The Missional Question. Knowing, Loving, and Engaging Your City. Missional Considerations: Knowing, Loving, and Engaging Your City

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1 The Missional Question Knowing, Loving, and Engaging Your City What is the nature of the gospel of the Kingdom and how is it lived out in Miami? Missional Considerations: the nature of the gospel the mission of God the rule of the Kingdom the purpose of the church the agenda & contextualization of the church in the world the glorification of God Knowing, Loving, and Engaging Your City -The Nature of the Gospel What is the Gospel? The gospel is the good news that God, who is more holy than we can imagine, looked upon with compassion, people, who are more sinful than we would possibly admit, and sent Jesus into history to establish his Kingdom and reconcile people and the world to himself. Jesus, whose love is more extravagant than we can measure, came to sacrificially die for us so that, by His death and resurrection, 1

2 we might gain through His grace what the Bible defines as new and eternal life-- responding through a life of repentance, faith, and gospelcentered, Spirit-directed living in a community. Knowing, Loving, and Engaging Your City -The Mission of God Rooted in God s nature Trinitarian Redeeming and recreating Knowing, Loving, and Engaging Your City -The Rule of the Kingdom We Didn t See It Coming Gospel of Matthew Matthew 3:1-2 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Wilderness of Judea and saying, Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near! 2

3 Matthew 4:14-17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, along the sea road, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles! The people who live in darkness have seen a great light, and for those living in the shadowland of death, light has dawned. From then on Jesus began to preach, Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near! Matthew 4:23-25 Jesus was going all over Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. Then the news about Him spread throughout Syria. So they brought to Him all those who were afflicted, those suffering from various diseases and intense pains, the demon-possessed, the epileptics, and the paralytics. And He healed them. Large crowds followed Him from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan. 3

4 Matthew 9:35 Then Jesus went to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness. 1. They Knew a King Was Coming Isaiah 9:6-7 For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on His shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. The dominion will be vast, and its prosperity will never end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from now on and forever. The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will accomplish this. 2. But They Misunderstood Its Nature 4

5 Acts 1:6-8 So when they had come together, they asked Him, Lord, at this time are You restoring the kingdom to Israel? He said to them, It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by His own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. What is the Kingdom? a. It is a Spiritual Kingdom John 18:33-37 Then Pilate went back into the headquarters, summoned Jesus, and said to Him, Are You the King of the Jews? 5

6 Jesus answered, Are you asking this on your own, or have others told you about Me? I m not a Jew, am I? Pilate replied. Your own nation and the chief priests handed You over to me. What have You done? My kingdom is not of this world, said Jesus. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I wouldn t be handed over to the Jews. As it is, My kingdom does not have its origin here. You are a king then? Pilate asked. You say that I m a king, Jesus replied. I was born for this, and I have come into the world for this: to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice. b. It is a Present Kingdom Matthew 10:7 As you go, announce this: The kingdom of heaven has come near. Luke 17:20-21 Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God will come, He answered them, The kingdom of God is not coming with something observable; no one will say, Look here! or There! For you see, the kingdom of God is among you. 6

7 c. It is a Kingdom to Come Matthew 6:9-13 Therefore, you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, Your name be honored as holy. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Revelation 7:16 [N]o longer will they hunger; no longer will they thirst; no longer will the sun strike them, or any heat. 3. The Church is a Sign and Instrument of the Kingdom 2 Corinthians 5:20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ; certain that God is appealing through us, we plead on Christ s behalf, Be reconciled to God. 7

8 Inaugurated = to cause to begin Eschatology = The study of last things The Purpose of the Church Inaugurated eschatology A tool Central, but not center Empowered, not disempowered Minimalist, but not reductionist, ecclesiology Both the best and worst of evangelical ecclesiology are rooted in the passionate evangelical commitment to mission. This engenders flexibility that contributes significantly to the accusation that evangelicals do not have an ecclesiology. We do but our ecclesiology is so flexible that it is difficult at times to identify an effective one. p.70, The community of the Word; toward an evangelical ecclesiology Mark Husbands and Daniel J. Treier, editor. InterVarsity Press,

9 Good Necessary Dangerous Flexible ecclesiology The strength of evangelicalism is its willingness to adapt its practices to the demands of Christian mission. The weakness is its willingness to neglect our identity within the people of God. An improvisational ecclesiology recognizes the demands of adaptation and faithfulness, committing us to both. We must learn properly to confess in word and deed that the church is one, holy, catholic and apostolic. But what those marks mean in particular times and places requires discernment under the guidance of the Spirit. Contend: Jude 1:3 I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. The community of the Word, p. 71. Contextualize: 1 Corinthians 9:22-23 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. The church is not the center of God s plan, but it is centralto the plan of God. 9

10 Ephesians 3:10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms (italics mine). Ephesians 3:10 And later on, in the same chapter, we read that God has put His glory on display in the church; to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus both now and forever. Amen. (3:21) The mission of the church Is to fulfill the mission of God By being an agent of the Kingdom of God By joining in the mission of the Son of God. And proclaiming the Gospel of God. If the church matters, how we do church matters as well. Knowing, Loving, and Engaging Your City -the agenda & contextualization of the church in the world it is easy to be missionminded but not missional 10

11 a missional church is a church that is on mission in its setting The Agenda Jesus mission is our mission. Jesus mission is our mission. John 20:21 Matthew 28:18-20 Luke 24:46-48 Acts 1:8 To serve: Luke 4:18-19 (HCSB) The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim freedom to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord s favor. Great Commandment Mark 12:30-31 (HCSB) Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. Great Commandment The second is: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these. 11

12 To save: Luke 19:10 Luke 19:10 (HCSB) For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost. Great Commission Matthew 28:18-20 (HCSB) Then Jesus came near and said to them, All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, Great Commission baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. The Contextualization obstacles tradition 12

13 indigenous technique what is an indigenous church? a church that is biblically faithful in the context where God has placed it Three Mission Strategists Rufus Anderson Henry Venn John Nevius Nevius' principles of missions: Each Christian should continue in occupation and neighborhood. Backed three-self but took exception to the paying of nationals Missions should only establish institutions Koreans could support Korean church should call out its own leaders Churches should be built in native style with national funds Church leaders should regularly gather for Bible and doctrinal study 13

14 contextualization [is] a delicate enterprise if ever there was one... the evangelist and mission strategist stand on a razor s edge, aware that to fall off on either side has terrible consequences... fall to the right and you end in obscurantism, so attached to your conventional ways of practicing and teaching the faith that you veil its truth and power from those who are trying to see it through very different eyes. slip to the left and you tumble into syncretism, so vulnerable to the impact of paganism in its multiplicity of forms that you compromise the uniqueness of Christ and concoct another gospel which is not a gospel. Dean S. Gilliland, ed., The Word Among Us (Dallas: Word Publishing, 1989), vii. biblically faithful culturally relevant counterculture community for the Kingdom of God A missional church is a church that is on mission in its setting a missional church is a church that is thinking in missionary ways 14

15 a missional church is thinking about how can it engage the culture with the gospel a missional church discovers how to inhabit and transform the culture with the gospel love or despise the culture hughes scale We want biblical church in Quadrant B: a high view of scripture and a deep connection in culture a commitment to biblical authority should lead to cultural relevance 15

16 what is an indigenous church? we need to think theologically, biblically, and missiologically a church that is biblically faithful in the context where God has placed it a missional engagement a church remains faithful to the gospel and simultaneously seeks to contextualize the gospel (to the degree it can) so the gospel engages the worldview of its hearers. we need to ask What is most biblical? What is most appropriate in this context? A Missional Learning Process Learning Process 1 Calling from God 16

17 Learning Process 2 Exegeting The Community Learning Process 3 Examining ways God is working in similar communities Learning Process 4 Finding God s unique vision for your church Learning Process 5 Adjusting that vision as you learn the context Knowing, Loving, and Engaging Your City -The Glorification of God missio Dei Jesus Christ is the embodiment of that mission; the Holy Spirit is the power of that mission; the church is the instrument of that mission; and the culture is the context in which that mission occurs. Wilbert R. Shenk, Mis si on St rat eg ie s, in To war dt he 21 st Ce ntu r y inch r is ti an Mis sion, ed. James M. Philips and RobertT.Coote (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publis hing Co., 1993),

18 missio Dei Jesus Christ is the embodiment of that mission; missio Dei the Holy Spirit is the power of that mission; missio Dei the church is the instrument of that mission; missio Dei and the culture is the context in which that mission occurs. missio Dei and that mission is undertaking so that men and women from every tongue, tribe, and nation might give God His due glory. we are learning to ask the question... wherever we may be wherever we may serve 18

19 The Missional Question What is the nature of the gospel of the Kingdom and how is it lived out in Miami? 19