically-faithful Christianity strives to hold all these purposes together. The Christian faith cannot be reduced to social action or good works. They are the practical out-working of the life of faith. Jesus is our example: the limitless demand of the crowds for miracles of healing and food-multiplication could have occupied all his time. He used his miracles as illustrations for his teaching about the Kingdom of God. Although he served to the point of exhaustion at times, he also left the crowds to concentrate on training his 12 disciples, and took time out to pray alone as well as going to the synagogue or temple for worship.
COOL’s Mission: To serve the people of the Comox Valley, introducing them to Jesus Christ, welcoming them into His family, equipping them to follow Christ's example, and loving Him with all that we are.
Readings: Micah 6:6-8, Philippians 2:2-13, John 13:1-17, Luke 22:24-27. Let us look at the example of Jesus.
1. Jesus knew the SOURCE of his authority and power. That is why he spent so much time in prayer, before every major decision and when most exhausted from ministry.
2. Jesus did not let the world or culture of his day SET his agenda. He refused to let them force him into the role of revolutionary or earthly king in rebellion against Rome. The church should likewise be involved in social justice issues without allowing the political special interest groups to determine what the church’s position should be.
3. Jesus left an example to follow in his STEPS.
• Jesus served without self-pity: he knew he was about to be betrayed, yet he washed Judas’s feet along with the others; he knew he was about to die for them yet he put their needs first. He continued to teach them despite his own impending suffering. He modelled a new kind of leadership: servant-leadership. Christian service means serving when you’d rather not. When it is inconvenient.
• Jesus served despite the unworthiness of his disciples. Judas would betray him. Peter would deny him. The others would abandon him. He did not ask them to clean up their act or to fully understand his teaching before he would serve them. He did not ask them to prove themselves worthy of his service. They did not earn it. Christian service means loving the unlovely, as God has loved us.
• Jesus served without arrogance. He had been God from all eternity, yet he humbled himself to take on the role of the most menial slave and to die the most degrading death Rome inflicted on slaves and traitors. Christian service means serving with humility but without condescension.
One of the first things the early church did after Pentecost was to select a group of seven men to look after the needs of the Greek-speaking widows as they were being neglected by the Hebrew Christians (Acts 6:1-6). From this arose the order of deacons or the diaconate. Deacon or diakonos means servant. Diakonia means service. These words are used in multiple occasions in the New Testament, sometimes in a non-official sense, sometimes of government officials (much in the same way we speak of government Ministers in Cabinet), sometimes the apostles called themselves deacons. The word is occasionally used of Christ himself. Every presbyter or bishop first has to be a deacon; this emphasises the service aspect of Christian ministry. There was no social welfare in the first century: it was up to the family or the church to look after the poor or those who had nobody to support them. Orders of virgins and widows, deacons and deaconesses were enrolled to serve the needs of church members and the poor. The qualifications for deacons were very similar to those required for bishops (1 Timothy 3), indicating that the church did not regard service to be a secondary matter for those who were less spiritual.
There was a division of labour according to vocation and gifting: the apostles’ role was chiefly to teach the faith, start new churches and oversee them, as is the role of their successors, the bishops. The deacons chiefly had the role of looking after the material needs of the believers. Nevertheless, as the church developed, deacons also had liturgical and teaching roles. Stephen was the first martyr. Phillip was an evangelist as well as a deacon. The apostles also were concerned for the well-being of the poor: Paul and his closest assistants raised money from amongst the other churches to help aid the poor in Jerusalem during a famine, for example. We cannot use the excuse that because our gifting is washing dishes we don’t need to share our faith with our friends and neighbours, or, that because we are gifted at preaching we have no responsibility to the poor or suffering.
Throughout history practical service has been part of the ministry of the church. Christians were known for taking in orphaned or abandoned children. Some sold themselves into slavery to share the gospel with slaves or risked leprosy to minister to lepers. Monastic orders founded the first hospices or hospitals. The evangelical revival in the Church of England during the 18th and 19th centuries was accompanied by an outpouring of concern for social issues such as child labour, factory conditions, prison reform, alcoholism and slavery. It was evangelical Christians who brought about the end of slavery within the British Empire. The 19th century missionary movement combined educational and medical missions alongside preaching the gospel. Unfortunately, during the 20th century, social concern and faithfulness to scripture tended to be separated as what used to be called the mainline churches promoted social justice while fundamentalist churches concentrated on the evangelism and doctrinal purity. This is a false dichotomy.
We serve because the Father expects it, the Son modelled it and the Spirit equips us for it.
How should we serve? We can serve with our time, talents and treasure. This coming week think about how you could use your time, your talents or your treasure to serve others in Christ’s name. He said even a gift of cold water in his name is as though we did it for him.
Examples of how COOL members serve:
Africa Community Technical Services, a non-profit which provides clean water and other development projects in Africa.
Compassion: sponsoring needy children in the third world.
Habitat for Humanity: building houses for people who could not otherwise afford them.
L’Arche: friendship in community for mentally challenged adults.
Order of St Luke: healing prayer.
Sonshine Lunch-club soup kitchen.
St Joseph’s Hospital: healthcare for the community.
Transplant Society
Tutoring
Visiting Extended Care Unit
Youth Unlimited.
Finally, Pope Benedict is reported to have said that the greatest service one can do for someone is to introduce them to Jesus Christ. Next time we shall look at how to do that.
Acknowledgements: To Rick Warren, author of Purpose Driven Church and Purpose Driven Life and to Timothy Keller, author of Ministries of Mercy, The Call of the Jericho Road.
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