Originally published in "The Lord's Coming Herald & Wesleyan Bible Prophecy Advocate," June Edition 2008
Clarifying Life's Mission
What is your mission in life?
For the Christian it should include the Great
Commission of Jesus Christ--”go make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:18-20).
Once this mission in life is personally clarified, then we have to keep focused
upon it, not just for a few days or weeks, but for our whole journey of life, as well.
What is involved in “making disciples”?
May I suggest the following?
Our making of disciples means helping people come:
(1) to personally know Jesus Christ; (2) to be saved from sin; (3) to walk with
God; and (4) to serve the Lord.
How is this done?
First, we tell the story of Jesus. This is a recital of
objective facts of historical reality. His person, His work, His coming, and His
kingdom are all relevant subject matter here. To often we assume people know the
facts of Jesus Christ. Reality is, however, that many people don’t know them. Many
know only the “dispensational Jesus,” or the "existential Jesus" of modern liberal theology, but this is not the true Christ of the Bible!
Promise and fulfillment, rather than the arbitrary structuring of dispensations,
is the vehicle through which we must present the resurrected Saviour. As the
story is told, Jesus is revealed by the Holy Spirit, through the words of truth
that He has spoken.
There is intellectual content involved in Christianity, as well as mere
“feeling”--something modern theological liberals, in their lopsided commitment
to pure and total subjectivism in religion, do not seem to realize.
It is now popular in our circles to only want an emotionally-mesmerizing “no preaching service.” The cause of Jesus Christ would be better served, however, if the Church would be more OBJECTIVE in teaching people things more useful to fulfilling their individual life’s mission.
Think about it.
Related Article Links
Dispensationalism's Fictional Jesus
On Commitment To Existentialism Versus Commitment To Christ
Preaching Christ