The objective of this lesson: to increase our understanding of the importance of the congregation and its leadership having the same "big picture" of what they are trying to do. Each congregation must have a sense of direction. Not just "any" sense of direction is adequate. Their vision of the congregation's direction needs to be God's vision for His people.
A core question every congregation in Christ needs to ask and answer is this: "What are we trying to do?" The question can be asked in a number of ways: "What is our reason for existing?" "What is our purpose?" "What is our objective?" "Where are we going?" "What is our goal?" "What do we want to accomplish?"
It is a part of being godly for a congregation to have God's sense of direction and purpose as a congregation. Please remember that a congregation is a group of Christians, not a building, not a street address, and not a piece of land. What it owns is no more than a set of tools to be used in accomplishing God's purposes. What it owns should never define what a congregation is nor the congregation's purposes. What a congregation seeks to be is always greater than what it owns.
God did not send Jesus to this world with "no objective and no purpose" in mind. Jesus came for a specific reason to accomplish a specific mission to enable a specific eternal objective to occur. If we are to be God's people, we need to commit ourselves to God's purposes.
Spiritual existence involves two considerations like the two sides of a single coin. Spiritually, each of us is an individual, and each of us is part of a community. The individual does not act in a manner to destroy the community of Christians (Romans 14:13 and 1 Corinthians 8:13), nor does the community function in a manner that destroys the individual (1 Corinthians 8:1-11 and Romans 14:3, 4). People should be able to see God's influence on us as a person, and God's influence on us as a group who trusts God through Christ.
The relationship that exists between Christians seeks to be as personal as a believer's relationship with his or her Savior.
No matter how the question is asked, the basic concept in the congregation's answer and in the leadership's answer must be the same. If a congregation and its leadership are in basic disagreement concerning the objective of the group, many forms of disaster can and likely will happen. The end result is a tearing apart instead of a working together. A congregation can answer the question of what it is trying to do in a number of ways. In the congregation's answer is seen its vision for its future. That vision must be God's vision.
There can be and likely will be differences of opinions or disagreements on the best means to pursue and accomplish a godly objective. However, there must be a basic agreement on what the objective is. If attitudes are not from God in differences or disagreements on means, Satan will successfully exploit those differences or disagreements so that energies and commitment are wasted. If there is no agreement on the basic objective, Satan will exploit the congregation to the congregation's destruction. Satan's objective remains unchanged and clear--to render a congregation ineffective or hurtful. He will use any means necessary to achieve his objective.
Answer # 1: "There is no reason for existing." We just "are." We do no expect to enhance God's purposes by our existence. We do not expect to diminish God's purposes by being here. Just to say there is a congregation in this place is enough for us. We did not know there was "a reason" for Christians to exist or for congregations to exist. "A vision for existing" must be unbiblical because we have never considered that concept.
When a congregation has no reason for existing, it becomes (1) ineffective, (2) impersonal, and (3) selfish. It exists, but it is of no threat to Satan and his influence.
Answer # 2: "We are dedicated to maintaining a presence as the church." Is "maintaining a presence" all? How is that presence maintained--by having a building or a building and a preacher? Are there no dreams or goals for this group of Christians beyond "maintaining a presence"? Is "maintaining a presence" a biblical reason for a congregation existing? Is that the congregation's concept and measure of success--just "keeping the doors open" in a geographical place? For how long? How will people who are not Christian know Christians exist in this place?
Too many congregations in our society have adopted this as the reason for existing. Since they cannot do what larger groups can do, they are convinced they can do nothing. They define themselves by simply saying, "We are here." They see themselves as being "here" to meet the temporary needs of Christians who visit their area.
Sometimes smaller groups can (1) develop a closeness that encourages individual Christians, and (2) provide individual Christians with tools and encouragement to let their faith grow. That definitely contributes to pursuing the objective.
Answer # 3: "We exist to provide us and the people in our area 'hell insurance for judgment.'" Is that God's purpose for the existence of a congregation? Does a congregation exist to promote human objectives? Do Christians define their purpose only in negative or defensive terms that are self-centered instead of God-centered? Is God's purpose to be defined in what we do not want to happen, or in what God did in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ? Do we exist as a group in a place to teach people how to keep one foot in ungodly rebellion and one foot in godly compliance? Is it enough to do "the essentials" in order to escape divine condemnation? Is Christianity nothing more than an impersonal association to avoid God's retribution?
Congregations do not pursue God's objectives (1) by focusing on the mistakes of others [it takes more than knowing what is wrong with others to understand what is right {godly}], and (2) by focusing exclusively on "the essentials" [read Hebrews 6:1-8].
Answer # 4: "We exist to impress our brotherhood." We want other Christians to be impressed with our facilities, our size, our dedication, our programs, and "who we are." Is "what we do and who we are" about us and our reputation or about God and His reputation? Do we help people to enhance our reputation or to enhance God's reputation? Do we show compassion to people because we respect God or because we wish to further ourselves? How do Jesus' statements in Matthew 5:16 and 6:1 apply to us? Or the statement in 1 Peter 2:12? Or Paul's statement in Romans 12:21? Do we do godly things to honor God or ourselves?
This is a very subtle but deadly deceit. Christians do godly things for the wrong reasons. If we are not thoughtful, we do godly things to impress others with us, not with God. Pay careful attention to the scriptural references given. It is not enough to do godly things. Godly acts must be performed for godly reasons. God looks at the motivation as well as the act.
Answer # 5: "We exist to defend doctrinal viewpoints." Compassion is secondary to doctrinal positions, as is mercy, grace, or anything else that might be regarded as tolerance for what we declare to be error. The foundation question is not, "How do you live as one who honors God?" but, "Where do you stand on doctrinal issues?" Consistency with doctrine instead of consistency with Jesus' life is the foundation of faithfulness. We were created in Christ Jesus to defend doctrines more than to exhibit a godly lifestyle. Is that the emphasis in Ephesians 4:17-32, or Colossians 3:1-11, or Romans 12?
Jesus almost never engaged in doctrinal discussions. When he did, often (in context) it was a discussion forced on him by religious leaders. When he spoke to people, he usually focused on motives, duplicating the characteristics of God in human behavior, or treating people as you would treat the Christ or God the Father. Spiritual effectiveness is not found in knowing, but in knowing and doing (see Matthew 7:24-27). Spiritual effectiveness is not found in knowledge that exists to condemn ignorance (carefully think about 1 Corinthians 8:1-7).
Answer # 6: "We exist to engage in successful evangelism." The objective is to baptize. Our concern is not the existence of the group in 25 years or the next generation. While we surely hope the initial people who were baptized will perpetuate the church in their area, whether they do or not is not our responsibility. We baptize, then we go somewhere else and baptize. The spiritual stabilization of believers is not a part of our definition of evangelism; therefore we feel no obligation to spiritually stabilize an area. Our mission is to go baptize. If we cannot report recent baptisms, we are not fulfilling our mission.
Part of the book of Acts states what people did when they became Christians (part of one book). The epistles focus in numerous ways on physical existence when one is a Christian. Multiple baptisms without stabilization in Christ frequently produce disaster (consider 2 Peter 2:20-22 and Hebrews 10:26-31). Spiritual infants are not born into Christ to be abandoned. Paul often left or sent a traveling companion to check on the newly converted. A part of evangelism is spiritual stabilization.
The following is offered for your thought and consideration. In the gospel of Matthew, a common emphasis Jesus used regarding his God-given mission was centered in the coming of the kingdom. By the writer's count (NAS), Matthew used "kingdom of heaven" 32 times, "kingdom" 6 times, "kingdom of God" 5 times, "his kingdom" 2 times, "kingdom of the Father" 2 times, and "your kingdom" 1 time. Mark used "kingdom of God" 14 times, "kingdom" 2 times, and "kingdom of David" 1 time. Luke used "kingdom of God" 31 times, "kingdom" 7 times, "your kingdom" 2 times, "his kingdom" 1 time, and "my kingdom" 1 time. John used "kingdom of God" 2 times, "kingdom" 1 time, and "my kingdom" 1 time. The greater majority of the usages are by Jesus in reference to his mission.
God's rule (more than control) of people's hearts expressed in the acts of their bodies is a prominent part of God's objective in this world of good and evil (read 1 Corinthians 6:18-20). Faith is a matter of willing submission, not a matter of abuse; a matter of willful surrender to a reality higher than the physical, not a matter of grudgingly accepting the force of a superior power. It is always a matter of faith instead of a matter of compliance.
Much discussion can focus on the different phrasing in the usage of "kingdom" (kingdom of heaven, kingdom of God, kingdom, my/yours/his/the Father's kingdom). The basic concept is the anticipated coming of a promised kingdom. Jesus associated that coming with repentance and presents it as gospel (good news) to those who will receive his presentation. The emphasis is not on a geographical territory, but on a people.
The proper discussion should begin with the audience intended by the writing. Paul acknowledged that not all people could be approached in the same manner (1 Corinthians 9:19-23). The gospels were written to different people, some Jews and some gentiles, who had different sensitivities. Those sensitivities would be honored so that needless offense would not obscure Jesus Christ. If you wish to see the differences in approaching a Jewish audience and a gentile audience, consider Acts 2:22-36 and Acts 17:22-31. The first begins by focusing on Jesus being the Christ as verified by prophecy. The second begins by focusing on God's character.
The concept (to us) is best understood in the concept of the restoration of God's rule in people. That rule was destroyed when people allowed evil to become a powerful part of creation. When the people of the first century, through faith in Jesus being God's promised Christ, accepted Jesus as the Christ, they committed to being God's new creation (see Ephesians 4:20-24; Colossians 3:1-11; Romans 12:1, 2). Christian vision is the vision (commitment) to encourage God's rule to be universal in people's lives, beginning by allowing God to rule us so that we are devoted to God's values and purposes.
The focus should be on God's rule with an understanding of what it means for God to rule us. The troubles our world experiences result from the fact that God the Father and Creator does not rule the hearts of people.
Perhaps the biblical vision is God's rule in people's lives that begins by allowing God to rule us.
Minimum, the church's vision must include God's rule.
For Thought and Discussion
"What are we trying to do? What is our objective?"
The six are:
Define what many mean by each of those.
The discussion should include that the "kingdom" was frequently associated with Jesus' mission.
The discussion should include a basic understanding that God is presented as the source of this world and life. The objective of becoming a Christian is restoring God to His rightful rule of my life.
Link to Student Guide
Lesson 11