THE STARTING PLACE FOR OUR MISSION
I never felt a need to construct a mission statement, since Jesus left us one: make disciples (Matt. 28.20). Jesus even included two subpoints: baptize them and teach them to observe what I commanded you (Matt 28.20-21). The problem isn’t the mission statement but carrying it out given the changes in the world since the time Jesus issued the command.
First, Jesus, being Jewish, was immersed in a culture colored by the Old Testament. That world of the Old Testament was tribal and primitive with customs, traditions, and laws that seem strange to us. But Jesus’ teaching assumes and builds on the Old Testament. You must understand, to some extent the Old Testament that molded His context if you want to understand Him.
Next, Jesus’ Jewish context was nestled snugly within Greek culture and Roman society. To understand the New Testament – Jesus’ commands and the teaching of His apostles – requires some level of understanding of the Graeco-Roman world and its customs as well.
History wound its way from the apostles down to our own day in which Christianity has reached around the world. In the process, the Christian faith has evolved many branches with varied practices based on differing interpretations of Jesus’ teaching in different cultures. Understanding something about those developments in church history is also helpful in determining how to faithfully carry out Jesus’ mission.
Finally, our scientific and technological advances have led to radical shifts in the way we think about and do things today. Our world is in many ways very different from the world in Jesus’ day. Those differences cannot help but complicate discovering a proper application of Jesus’ commands to our own lives.
If we are going to make disciples, we must understand Jesus’ teaching, and if we are to understand Jesus’ teaching, we must understand to some extent the things that I’ve noted above.
At least someone had better understand.
That’s what I believe a big part of pastoral ministry is about. I’ve invested my life, first in acquiring the tools to help me understand these things, and then practicing that application through preaching, teaching, counseling, and the administration and development of our congregation.
While the life of a church certainly involves (and requires) other things, I believe churches in which pastors get lazy about understanding the biblical message end up compromising the truth and very often their people end up following something that may not be the teaching of Jesus.
First, Jesus, being Jewish, was immersed in a culture colored by the Old Testament. That world of the Old Testament was tribal and primitive with customs, traditions, and laws that seem strange to us. But Jesus’ teaching assumes and builds on the Old Testament. You must understand, to some extent the Old Testament that molded His context if you want to understand Him.
Next, Jesus’ Jewish context was nestled snugly within Greek culture and Roman society. To understand the New Testament – Jesus’ commands and the teaching of His apostles – requires some level of understanding of the Graeco-Roman world and its customs as well.
History wound its way from the apostles down to our own day in which Christianity has reached around the world. In the process, the Christian faith has evolved many branches with varied practices based on differing interpretations of Jesus’ teaching in different cultures. Understanding something about those developments in church history is also helpful in determining how to faithfully carry out Jesus’ mission.
Finally, our scientific and technological advances have led to radical shifts in the way we think about and do things today. Our world is in many ways very different from the world in Jesus’ day. Those differences cannot help but complicate discovering a proper application of Jesus’ commands to our own lives.
If we are going to make disciples, we must understand Jesus’ teaching, and if we are to understand Jesus’ teaching, we must understand to some extent the things that I’ve noted above.
At least someone had better understand.
That’s what I believe a big part of pastoral ministry is about. I’ve invested my life, first in acquiring the tools to help me understand these things, and then practicing that application through preaching, teaching, counseling, and the administration and development of our congregation.
While the life of a church certainly involves (and requires) other things, I believe churches in which pastors get lazy about understanding the biblical message end up compromising the truth and very often their people end up following something that may not be the teaching of Jesus.