See Also

Archive

    God’s greatest desire is for every person to hear the gospel and to receive his forgiveness purchased by the blood of Jesus. God’s desire must be the Church’s mission. The Scriptures lay down the principles and provide the insight to help us fulfill this divine will and promote the progress of the gospel. As the gospel progresses, Jesus’ Church will grow and bear fruit, both in the character of God’s people and in the number of those reached by God’s grace.

    According to the Bible, Jesus’ Church works toward the progress of the gospel in several essential ways.

1. Death to self.
   

   Jesus declared that unless the grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies it will remain a single seed. Only when it dies will it produce fruit. He was speaking of his own death on the cross, which would have great repercussion in the world. He immediately added that our life must follow his — to death (Galatians 2:20)! We God’s people are willing to die to self so others can live, others are drawn to Christ(John 12:20-28). When we die to our sinful self with Christ (Romans 6:1-14), God will produce in us great and lasting fruit. When true conversion and daily crucifixion to self take place, true growth will occur (Luke 9:18-27).

2. Spirit of service.
   

   Jesus demonstrated this spirit of service by washing his disciples feet (John 13:1-17) and declared himself as our example. All Kingdom work is ministry and is never based upon position, status, or authoritarianism (Mathew 20:20-28). The desire and struggle for power automatically disqualifies one for Kingdom work and kills the progress of the gospel. The disciple of Jesus is always “dressed ready for service” (Luke 12.35) because the greatest in Jesus’ Kingdom is the one who serves (Luke 22:47).

3. The power of the gospel.
   

   Only preaching the one, true message of Christ can save (Acts 4:12; Romans 1:15-17). The gospel is used by the Spirit’s power to convert and transform (1 Thessalonians 1:4-10; cf. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11)). A principle characteristic of the Acts narrative is that the message is preached, people are redeemed, and Christian communities are formed. The message is three-fold: (a) because of sin, people are distant from God and stand in need of a savior; (b) God has provided forgiveness, redemption, salvation, reconciliation in his only Son, Jesus the Chosen One; (c) God’s good favor is available through faith and obedience to the Gospel message. The source and content of this message is Scripture which points us to Christ (2 Timothy 3:14-17; Galatians 3:23-24). Therefore, people must be put in direct contact with the transforming power of the Word. Hope in Jesus must be offered. Plain truth must be spoken so that people may understand. Direct appeals must be made in order that people may know how to receive Christ and become his disciples. Seekers must not be attracted by pleasant sounds, but by hopeful words.

4. Confidence in other disciples to serve.
   

   In order to train capable men who can teach others also (2 Timothy 2:1-2), one must trust that they will be able to carry on the work. Jesus put the salvation of the world in the hands of 12 men. He invested three years’ ministry to “the training of the Twelve,” as A. B. Bruce called it. An essential element of the Great Commission is to teach the disciples to observe all things which Jesus has commanded. The focus of some is “to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up” (Ephesians 4.11-12). The apostle Paul practiced what he preached about training others: he gathered around him men like Timothy and Titus, not only to help him, but to pass on to them the task he had received. In order to invest in this training, we must develop the basic characteristic of believing that others are made capable by God and that God can work in them mightily. We must trust others’ ability to do the will of God (Romans 15:13-16; 1 Thessalonians 3:7,9-10).

5. Each part, each person, the whole Church doing its work.
   

   The Church grows only as each part does its work empowered by Christ.

   Everyone preached the gospel (Acts 8:2,4). Everyone, regardless of gift, has the same purpose of building up God’s church (1 Corinthians 3:8), sharing their story of faith (1 Peter 3:15-16), and declaring the praised of God and his salvation (1 Peter 2:9-10). All are priests who proclaim God’s great works of salvation (1 Peter 2:4-10). Full-time preachers, teachers, and shepherds can be great blessings, but will never be a suitable substitute for the full cooperation by all members of the body to do ministry. Even those who seem smallest and most unimportant make essential contributions to the work of Jesus’ Body (1 Corinthians 12:22). The Church grows only as each part does its work empowered by Christ (Ephesians 4:15-16).

6. Unity is essential.
   

   Jesus emphasized that unity was necessary if the world was going to believe (John 17:20-23). This unity is based upon God’s pillars of truth (Ephesians 4:1-6) and is maintained when opinions are not allowed to become law (Romans 14:1-15:4). When two or more work and pray together, divine synergy results: the gain is greater than when each one works or prays separately (Matthew 18:19-20). Factions frustrate fruit. Where fighting flourishes and differences separate, fruit withers on the vine. One Lord, one body, one task, one glorious result must be our passion.

7. Appeciation of the diversity of gifts.
   

   The proper use of the gifts that God gives the church build it up (Ephesians 4:11-16). They exist to serve one another (1 Peter 4:10-11), “for the common good” and for the church’s edification (1 Corinthians 12:4-13; 14:1-17). “Unity in diversity” misses the point. The biblical relation is “diversity for unity.” Diversity of gifts, not of beliefs, doctrines, or traditions, contributes to the gospel’s progress.

8. Identification with the lost.
   

   Jesus became human and lived among us (John 1:14), giving up his divine glory (Philippians 2:5-11). His ministers also become like their hearers in order to save as many as possible by every conceivable means (1 Corinthians 9:19-23; Galatians 4:12). While keeping in focus the one great need and the only divine solution, Christians know both the need and the solution express themselves in specific cultural forms. In this way Paul sought to “please everybody in every way,” seeking the good of many, “so that they may be saved.” In doing this, he followed the example of Christ, who practiced true, sacrificial, incarnational ministry (1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1).

9. Communion and love shared by Jesus’ disciples.
   

   Love is the special mark of Jesus’ disciples (John 13:34-35). Love expressed in practical ways allows people to recognize where the cross continues to shine its beacon of hope and grace. Love is the guarantee that God’s presence is real (1 Corinthians 13:1ff). God sent his Son because of love (John 3:16). Love leads the redeemed to lay down their life for a brother or sister in Christ (1 John 3:16). Love calls us to lay down our life and will for the conversion of the lost (1 Corinthians 4:5-11). He who loves can say: “I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well” (2 Corinthians 12:15). This love takes definite form and finds concrete expression (1 John 3:16-17). This love brings Christians together often to “spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24-25).

10. Mountain-moving faith.
    

    The smallest faith will do great things, for all is possible to him who believes (Matthew 17:20; Luke 17:5-6). This great power is not our faith, but in the God who answers. This faith must be based upon truth (2 Thessalonians 2:13). We believe, therefore we speak (2 Corinthians 4:13-18). This faith produces an ever-present zeal according to knowledge (Romans 10:2; 12:11). It is a faith that believes in a God bigger than we can imagine and yet has shown himself powerful through the story of his people.

11. Edification of others.
    

    God builds the house or the work will end in destruction(Psalm 127:1; Genesis 11.1-9). The one who edifies, who encourages and builds up others, contributes to the growth of the gospel (Acts 11.23-25; 1 Corinthians 14:24-26). In true Christians assembly, all must be done with a view to building up each other (1 Corinthians 14). Therefore, all activities must be judged by their ability to bless, build up, and edify the saints. This is the Church’s business. It is not a place to show off learning or talent, but the place to elevate the good of many for “knowledge puffs up, but love builds up” (1 Corinthians 8:1c).

12. Fervent and faithful prayer.
    

    In order to build his church, Jesus prayed constantly (gospel of Luke). The New Testament church prayed constantly and grew in numbers and in faith (Acts and epistles). One prays for courage to speak (Ephesians 6:19-20), for doors of opportunity (Colossians 4:2-4), for growth of the disciples (Philippians 1:9-11), for the Lord to send more workers into the harvest (Luke 10:20). Without prayer, we labor alone. Through prayer, God acts in ways he would not if we had not made supplication and intercession. We pray for all men, because the ultimate interest of the Lord is the redemption of the world (1 Timothy 2.1-6). He is “God the Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (v. 3).

13. The power of God!
    

    The final standard of how the church grows comes from the book of Him who is the builder of all things (Hebrews 3:4). God makes the gospel progress. Even the most dire and diverse circumstances cannot thwart this growth (Philippians 1:12). His power is at work in us to help us know and do his will (Philippians 2:13). His power, unleashed through the Holy Spirit, matures us to be like Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18) and can help us do “more than we can ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20-21). This power is like the same power that tore Jesus away from death and placed him high above all other authorities and powers (Ephesians 1:19-20). This power can enable us to work in the lives of others to mature them to Christ (Colossians 1:28-29).