The Great Commission: The Authority

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.

This week we begin a closer examination of the Great Commission.  We believe that church planting is an incredibly faithful method for following the Great Commission.  In fact, we feel that the Great Commission provides our biblical charge to plant churches all over the world.

Today we will look specifically at the authority statement that seems to ground what follows.  Jesus says, “All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me, go therefore...”

If the Commission grounds our church planting, what is quoted above grounds the Commission.  On the cross, Christ sealed the fate of his children.  Death is defeated and the grave has no claim on his children.  He secured, in the cross, the inheritance of nations.  For those enlisted in reaping the harvest, it is incredibly freeing to know that the battle has already been won.  There is no uncertainty about the success of our mission.  If we are faithful, we cannot fail.

Now, success can look many different ways.  Sometimes there is great fruit from the outset.  In such situations, it is easy to take heart and stay committed to the work.  In some cases, like that of William Carey, there can be years of toil with no converts.  Carey was persistent and eventually began to see great fruit from his labor (and is even considered the father of the modern missions movement).

We can take heart that the one who has authority has given us our marching orders and that, in his time, his goals will be accomplished.  Our task is to be faithful to what he has called us to.  And when the task is difficult, we can gather comfort from the last line of the commission.  The One with the authority is with us.  He’s provided us with the Spirit to help us a long and he’s given us a mission that cannot be thwarted.

May we strive to faithfully fulfill the great commission by the authority of the Son.

Soli Deo Gloria

The Work of a Planter: Multiply

Our ministry is called neighbors to nations because that is our goal.  We believe that one biblically faithful church is a great thing, but we know that it is going to take many more than one to reach the lost for Christ.  We are committed at Norris Ferry to help believers develop into leaders and then, when the Lord wills, send them out to reach a new community.  It’s tough to lose some of your best folks, but the mission is worth the sadness as those who feel the call depart to take the light of Christ further into the darkness of a lost and dying world.  

I’m a seminary grad and my seminary’s “fight song” (I realize how dorky this must sound) was Soldier of Christ in Truth Arrayed by Basil Manley, Jr. (one of the all-time great names in SBC life).  It really encapsulates the mission of the Church and the unity that we have, even as we part ways for the sake of the Gospel:

Soldiers of Christ, in truth arrayed,
A world in ruins needs your aid:
A world by sin destroyed and dead;
A world for which the Savior bled.

His Gospel to the lost proclaim,
Good news for all in Jesus’ Name;
Let light upon the darkness break
That sinners from their death may wake.

Morning and evening sow the seed,
God’s grace the effort shall succeed.
Seedtimes of tears have oft been found
With sheaves of joy and plenty crowned.

We meet to part, but part to meet
When earthly labors are complete,
To join in yet more blest employ,
In an eternal world of joy.

That’s it.  That’s our mission.  We invest in each other and strive to become more like Christ so that we may reflect who He is to the world.  We preach the Gospel.  We pour our lives into our brothers and sisters in Christ.  We support with sweat, money, and prayer those who seek to establish Gospel communities in places of need.  Ultimately, the work of a planter is incomplete if he is not teaching someone else how to do what he has done...and then working like crazy to support those whom he sends out.  Our prayer is that those we send out will send out more.  And the glory of the Lord will be spread as we faithfully proclaim the Truth.  And we know that as we send folks out, we aren’t losing brothers and sisters, but gaining new ones as they reach the lost for Christ.

Soli Deo Gloria

The Work of a Planter: Make Disciples

This is the Great Commission: make disciples.  Disciples are made in the context of biblical community which is why we are not content to shoot down to NOLA, preach the gospel, then leave.  We believe, firmly, that our most important work is to establish a biblical community for those who trust in Christ so that they may grow up in their faith.

1 Peter 2:2- Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.

So, what is this work of the discipleship?  It is certainly more than academic knowledge of doctrine.  I know a number of atheist who are very academically acquainted with my faith.  Some of them know the text of Scripture better than I do (that’s a confession...a shameful one), but they are no more disciples than I am an NFL quarterback.  On the other hand, discipleship is not less than learning, in an academic sense, the text, tenants, and doctrines of the faith.  We know this because one of the chief roles of an elder is to be able to instruct in right doctrine.

Titus 1:9- He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.

It is not less than understanding doctrine, but what more is it?  I think we get a hint in Hebrews 10 (one of my favorite passages).  Hebrews 10:24-25 reads, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”  The call to make disciples is a call to invest relationally in someones life.  The act of encouragement, regular encouragement, is an act of friendship, concern, and commitment.  It is truly a pouring into, sacrificially, for the sake of those we are discipling and, more importantly, for the Kingdom and our King.

I see instruction and relational investment (which includes encouragement, accountability, prayer, and a number of other things) as two vital pillars of biblical discipleship.  In the Great Commission, Jesus doesn’t just say to baptize them.  He doesn’t just say to teach them.  He says to baptize them and teach them to observe all that He has taught us.  Both components are clearly present in the New Testament.

May we strive to invest our lives into the lives of the people of God so that His character is accurately displayed to the nations.

Soli Deo Gloria


PS: I wanted to clearly state that growth is a gift of the Spirit and no discipleship is possible apart from His power.  I didn't address that directly in the post, so I wanted to add it here.

The Work of a Planter: Invite to Biblical Community

If we are correct that the Christian life is meant to be lived in community, the culmination of the missional work of a church planter is to involve the previously unreached in a biblical community.  This is what sets the church planting movement apart from some previous missionary strategies.  We are not seeking only to present the Gospel, though that is a worthy and vital task.  We are not seeking only to lead the lost in a sinner’s prayer, though that is a worthy task.  The goal of a church planter is to present the Gospel to the lost, walk them through the ramifications of the Gospel and their response, AND get those who trust in Christ involved in a biblically faithful community.

Initially, this assembled community may explore the basics of the faith in a more thorough and in-depth way.  At NFCC, we work through Mark Dever’s What is a Healthy Church?.  This is a great resource as it makes plain the essentials of biblical community.  A tool like this is very effective in a more “churched” culture, like Shreveport.  In a less churched culture, Greg Gilbert’s What is the Gospel? is a great resource.  There are a number of resources that will help a planter to present a basic understanding of biblical theology.  The goal is to set forth clearly what the biblical community stands upon (biblical truth) so that those who have interest understand what it means to covenant with other believers in a biblical community.

Once established, the biblical community begins to grow together as they seek the Lord and desire to accurately reflect His character to those within their spheres of influence.  We seek to have an Acts 2 community: 

And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

(Acts 2:42-47 ESV)

As we strive to be faithful to the Great Commission, may we commit ourselves to the concept of biblical community as the method displayed in the New Testament to growing the Kingdom, its subjects,  and, ultimately, accomplishing the mission of God here on earth.

Soli Deo Gloria

The Importance of Community

We have taken a slight detour on our road to a plant (or the work of a planter) to discuss some key issues of the faith.  Last week we discussed theological triage and this week we will discuss the importance of community.  This will segway well  into our next work of a planter topic: invite to a biblical community. 

There was a time in our country’s history when you “needed” to be a member of a local church in able to be a successful member of society.  As we showed in the Justification for Church Planting entry, at one point, there was one church for every 400 or so people in the US.  If you wanted your business to be successful, it was likely that you would plug into a local church to make connections with business partners as well as potential clients.  This, of course, is not the point of the local body and is certainly “cultural” Christianity at its zenith.

Since that time, there has been an overwhelming secularization of our society.  What used to happen primarily at the local church could now take place at the ball field or at yoga or at the country club.  There very well may be some incredibly GOOD things about the disappearance of cultural Christianity in the US.  To quote Amisho Baraka, “I could loose more chains if they new they were slaves.”  But there has also been a pulling away and decreased awareness of the importance of the local body.  

Contemporary Christianity can be very individualistic.  Our personal relationship with Christ is paramount (as it should be), but the mechanism of the local church is not highly valued.  What is lost in this individualistic Christianity is what we have been saved to.  We are incredibly familiar with what we’ve been saved from: damnation, separation from God, and a hopeless existence.  But, what have we been saved to?

When we are united with Christ, we are united with his body the Church.  The Church is the means that God has chosen to display his glory to the nations.  On top of that, the church is also the means of our growth in godliness.  Hebrews 10:19-27 says:

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. (Hebrews 10:19-27 ESV)

Because of our salvation, we may draw near to God and to each other.  We are called to stir one another up to love and good works.  That is the essence of community.  We covenant to strive toward the great goal of godliness together because we know that the more accurately we reflect the character of God to the watching world, the more likely it is that they will see our good works and glorify our father in heaven.  We must play our part of making Philippians 2 a reality: 

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,  so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:1-10 ESV)

This is the sacrificial love by which all men will know that we are his disciples.  It is a  love that is clearly displayed in the context of community.

May we strive, together, toward godliness.

Soli Deo Gloria