"COME ON IN AND JOIN US"

“COME ON IN AND JOIN US”

 

Some people think of ‘church’ as a place of religious rituals. To them it a place where sermons are preached, hymns are sung, weddings are conducted, funerals formalised, and babies are dedicated or ‘christened’. But I want to help people to reimagine what ‘church’ actually is intended to be in our day. To do this I want to introduce the biblical concept of the table. We all use tables. We use a table to display a vase of flowers. We use a table to put cups of coffee or tea on. We use a table to do our homework. We use a table to put beautifully large photo books on. And we use a table for our family members and guests to come together around and enjoy a meal. But then, there is the way that the Bible speaks of the table and if more people could realise the significance what this means, it would dramatically effect how they think about church. To begin to understand this we need to start in the Old Testament and begin to realise that “the table” was the means a person received status. Thus, we begin our survey of the Bible by looking at the incredibly unlikely promotion of Mephibosheth in one of the most beautiful stories in the Bible.

The new king, David, had previously formed a covenant with the son of the previous king, Jonathan, that if anything untoward should happen to him that David would take care of his family (1Sam 20:12-15). After Jonathan had been killed in battle, David sought to honour his vow to Jonathan. An enquiry was made as to whether there was indeed any family members of Jonathan’s family whom David should care for. The answer came that there was indeed someone: Mephibosheth. King David then summoned the former royal servant, Ziba, who bore responsibility to care for the orphaned son of Jonathan (and grandson of the late king Saul).

¶ Then the king called Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him,
“All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s grandson.
And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce,
that your master’s grandson may have bread to eat.
But Mephibosheth your master’s grandson shall always eat at my table.”
Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. Then Ziba said to the king,
“According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so will your servant do.”
So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table, like one of the king’s sons.
And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica.
And all who lived in Ziba’s house became Mephibosheth’s servants.
So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate always at the king’s table.
Now he was lame in both his feet.
Second Samuel 9:9-13

Mephibosheth was a cripple who could offer nothing to king David – yet David granted him the right to “always eat at the king’s table”. This right gave Mephibosheth royal privileges and royal status. This story of Mephibosheth is a picture of what God has done for each of us. We were all ‘spiritually crippled’ when God in His grace reached out to each of us and saved us, adopted us, and made us joint-heirs with our heavenly brother, the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:17). We now, like Mephibosheth, have been granted access to The King’s Table. The apostle Paul, in writing to the Corinthians, described this as the table of the Lord and told the Corinthian believers that this demanded their whole-hearted allegiance (this is why he told them that it was not possible to partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons) –

You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons.
You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.
First Corinthians 10:21

Many believers refer to the table of Lord as if it means holy Communion in the same way that the Lord’s Supper does (1Cor. 11:20). But we must come to see that when God invited us to ‘the table of the Lord’ it was a statement of His acceptance of us and His adoption of us as His royal sons and daughters! Just like Mephibosheth who was taken out of his desperate plight and given access to the King’s Table which totally changed his status, the LORD has taken us out of our desperate plight and granted us unimpeded access to the King of Kings’ Table! This is quite unlike the royal banquets of our modern era in which kings and queens would hold invite honoured guests to occasional dinners. But what king David did for Mephibosheth – and what GOD has done for us – is not merely occasional, it is a permanent invitation to join the king every day for dinner! Turning up at the king’s table for this daily meal was a statement on behalf of the invited guest of their acceptance of the king’s offer of adoption. To not turn up each day required an explanation to be given to the king lest it appeared to be seen as a rejection of the king’s offer (1Sam 20:24-29). Thus, when we assemble each Sunday we are coming to the Lord’s Table as His children to partake of the meal that He has provided for us – including the Lord’s Supper  and the serving of the ‘Bread of Life’ (John 6:35, 48) as the Word of God is sung, preached and taught (Rom. 16:25; 1Cor. 15:1).  

Our gathering as a church is like a gathering together for ‘a meal’. But it is as if we are hosting a meal in which everyone is invited. Perhaps it is not everyone’s usual experience to have a total stranger turn up unannounced at their home at dinner time who then expects to be seated at your dinner table and fed! But, this should be the usual experience of every healthy local church – including ours. We should not just expect that first-time visitors will turn up at our church, but we should also expect that such people will be welcomed to our ‘dining table’ church service and made to feel welcomed. Therefore, those who are welcoming people as they come through the front doors of our church are helping to set an enormously important welcome-culture! Then, our auditorium-greeters are also reinforcing this welcoming culture as people move into our auditorium.

Each Saturday we use social media to invite people from all kinds of backgrounds to join us at our Sunday ‘dining table’ church service. This is because we want everyone to feel welcome at our church as we meet together each Sunday together and in various homes throughout the week. 

It is when a family and their guests gather for a dinner and are seated around the dinner table that they talk, share their stories, reflect on their highlights and lowlights, pray, pray for each other, and discuss important and not so important things. Thus, the dining table is a gathering point where there is laughter, enjoyment, sympathy, music, food and celebration. 

God settles the solitary in a home;
He leads out the prisoners with singing,
but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.
Psalm 68:6

There is a significant difference between a house and a home. A house is just a building. A home is where a person or people belong. As more and more people experience disconnection and loneliness, it is my hope that together we can be a family that some people don’t ordinarily enjoy. And it is my hope that we can be a home for many people who even though they have a place to live – they don’t have a home. The Psalmist declared that God settles the lonely in a home (Psa. 68:6).

In Him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
Ephesians 2:22

Make yourself at home and… What comes after this invitation is a request to help with the dinner. This might include setting the table, putting condiments on the table, taking the meals to the table, clearing the table, washing the dishes, and offering drinks. Make yourself at home and join in by helping. The more people join in and help, that more people we can welcome to take a seat our ‘dining table’. 

The New Testament Church is often depicted as the place where ‘the table of the Lord’ is located. Thus, the Bible describes the Church as made up of those people who have been legally admitted to the Table of the Lord where they come together to serve one another, enjoy a soul-nourishing meal, and be ready to make room for one more person to join them at the dinner table. This is why we invite everyone to come in and join us. 

Pastor at Large,

Andrew

Let me know what you think below in the comment section and feel free to share this someone who might benefit from this Pastor’s Desk.

ENGAGING IN GOD’S MISSION for the Church

 ENGAGING IN GOD’S MISSION for the Church

When you get to know God you come to realise that when John said God is love (1Jn 4:8, 16) – not, ‘God is loving’ – that God actually loves those He has created as His family (Eph. 3:14-15)! His love for His family is incomprehensible (Eph. 3:17-19). Considering this, we can see that when You are love, Your willingness to entrust others (whether they be heavenly or earthly) is a risk You’re ready to take. And take it GOD has. Within the 39 books of the Old Testament we read of the dramatic story of how GOD entrusted certain members of His heavenly family with divine mission to assist His earthly image bearers – and yet some of these more powerful heavenly members (who were also members of ‘the Divine Council’ referred to Psalm 82:1 and 89:7) chose to rebel and corrupted humankind. Yet GOD entrusted a man (Abraham) and his family-line who became a clan then a tribe which became twelve tribes which became a nation which became a kingdom (Acts 7:2-53). But GOD entrusted these people with a much bigger purpose. They were all called by GOD to carry out a mission. GOD’s mission for these people, Israel, was for them to be so close to Him that they delighted in His love, His presence and His Commands (Exo. 19:7), so that all of the other surrounding nations would long to also enjoy knowing and loving GOD just as Israel did (Isa. 42:6; 60:3). The union of GOD with Israel was to be like a marriage (Ezek. 16:8).

He says:“It is too light a thing that you should be My servant
to raise up the tribes of Jacob
and to bring back the preserved of Israel;
I will make you as a light for the nations,
that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
Isaiah 49:6

But despite GOD entrusting the ‘patriarchs’ of Israel – Abraham, Isaac and Jacob’s descendants with this mission, they too rebelled. Their rebellion was depicted by the prophets as adultery and harlotry (Isa. 1:21; Jer. 2:20; Ezek. 16:15; Hos. 1:2). Yet, despite this grievous betrayal of those whom GOD loved as they rejected Him and His love, GOD declared through the prophet Hosea that –

¶ Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea,
which cannot be measured or numbered. And in the place where it was said to them,
“You are not My people,” it shall be said to them, “Children of the living God.”
Hosea 1:10

And in Paul’s letter to the Romans he refers to this prophecy by Hosea (and another by Isaiah) and says that this has now been fulfilled by those who have accepted Christ and become members of His Church – including both Jews and Gentiles –

As indeed He says in Hosea,“Those who were not My people I will call ‘My people,’
and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’”
“And in the very place where it was said to them,
‘You are not My people,’there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’”
¶ And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel:
“Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea,
only a remnant of them will be saved.
Romans 9:25-27

After Christ had atoned for our sins as our Substitute, He commissioned His New Covenant disciples to take up the abandoned mission that had originally been given to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — to be the light of the world (which He had already mentioned in Matt. 5:14) and to take the gospel into all the world and make disciples of all nations (just as ancient Israel was to do). But each of the four Gospel writers emphasize a different aspect of this Great Commission.

The Gospel of Matthew
A Teaching – Discipling Mission

“…teaching them to observe
all that I have commanded…”

And Jesus came and said to them,
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.
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.
And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20

The Gospel of Mark
An Evangelistic Mission

“…proclaim the gospel to the
whole creation…”

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons;
they will speak in new tongues;
they will pick up serpents with their hands;
and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them;
they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”.
And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Mark 16:15-18

The Gospel of Luke
A Prophetic Mission

“…and that repentance for the forgiveness
of sins should be proclaimed in His Name
to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem…”

And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself…
¶ Then He said to them, “These are My words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about
Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”  Then He opened their minds to understand
the Scriptures,  and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead,
and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of My Father upon you.
But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
Luke 24:27, 44-49

The Gospel of John
A Pastoral Mission

“…Feed My lambs…
Tend My Sheep…
Feed My Sheep…”

¶ When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter,“Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?”
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love You.” He said to him,
“Feed My lambs.” He said to him a second time,
“Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He said to Him,
“Yes, Lord; you know that I love You.” He said to him,
“Tend My sheep.”  He said to him the third time,
“Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time,
“Do you love Me?” and he said to him, “Lord, You know everything; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him,
“Feed My sheep.”
John 21:15-17

GOD’S MISSION FOR THE CHURCH

Often we hear preachers who seem to suggest that Christ has only given Christians a very narrow mission (or purpose). I hope that what I have just drawn out of each Gospel’s closing commission from Christ, that Christians — or, I should more accurately say the Church — has been given a much broader mission than just “Go and evangelise!”

 

THE TEACHING MISSION

Matthew tells us that part of our mission is to teach. This mission is carried out in different ways depending on (i) the relationships involved, (ii) the context of the meeting, (iii) the ages of those being taught, and (iv) the content of what is being taught. For example, the relationship of a parent and child involves the parent teaching their young child or children the stories of the Bible over the dinner table / in the car on the way somewhere / as they take a walk together / or, as they holiday together. If their child or children are older (primary and high school age) the same contexts apply, but the parent also teaches their child or children to self-feed their soul through modelling and teaching them how to pray and deal with life’s problems prayerfully, and to model and teach them how to read and study the Bible. Parents are also responsible to teach their child or children how to worship privately and in church, fellowship with other church members, and to confidently share their faith in Christ. The ministries of a church supplement this parental mission – which is why the gatherings of a church take place corporately (all together) on a Sunday, and in small groups through the week, to further equip believers of all ages through teaching. It’s also why those who are teachers – particularly in Christian schools – are also ministering to young learners as a part of the Church’s mission.

 

THE EVANGELISTIC MISSION

Mark’s Gospel describes the Church’s mission as evangelistic which can be confirmed with supernatural evidences. This suggests that there is a strong role for prayer as we seek God to move in the hearts of non-believers with appropriate miraculous signs to confirm the gospel to those we are seeking to reach. Once again, the first mission field that parents have is their own child or children. Our evangelism is not merely an event, but a journey — even for parents with their child or children — which is why our evangelistic mission does not end with someone “praying a ‘sinner’s prayer’ (even our own child or children). One of the, if not the, most effective ways we can evangelise is to introduce a non-believer to a community of believers (your family, your church family, social gatherings of Christians such as: men’s breakfasts, women’s dinner parties, youth group outings, fishing trips, board games mornings, etc). Thus, our evangelism is not “one size fits all”. Evangelism can be our witness to one other person, such as, one person sharing Christ over coffee with another person.

Our evangelism can also be invitational (inviting someone to church or an outreach event). We cannot escape that Christ’s mission for the Church involves evangelism – with the aim of leading a lost sinner to the forgiveness of sins that can only come through accepting Christ as their Saviour. You do not need to be an evangelist to participate in evangelism. We can pray for God to use us in helping others to come to know Christ. We can also pray for others to be more effective in their evangelism.

And I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective
for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.
Philemon 6

 

THE PROPHETIC MISSION

Luke’s Gospel describes an aspect of the Church’s mission as prophetic. He refers to Christ commissioning His disciples to call people to repentance. This is what prophets did. Some people believe that we cannot call non-Christians to obey God. But Jesus did. Jesus also told His disciples in Matthew’s version of the Great Commission to “make disciples of all nations” and to “teach them to observe all that I have commanded” – and our prophetic mission involves confronting cultural ideas that are untrue, wrong, and dangerous. These ideas are promoted through the arts, media, celebrities, activists, and politicians. Our prophetic mission can be carried out each Sunday from our pulpit, in the school yard through the week, in the tea room at work, on the shop floor, or catching up with friends for coffee. I trust that you realise by ‘prophetic’ we are not suggesting that we to make predictions, rather we are calling people to repent and to surrender to Christ and accept His Word.

Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me,
“You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers
who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.”
For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
Revelation 19:10

 

THE PASTORAL MISSION

As I shared last Sunday, John’s Gospel concludes with Christ charging Simon-Peter to pastor Christ’s lambs and sheep. I suggested that this is recorded in John’s Gospel for our benefit as church leaders to appreciate that our divine mission is not just teaching, or evangelism, or to be prophetic, but to also pastor. Just as Jesus charged Peter to feed lambs, we too must care for our young and our young Christians. When Jesus told Peter to tend My sheep, we too must tend to people pastorally by encouraging and comforting them through life’s trials and triumphs. When Jesus called Simon-Peter to feed My sheep, He would have meant that Peter was to teach people how to not just know God’s Word – but how to apply God’s Word to their lives. We also must spiritually feed and nourish those who belong to Christ so that they too know how to apply God’s Word. Pastoring demands living as an example for others to follow. This example reflects each of the aspects of Christ’s mission for His people. That is, pastors must be able to teach, evangelise (2Tim. 4:5), be prophetic by calling people to repent and obey Christ, and to lead people into a close knowledge of and fellowship with God and His Word. We want to be a church that pastors well.

 

ENGAGING IN GOD’S MISSION FOR OUR CHURCH INVOLVES YOU AND YOUR GIFTS

Each of these broad categories of God’s mission for the church invites you to participate with your brothers and sisters as we do so together. Our church needs more teachers, more evangelists, more prophets, and more shepherds, in order for us to fulfil Christ’s mission. At the right time, Jesus will return. And when He does, He will have ensured that all of those His Father has predestined to be in His family will have been gathered. It amazes me that GOD has entrusted us – His earthly family – with such an important mission. But unlike ancient Israel under their Old Covenant, He has entrusted to us His abiding presence and power through the sending of the Holy Spirit. But even more amazing than this is the realisation that He has done so because He unconditionally loves us (Rom. 5:8) – and has enabled us to experience His love in a way that we can share it with with our world – which, quite frankly, could do with the knowledge and experience of some infinite, unconditional love at this time!

I urge you therefore to be a missionary and join with us in prayer, support, and service as we strive together to carry out this mission. It is my hope that our church will be a glimpse of what the fulfilled mission described in Revelation 7:9-10 looks like – 

¶ After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation,
from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb,
clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice,
“Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
Revelation 7:9-10

Pastor at Large,

Andrew

Let me know what you think below in the comment section and feel free to share this someone who might benefit from this Pastor’s Desk.