 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
|||||||
|
 |
By Dr. Todd E. Brady, Pastor
As the Apostle Paul told Timothy, "The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task" (1 Timothy 3:1). Service in church leadership is indeed a noble task. Moreover, when considering the nature of the church and the gracious calling of God to ministry, the opportunity to lead a local expression of Christ's body is nothing less than sobering, weighty, exhilarating, and awesome in every sense of those words. What a privilege is ours to be a part of what God is doing in Paducah, Kentucky. In this following statement I will seek to articulate a guiding framework for our future together. These comments are not intended to be a final or exhaustive commentary on any particular topic. Rather, my hope is that these words will serve as a conversation guide as we think together about our shared work of ministry. As we look to the future, it is also my desire that this guiding vision will provide opportunities for significant conversations as together we lead First Baptist Church to be a people who are practically committed to and intentionally engaged in God-Focused Worship, Biblical Community, Expositional Teaching, and Christ-like Ministry. In these initial days of the 21st century not everyone in America is optimistically hopeful or enthusiastic about the prospects of church vitality. Church attendance across denominations is declining, and fewer are willing to see the relevance and importance of the local church's presence and activity in society. George Barna recently decried the status of the American church in his little book, Revolution. According to Barna's research concerning the "77 million American adults who are churched", "eight out of every ten believers do not feel they have entered into the presence of God, or experienced a connection with Him, during the worship service" (of their church).1 "Only nine percent of all born-again adults have a biblical worldview".2 Barna indicts the work of the church when he states, "The most significant influence on the choices of churched believers is neither teachings from the pulpit nor advice gleaned from fellow congregants; it is messages absorbed from the media, the law, and family members." 3 Many church leaders are attempting to alleviate this predicament. Some are thinking about new and different ways to do church which might in some way serve to halt its perceived ineffectiveness and to increase its relevance in society. New churches are springing up in many places. The list is long as personal preferences are being exalted and as "contemporary" churches, "ancient-future" churches, "classic" churches, "contemplative" churches, "cowboy" churches, "biker" churches, "casual" churches, and many other types of churches are beginning to dot the American landscape. Much attention is being focused on the status of the local church, and many are trying to help our thinking. Rick Warren has written The Purpose Driven Church. Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger have authored Simple Church. Bob Russell wrote When God Grows a Church, and Mark Dever and Paul Alexander have offered us The Deliberate Church. With Barna's views of the church and current statistics concerning the ineffectiveness of the church, many are finding themselves less than hopeful about the nature and purpose of the church. Barna states, "The point here is simply to recognize that if we place all our hope in the local church, it is a misplaced hope. Many well-intentioned pastors promote this perspective by proclaiming, ‘The local church is the hope of the world.’ Like most advertising slogans, this notion is emotionally appealing. The trouble is, the sentiment is not biblical." Barna goes on to say, "Jesus, and Jesus alone, is the hope of the world. The local church is one mechanism that can be instrumental in bringing us closer to Him and helping us be more like Him. But, as the research data clearly show, churches are not doing the job. If the local church is the hope of the world, then the world has no hope".4 While much can be said about Barna's assessments and conclusions, they are at the least troublesome, if not dangerous—especially in light of what the Scriptures teach concerning the church. Many have observed, rightly, that churches in general are engaging in more and more activity but are having less and less influence upon individuals and societies. However, while Barna's words will probably discourage many who are called to church leadership, it seems wise for us to look beyond modern practices and current prognoses to see what the Bible has to say about the nature and identity of the church. Rather than focusing on what the church is doing or on what the church is not doing, a wise place to begin the conversation about the church seems to be with the Bible's answer to the question, "What is the church?" Perhaps the most familiar Scriptural reference concerning the church is found in Christ's response to Peter's confession. After Peter professed Jesus to be the Christ, Jesus said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it"(Matthew 16:17-18). The Apostle Paul instructed the Ephesian elders, "Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood" (Acts 20:28). The Corinthians were encouraged to "strive to excel in building up the church"(1 Corinthians 14:12), and to understand that they were individually members of "the body of Christ"(1 Corinthians 12:27). Paul told the Ephesian Christians that they were no longer "strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together grows into a holy temple in the Lord" (Ephesians 2:19-21), and Ephesians 5:23 reminds us that "Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior." God gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for the purpose of "building up the body of Christ" (Ephesians 4:11-12)—the church which Paul also calls in 1 Timothy 3:15 the "church of the living God," "the household of God,"and a "pillar and buttress of truth." Peter, who earlier had been told by Christ that the gates of Hell would not prevail upon the church, would later confess the nature and purpose of the church when he stated, "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy" Indeed, while conversations continue to multiply concerning the work of the church, it is essential that such conversations remain deeply rooted in a biblical understanding of the nature of the church. Understanding what the church is will provide the necessary framework for conversations about what the church should be doing. A realization of the church's divine nature should produce a sense of somber gravity for those who are members and leaders therein. More important than a local civic organization and more significant than a governmental council, the church is a most serious and joyous people—the body of Christ. The church is God's people who are about God's purposes in God's world for God's glory. For this reason, Paul set the standard high when he listed the qualifications for pastoral leadership (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9). The gravity of the church and his work with the church caused Paul to say that "apart from other things," (lashings, beatings, stoning, shipwrecks, drifting at sea, frequent journeys, danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from his own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, and danger from false brothers, toil and hardship, sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, cold and exposure) "there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches"(2Corinthians 11:24-28). The church is the primary vehicle through which God intends to accomplish glory for Himself (Ephesians 3:20-21), and Acts 2:42-47 depicts the weightiness with which believers are to esteem their association with the church. While some might see cause for despair when looking across the American church landscape, great hope should be gained from the realization that the church is not a mere human organization. Rather, the church is Christ's body in this present world. The church is not merely a good idea, it is God’s idea, and for that reason 21st Century American Christians must keep their focus on God and on what He has to say about the nature, purposes, and activity of the church. Christians of every age have struggled to adequately express their faith and to conduct church life in their particular contexts. Methods, approaches, programs, and techniques vary from context to context. People are different, and people do church differently. There once was a day when one could walk into a Southern Baptist church and expect basically the same offerings as any other Southern Baptist church. Today, few commonalities exist, even among those who consider themselves "sister churches." Some churches gather in the country. Some gather in the city. Some have more liturgical approaches in style and practice. Others are more informal. A number of churches meet on Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night. Other churches meet only on Sunday morning and Wednesday night. A few churches meet only on Sunday. Some churches clap a lot. Other churches would shut their doors before they even considered the prospect of clapping. Some churches utilize committees. Others consider committees an anathema. The differences are legion, and in many cases the variations are okay—even healthy. Differences certainly exist from church to church, and most of these differences seem to focus on matters of style and programming. However, the Bible indicates that regardless of physical contact, ministry styles, or personal preferences, four basic and essential elements should characterize a New Testament church. These four basic characteristics of the New Testament church are: 1) God-Focused Worship, 2) Biblical Community, 3) Expositional Teaching, and 4) Christ-like Ministry. The Worship of God Throughout Scripture, God called people to Himself and consistently commanded them to assemble before Him for the purpose of worshipping Him. God called a people to Himself through His instructions to Abraham (Genesis 12: 1-3), and since that time, God has expected His people to be a worshipping community who exclusively focuses on Him. Moses was commanded, "Gather the people to me, that I may let them hear my words, so that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children so" (Deuteronomy 4:10). The church at Colossae was instructed, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your heart to God" (Colossians 3:16), and the Christians in the church at Ephesus were reminded that they were to live their lives "to the praise of his glory" (Ephesians 1:12). In summary, God's expectation is that His people be singularly focused on Him. As Wayne Grudem has so clearly stated in his book, Systematic Theology, "In relationship to God the church's purpose is to worship Him."5 As the people of God, the church is first and foremost, a God-focused worshipping people. Having been redeemed by God, individual Christians are expected to meet with one another and worship their God. There is not a higher or more holy privilege and responsibility for the believer than to worship his great God. Other activities may abound through the life of the church. However, these additional activities must revolve around, be rooted in, and flow from its primary activity—the worship of God. Gallons of ink have been spilled and hours of conversations have taken place throughout the years concerning the subject of worship and the church. As the proliferation of books concerning worship attests, worship practices have become a most debated topic among Christians—especially over the last 25 years. (Worship by the Book, D.A. Carson; Worship Evangelism, Sally Morgenthaler; Give Praise to God: A Vision for Reforming Worship, Ryken, Thomas, and Duncan, eds.; Worship in Spirit and Truth and Contemporary Worship Music: A Biblical Defense, John Frame; Worship is a Verb and Worship Old and New, Robert Webber; Reaching Out Without Dumbing Down, Marva Dawn; True Worship, Don Hustad; Emerging Worship: Creating Worship Gatherings for New Generations, Dan Kimball, Dave Crowder and Sally Morgenthaler.) Moreover, heated discussions often erupt among well-intended church goers concerning particular approaches to worship practices, and some churches have actually broken fellowship over issues of worship styles. Such a focus on worship styles is misguided. Indeed, the objective of worship is not the manner in which worship is offered, but the One to Whom it is offered. Musical preferences and stylistic approaches related to worship practices certainly vary from individual to individual, but focusing on and appealing to human preferences inevitably turns attention away from the God who is to be worshipped, thereby placing undue consideration on the ones who are supposedly worshipping. While church goers invest time discussing, debating, arguing, and even clamoring over issues of worship style and music, it may very well be that many church goers in the modern American church are actually missing God in the midst of their rhetoric. Rather than looking to and experiencing the wonderful destination of worship—God—many church goers seem too obsessively focused on their preferred vehicles for travel. While tools are vitally important, we must remember that they are tools. Paintbrushes are usually necessary when painting, but the glory of the paintbrush is not the paintbrush—it is the painting. In his book, The Supremacy of God in Preaching, John Piper, pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, rises above current "worship wars" and tells a story from a particular Sunday morning service which illustrates the need and value of God-focused worship.
Piper's anecdote helps us to see that in the rush to be stylistically-based, relevance-focused and application-oriented, it may be that church leaders are missing the opportunity to simply hold forth humanity's greatest need—God. We should understand that in our corporate worship practices we are to be God-focused—honoring God and exalting his Son. Moreover, we must rest confidently that as we do so, God's Holy Spirit will minister to those gathered as He so chooses. The modern church must resist the temptation to focus on issues of personal desires concerning styles, practices, and preferences. Especially in our corporate worship practices, we must value substance over style, and we must ultimately seek to please God by exalting Christ rather than pacifying humanity. Our worship should be "in spirit and truth" (John 4:23). Our worship of God should be expressed in ways reflecting that we indeed love God with all our hearts (our emotions), all our souls (our wills), and all our minds (our thoughts) (Matthew 22:37), and our expressions (including the manner and style in which those expressions take place) should be authentic and genuine. From start to finish, our gatherings of corporate worship must be God-focused responses to God's revelation to us. For if God had not revealed himself to us, we would not know to worship him (Acts 2:42; Colossians 3:16; 1 Timothy 4:13). First Baptist Church will prioritize the worship of God. We will work diligently to ensure that our corporate worship practices are God-focused, Christ-centered, Bible-shaped, and Spirit-empowered. As church leaders, we will look to God for guidance as we think about and lead practices concerning our corporate worship. The People of God Our church is to be rooted in our common belief in and experiences with the risen Christ, Jesus the Son of God. Political persuasions, democratic ideals, common earthly interests, and social preferences are not what unite us. Economic statuses may vary and vocational objectives certainly differ among us. However, regardless of gender, ethnicity, nationality, or other earthly characteristics, we are the redeemed people of God—we are all one in Christ (Galatians 3:28-29). First Baptist Church will intentionally embody biblical community. As a local expression of Christ's body in Paducah, Kentucky, we will commit ourselves to being a body of Christian believers who are faithful to God, devoted and obedient to God's Word, actively concerned for one another, and intentionally engaged in ministry and missions both at home and throughout the world. Realizing that we are unlike any other organization, First Baptist Church will seek to be the people of God, operating according to God's revealed Will while seeking to be sensitive to His Holy Spirit. There is perhaps no better word to describe the New Testament church than "community." While the church does many things and is known for various activities, the church is foundationally a community of redeemed individuals who are committed to God and His commands. Some like to describe the church primarily in terms of processes and activities. However, we must first remember that we are the people of God and that our identity precedes our activity. Activity, whether realized or not, flows naturally from an understanding of identity. As mentioned earlier, Peter relates the importance of this relationship between identity and activity when he states, "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy" As a vibrant, biblical community, First Baptist Church stands as a tremendous witness to God and His work in the world. While each of us individually bears witness to Christ in our daily life, we also realize that a healthy, God-honoring biblical community is perhaps the most significant evangelistic tool in a society. When society looks upon a church that worships God and seeks to be obedient to Him in all areas of life, God is honored as attention is brought to Him. In addition, when differences are hard to find between modern society's church goers and non-church goers, the existence of a genuine biblical community is all the more essential. The church—a biblical community—is one that seeks to be a growing community of growing disciples. The primary hallmark of an individual believer and of the body of Christ is to be faithfulness. The church is made up of individual members who themselves are seeking to be faithful to the Lord's commands, particularly striving to be faithful to the command to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18). It is tempting to measure effectiveness in the church according to the material markers of success; and church growth is often evaluated solely according to numerical standards. However, from the beginning of the church's existence, it was obvious that God was the One who brought numerical growth to a body of believers when He so chose. After describing the biblical community of the early church (devotion to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, the breaking of bread and prayer, a sense of awe, the presence, of wonders and signs, the meeting of needs, gathering together, praising God, and enjoying the favor among people), Luke then mentions that "the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved" (Acts 2:47). The Scriptures clearly communicate that numerical church growth was a God-given by-product of an intentionally faithful church. Numerical growth is not something the church should pursue. Rather, the church is to pursue God and the things of God, trusting Him to bring about numerical growth within the context of His divine timing, should He so will. Understanding that God grows the church, however, does not minimize our responsibility related to evangelism. Understanding that "faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ" (Romans 10:17), we should be confident, intentional, and aggressive in our evangelistic efforts. As a community of redeemed individuals, each of us will deliberately strive to share the good news of the Gospel with others in our city, our nation, and our world. It may very well be that the modern church has been so focused on numerical growth that it has missed God and His Will in the process. Bigger and bigger church buildings are being built, larger and larger crowds are being gathered, and from external appearances, many churches seem to have experienced "successful church growth." However, rather than "successful," it is essential that we measure our life and work as the people of God in terms of "faithfulness." Certainly, if and when God chooses to bless a church with numerical growth, praise be to him. However, faithfulness must motivate our being and doing—not desires for earthly "success." Throughout my years at a Christian college, I counseled many college students who had once been involved in "growing," "dynamic," "exciting," and "successful" churches. These students were highly involved in their churches during their adolescent years. They attended worship gatherings, retreats, DiscipleNows, camps, mission trips, and the list goes on. However, after having left their "successful" churches to move to college, many of these students looked back and began to question their churches’ lack of "faithfulness" in light of the apparent "success." Moreover, some students had difficulty articulating even basic beliefs about God, Christ, salvation, and other foundational issues. In light of such perplexed (and some would say "lost") church members, one must question whether such "successful" churches were indeed "successful." For this reason, the church must hear and heed the Apostle Paul when he says, "Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ" (Colossians 1:28). Surely God is more interested in mature disciples than he is in a room packed full of immature (and perhaps unbelieving) church attenders. Rather than focusing on building a great church, it is essential that First Baptist Church pursue making great disciples through active obedience to the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:37-40) and the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). Building the church is not the church's responsibility. Building the church is Christ's work (Matthew 16:18-19), and we are privileged to be a part of it. The Word of God First Baptist Church will prioritize expositional teaching. The proclamation and understanding of God's Word will be a leading impetus in all our life and ministry. Understanding that our God speaks and that He has accomplished His work through His spoken Word, we will give attention and allegiance to His Word. We will continuously remember that faithfulness to the Word of God is equivalent to faithfulness to God. Realizing that Romans 10:17"Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ"—is the simply irreducible formula by which God works faith in the lives of humanity, we will commit ourselves to God's Word as we seek to shape our church community according to God's Word. As stated during the pastor search committee's introduction of me, I believe that the "Bible is God's recorded revelation of His character, redemptive work, and expectations." Moreover, we "are able to know Him and His Will because He has revealed Himself to us through His Word." Growth in grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ is expected of all believers (2 Peter 3:18), and the knowledge of God's Will is discerned as a result of a transformed mind (Romans 12:2). God has told us that His Will for us is that we be holy (1 Thessalonians 4:13), and that He will provide wisdom to those who ask (James 1:5-6). The Bible is the Word of God and is divine in its nature and purposes. The Psalmist describes the Word of God as perfect, sure, right, and pure (Psalm 19:7-8). In Psalm 119:11 the Psalmist speaks of the Word of God's inspired and authoritative nature by employing the image of a treasure which is hidden on a person's heart and which will discourage sinful practices. In verse 35 he describes God's commandments as "a delightful way in which one should walk." In Jeremiah 5:14 God depicts His Word as "a fire in the mouth of the preaching prophet." In 23:29 God asks, "Is not my word like fire" and "like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?" Ezekiel spoke God's Word which resulted in the noisy rattling of dead men's bones coming together, the covering of those bones with skin and the infilling of those bodies with God’s breath of life—all of which combined to form a massive army (Ezekiel 37). The Apostle Paul describes the gospel in Romans 1:16 as being the very power of God which is able to save those who believe. He also described God's Word as "sacred writings" and summarized the unique nature and purposes of God's Word by stating, "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:15-16). The writer of Hebrews calls the Word of God "living" and "active" and likens it to a sharp double-edged sword that is "discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12). And Peter sees the Word of God as nourishment which serves to mature a believer in his salvation. Jesus prayed specifically that God would sanctify his followers "in the truth; your word is truth" (John 17:17). The Word of God is to be foundational, central, and pervasive throughout the life and work of the church. Paul commanded the church at Colossae, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God" (Colossians 3:16). The essential nature of the Word of God is what has caused its proclamation to be considered a primary mark of the New Testament church (Acts 2:42) and the chief work of pastoral ministry (Acts 6:2; Baptists have been known characteristically as a "people of the Book." During the last three decades, the Southern Baptist Convention struggled to refocus and recommit itself to God's Word. It is now time to implement and continue practicing what many so vocally advocated for so many years. May the prophet Hosea's words never be able to be said about the people known as First Baptist Church, Paducah, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children" (Hosea 4:6). May we ever remember that God desires "steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings" (Hosea 6:6). The First Baptist train of worship, community, discipleship and ministry will run on the rails of God's Holy Word. We will honor Christ by living according to his Word, reading his Word, proclaiming his Word, and teaching his Word. We will be God-focused and Word-driven in our worship, our activities and our ongoing ministries, and we will pray that God's Spirit will empower our every effort. We will lead our families to build their homes on the foundation of God's Word (Deuteronomy 6:4-9, 20-25; Psalm 127:1; Matthew 7:24-27), and we will devote ourselves to God's Word (Acts 2:42) through the systematic, comprehensive, and corporate study and practice of God's Word. The Ministry of God Christ-like ministry will be a characteristic hallmark of First Baptist Church's identity and activity. Understanding who we are as the people of God, we will seek to be obedient to the commands of God as we realize that evangelism and ministry to others are essential components of our witness tothe world concerning our great God. While the Law and the Prophets hang on the command to love God, we will also remember that they hang simultaneously on the command to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40). In addition, we will be diligently mindful that our love, as it is seen and experienced by others, is the distinguishing characteristic of our identity as the people of God. For, as Jesus has told us, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:34-35). Holy Scripture is full of commands for God's people to love and minister to one another and others through acts of service. After appealing to the character of God, Moses commands the people of God to "love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt" (Deuteronomy 10:19). The Psalmist declares, "Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute" (Psalm 82:3). As God's people, we must realize that if our enemy is hungry, we are to "give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink" (Proverbs 25:21). Jesus modeled ministry throughout the Gospels as he cared for people, proclaimed the truth, and sacrificed himself for others. He commanded us to be concerned not only for fellow believers, but to be intentional in our ministry to all people, "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, 'Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven'" (Matthew 5:43-45). In addition, in his response to the sheep, Jesus links our eternal reward with our ministry to others when he states, "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me'" (Matthew 25:34-36). Other New Testament writers call the people of God to minister to others. Luke highlights the ministry of the early church throughout the book of Acts. The Apostle Paul commands us to ministry action throughout his writings (1 Corinthians 16:1-2; Galatians 6:9-10; Philippians 2:14-16; Colossians 3:12-14, 23-24; 1 Thessalonians 3:12; Titus 3:1-8). Hebrews 13:1-3 states, "Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body." We read in James 1:22-25, "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing." Christians are not merely believers in the Word. We are also doers of the Word. Peter commands us to love one another (1 Peter 1:22) and to understand that God has redeemed us so that we might "proclaim the excellencies of him" who called us (1 Peter 2:9). John calls us to the Christ-like ministry of love when he says, "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love" (1 John 4:7-8). In addition to commitment to the Great Commandment (loving God and loving others), First Baptist Church will be committed to Christ-like ministry through obedience to the Great Commission—"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" (Matthew 28:19-20). Of course, we will minister to the people of Paducah, Kentucky. However, we will also minister to the people of our nation and to peoples throughout the world, understanding that God is the God of all nations (Psalm 67). We will remember that God will one day gather to himself peoples from every nation, tribe, tongue, and language, and we will be ever mindful that in the end we will fully, physically, and finally see that Jesus indeed loves all the children of the world—"red, and yellow, black and white" (Matthew 9:36-38; Revelation 7:9-12). In all we do (God-Focused Worship, Biblical Community, Expositional Teaching, and Christ-like Ministry), our understanding of God and his desires will direct and drive our thinking, praying, strategizing, and acting. In our work, God and His glory will be the motivation of all our being and doing. May the blessings of God rest upon us, and may we boldly go forth, humbly confident of His mercy and grace, obedient to his Holy Word, passionately committed to the exaltation of Christ, and divinely empowered by His Holy Spirit—for the good of Paducah, Kentucky, and the world and for the glory of our great God. Soli Deo Gloria Notes: 1. George Barna, Revolution, February 2006, (Tyndale House Publishers) p. 31 2. Ibid at p. 32 3. Ibid at pp. 34-35 4. Ibid at p. 36 5. Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, January 1995, (Inter-Varsity Press and Zondervan) p. 867 6. John Piper, The Supremacy of God In Preaching, February 2004, (Baker Books) pp. 9-10 |
|
||||||||||||
 |
