The Church's Obligation to the World

Introduction

God had given us a powerful tool to win the world to Himself. He has commissioned us to go into the world and make disciples of the nations.

We have leashed this tool, this weapon of spiritual warfare and confined it to Sundays and use it mostly among believers.

The tool I am speaking of is the gospel. The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus; and the promise it holds for all who believe the promise of God through it.

The Example of Christ

Turn with me to Matthew 16

I want us to first look at the example of Christ.

Matthew 16:13–15 ESV

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

Jesus was constantly going. He was on the move doing the work of His Father. You will never reach anyone sitting and waiting. From the very beginning God has been a missionary God. He has been going to lost men willing to bring them into a relationship with Himself. Look with me at Genesis 11.

Genesis 11:5–8 ESV

And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city.

Why would God send men flying all over the earth in this great dispersion? Why not allow us to come together, if together nothing is impossible for us?

He created us this way, right?

Two reasons stand out to me from my study of scripture.

First is man’s pride. Nothing would be impossible for us. We see that even today as diverse as our world is, we have little need. Even when someone goes to bed hungry, if just a little effort to find food or shelter is exerted, then we can find both food and shelter. There are groups who stand ready, in almost all nations, to help the needy.

Men have stood on the moon and returned safely to earth. There is a planned international space mission for Mars within the next few years!

Travel across the world can be done in a matter of hours in what would have at one time been called magical and mysterious iron birds.

The poorest economy on earth, North Korea has the ability to split the atom; to build and detonate a nuclear bomb.

We have these incredible boxes of magic that connect us to friends and family thousands of miles apart.

Even in the remotest regions you can find cellular service, the internet and facebook.

Nothing that enters our hearts or minds is impossible to us. Man is quickly approaching the place where God is no longer necessary. Soon our pride in all we can do will replace our need for God.

Over 100 years ago German philosopher and writer Friedrick Nietzsche said “God is dead. We have killed him, God is dead, what shall we do now?”

Our need for God as the answer to life’s issues has been replaced by science, technology and knowledge.

But secondly, God separated us because He knew, we would never find Him if we remained together.

Look with me at Acts 17.

Acts 17:16–21 ESV

Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.” Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.

Epicureans believed that life’s answers came through pleasure. Feed every desire you have, take whatever you can and have all that you want and you will be happy, satisfied and live a fulfill life.

Stoics believed that life’s answers came through self-denial, no pleasure complete austerity.

Acts 17:22–18:1 ESV

So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for “ ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “ ‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. But others said, “We will hear you again about this.” So Paul went out from their midst. But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them. After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.

God’s creation is in need of God, and so, God divided the nations. He did it so that we all could have the opportunity to find Him even though he is not far from any one of us.

Today, you may be seeking something and you don’t know what it is, May I suggest to you that the something is a He and the He is God and you can find God through Jesus Christ.

It is by the power of the testimony of Jesus, His sinless life, His substitutionary death, His physical resurrection that we are saved. It is the way all men are brought to God and reconciled to Him.

Jesus took our punishment by accepting the wrath of God on our behalf. He paid a debt He didn’t owe to bring His creation back into relationship with The Heavenly Father.

The Mission of Christ

Lets return to Matthew 16 and look for a moment at the Mission of Christ.

Matthew 16:16–20 ESV

Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

It is the mission of Jesus to build His church!

Peter and the disciples, the Apostles had heard the testimony of Jesus. They had seen and handled the Word of Life as John would say.

Because He was the living Word of God, the Holy Spirit revealed to Peter and the rest of the Apostles who Jesus truly is.

That revelation, that unveiling of His true nature brought Peter and the rest of the Apostles to the point of this confession.

And it is the confession of who Jesus truly is that is the foundation of the church.

Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2 that he would preach nothing but Christ and Him crucified.

1 Corinthians 2:1–2 ESV

And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

Paul preached the confession of who Jesus is and what His death and resurrection meant to the world.

It is when we declare who Jesus is to the world that Jesus builds His church.

It is not our obligation to build His church, that is His. Our obligation is to declare who Jesus is to any who will listen.

And Jesus says, “whosoever will may come.”

Conclusion

Our obligation is to declare Jesus, who He is and what He has done for humanity. When we do, the power of God is unleashed, it is unchained and the miracle of new birth takes place.

May God give us the courage and the will today to declare who Jesus is to a lost and dying world. When we do, if we do, we will see the awesome power of the living God changes lives for eternity!