Monday, October 21, 2013

Our Mission

Here are my notes from Sunday's message about our Mission Statement as a church.  Feel free to check it out and comments welcome:

Pleasant View Baptist Church exists…
To know, love, and glorify God and be used by Him to help unchurched people become fully devoted, fruitful followers of Jesus Christ and to help create churches and other ministries that do the same.

To know God is to grow in a faith relationship with him that is kept vibrant by fresh interaction with God through spiritual activities in both individual and group settings.  Some of these activities would include prayer, Bible reading, Bible study, meditation, fasting, worship, giving, and service.
1 John 5:11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us-- whatever we ask-- we know that we have what we asked of him. 16 If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death. 18 We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him. 19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. 20 We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true-- even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

To love God certainly involves obedience to his commands. Some large scope directives include but are not limited to the following:
John 14:23 Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. 25 "All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

The great mandate is to fill and subdue creation.  We are God’s junior managers and his representatives that are to make the most of this creation in order to please God. This involves creating industries, agriculture, science, art, ecology, government and culture that responsibly represent God (His Glory). (see Gen. 1:27-28)

The Great Commandment is to love God with all our heart (desires and decisions), mind (thought processes, and soul (outcome of our life force).  And love our neighbors (that is everyone else) as we love ourselves. (see Matt. 22:37-40, Deut 6:5, Lev. 19:18)

The Great Commission: make disciples of Jesus throughout all the world and train them to obey the commands of Jesus. (see Matt. 28:18-20, Acts 1:8)

And glorify God.  The Great Objective: it is the will of God that everything be done to glory Him. (1 Cor. 10:31)
All that is to be accomplished by the mission is for reputation of God to expand.  The cultural mandate is possible because we are his redeemed representatives, not independent agents.  We love because we have first been loved by God.  The commission is based on the promise that Jesus has ultimate authority and will be with us as we seek to accomplish the mission of God.

And be used by Him.  We are at his disposal. This states that we are not the primary agents of action.  We are instruments or tools in the hand of God who is responsible for awakening people to his love and purposes.  We work for God and receive our power and direction from Him in accomplishing the mission.
Luke 17:7 "Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'? 8 Would he not rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'? 9 Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 10 So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'"

To help unchurched people.  The unchurched group is the slice of the population that will be our target and focus.  We are here to help.  We are here to be used by God.  We are not here to manipulate, force, or damage the people who are not yet part of God’s church.  We are here to help them discover God’s love and purpose for their lives.

Matthew 9:10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples.  11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" 12 On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

Become fully devoted, fruitful followers of Jesus Christ.  The mission is not complete until these unchurched people become not just members or decided (saved) but disciples of the Jesus way.  The Jesus way is to know, love and glorify God.  The goal of the mission is an ever-increasing group of people who know, love, and glorify God.
See John 15

And to help create ministries and churches that do the same.  Part of the mission is to be helpers and cooperate with ministries that are on the same mission with us.  The Great Commission directs our church reach to go beyond our immediate community in order to help make disciples of Jesus in other people groups around the world.  We therefore with cooperate with churches and ministries to participate in this mission of God to all people.


See Acts 13  about  being set apart and sending out. 

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