Fm - Session 11

church

The Church A Community Designed to Transform the World

Session 11

worship and prayer

10 minutes

• Sing 2-3 Worship Songs (project songs on PowerPoint) • Pray out loud for the course and for God to reveal himself through it and have each student pray for his or her neighbor at the same time that God may reveal himself and his purposes in a deeper way, give vision and renewed passion for his work on earth to be done.

review of previous session Ask students to summarize the most important points of the last session. xx minutes

group activity: homework review

xx minutes

I’d like us to first review part of your homework and application exercise for this week. I asked you first to read the quote by Dr. Linthicum, reflect on it, and then think of one specific way in which you would put the insights from this quote into practice this past week. At this point I’d like you to get together with the other members of your group to share what exactly you did. Divide students into pairs of two and have them share their experiences with one another. Do not make comments until all students’ answers have been shared. For your homework I also asked you to read the article “e Purpose of the Church”, answer the reflection questions in the article, and to come prepared to share your findings with the group. e article left you with the following questions… • Why does your Church exist? Does your Church know its purpose and mission? • What drives your Church? Do any of the driving forces described in the article characterize your Church? • What activities does your Church spend most time doing? Is there anything you think needs to change? How did you answer these questions? (Project the first set of questions on PowerPoint and facilitate a dialog with them as they seek to answer the questions).

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plenary exercise 1: pictures of the church1

xx minutes

To begin today’s session I’d like us to do an exercise. ere are many images of the church in the Bible and in people’s minds. Each image carries different expectations of the pastor and of the mission of the church. Write the following list of pictures of the church on your white board or project a PowerPoint slide: Army, Body, Building, Business, Castle, Clinic, Colony, Communications Center, Community, Embassy, Expeditionary force, Family, Halfway house, Herald, Lifeboat, Lighthouse, Migrant group, Mission, People, Priesthood, Retreat Center, Sacrament, School, Servant, Team, Training Center… Ask each participant to select two words, which most represent church to them. Make a count of which words received most votes and ask then ask participants these questions: • • • •

What sort of environment does it suggest? What view of the gospel does it suggest? What is the role of the church member? What is the role of the minister/pastor?

(Example: ey might pick the word clinic. In that case, they may regard their society, and perhaps the church members, as sick. e gospel is healing medicine. Are church members the patients or the healers? Is the minister the only healer? ey can study the other words from the list which appeal to them.)

lecture: introduction: what is the purpose of the church?

xx minutes

Having seen different pictures of the church, let’s look at a text from the prophet Jeremiah, which I think is very relevant to answer this question. e verses are from a letter which Jeremiah wrote to the Jewish exiles in Babylon – the capital city of the empire that had conquered Israel and destroyed Jerusalem and its temple. is letter can be found in Jeremiah 29. Read Jeremiah 29:4-7 (see PowerPoint). In a profound sense, like the Israelites in Babylon, we as the Church too are in exile in the city in which we live. Being sent as exiles into this city we have been called to be ambassadors for Shalom in this city. Jeremiah

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even explains how we are to be ambassadors in the city to which we have been exiled. 1. One, we are to be God’s presence in our city. We are not to create a Christian Ghetto, as Jeremiah exhorted the Jewish exiles not to build a Jewish Ghetto. Jeremiah encourages us to enter into the life of the city: get a job, buy and sell, become economically active, get to know your neighbors, marry and start families. Be! So the first task of the church is to be God’s presence in the city – not an alien force that invades the city to quickly return again behind the secure four walls of ‘Fortress Church’. 2. Second, we are to seek the Shalom of our city. We are to actively work for the Shalom of the city; engage in the public and social life of the city and see to it that its systems and structures start to exhibit more of God’s vision of Shalom – religion of relationship, politics of justice, economics of equity – so that there may be no poor among you and so that the hurting will be heard. It’s not just enough to just live and work and go about your everyday business. You have to be actively involved in seeking the city’s Shalom, for in the city’s Shalom you will find your Shalom. You will never find Shalom in Mexico City unless you work for Shalom in Mexico City. 3. irdly, we are to pray for our city. at includes praying for people you’re in relationship with. But it goes beyond it. Pray for the leadership, the political structures and those in economic leadership, so that they will be pressing for justice and equity, since their decisions can have an impact on millions of people.2 Pray also for growing civic participation so that civil society can become a recognizable power that is taken seriously by political and economic leaders.

plenary exercise 2: the purposes of the church

xx minutes

Now that we have seen the overarching purpose of the church – namely to seek the Shalom of the city, which will bring glory to God – let’s go a little more in depth regarding the purposes God ordained his church to fulfill. ere are different people who have said different things about the purposes of the church. Some say the church has five overriding purposes, others limit it to three, while still others talk about ten and more distinct purposes. In what follows I suggest eight purposes, which I believe well summarize if not expand on the findings from these different theologians and church practitioners. Like in the first session, draw a simple sketch of a church on a whiteboard. e church should be drawn fairly large so that there is room to write inside it. Ask the participants: “What is the mission and purpose of the Church?” Inside the church, (ask for a volunteer from among the participants to do this) write the

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answers that have to do with changing individuals or helping the church to grow. Outside the church, write in a few words the answers that have to do with changing the community and society that are outside the church. Make sure that at the end of the exercise all eight purposes of the church are listed on the whiteboard: 1. Praise & Worship – Love the Lord with all your heart 2. Prayer & Intercession – Exercise your dominion for God’s will to be done on earth 3. Teaching & Equipping – And teach them to obey everything that I have commanded you 4. Reconciliation & Community – You are my body 5. Incarnation & Presence – Be my hands and feet 6. Evangelism & Mission – Go and make disciples 7. Service & Social Action – Love your neighbor as yourself 8. Justice & Advocacy – Seek justice, defend the cause of the weak

scripture study / dramatization: the purpose of the church

xx minutes

Have two participants read out loud the first two sections (Introduction; Perspective 1) of the article “A Biblical Balance – Purpose-Driven Churches.” Have them then turn to the Scripture Study “e Purpose of the Church”. In the following Scripture Study, we’ll look more in depth at each of these eight purposes. Each group should answer the following questions: • • • •

Why does the church exist? What are we to be as a church? What are we to do as a church? How are we to do it?

Divide students into eight groups. If the class is small, have each student represent one group, or divide participants into four groups, each of which should study two purposes. Have each group then read their assigned scripture verses and answer the aforementioned questions. ey should also read the paragraph describing the purpose they studied in the article “A Biblical Balance – Purpose-Driven Churches”. Once they’re done, they should prepare a short dramatization or paint a picture that must demonstrate the purpose they were studying. Walk around and listen to groups. Have groups select a representative to report their findings to the entire class and then have the entire group do the dramatization or explain the picture they painted.

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Make sure that the following points are addressed. If necessary, add the following insights after having students from each group report their findings, and ask a couple of follow-up questions to draw out the following answers: Group 1 - Purpose 1: Praise & Worship – Love the Lord with all your heart Worship means, literally, acknowledging the worth of something or someone. It means recognizing and saying that someone or something is worthy of praise. It means celebrating the worth of someone or something far superior to oneself.3 It is very interesting to note in these passages that the purpose of God’s people was to worship him and lead others into his worship – a worship that praised his deeds and proclaimed his goodness. e worshipers worship was to witness to God’s glory (Ps. 57:9), and should involve their entire lives. In worship and through their participation in a worshiping community they were to be spiritually transformed… Peter in fact establishes worship as one of the church’s primary purposes (1 Peter 2:4-5). “As you come to him, the living stone – rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him – you also are built into a spiritual house…” For what purpose? “To be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” In Verse 9 he is even more insistent. “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God….” Again, for what purpose? “at you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” In worship, the worshiper turns his or her thoughts from the darkness of this world – the suffering, oppression, frustration, anger, injustice etc. – to the source of all Good – God. e worship service of the assembled congregation is to be an environment in which people are given permission to come near to, interact with, show themselves vulnerable and get to know God. A place and time, in which they allow God to serve and change their perceptions of him, of the world, as well as them. A place and time, in which they can make themselves known to him (including their praise, grief, joy, sins, etc…). Worship is not meant to be just a mystical experience without consequences on life. In Romans 12:1-2 Paul pleads with us not to remain conformers, but to become transformers. As we give our body, mind and will to God in true worship, our character and personalities are shaped, our relationships transformed and community formed. is transformation also has societal effects. In our encounter with God we enter into a genuine, wholehearted and infectious love-relationship and accordingly cannot but witness and serve. In other words: our evangelism, our service, and our social transformation efforts are driven by our worship of the loving, merciful and just God. Group 2 - Purpose 2: Prayer & Intercession – Pray for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven

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A careful biblical study of God’s dealing with humankind and the earth reveals that he did nothing on earth without the cooperation of a person. Every action taken by God in the earth realm required the involvement of a human being. To rescue humankind in the Flood, he needed Noah. For the creation of a nation, He needed Abraham. To lead the nation of Israel, he needed Moses. To bring back Israel from captivity he needed Daniel and Nehemiah. To defeat the Midianites, he needed Gideon. For the preservation of the Hebrews from genocide, he needed Esther. For the salvation of humankind, the restoration of the earth and the defeat of the powers of evil, he needed to become a human himself, a Second Adam. What does this insight have to do with prayer? John Wesley once said, “God does nothing but in answer to prayer.”4 He backed up his conviction by devoting two hours daily to that exercise. Prayer it seems, then, not an option for humankind but a necessity. rough prayer we cooperate with God to accomplish his will on earth. If we don’t pray and allow ourselves to be used by God, heaven cannot interfere in earth’s affairs. It is imperative that we take responsibility for the earth and determine what happens here by our prayer lives.5 at’s why Jesus taught his disciples to pray: “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” In heaven, God’s will, laws, and ordinances are completely obeyed by those who inhabit it. On earth, God’s will is not fully obeyed, but his kingdom advances on earth as his will is done.6 Praying in this way will advance God’s kingdom on earth. In fact, heaven needs you to give it license to impact earth. You can make a difference and change the course of history if you will just understand the purpose and power of prayer.7 Since God has given humanity authority over the earth, he requires the permission or authorization of humankind in order to act on the earth. is is why, when we stop praying, we allow God’s purposes for the world to be hindered. ese truths are crucial for effective prayer. We need to ask God to intervene in human affairs. If we don’t, our world will be susceptible to the influence of Satan and sin. God will ultimately bring his purposes to pass in the world – with or without our cooperation. If you do not pray, he will eventually find someone who will agree with his plans. However, when you neglect to pray, you are failing to fulfill your role in his purposes.8 Prayer not only has meaning but it is the only solution when we are faced with natural, social or spiritual problems which are beyond human wisdom and strength, because prayer releases the power of God. It is necessary that we stand in the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit, because the battle between good and evil ultimately is supernatural.9 In Ephesians 1:15-23, Paul admonishes us to spend time in prayer to get God’s heart for the city and nation, to understand more of his power. In summary, God’s people are not to take lightly the privilege given to the church to pray for the city and nation. is is prayer which is not to be focused upon the Christian nor upon the church only, but upon the totality of that city, in all its economic, political, judicial, social and spiritual dimensions. Only such intentional praying will reach the city/

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nation and change the church. It is only upon the bedrock of the intentional praying of God’s people that a city/nation can be built “whose architect and builder is God” (Heb 11:10).10 Group 3 - Purpose 3: Teaching & Equipping – And teach them to obey everything that I have commanded you In Ephesians 4:11-16 Paul presents the single most important principle of successful ministry. It is the principle upon which Paul built his entire ministry. It is a principle which, when consistently applied, has always had a transforming impact upon a church’s ministry. Paul points out that in every church there are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers11 e primary task of the church’s apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers is to equip Christians so that those Christians can undertake the church’s work of ministry, and this shared labor will build up the body of Christ and extend the Kingdom of God. e leaders are to prepare Christians for public life.12 rough worship, prayer, study of Scripture, instruction, training and pastoral support, these leaders are to equip Christians to be engaged in society, since to change cities and nations it will take every Christian living out their Christianity every day in practical and concrete ways.13 Now the crucial question we must ask is this: “Why has Christ appointed some people in every church to function in these capacities?” Paul responds, “[Christ did this] to prepare God’s people for works of service”. In other words, ministers are resources that the Spirit gives to the church to enable it to participate in God’s mission.14 is is the single most important principle for effective ministry. What the passage tells us it that the church is not meant to be a shelter or a meeting place primarily; it is meant to be a training school, a seminary, an institute!15 A shelter is a place where people come to escape the cold, the pain, and the discomfort of city life. ough the church ought to provide encouragement, the church is not a shelter.16 As a training school, according to Paul, the church is meant to be a training ground, a school of Christian living, a center in which the people of God are educated to be God’s ambassadors out in the world. All God’s people are called to ministry in the world – to be salt, to be light, to be God’s presence in the city and nation. All God’s people are to be praying for the city, to be practicing their faith in the economic, political, and social issues and concerns in which they get involved, and to be proclaiming the Good News of salvation in Christ. ese are not just the specialized jobs of the church’s leaders. It is the job of every Christian. And one of the primary purposes of the church is to be the training ground preparing each Christian to undertake his or her ministry in the city of nation.17 at is why God does not give to one man or woman the job of being the sole pastor or leader of the church. Indeed, it is crucial to understand, that the consistent New Testament pattern is a shared leadership among all those whom God gifts and raises up as leaders – not the one-man pastoral expert. e one-man pastoral expert is the unfortunate result of centuries

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of spiritual professionalization that the evangelical church inherited from the Catholic ecclesiastical structure. Nowhere is the idea of one pastor over a congregation upheld in Scripture.18 In fact, the worst possible pastor in the world, to Paul’s mind, is the pastor who makes his people dependent upon himself, upon his preaching, his teaching, his administration, and his pastoral care. e truly effective pastor, Paul teaches, is the one who equips her congregation with far more than knowledge, by providing preparation and experience, developing people’s skills, attitudes, character, understanding, abilities, spiritual gifts, faith, and faithfulness.19 To equip them to be change agents in their families, workspheres, communities, cities, and nations!20 In summary, your church will be successful in reaching out to your community to the degree that you develop your people, call them forth, train them, and imbue them with God’s vision for the city and nation – and then give them true authority/ power to carry out their responsibilities while allowing them to prepare other members of your congregation to become Christ’s ministers to all of your community, city and nation.21 If the work of church leaders does not result in equipping the members for good works and allowing them to become inter-dependent, spiritually mature change agents, they have not fulfilled the task they were assigned.22 Group 4 - Purpose 4: Reconciliation & Community – You are my body As Christians we are called to belong, not just to believe. We are not meant to live lone-ranger lives; instead, we are to belong to Christ’s family and be members of his body.23 e Church, thus, exists to provide meaningful fellowship for believers;24 to encourage one another, to build one another up in faith, to pray with and for one another, to learn from one another, to exhort one another, to hold one another accountable, to teach one another, to set examples to one another, to challenge one another, to inspire one another, to confess sins to one another, to enjoy one another’s presence, to serve one another – in short, to share life together. is is all part of what is known loosely as fellowship. Indeed, God didn’t call his children to attend spiritual meetings, though the church has often made it seem that way. Jesus didn’t tell his disciples “Go and make spiritual converts of all individuals, teaching them to attend worship services and prayer meetings every week”. He told his disciples to make disciples and baptize them into becoming members of reconciled communities that would reflect25 and spread God’s vision of Shalom. Communities where life would be shared, where members would have a sense of a joint enterprise, being involved in a family business, in which everyone would have a proper share and a proper place.26 In such a way they would show the true character of Shalom to a world in a deep identity crisis and show them what they were foregoing by believing the lies of the dominant power structures.27 It is crucial to understand this dimension of the gospel. e apostles’ evangelism did not aim at simply renewing people’s hearts. Christ, according to Paul, was making all things

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new (2 Cor. 5:17) and calling his disciples to be ambassadors of reconciliation. Salvation begins in the heart, transforms the mind and is expressed in the behavior, life-style and relationships of an individual (Rom. 12), who becomes a new person in Christ. Paul was particularly excited about the great mystery of the Gospel because it was birthing a new humanity (Eph. 2:11-12). Existing religions and racial identities separated Jews and Gentiles. Social norms and class structures separated rich and poor. However, the Gospel was breaking down the very barriers that gave one segment of society a sense of religious or social superiority. e Gospel was creating a new people. at is why Paul’s preaching of salvation was seen as a threat to the social status quo and was consistently opposed by both Jews and Gentiles.28 It follows that the Christian fellowship that neglects the commandment of reconciliation and doesn’t bridge gaps between rich and poor, “Jew and Greek”, man and woman, falls short of God’s vision for his Church. In other words, your and my church is called to accept its calling to show to a divided world that separation, alienation and barriers of all kinds can be overcome through the reconciling power of Christ.29 Group 5 - Purpose 5: Incarnation & Presence – Be my hands and feet As church – Christ’s body on earth – we are called to be God’s presence on earth. Unfortunately, churches and Christian groups often prefer to keep their distance because they believe that we should be separate, set apart from the “world” and everything “wordly”. is mentality of separation is foremost prompted by fear of defilement from the word. However, that is a very Pharisaic attitude that Jesus taught us to beware of. In fact, he taught us by his example to be with the sinners and minister first of all to them. He taught us to empty ourselves and let go of our security that comes from closing ourselves into the four walls of the church. Instead we are called to be present, to learn the heartbeat and language of our communities, to identify with members or our communities (though not become identical) and become part of it, to radically engage society with the intent to eventually change it. So the Church – if it is to be obedient to God’s call – is to be present in its communities and incarnate Jesus in them. Indeed, perhaps the most profound treatment of the importance of being God’s presence in a nation is given by Jesus. We know that Jesus took upon himself the condition of man in obedience to the Father and for love of us, but he also came to show us a new way of living, to show us solidarity and compassion for all humanity. In becoming human, Jesus took the time to learn our language, to learn our heartbeat, to learn our ways and cultural practices. He spent many years being present among us before inaugurating his ministry. He deemed it crucial to be present and active among members of his generation. So much so, that he was chastised by some for his interest in partying, hanging out and enjoying the company of “sinners”. In contrast to those who feared being defiled by cultural practices and customs, he

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sought to redeem misguided behaviors by engaging them. He didn’t promote withdrawal from society, but radical engagement with it. In contrast to those who endorsed serious and legalistic religiosity, he stood for joyful practice and obedience of God’s commands. Jesus identified with people of his generation. But he never became identical to them. His engagement with society didn’t defile him. It actually brought change to those around him. Jesus understood that in order to influence a community, it is necessary to be part of it. Based on his example, he uses two metaphors to describe the impact his followers should have on a community and nation. a) Christians, Jesus suggests, are like salt. Salt flavors but also preserves food. eir unobstrusive presence in a city, then, should both flavor that city and preserve that city from decay. b) Christians are also like light. ey illuminate all that is going on in the city. By their lifestyle they expose the lies of the city’s systems and principalities which would seek to dominate that city for their own selfish ends. By the priorities practiced in their lives, the Christians exhibit to the city the beautiful and joyful example of what that city, given over to Christ, could truly become. “Salty” and “light-filled” Christians, Jesus tells us in Matthew 5, are people of humility and meekness, those who hunger and thirst after personal righteousness and corporate justice, those who are known by their good works, and who exhibit purity of heart, a commitment to peacemaking, and a willingness to suffer for Christ and his kingdom.30 Group 6 - Purpose 6: Evangelism & Mission – Go and make disciples e task of the church in the city or nation is to introduce its citizenry to God and his Kingdom of Shalom. is is its primary calling and its exclusive calling. It is not the church’s only calling, but it is primary and exclusive. No other institution, organization or community can do this. If the church does all the rest, hence, but leaves this task undone, then it has been irresponsible and derelict to its unique call.31 As God sent Jesus, Jesus is sending us into the world to bear witness to him and his vision of Shalom. It is as if he were saying: “You can’t keep the secret of the kingdom to yourselves. I am now sending you, as the Father sent me, to communicate the good news of the Kingdom of God. ose who receive your message, you should form into learning communities of practicing disciples so they learn to live according to my message, just as you are learning. You should not do this in your own power, but you must rely on the power of the Holy Spirit. And you shouldn’t stop at the borders of your own culture, language, or religion, but you must cross every border and boundary to share with all people everywhere the secret you’ve learned from me – the way, the truth, the life you’ve experienced walking with me!”32 With this in mind, we need to take two truths into account: First, we need to be clear that it always takes two people to do the work of evangelism. It takes one person to share the gospel, but it takes another person to hear that gospel! While many of us place emphasis on how to

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more effectively share the good news, we never think what we should do to motivate a person to want to hear that good news! What would a person cause to want to listen? Trust. What causes you and me to listen seriously to another person is that we take that person seriously – we trust what he or she has to say. How do we gain peoples’ trust? By genuinely befriending and spending time with them, listening to them and allowing them know our lives and actions. Second, to evangelize in today’s society we must do what the Jesus movement did: giving hope and presenting challenge. e hope which needs to be proclaimed and demonstrated is not merely futuristic. Part of the aim of evangelism, is to give present hope, today, to those who are suffering under the weight of sin in all its forms. We need to invite the sufferer, through proclamation and action, word and deed, into the reign of God. To put it another way, the aim of evangelism is the establishment of Shalom, wholeness. is is a Shalom that is more than personal salvation. Indeed, whenever evangelism is reduced to only the presentation of a spiritualized gospel of personal salvation, without challenging the evil and the forces behind all evil and suffering – it is not evangelism. People need to be saved not only from personal sins but also from social sins; they need to be saved from being sinned against! True evangelism, thus, includes challenging the religious, economic, political, moral, and all social structures and practices which are against the reign of God. is is prophetic evangelism. Just as Jesus’ evangelism was a threat to the established order, so ours will be.33 In the final analysis, the gospel is not a message of escape to another world, but rescue from the enticements and evils of this world and its ultimate transformation, when ‘all nations shall come and worship’ God. Eternal life is not something reserved for the future in another reality, but begins now, the moment we become alive to God and God’s revealer ( John 17:3).34 How can we best go about fulfilling this purpose of evangelism and mission? e best way to go about it is do it as the early church did: by planting new churches – new communities of the Kingdom. While mass evangelism, evangelistic campaigns and seeker-sensitive outreach programs to grow the membership of your church may have some impact, the most fruitful evangelistic and missions impact comes from planting new and reproducing churches, in which people are immediately discipled and encouraged to become witnesses to God’s Kingdom of Shalom. Group 7 - Purpose 7: Service & Social Action – Love your neighbor as yourself Scriptures are clear that a positive, biblical response to human need is not optional. To be a Christian and not respond does not reflect God’s love and intentions.35 God is deeply concerned about people’s suffering. We must be, also. If we neglect to have compassion and to help others, God’s love is not in us; in fact, our faith is dead, as James says! To inherit eternal life, Jesus said it is important to love God and neighbor. But who are our neighbors? Our neighbors are those who are in need of practical acts of

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mercy. Jesus said that the greatest commandment is summarized as (1) love of God and neighbor and (2) love of neighbor. Scripture says that we really can’t love God without loving our neighbor. God reminds us that loving our neighbor is the essential, practical way that we express our love for Him. is is the irreducible minimum of God’s Law.36 As Paul wrote, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10). And what are good works?37 Good works include but are not limited to individual acts of kindness, to relief and assistance for the poor – such as healing the sick, feeding the hungry, clothing the destitute, sheltering the homeless – and to community development initiatives. Good deeds are not just for a specialized elite group of Christians. We are all called to do good works.38 Indeed, Matthew 5:13-16 specifies that the Church is to be salt and light to the world. e Church’s salt is to preserve the good things that are in the world. e Church’s light is to be shown through good deeds, for the glory of God. e people of the church should be such a compelling witness of Christ’s love for the spiritually, socially, and physically needy of their societies that all who see them will say: “What a loving and great God these people have!”39 In other words, Christianity demands compassionate response to the poor. Without this response one cannot have assurance of salvation. e meaning of the epistle seems unmistakable.40 Yet, for centuries, the Christian church has encouraged new believers in such disciplines as Scripture reading, memorization, prayer, and fasting, but has neglected to equip them for tangible acts of service and love.41 Jesus himself said this would occur. He anticipated that his followers would cool in their passion and drift from his message. He warned them not to hide their light under a bucket or lose their saltiness; if they did, they would be ‘trampled under foot’ (Matthew 5:13). He promised them that if they simply mouthed the right words without actually living the truths of the kingdom of God, if they were like trees full of leaves but not fruitful in deed, if they stopped loving one another but instead became judgmental or callous or greedy for money and power, their faith would be worthless and people would know they were frauds. Church history – including recent church history – has proven Jesus right in these predictions.42 A Gospel, hence, that proclaims only one aspect— spiritual, physical, or social—is narrow, weak, and disobedient. It dishonors the Father. e world— especially the part of the world that is physically, socially, or emotionally broken—has a difficult time understanding God's compassion unless it hears and experiences God's love, wherever it feels the hurt of brokenness. us, churches and Christians who want an effective witness must be churches and Christians of the "whole" Gospel, churches that are intent to demonstrate in practical ways God’s healing power to those broken in their communities.43 Group 8 - Purpose 8: Justice & Advocacy – Seek justice, defend the cause of the oppressed

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Scripture affirms unmistakably that God is a God of justice. e biblical teaching about the God of justice can be summed up in a single affirmation: God hates injustice and wants it to stop. is truth is fundamental to the nature of our God, and the Bible makes clear that those who do not understand this aspect of God’s holiness simply do not know God. God’s interest in the abuse of power is not mild. e use of power by the strong to abuse the weak strikes at the very core of his holy heart. If we really want to know God, to really understand him, we must come to understand his passion for justice and his gut-level indignation at the abuse of power. Indeed, Scripture makes wonderfully and dreadfully clear that God judges and condemns those who perpetrate injustice. Quite simply, our holy God has a burning wrath for those who use their power and authority to take from those who are weak.44 is is not a God who offers sympathy, best wishes or cruel character-building exercises. is is a God who wants evildoers brought to account and vulnerable people protected – here and now!45 is is a God who takes the abuse of power personally – and calls it sin!46 As the prophet Amos declared to the elite of Israel who were abusing their power, “I know how many are your offenses and how great your sins. You oppress the righteous and take bribes and you deprive the poor of justice in the courts”. Even though the unjust believe that they have impunity and can get away with anything; that even God has forgotten, they could not be further from the truth: God does care! With the possible exception of idolatry, we are hard pressed to find any other category of sin for which God’s anger burns so bright. We are accustomed to hearing of God’s hatred for idolatry, the very denial of who he is as God, but we may be surprised to find that God’s hatred of injustice is every bit as passionate. e Bible teaches that everyone ‘who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker.’ e police officer who beats and robs the orphan, the corrupt official who forces little girls into prostitution, the jailer who tortures his detainee – all show contempt for or “insult” the very God of the universe who made the orphan, the little girl and the prisoner.47 is is the unique, biblical hope that Christians can offer to a world groaning under the heartache of injustice and oppression: God has compassion on the victims of injustice all over the world, among all people, without favor or distinction. He is on the side of justice. He sees and cares. He condemns injustice. He seeks rescue for the victims.48 Yet, if God seeks justice for the oppressed, how exactly does he do that? We know he could accomplish it on his own through supernatural power; but instead, by some great mystery and enormous privilege, he chooses for the most part to limit himself to accomplishing that which he can achieve through the obedience of his people.49 In other words, the answer to this question has everything to do with you and me and the church. Integral to God’s commitment to the poor and oppressed is Yahweh’s assumption that the chief defenders of the poor must be God’s prophets, apostles, and people. It is a primary task of the church in the city and nation to be the advocate and champion of

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those who are poor and oppressed. We are often their only voice.50 God simply does not have another plan to advance justice on earth apart from choosing to use his people, empowered by his Spirit, to accomplish this difficult task.51 It is important, then, to place the struggle for justice within the scope of the mission of the church. e responsibility of doing justice is not only the task of one individual or specialized institution. It is the task of the body of Christ as a whole. Unfortunately, the evangelical church has for most parts lost this essential aspect of its purpose and mission. e loss of this balanced perspective, consequently, has robbed the Church of her dynamism to transform society.52 It is a pity that the evangelical church has for the most part given up, thinking that it is impossible to attain justice in today’s world. You don’t stop being a father, husband or wife simply because according to statistics, the number of dysfunctional families increases every day. We don’t stop evangelizing despite the fact that the statistics show that only a small percentage of people are responding favourably to the message of the gospel. On the contrary, we work harder when conditions are more difficult. Complete justice is probably a utopian idea, but that doesn’t mean we should stop fighting for it to become more of a reality. Our God has given us talents, gifts and abilities for our lives to reflect ALL his attributes, as we are made in his image and likeness. Your and my church, then, is called to be a reflection of God’s justice to the oppressed in our communities, cities and nations.53 In doing so, we cannot respond to their need by simply providing them with some material good. To show authentic love to the victim of oppression we must rescue them from their oppressor, bring the perpetrator to account, seek the restoration of the victim and prevent the abuse from happening again.54

plenary dialogue xx minutes

(Does something go here?)

homework assignment and application

xx minutes

Assign students to study the worksheet “Reflections on the Integral Mission of the Church” as homework, to answer the questions under “personal reflection”, and to come prepared to share their findings with other members of their group. We’re going to be spending a lot of time reflecting on the questions posed in that worksheet, next time we come together.

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closing prayer Ask a participant to close in prayer. 5 minutes

total time: xx minutes

personal notes

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endnotes 1

Adapted from Ray Bakke, e Urban Christian, 188-189 Based on classnotes from course by Robert Linthicum, Building a People of Power 3 N.T. Wright, Simply Christian, 144 It is crucial to understand that you become like what you worship! When you gaze in awe, admiration, and wonder at something or someone, you begin to take on something of the character of the object of your worship. ose who worship money become, eventually, human calculating machines. ose who worship sex become obsessed with their own attractiveness or prowess. ose who worship power become more and more ruthless. Because we were made in God’s image, worship of God makes us more truly human. When you gaze in love and gratitude at the God in whose image you were made, you do indeed grow. You discover more of what it means to be fully alive. Conversely, when you give that same total worship to anything or anyone else, you shrink as a human being. It doesn’t, of course, feel like that at the time. When you worship part of the creation as though it were the Creator himself – in other words, when you worship an idol – you may feel a brief ‘high’. But, like a hallucinatory drug, you are less of a human being than you were to begin with. at is the price of idolatry. (N.T. Wright, Simply Christian, 148) 4 Myles Munroe, Understanding the Purpose and Power of Prayer, 15-16 5 Myles Munroe, Understanding the Purpose and Power of Prayer, 16 6 Bob Moffit, If Jesus Were Mayor, 70 7 Myles Munroe, Understanding the Purpose and Power of Prayer, 16 8 Myles Munroe, Understanding the Purpose and Power of Prayer, 41 It is interesting to note that in the Garden of Gethsemane, just before His arrest, Jesus asked His disciples to pray so that they might have the power to withstand opposition. ey did not pray; therefore, they fled before the threat of persecution. Before His ascension, Jesus asked them again to pray; they did, and were filled with the Holy Spirit and with power to serve, to suffer and to turn the world upsidedown (reform) with their prophetic preaching. 9 Praying is trusting God. e Bible says that faith is what ultimately overcomes the world (1 John 5:5). Faith is power because it produces hope and generates action in a stagnant society. Faith is power because it produces patience and perseverance. Faith is power because it gives staying ability in the midst of opposition - the power to stand, to serve, to fight, to suffer, to die and to overcome. Most supremely, trusting or praying releases power because our dependence on God moves Him to act. 10 Bob Linthicum, City of God City of Satan, 155 11 Bob Linthicum, City of God City of Satan, 189 In the New Testament, all references to these positions, whether in a local church or in the universal church, are functional references – that is, people performing particular tasks. Unfortunately, however, over the centuries the church has turned these functions into offices that a person often occupies for life. 12 ey are to help believers not only to read and hear the Word of God, but to allow the Bible to read their lives and circumstances and encourage change where needed. 13 Robert Linthicum, Transforming Power, 125 14 based on a quote by Orlando Costas ey are persons chosen by God and recognized by the church as having the responsibility to equip God’s people in fulfilling the mandate Christ has given to the entire church. (based on a quote by Stanley Grenz) 15 Robert Linthicum, City of God City of Satan, 189 16 We must keep in mind that the people of the church are not those to be primarily ministered unto. 17 Robert Linthicum, City of God City of Satan, 190 2

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Howard A. Snyder, A Kingdom Manifesto, 113 Bob Moffit, If Jesus Were Mayor, 180 20 Some church leaders may be so shocked by the unfamiliarity of this God of justice, this God whose transformational mission seeks to establish Shalom on earth as it is in heaven and who calls his people to help him in this task, that they will, like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day, return to a rigorous and passionate worship of a different God – their familiar God of tithes and sacrifices and church hierarchy – and neglect the God of the Bible, the God of justice, mercy and faith. What a heavy responsibility and glorious opportunity is in the hands of Christian leaders. (Gary A. Haugen, Good News About Injustice, 177) 21 Robert Linthicum, City of God City of Satan, 190 22 Bob Moffit, If Jesus Were Mayor, 134 23 e call of God comes not to isolated individuals, but to a people: the people of Israel in the Old Testament and the people of Jesus – Jew and Gentile – in the New Testament. ose who are united with Christ in the Holy Spirit are also united with one another – whether we wish to be or not – as the body and bride of Christ. ( Joel Scandrett, Holy to the Core, 40, published in Christianity Today, May 2007) 24 Rick Warren, e Purpose-Driven Church, 105-106 25 ey were to call people into a distinct community with its own set of values marked by Shalom – religion of relationships, economics of stewardship and sharing, politics of justice – that would contrast with many conventional values of the dominant society. 26 During New Testament times, no positional distinction between laity and clergy was ever made and the notion of the priesthood of all believers was broadly affirmed. Since the Spirit has gifted each and every one believer, we are all called to participate in the work and life of the church and give of ourselves to the advancement of the kingdom. Indeed, the church can’t fulfill its mission and purpose unless everyone in the congregation uses their gifts for ministry. at’s why a purpose-driven church equips its members to minister in teams that reflect a Spirit of unity in diversity. It is within this context that the different “ministries” within the church are to grow up. From the very earliest evidence we have, in the Acts of the Apostles and the letters of Paul, the church has recognized different callings within its common life. God has given different gifts to different people so that they may use them to build up the community and advance its mission in the world. (N.T. Wright, Simply Christian, 211) 27 We talk a lot about Christianity and Christians, but in Jesus’ day, there was no such thing as a Christian, and Christianity, as we know it, didn’t exist yet. At that point, there were disciples – people who followed Jesus – and there was a way of living as disciples. Later, they got their nickname ‘Christian’, which just means ‘little Christ’ or ‘minimessiah’, and their way of living became known as ‘Christianity’, which might better be called a messianic way of living. (Brian McLaren, e Story We Find Ourselves In, 125) 28 Pagan Romans and Greeks, for example, loved only those in their family and social class – or those it was politically or economically advantageous to befriend. By contrast, this “new” God was essentially saying to his followers, “Because I love you, I want you to love as I love – regardless of blood relationship, class, political alliances, ethnic background, or economic attachments. I want you to love those who are poor and hurting. I want you to especially love those who are in socially humble positions.” As a consequence, Christians were not separated by social rank or ethnicity. is was quite different from Roman and Greek culture! Romans and Greeks wondered why a nobleman would allow a slave to address him as “brother”. e church created a pattern of human relationships that had not existed in pre-Christian Rome. (Bob Moffit, If Jesus Were Mayor, 38) 29 e purpose-driven Church believes, indeed, that Christian fellowship that neglects the commandment of reconciliation and doesn’t bridge gaps between rich and poor, “Jew and Greek”, man and woman, falls short of God’s vision for his Church. 30 Robert Linthicum, City of God City of Satan, 159 31 Robert Linthicum, City of God City of Satan, 171 19

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Brian McLaren, e Secret Message of Jesus, 73 Everywhere we go, we need to join Jesus in seeking to bring others in on God’s story, helping all those whose hearts are moved to learn to live in Jesus’ way, teaching them to live as Jesus taught, helping them to have complete confidence in Jesus and to identify themselves as members of his baptized community of followers. at way, when our time is finished, we’ll have a more robust legacy of people seeking God’s dream, and generation after generation, the legacy will be stronger and stronger, until God’s kingdom comes and God’s will is done on earth as in heaven. (Brian McLaren, e Story We Find Ourselves In, 171) 33 Pedrito U. Maynard-Reid, Complete Evangelism, 138, 142, 144, 145, 161 Like Jesus, our evangelistic task must simultaneously challenge the social and spiritual structures as well as the persons which are opposed to the reign of God. In the same manner that we vigorously announce the good news of hope, we must equally denounce all sins, injustices, and evil works of powers and principalities. e Church as Christ’s body is meant to be both an agent of salvation and an agent of His justice. e loss of this balanced perspective has robbed the Church of her dynamism to transform society. Protestantism no longer protests against evil, because it sees itself merely as a channel of God’s salvation and not of God’s justice. What does it mean for Jesus to be the Ruler of the kings of the earth if He does not judge them? What good is it if His Spirit does not empower those whom he fills to pronounce prophetic judgment? After His resurrection Jesus said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me’ (Matt. 28:18). Paul said that the Head of the Church is already seated on the throne above all powers, principalities and rulers of this world (Eph. 1:20-3). is means that Christ’s Body has to carry out His instructions and orders. e Church is His mouthpiece. And to be a prophet means to be the mouthpiece of God (Exod. 4:14-16). is loss of perspective which separates prophecy from evangelism, which preaches salvation without proclaiming repentance and justice, reduces the Church to a rudderless boat floating at the mercy of social currents some of which are ghastly in their cruelty and injustice. Some Church leaders, for example, are enthusiastic to perform marriages for homosexuals, but too timid to oppose the annual murder of sixty million babies through abortion. Today we seek the patronage of the Pharaoh in order to preach to the enslaved people. We do not dare to witness to Pharaoh himself. But the tragedy is that when we cease to be the voice for justice, we also become ineffective as channels of salvation: When we are not breaking the yoke of oppression, we have no ‘good news for the poor’ either. e poor masses consider us irrelevant and our critics legitimately dismiss us as giving ‘opium’, and not spreading the Good News. (Vishal Mangalwadi, Truth and Social Reform, 93-94) 34 Walter Wink, e Powers at Be, 200 Indeed, the passion that drove the early Christians to evangelistic zeal was not fueled just by the desire to increase church membership or to usher people safely into a compensatory heaven after death. eir passion was fired above all by the hope in a better world that had begun with Jesus’ coming; a hope that the reign of evil had been dealt a deadly blow. is freed them to live and become whole and challenge those structures that disempowered them. Being thus freed and healed determined them to set others free and bring healing to them. (Ibid, 200) 35 e Harvest Foundation, Leadership Development Training Program Level 1, ird Printing, 3-4 36 e Harvest Foundation, Leadership Development Training Program Level 1, ird Printing, 1-3 to 1-4 37 “He has told you, o mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8). 38 Gary A. Haugen, Good News About Injustice, 174-175 39 Bob Moffit, If Jesus Were Mayor, 126 40 Stephen Charles Mott, Biblical Faith and Social Change, 34 41 Darrow Miller & Bob Moffitt, On Earth as it is in Heaven, 184-185

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Brian McLaren, e Secret Message of Jesus, 79 Bob Moffit 44 Gary A. Haugen, Good News About Injustice, 84 45 Gary A. Haugen, Good News About Injustice, 94 46 Over and over in the Scriptures God lets us know that he sees and hears the suffering of the oppressed. When the strong abuse their power to take from those who are weaker, the sovereign God of the universe is watching, suffering with the oppressed and condemning the sin of the oppressors. Justice has to do with the exercise of power. To say that God is a God of justice is to say that he is a God who cares about the right exercise of power or authority. God is the ultimate power and authority in the universe, so justice occurs when power and authority is exercised in conformity with his standards. So justice occurs on earth when power and authority between people is exercised in conformity with God’s standards of moral excellence. To put it differently, to say that God is a God of justice is one way of saying that he is concerned about whether those who have power or authority over others are exercising it in accordance with his standards. When power is exercised in a way that violates those standards we call it injustice. (Gary A. Haugen, Good News About Injustice, 71-72, 79) 47 Gary A. Haugen, Good News About Injustice, 86 48 Gary A. Haugen, Good News About Injustice, 96 Indeed, God’s disposition toward the poor and oppressed is perhaps one of the most important themes in Scripture. 49 Gary A. Haugen, Good News About Injustice, 96-97 50 Robert Linthicum, City of God City of Satan, ? And that’s why we will, through our acts of compassionate advocacy, give witness to our belief that what the Bible says about God is true, or not. (Gary A. Haugen, Good News About Injustice, 83) 51 Gary A. Haugen, Good News About Injustice, 97 52 Vishal Mangalwadi, Truth and Social Reform, 93-94 As churches we may have tried to make people ‘nice’ – quiet citizens of their earthly kingdoms and energetic consumers in their earthly economies – but we didn’t fire them up and inspire them to invest and sacrifice their time, intelligence, money, and energy in the revolutionary cause of the kingdom of God. No, too often, Karl Marx was right: we used religion as a drug so we could tolerate the abysmal conditions of a world that is not the kingdom of God. Religion became our tranquilizer so we wouldn’t be so upset about injustice. Our religiosity thus aided and abetted people in power who wanted nothing more than to conserve and preserve the unjust status quo that was so profitable and comfortable for them. (Brian McLaren, e Secret Message of Jesus, 84-85) 53 Alfonso Wieland, In Love With His Justice, ? 54 quoted in Graham Gordon, What If You Got Involved?, 37 43

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