Christ's Community on Christ's Mission (Part 3)

“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” (Ecc 4.9-12)

Why do we try to serve Christ on our own? There are, no doubt, more reasons, but let me suggest a few (which I’ve found in myself). 

1. Perhaps I am seeking some personal recognition, whether from God or man, rather than the profit of the body; I want to be the hero others look up to, rather than the unseen servant of others. 
2. Perhaps the Lord has given me a burden to do some good work which I see being neglected by others; and rather than doing the slower & harder task of getting others to serve with me, I take the quicker & easier road of serving alone. 
3. Perhaps I don’t think others could or would do as good a job as myself, so I fail to trust God to teach, grow, fill with the Spirit, empower & use them, and I neglect to pray for, encourage, train & make use of them. 
4. Perhaps I find it hard working with others because I think I have all the best ideas, and am unwilling to listen to others or submit to their ideas & aid in their work. 

The end result is a whole lot of different body parts running around separately, trying to be whole bodies individually. There goes an eye. Here comes a nose. 

Serving Christ is not limited to preachers, teachers & “missionaries.” Rather, we are all slaves of Christ, freed by his love from our old bondage, so that we might serve him (2Co 5.14,15). Each child of God is necessary & each gift of the Spirit useful for Christ’s mission. Men AND women (Rom 16.1,2). Children (Jn 6.9). Business- & tradesmen & women able to travel & ply their trade (Rom 16.3; cf. Acts 18.2,3). Laborers (Eph 4.28). People who can write (Rom 16.22). Wealthy landowners (Acts 4.34-37). Dignitaries & other influencial people (17.4,12; 16.14,15). Poor widows & other people who can’t afford to help (Luke 21.1-4; 2Co 8.1-5). Seamstresses (Acts 9.36-42). Slaves (Col 4.9; cf. Phm). Masters (Phm 1.1,2). Servants of governments (Php 4.22). Homeowners (Acts 18.7-11) and renters (28.30,31). The list could go on. In short, ordinary people empowered by the Spirit doing ordinary things for the advance of the name of Christ, that is, any—no, every—one of us. Ordinary people taking dominion over & bringing ordinary life under submission to the lordship of Christ, whom God has set over all things. All who do so are “co-laborers in the truth” (3Jn 8). 

Thus, there is the need for every effort on the measure of every part of the body of Christ toward the fulfillment of the Great Commission, bringing God’s salvation to every people group. And in that work, there is the need of every believer lending every gift of the Spirit, who was given to empower us to this same end (Acts 1.8), in order that God may be glorified. Not ME doing what God has called ME personally to do, and maybe convince some others to help ME do it. Rather, US working TOGETHER to accomplish what God has called US to do. That is Christ’s community on Christ’s mission. Let’s go!

Christ's Community on Christ's Mission (Part 2)

“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” (Ecc 4.9-12)

Nevertheless, my tendency is still to try to serve alone (i.e., without other people, though I wouldn’t think of trying to without the Spirit). This is where a couple of dear brothers have been very helpful in showing me. It is easy for some of us to run ahead alone, rather than slowing down to make sure others are coming with us & laboring with us. I’m sure there’s sin in it for me sometimes, romanticizing my situation as if I’m standing alone like a prophet of old with no support, not even from God’s people. However, we are not called to labor as individuals, but as a body.

This truth should be so clear to us, which shows how insidious a blindness it is. Here are a few examples which make it so plain.

1. The Great Commission was not given to individual disciples, but to them all as a group: “When you [plural, i.e., together] go, you [pl. again] make disciples..., you [pl.] baptizing them..., you [yep, pl. again] teaching them.” (Mt 28.18-20) Nor did Christ intend this merely for those Apostles, but that believers thenceforth would labor together with them to accomplish this great end.
2. Jesus taught us to pray together for his kingdom to come (Mt 6.9-13). “Our Father..., your kingdom come...” In the Lord’s Prayer, all of the pronouns regarding the petitioners are “our” & “us”.
3. “WE” are made ambassadors on behalf of Christ (2Co 5.18-21). Again, notice all the we’s & us’s.
4. When Jesus sent out his disciples to broadcast the Gospel throughout the villages in the region, he sent them in pairs (Mk 6.7).
5. On the Day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was abundantly given, all who were gathered began proclaiming together the Gospel in languages they hadn’t previously known (Acts 2.4).
6. Peter didn’t go alone to Cornelius’ home, but with 6 others, though apparently only Peter preached (Acts 11.12).
7. When the Spirit calls missionaries from the Church in (Syrian) Antioch, he calls two, Barnabas & Paul. And then it is not they who go by themselves, but the church (or at least all of the elders) together sent them. “The Holy Spirit said, ‘You [pl.] set apart for me Barn. & Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ Then after fasting & praying THEY [i.e., together] laid their hands on them and sent THEM [together].” (13.1-3) Both they who sent & those who were sent did so as a team.
8. Paul was rarely alone, preferring companions & co-laborers for mutual encouragement and that he might train them to advance the mission beyond his own capacity. (Acts 11.25-30; 16.16-34; 19.29; 20.33-35; Rom 16.1-9, 21-23; Php 2.25-30; 4.3; Col 4.7-14; 1Th 2.1-13; Phm 1,24) It is clear that the Apostle Paul was not a lone worker simply led by the Spirit, but part of a team together led by the Spirit, working together, praying together, and making decisions together (1Th 3.1-11), both as a group (Acts 16.9,10) & with others (15.2,3,22; 21.18-26). Sometimes they even disagreed (15.32-41); and, though splitting with Barnabas, still Paul did not go alone.
9. We enter the labors of those who precede us, and join with them in the work (Jn 4.34-38). God works through many to accomplish his work: sometimes working together (1Co 16.15-18), and sometimes consecutively (1Co 3.3-11).

to be continued...

Christ's Community on Christ's Mission (Part 1)

“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” (Ecc 4.9-12)

A friend once remarked to me, when visiting after completing boot camp in the military, that the hardest lesson he had to learn was that he was no longer responsible merely for himself to make sure he had completed the tasks personally assigned to him. Now he was responsible for his whole company to make sure that they all had completed the tasks assigned to the company. He was no longer a lone man, but part of a body, working together for a common goal.

I had similar epiphanies when the Lord showed me that salvation is not all about me. Yes, I knew (in theory, at least) that our salvation is “soli Deo gloria,” for God’s glory alone. However, I was blind to some important truths. 

1. I’m not alone, but God has saved others, too; and he didn’t save me merely for my own good, but that I might serve his body. Our physical hand does not serve itself alone, but feeds, protects, washes, nurses, and scratches the whole body. (In fact, it’s very hard for one hand to do anything for itself; and of course it can do nothing if separated from the body.) This is Christ’s community. 
2. And I’m not alone, but there is a world full of my brothers & sisters (by nature) who are still under the curse; and God did not inundate me with his grace in Christ for merely my own personal blessing, but that the super-abundance of his blessing might overflow me to reach “all families of the earth” (Genesis 12.1-3). And all of this is to the end that God in Christ is known, loved & worshipped. This is Christ’s mission. 

Salvation is not Jesus-and-ME-together-forever, but Jesus-took-US-to-be-his-bride.

to be continued...