Love Your Church by Tony Merida

Introduction

The author sets out his agenda "I want people to love Jesus and his church - and to know how to love their church."  He wants us the reader to realise the significance of the church and what role they can play in it.

Firstly he sets out what the church is - a family.  At present we experience true salvation but we await final and full salvation in the future with all God's people throughout all of time.  We show the world what our King is like, and what the kingdom to come will be like through our shared life and our mission of word and deed in the world.  We are situated outside of our homeland so our life and actions are different from others.

1 Timothy 4 verse 15 we are "the household of God which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth."

Acts 20 verse 28 "Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood."

When Paul was persecuting the church Jesus asked "Why are you persecuting me?" Acts 9 verse 4 - in this moment the terrorist who would become the apostle realized not only that Jesus is the living Lord but that to persecute the church was to persecute him.  That is how bound up Jesus' heart is with his church.

8 responsibilities of church member:

chapter 1 - how important to belong to a local church.

chapter 2 - why and how to practice hospitality welcoming all types of people into our fellowship

chapter 3 - importance of our worship services

chapter 4 and 5 - the calling for church members to care for one another and to serve th body with the use of our spiritual gifts

chapter 6 - outline some of the key responsibilities of pastors and describe how members should relate to pastors

chapters 7 and 8 - deal with mission, both our individual witness and how we can impact our communities and the world as a local church

Why are people not deeply invested in a church family?

First some have been hurt by pastors

Others are "pro church in theory but not in reality" Christians.  They see church as something that's good if you have nothing going on during the weekend or something that they want their kids to experience, but after they've grown up, it's sort of optional.

Many love the idea of the church but don't actually have fellowship with real believers in a local church.

Some are open to learning about the importance of the church but simply haven't been taught that much about it.

Still others have been serving and loving their church for some time but are tired, due to their context or internal problems in the church or for some other reason.

Then there are "church ninjas", those individuals who are not known by the pastor.  Some are interested seekers exploring the claims of Christianity.  Others may be reluctant to get involved in the church because of a negative church experience in the past.  Some may feel that our church could never be as great as their former church back home, so they stay distant.

Finally some people really do love their church but are not quite sure how to love it.  

CHAPTER 1 - BELONGING - A GOSPEL-CENTERED FAMILY

As image-bearers of God, people are made for community.  The triune God is a relational God and he has created us for relationships.  The popularity of social media also illustrates our longing for community.  People want to be known, want to know others and need friends.  God has given us a need for community - and he has given us the place where that need for community is met: the church.  Belonging to a church means investing your life in a gospel-centered community of believers who joyfully serve one another and advance Jesus' mission together.

It is a privilege to belong to the new-covenant people of God: to be part of those who have been saved through repentance and faith in Christ Jesus, who possess the indwelling Holy Spirit, who are joined in a local gathering, who assemble to hear the word preached, who engage in corporate worship, who are led by qualified pastors/elders and who enjoy the wonder of baptism and the Lord's Supper.

The word "church (ekklesia) generally means "gathering" or "assembly" but the church is more than a gathering.  The church is a local community of believers who gather for worship and scatter for witness.  They share life together centered on Jesus for the good of one another and for the good of the world.  

Titus 2 verse 14  Jesus "gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works."

1 Peter 2 verse 10 "once you were not a people but now you are God's people."

The New Testament contains lists of members of a local church, which illustrates that people were identifiable (1 Timothy5).  Acts 2 verses 41, 4 verses 4 show regular counting of people.  Hebrews 13 verse 17 overseers will give an account for the people they lead.  The metaphors for the church - stones in a temple, members of a family, citizens of a kingdom and members of a body - all speak to this concept of membership and belonging.  Active belonging is the first privilege and responsibility of a church member (or to put it another way of every Christian) and the doorway to the others.

Ephesians 1 Paul describes the church as the body of Christ with Christ being the sovereign head of the church (verses 22 and 23).  In chapter 2, Paul reminds the believers (Jew and Gentile) of their prior alienation from God and his people and of what Christ has done through the cross to reconcile them to God and to one another (verses 11 - 18).  Paul calls the church fellow citizens, members of the household of God and stones in God's temple with Jesus being the "cornerstone" (verses 19 - 22).  In Ephesians 3 Paul prays for God to be glorified "in the church" (verses 20 - 21) .  Then in chapter 4 verses 1 - 6 Paul discusses the unity of the church.  He says the church is united by a divine calling (verse 1), Christ-like conduct (verses 2 and 3) and a common confession (verses 4 - 6).  He adds that God has given his people spiritual gifts for ministry and has given leaders to the church in order to equip the saints for service, that believers may grow into maturity (verses 7 - 16).  In chapter 5 the inspired apostle says that Christ "loved the church (his bride) and gave himself for her" (verse 25).  Paul adds that Christ is sanctifying, nourishing and cherishing the church and that he will one day present his church in complete holiness (verses 26 - 29).

What is the problem with belonging?  All to often it's us!  we need to overcome 4 obstacles to live out this vision of gospel-centered, Spirit-filled community in the church.

Sensationalism - many Christians are stuck on the dramatic.  While these acts may not be sensational in many people's eyes they would turn the world upside down if we began to live them out.  We need a renewal of Christians who are wholly committed to living out basic Christianity with their faith family.

Mysticism.  Think of the opening chapters of the book of Revelation, where we see Jesus giving his evaluation of and instruction to 7 churches or "lampstands" in modern-day Turkey.  Jesus is described as "walking among the 7 lampstands".  Christ is walking among the church.  To be best placed to experience Jesus in a deep fresh life-changing way you need a pew in a church.

Idealism.  Some people have wish dreams related to small-group expectations, pastoral expectations, or program expectations.

Individualism.  Many live isolated lives, never experiencing the satisfying joy of biblical community.  We know so many people but we go deep with very few.

CHAPTER 2 - WELCOMING - GRACE-CENTERED HOSPITALITY

Romans 15 verse 7 "Therefore welcome one another, as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God."  We have no right to be welcomed by Jesus into his family, but, by faith in him, we have been received by him.  He received us graciously, gladly and fully.  And now, as a church we are to be a welcoming community of believers centered on the gospel.

God made us in his image (Genesis 1 and 2)  Every person of every race and background has equal value, dignity and worth.  But there has been a fall (Genesis 3).  Sin has alienated us not just from God but from other people.  Division and hostility now exist between races, classes, ages and tribes.  However through Christ we can be reconciled to God and to one another.  Such unity testifies to the power of the gospel.  Jesus breaks down walls, and we are meant to see the evidence of that in the local church (Ephesians 2 verses 11 - 22).  And one day in the new creation, all things will be made new and we will experience glorious unity amid beautiful diversity as we exalt the Saviour (Revelation 5 verses 9 and 10)  So our great need is to apply the gospel to this problem, to live with a kingdom worldview, to remember the grace God has shown us and to remember where history is headed.

James 2 verse 1 "My brothers show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory,"  The Greek word translated as "favouritism" or "partiality" or "prejudice" or "discrimination" is a fascinating one.  It basically means "to receive the face of someone."  Literally James says "Don't discriminate on the basis of external appearances."  The term is also plural, meaning that the Christian must not show any acts of favouritism regarding clothing, wealth, skin colour, background or other external aspects of a person.  Don't idolize the affluent, the attractive and the achievers - worship Christ.  Be in awe of Jesus, the glorious one.  Look at real glory - it's not in the rich, the powerful, or the popular; it's in the Lord.  If you are captivated by Jesus' glory, then you won't fawn over people.

James outlines 4 compelling reasons for not discriminating in the assembly or to put it more positively 4 motivations to be a welcoming church member,

Partiality does not reflect God's grace (James 2 verse 5).  James says that God actually has chosen many of the poor to become "rich in faith".  Never forget that God welcomed you when you were bankrupt, having nothing to offer.  Christ cleansed you and clothed you with his beautiful garment of grace.  

Partiality does not reflect God's kingdom (James 2 verses 5 - 7).  In the kingdom of God, everything is turned upside down.  The church is to be a little embassy of the kingdom of God.  We are to show the world what the kingdom is like.

Partiality doesn't reflect God's royal law of loving our neighbour as ourselves (James 2 verses 8 - 12).  This means we are simply utterly forbidden to discriminate against those who walk through our doors, regardless of where they're from or what they are like (verse 9).  Ignore this and James says, it's a total violation for the whole law (verse 10).  The law is united and everything hangs on loving God and neighbour.  To not welcome and love our neighbour is offensive to God, the lawgiver (verse 11).  James also wants believers to remember that we will be held accountable for our words and deeds.  So we should speak and act in view of God's judgment (verse 12).  We are Christians not because of our performance but because of Christ's performance.

Partiality doesn't reflect God's mercy toward us (James 2 verse 13).  You won't treat people with compassion and grace until you apply God's grace in your own heart, live with a kingdom worldview, practice real neighbour love and reflect to others God's amazing mercy toward you.

Those who apply the gospel of grace deeply in their own hearts will be a welcoming, hospitable, grateful, generous and joyful people.

As believers we are one in Christ.  We are those who "were once far off" but "have been brought near by the blood of Christ." (Ephesians 2 verse 13).

CHAPTER 3 - GATHERING - VALUING THE CORPORATE MEETING

The church is more than a building you visit and more than an event you attend.  However, this doesn't mean that gathering together for corporate worship is unimportant - Hebrews 12 verses 22 - 24, 28 - 29.  What we do in our corporate gatherings is important for our growth in godliness and it's an important way in which we commend the gospel to unbelievers.

Acts 20 verses 7 - 12 Luke tells us that the church met "on the first day of the week" for corporate worship (verse 7).  The way Luke describes these events in Troas give the impression that this meeting on the first day of the week was simply the norm for churches by this time.  This particular congregation in Troas met in the evenings, presumably due to work schedules and the basic way of life. Paul spoke to the Troas church until midnight (verse 7).  In verse 11 he adds that Paul "conversed" with them until daybreak.  This was a unique event but the fact remains that the saints wanted to hear apostolic teaching and that Paul took this responsibility seriously.

Paul gave Timothy this instruction about corporate worship: "until I come devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching" 1 Timothy 4 verse 13.  Notice the emphasis on the preacher's source of authority ("Scripture"), the biblical pattern of expounding Scripture ("exhortation/teaching") and the significance of preaching Scripture in corporate worship ("public").

Why listen to the sermon?  Because if the preacher is truly saying what God has said in his word, and declaring what God has done in his Son,  then the preacher is bringing you an authoritative word and a life-changing word of good news.  The authority of the preacher doesn't come from his age or experience but from the fact that he is the one teaching from the Bible!  And the life-changing power of the message doesn't emanate from the skill or charisma of the preacher ultimately, but from the Spirit applying the word to people's hearts: lives are changed through the "living and abiding word of God" (1 Peter 1 verse 23)

The goal of the preacher is not to give his ideas and opinions, but rather to carefully explain the meaning of a Bible text (or texts) and to exalt Jesus in his message.  For Scripture to change you, you need to listen and understand it.  Jesus taught us that how we listen is a vitally important aspect of our lives (Mark 4 verses 1 - 20).

A few ways to sit well under the teaching of God's word:

Listen humbly - James 1 verse 21 Receive the word "with meekness". We don't stand over Scripture and criticize it but we sit under it as we allow it to confront us, instruct us and change us.

Listen intently.

Listen biblically - Acts 17 verses 10 - 15 Bereans!

Listen personally - come ready to be addressed from God's word.

Listen communally.

Listen obediently - don't merely be a receiver of the word; be prepared to be a doer of it.

Listen practically - think about specific ways you should apply the message in your life.

Listen gratefully - be thankful that God speaks to his people, including you!

Luke mentions the Lord's Supper - "we gathered together to break bread" - as another common event in the life of the church (Acts 20 verses 7 and 11).  It was probably shared in the context of a meal.

2 other important elements in corporate worship - singing and praying.  In preaching the word and preaching to the eye (through the Lord's Supper and baptism) we hear from God; in singing and praying, we speak to God.

After Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper, Mark tells us that Jesus and the disciples "sung a hymn" before going to the Mount of Olives.  Singing has always been an important aspect of the worship of God's people.  It's what the liberated people of God do: sing and sing joyfully of grace!  Oppression and guilt don't evoke adoration but grace does.  Ephesians 5 verses 18 - 20.  Colossians 3 verse 16.  Singing in corporate worship is directed to God and toward our brothers and sisters.  Our singing should be word-centered, Christ-exalting and community-focused.  A healthy church is a singing church.  A sign of renewal in a church is an exuberant joy in the gospel that leads to heartfelt praise.

You need to praise God prayerfully, asking him to renew your affections.

You need to sing by faith, believing the truth of what you're saying and longing for your heart to feel the wonder of that truth.

You need to sing for the sake of your struggling church family or for your unbelieving friend who came with you.

You also need to sing to express your solidarity in the faith with your church family.  Singing unites.

Secondly - prayer.  Our prayers show our dependency on God.  Our prayers glorify God, who is the source of all our blessings.  One of the great joys of meeting together is praying together.

Let us make sure that we are committed to prioritizing meeting together and that our question is not "Shall we go to the church gathering?" but "How can we make the most of our church gathering?" 

CHAPTER 4 - CARING - DISPLAYING THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

One of the most remarked upon aspects of the early church was how they cared for one another.  The "one-another" passages in the NT demonstrate the importance of caring for our brothers and sisters in our Christian community.

This kind of God-honoring care is also what underlies Galatians 6 verses 1 - 10 where we find a very helpful outline of what it looks like to care for one another.  The Spirit-filled life is not so much about dramatic and miraculous power encounters or inner mystical experiences as about faithful Christians living in joyful devotion to Christ and one another.  We are to display the fruit of the Spirit in the context of familial care.

verse 1 - you need a family to care for you spiritually.  The church is "a household" (verse 10) of brothers and sisters (verses 1, 18) who call God "Abba Father (chapter 4 verse 6). Sometimes those in the family get "caught" in a transgression (chapter 6 verse 1).  The fallen need a brother or sister to come to their aid in these times: to open the trap and help set them free.  They need us to do the ministry of restoration.  In Galatians 6 Paul does not give any steps for restoration but he does talk about the restorer.  The restorer should be "spiritual" (verse 1).  But when we act we should be gentle.  Gentleness is a fruit of the Spirit which implies that such a virtue happens as we abide in Jesus personally.  The restorer should also be careful.  Paul says "keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted" (verse 1).

Next Paul turns to a brother or sister who is weighed down by some burden (verse 2)  Be alert to the burdens of others and be committed to making them lighter.  One thing that will hinder this ministry is pride (verse 3).  Then Paul says don't compare yourself to your neighbour.  Instead examine your own life in view of God's evaluation and when you do, you will not be so prideful (verse 4).  At the same time, Paul wisely points out the need to differentiate between heavy burdens and lighter loads (verse 5).

The work of giving care is something that is to be shared by all members.  All members can do the work of listening, caring, getting underneath the burden of others and supporting wounded and wearied saints.

Next Paul shifts gears a bit - verse 6.  He is focusing our responsibility to share "all good things" with the one who teaches us: for a church to support its teachers materially.  This would include food, money and whatever good things are appropriate for the teacher's welfare.

Caring is tiring.  It is a privilege and a blessing but it is not easy.  That is why Paul encourages us to "not grow weary of doing good for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up" (verse 9)  Then he goes on "as we have opportunity let us do good to everyone and especially to those who are of the household of faith" (verse 10)  Believers should be marked by practical goodness.

We should look for opportunities to bless others by doing good.  The cross shows us that Christian love involves a passion that leads to action.  Jesus didn't merely say he loved us - he demonstrated it.  

CHAPTER 5 - SERVING - USING THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT FOR THE GOOD OF THE BODY

Followers of Christ are not spectators in the church, but servants in the church.  As a Christian you shouldn't think of your church as "the place where I listen to sermons" but as "the place where I serve."  Church members are contributors to the ministry of the church rather than consumers of that ministry - and contributing involves giving your time, talent and treasure for the health and growth of your church.

What's often lacking are deep enough motivations for that kind of committed, long-lasting service.  3 motivations from scripture that will fire up your desire to serve or refuel you if you are growing weary of serving:

God's mercy - a look back to what God has done for us.  Romans 12 verses 1 and 2.  When we actively ponder the mercies of God in our hearts, we're inspired to commit our lives to God's worship and service.  There are 2 commands - "do not conform" and "be transformed".  We are to think differently than the outside world.  The purpose of this transformed self and renewed mind is "that you may discern what is the good, pleasing and perfect will of God".  This means we will be able to recognise and appreciate what honours God and we can then set ourselves to obey his will.  So as you think about whether and how to serve your church, ponder the mercy of God toward you.  Ponder what you deserve: judgment.  Ponder what he's given you instead: salvation.  This should stimulate a life of worshipful service.

the Spirit's gifts - reminds us that we are empowered  and enabled to serve - Romans 12 verse 3.  The first thing Paul says after exhorting believers to have a renewed mind is to not think too highly of yourself.  God has given a measure of grace and faith to each member of the church.  Each believer has been gifted.  We should not think too highly (nor too lowly) of ourselves when it comes to these gifts, but rather be humble and faithful stewards of them.  Paul uses the metaphor of the body for the local church as he discusses the use of gifts.  Just as a body has many members that each carry out important functions, so does each local church.  That speaks both to our diversity and our unity.  We are diverse: each member is unique and important in the body.  In Romans 12 Paul mentions 7 diverse spiritual gifts next.  This isn't an exhaustive list of gifts but rather a list of examples.  We are called to use our gifts with excellence and passion.  We might group these gifts in 2 categories: speaking gifts and serving gifts or verbal and non-verbal gifts.  The speaking gifts include prophecy, teaching, exhorting and leading.  The serving gifts include serving when the church is gathered and acts of mercy.  The spirit in which we are to use both speaking and serving gifts - generosity, zeal and cheerfulness.  These are the attitudes beneath these actions, for God cares about our hearts and motives and not just our external actions.  A Christian has no right to withhold his or her gifts from the church. God gave us these gifts because he loves the church and we are to use our gifts for the good of our brothers and sisters.

the Son's return - help us remember that our serving is not in vain!  1 Peter 4 verses 7 - 11.  In light of Christ' return you and I are called to be a contributing member of the church by faithfully doing works of ministry in ways that build up the body.  The end is near: pray.  The end is near: love one another.  The end is near: practice hospitality.  The end is near: serve.

CHAPTER 6 - HONOURING - FOLLOWING HUMBLE SHEPHERDS

Many people have a negative view toward leaders.  There's a lot of distrust of leaders and a lot of hurt caused by leaders.  This negativity extends to people's view of religious leaders as well.  In Scripture we see the presence of both bad and good leaders and the call to honour the latter.

Paul often speaks about false teachers and corrupt leaders - Romans 16 verse 17.  And he also speaks often about faithful pastors and leaders - 1 Timothy 3 verses 1 - 7, 4 verses 11 - 16, 5 verse 17.  Paul was clearly aware of the fact that there were honourable leaders and dishonourable leaders - 2 Timothy 2 verses 20 - 21.  Peter also knows about corrupt leaders - 2 Peter 2 verse 1.  Every member of God's flock needs a humble under-shepherd who serves under the Chief Shepherd (Jesus) and such leaders need to be respected (Hebrews 13 verse 7).  When a faithful leader is following Jesus and being submissive to his word, then the people of God are to follow this shepherd joyfully.

What do we mean by "faithful leaders"?  Pastors are called to do their work willingly - 1 Peter 4 verse 2.  They are called to live holy lives before God - most of the pastoral qualifications are related to character, not skill - 1 Timothy 3 verses 1 - 7.  They're called to be humble servant leaders, like Jesus (see John 13 verses 1 - 35).  A shepherd's life should be marked by happiness, holiness and humility.

What should we actually expect from a pastor/elder/overseer?  Peter outlines 3 aspects - the pastor's task, heart and reward.  Peter describes himself as a fellow elder - 1 Peter 5 verse 1.

The task - to "shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising authority" 1 Peter 5 verse 2.  Good shepherds know the sheep, lead the sheep, protect the sheep and feed the sheep.

The heart - they should serve "not under compulsion but willingly as God would have you; not for shameful gain but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock" 1 Peter 5 verses 2 and 3.  Pastors are not to serve out of compulsion but willingly.  This should be something that a pastor "desires" 1 Timothy 3 verse 1.  Secondly pastors are not to serve for shameful gain but eagerly.  Faithful pastors should be motivated by the sheer love of the work.  Finally pastors shouldn't be domineering, but rather the should set a humble example - Mark 10 verses 42 - 45, 1 Timothy 4 verse 12.  Leading by example is an essential aspect of pastoral leadership - Matthew 23 verse 11, Philippians 2 verses 3 and 4, 5 to 8.  Pastors must not be characterized by pride, selfishness, manipulation, threats, intimidation, or structural powerplays.

The reward - Pastors need to keep their eyes on Jesus.  Jesus is the real "senior pastor" and he will reward the faithful service of elders.  Shepherds are also sheep, and they depend upon the saving grace of Jesus Christ no less than any other church member  They too are looking for the glorious coming of Jesus like every other Christians.  And when Jesus returns faithful pastors who lived out verses 2 and 3 will receive "the unfading crown of glory".  One of the things you can do to honour your pastors is to help them keep this vision in their minds as they labour.

1 Peter 5 verse 5 - Peter is singling out those who may be less inclined to follow the elders in humility.  More mature Christians will ideally have a healthy view of biblical leadership and will be committed to obeying their leaders and submitting to them "for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account.  Let them do this with joy and not with groaning" Hebrews 13 verse 17.

Here are 5 ways to respond to leadership.

Respect faithful pastors - 1 Thessalonians 5 verses 12 and 13.  If you see leadership being carried out in a way that reflects biblical principles and reflects the example of Jesus, respect such leaders.

Love your pastors - 1 Thessalonians 5 verse 13.  Pastors shouldn't withhold affection from members, and members shouldn't withhold affection from pastors, and all members should "love one another deeply as brothers and sisters" Romans 12 verse 10.

Follow the example of your pastors - Hebrews 13 verse 7.  Pastoral leaders are called to keep a close watch on both their life and their teaching - 1Timothy 4 verse 16 and by doing this the church is built up because God's people can heed God's word and follow godly examples.  You should consider your leader's conduct, love, faith and purity and imitate that kind of life.

Be a joy to pastor - Hebrews 13 verse 17.  Avoid being a burden to them by opposing their teaching.  Avoid burdening them by refusing to attend gatherings.  Avoid being quarrelsome and divisive.  Don't burden them by failing to contribute to the church's ministry financially.  Avoid being a burden by undermining or refusing to engage in the church's mission.  Let them have the joy of seeing you sitting humbly under the teaching of the word, repenting and changing as you do so.

Pray for your pastors - Paul asked for the church's prayers - 2 Thessalonians 3 verse 1, Colossians 4 verses 3 - 4, Ephesians 6 verses 18 - 20.

CHAPTER 7 - WITNESSING - DOING GOOD DEEDS AND SHARING THE GOOD NEWS

 Most unbelievers have no interest in joining us this coming Sunday morning.  Simply offering "a good product" isn't enough to attract people in post-Christian contexts.  Those who do turn up on a Sunday are almost always there because someone brought them.  As church members each of us have to engage people in the everyday course of life - in the marketplaces, in the workplaces, in our neighbourhoods, among our famillies and in our recreation places.  Evangelism isn't reserved for pastors or traveling evangelists - it's the responsibility of all of God's people.

Evangelism is first and foremost about our hearts not our methods.  The how-to is important but the lack of want-to is often the most obvious problem.  This can creep into our hearts for a variety of reasons: lack of success in the past, the inconvenience often involved in holding out the gospel, or the fact that we run the risk of being mocked or rejected.  But the truth is that we speak out of the overflow of the heart.  1 Peter 3 verses 13 - 17.

When you set apart Christ as holy in your heart, then your interests and conversations will change.  When you treasure Jesus deeply you will share the hope within you freely.

The context in which Peter's audience lived was characterized by a hostility to the gospel; Peter was writing to scattered Christians throughout what is now modern-day Turkey who were facing slander, ridicule, and marginalization and would eventually also face physical persecution.

Peter gives 3 timeless priorities for faithful witnesses everywhere and in every age: practical goodness, Christ-centered reverence and daily readiness.

Peter repeatedly emphasizes the importance of "doing good" in his first epistle.  Our witness involves more than good deeds, but it definitely includes good deeds.  The Great Commandment (love God and neighbour) and the Great Commission (make disciples of all nations) are not at odds.  They represent what we could call the "integrative model" of mission - proclaiming good news and doing good deeds.

Peter emphasizes living a beautiful life that demonstrates the fruit of the gospel in our lives.  Peter's emphasis is on living a life of good deeds before a watching world.  To be a faithful witness among those in your networks, live in ardent pursuit of a virtuous life.  This isn't easy and it comes with the possibility of opposition from unbelievers (1 Peter 3 verses 13 and 14).  But ultimately God is with us, God is pleased with this conduct, and many people may be drawn to ask questions about the hope within us.

Peter's model: bless and do good to people.  Live an attractive life under the lordship of Christ that provokes questions.  The fruit of the Spirit displayed in our practical actions in life can make a tremendous impact on a watching world.  It's interesting how a joyful, gentle, loving and peaceful person really stands out today  

Fear will keep you from being a faithful witness.  That is why Peter urges Christians to "have no fear of them" (verse 14).  The fear of others enslaves us, traps us and constrains our thoughts and actions.  How do you avoid this?  Peter says you avoid it by revering Jesus more than people.  "Have no fear of them, nor be troubled but in your hearts honour Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect." (verses 14 and 15)  Set apart Christ the Lord as holy.  Be awed by Christ.

Redirect your fear - remember the holiness and glory of Jesus and you will keep others in their proper perspective.  It's awe of Jesus that makes us a witness for Jesus.  Living with gospel intentionality means that we don't live with a spirit of fear, but rather with a humble confidence in the Lord's presence and a humble reverence before the Lord's holiness.  It's out of this heart that we will engage our unbelieving friends and family with the gospel.

Two key words in this passage are easy to miss "always" and "anyone".  Peter wants us to "always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you" (verse 15).   Peter is saying, Be ready at all times to respond to every kind of person in your networks.

Readiness means that we have to put away excuses for our lack of engagement with unbelievers.  We need to accept the fact that it's never really a perfect day for evangelism  

Here is our subject: hope.  The word "defense" is the Greek word apologia, from which we get "apologetics".  Peter is not thinking about sophisticated answers for the existence of God, the problem of evil and so on, in some kind of public debate.  What he has in mind are ordinary conversations about our hope.  Every Christian can participate in evangelism because every Christian possesses a living hope.  Peter doesn't tell us to "defend the faith" but to defend our "hope".  Hope is not wishful thinking: Christian hope is "thumbs up" not "fingers crossed".  It's a settled confidence in future glory.  This hope energizes our lives now, especially in suffering and this hope shines in a hopeless world.  This hope is so rare that some people will ask you about it, particularly when they are going through suffering or when they see you suffering with confidence.

For as much as what we say matters, how we speak does too.  When we commend Christ to others, we need to do so in a Christ-like manner.  We must not speak condescendingly or harshly but with "gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 3 verse 15).  Paul also speaks on this - Colossians 4 verses 5 - 6.  We are to pay attention to our life and speech around "outsiders" and use our time wisely.  God gives you certain golden opportunities to bear witness.

In years past 2 primary forms of evangelism have been emphasized: "event" evangelism and "cold call" evangelism.  A third approach, which has historic precedent and which is both culturally appropriate and practically effective is network evangelism.  Network evangelism is a lifestyle.  It's about living with gospel intentionality within the everyday rhythm of life.  It's done among people who fall into one's current web of relationships.

Network evangelism has several advantages.  It recognizes the sovereignty of God  It fosters the belief that every person in our sphere of life matters and it helps us remember that God has us living in this time and place in history, surrounded by particular image-bearers that he has sovereignly put in our path (Acts 17 verses 26 - 27).

Network evangelism promotes faithfulness and patience in evangelism.

It is helpful to think of your web of relationships in 5 network-categories.

Familial: people in your family

Geographical: people in your neighbourhood

Vocational: people at your workplace

Recreational: People you play with or hang out with

Commercial: people you see at shops

Take further steps:

pray for them

invite them

serve them

give resources to them

share the gospel with them

CHAPTER 8 - SENDING - CONTINUING THE MISSION AND PLANTING HEALTHY CHURCHES

The book of Acts is about all that Jesus continued to do through the church, now that he has ascended.  Jesus is the hero of Acts, not Paul or anyone else.  Luke concludes Acts both on a note of victory - with the triumph of the King as Paul preaches his lordship in the capital of the empire - and with the message that while his book is finishing, the mission of Jesus is not.

God replaces the messengers but the church's message and mission are unchanging until the King returns.  Consider the church in Antioch as Luke describes it.

It became a base of operations for Paul's missionary journey with Barnabas (Acts 13 verse 1 - 3; Acts 14 verses 26 and 27) and subsequently a base for his journey with Silas (Acts 15 verses 35 - 41; 18 verses 22 - 23).

Antioch was the third largest city in the Greco-Roman world having 500,000 people.  This cosmopolitan city was called "the queen of the East".  Politically it was the capital city of Syria.  Geographically it was located 300 miles north of Jerusalem and 30 miles east of the Mediterranean Sea in what is now southeast Turkey.  It sat at a crossroads of major highways going to the north, the south and the east.  Greeks, Romans, Syrians, Phoenicians, Jews, Arabs, Egyptians, Africans, Indians and Asians all populated Antioch, making it remarkably diverse.  Religiously it was very pluralistic and idolatrous.

When some Christians were scattered as far as Antioch from Jerusalem, some believers spoke the gospel only to the Jews (Acts 11 verse 19).  They began where they had connections to family or business.  But some men of Cyprus and Cyrene (northern Africa) came to Antioch and preached the good news also to the "Hellenists" or Greek-speaking people (verse 20).  These courageous and trail-blazing evangelists began spreading the message of Christ among the Gentile unbelievers.  Peter had preached to Cornelius, a Gentile after receiving a dramatic vision (Acts 10) but no one had acted strategically and intentionally to preach to the Gentiles yet.  And the awakening in Samaria (region to the north of Jerusalem) in Acts 8 was different too, since the Samaritans were "close cousins to the Jews".  So these evangelists were breaking through a major cultural barrier.  Despite having Jewish roots they were committed to engaging the Greeks.  

We too cannot withdraw from people if we are to be effective evangelists.  We must engage them.  They weren't preaching about Jesus as the "Christ" but about Jesus as "Lord".  This is a Gentile crowd, unfamiliar with the promises that God made throughout the OT to send his anointed Messiah-King.  They were able to tell everyone about the Kurios who is the only Lord.

To be good evangelists, you need to know the gospel well and you need to know the people to whom you're speaking well too.  You must preach the gospel in a way that is intelligible to the person with whom you're speaking.

We don't know the evangelists names!  Unknown Christians really can make a difference and unknown Christians are never unknown to Christ, whose verdict on us matters most.  The most important people in the church aren't always the most recognised.

"And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number of people who believed turned to the Lord." (Acts 11 verse 21)

Luke goes on to describe how Barnabas and Saul strengthened these new believers.  His description of this discipleship process is also enlightening for us.  It involved accountability, instruction and encouragement.

The church sent Barnabas to check out things in Antioch.  Some may have been critical and suspicious of the growth there, but others were probably hopeful and wanted to help encourage this group of new believers in Antioch, who had no apostolic leadership.  Further, this would have been a challenging church to lead, given the varying backgrounds and the infancy of the believers' faith.  They needed wise pastoral care in order to mature in the faith.  So Barnabas came, evaluated and endorsed the work.

 Barnabas saw God at work "When he saw the grace of God, he was glad" (Acts 11 verse 23)  He needed additional support so he fetched Saul who was in his native city of Tarsus.  Barnabas knew of Saul's calling to be an apostle to the Gentiles (Acts 9 verses 15 - 16) and he perhaps already knew what would soon become clear to all - that Saul's background gave him the ability to communicate to diverse groups.  Barnabas found a world-class mind for this world-reaching congregation.  Paul and Barnabas stayed for a whole year (Acts 11 verse 26).  It was now that these new believers in Antioch became known by the name "Christian" (verse 26).  Previously people assumed that Christianity was just some form of Judaism.  But now, the Christians were viewed differently than Jews and differently than unconverted Gentiles.  

The big-heartedness of the Antioch believers shone when a major problem impacted the Roman Empire: famine (verses 27 - 30).  A prophet, Agabus, told the Christians that this famine would come.  They responded beautifully, especially in their show of support for those in Jerusalem.  Everyone gave according to their ability and they sent the gift by the hands of Barnabas and Saul (verses 29 - 30; 12 verse 25).

Acts 13 Luke gives the names of a diverse group of leaders in the church.  Barnabas was a Cypriot Jewish believer (Acts 4 verse 36).  Luke doesn't provide the background of Simeon, who was called "Niger" but his name means "black" or "dark" - he was a black man from Africa.  Lucius came from "Cyrene" that is North Africa.  Manaen, who was brought up in Herod's court was related to the royal upper class, being either a foster brother or other relative of Herod Antipas.  And then there was Saul who was a Jewish believer.  Saul would have brought an academic professorial dynamic to the leadership.

One of the first things that would have caught your attention would have been the diversity of the leaders - and of the members as well.  Such diversity would have been a powerfully attractive scene to the unbelieving Antioch culture.

If a church isn't sending, it's ending.  Churches that are raising up and sending out missionaries and church planters are vibrant churches.  One reason for this is that sending and church planting constantly keeps the mission in front of people in the sending church.

These gathered believers were led to send Barnabas and Paul on mission (Acts 13 verses 1 - 3)  The church in Antioch was a church plant that had a wide reach through planting more churches and today we need churches which replicate their missional passion.

First we plant church to align ourselves with the purposes of God.

Second we plant churches because the Great Commission points to church planting - not church planting with a building, a budget and a website but church planting in terms of identifying new believers through baptism in terms of equipping believers in the world.

Third the New Testament church was largely a collection of church plants.  Acts tells the story of the explosive growth of new churches; and the epistles show how the apostles provided leadership to these new churches.

Finally Paul's basic ministry methodology was urban church planting.  Over and over, we read how churches in influential cities were established, elders were appointed and instructions were given to these new congregations.  Indeed Paul wanted to preach the gospel "not where Christ has already been named" (Romans 15 verse 20) and after that evangelism came the establishment of new churches.  After churches with sound doctrine and qualified leaders had been established in these major cities, Paul moved on, which is how he could say "I no longer have any room for work in these regions" (Acts 14 verse 23).  This wasn't because he had evangelized everyone in the entire region, but because he had helped equip believers through new churches in the major cities of these regions.  These churches then spread the gospel to the more rural surrounding areas - through preaching the gospel and planting churches of new believers.

A church member needs to be committed to sending: sending gifts, sending people, sending church-plant groups to start up new communities of light scattered across the earth, for the good of the world and for the glory of God.  It's a mission that requires sacrifice from both the senders and the sent; but it's a mission more than worthy of sacrifice - and it's a mission in which every church member is called to participate.