March 6, 2024

A week ago Sunday (two days before the Michigan Primary election) a couple of students from a University in Macon, GA visited our church for our morning service. They were part of a group of 35 students who came to the Detroit area to mix with the community in order to get a gauge of the political climate. A couple of our members talked with them after the service and could tell that these students were a bit perplexed because there was really nothing said in the service that was “political.”

Truth be told, the entire service was very political, but just not the way that most people understand. The story of the Bible is the story of the coming Kingdom of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the King and his people are his happy subjects. The local church is an embassy of this Kingdom and an outpost for it. Our mission is to be a people who together represent, reflect and spread the borders of the Kingdom, by preaching the gospel, building churches and therefore, seeing more and more people made citizens of the Jesus Nation (the real Kingdom).

We care about the kingdom of man that we currently live in, but it is not our ultimate home, nor our ultimate priority. Therefore, we have to guard against the tendency of allowing anything to distract us from the ultimate mission. What exactly is that mission?

Jesus established the mission for the church in his marching orders to the disciples in Matthew 28.19-20a. Our mission is to, “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.” The mission of making disciples of people from every people group (nations = ethnicity) is to be carried out by local churches. Acts makes it very clear that the New Testament plan of God centers on the life of a local church and that the New Testament people of God are members of a local church. That is why Romans was written to a local church as was 1 and 2 Corinthians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians. In fact, the culmination of the Bible is the book of Revelation which was written “…to the seven churches that are in Asia.” (Revelation 1:4)

Local churches are the vehicle that God has established, ordained and called to advance the mission of the Kingdom of Jesus to bring the gospel to every tribe, language and nation. We do that by sending, preaching and establishing churches so that believers can grow in the gospel greenhouse that God created.

When we ask one another, “How was church today?” or “How’s church going?” We are tempted to answer based on how we are feeling about it at the moment, or if it looks full, if people sing well, if the ministries are organized, staffed and smooth, if the sermons are decent, if the bills are paid, etc. But there are deeper and better ways to answer that. Are we actually moving the gospel football toward the endzone of every tribe, language and nation having a church where disciples are being formed and other people are hearing? The stadium may be full, the uniforms may look cool, the marching band half-time show may be fabulous, but are we moving the football?

Do you see it now? The book of Revelation was written to 7 churches (many of whom had lost sight of the mission) because our mission is God’s mission. That mission is to have embassies (churches) in every nation, amongst every people. Our life together as a church is bound to this aim. Jesus is worth a beautiful bride because his church is to display the glory of the King.

Jesus shall reign where’er the sun

does its successive journeys run;
his kingdom spread from shore to shore,
till moons shall wax and wane no more.

Grace and peace,

Bob

Sunday’s text:  Luke 4:14-30