Month: June 2018

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What is the Mission of the Church, and Why Does It Matter?

What is the mission of the church? Is there just one mission? The modern church tends to follow society as it relates to causes. Freeing men and women from human trafficking, providing clean water, social justice, equality among the races, and caring for the poor are all activities in which the church should be involved. They are noble and needed.

However, one might ask the question, should we build our mission around the activities we feel called to do, or should the mission of the church guide our actions?

I would suggest that while our activities might change, the mission of the church should never change. In other words, application is different than essence.

Kevin DeYoung and Greg Gilbert have produced an excellent book that deals with this issue. Their chapters on “Making Sense of Social Justice” are perhaps the best simple treatment I have ever read on a complicated, and occasionally, controversial subject.

I would highly recommend this book.

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Between Promise and Fulfillment

It was a very long 13 years. Joseph was a very young 17 years old when he first got a glimpse of his exalted future. I can only imagine the excitement he felt when he saw that first dream. If I read the biblical text accurately, he was downright giddy. If he had only known what lay between the promise and its fulfillment.

The next 13 years were a living hell. Here are the good parts of that period of Joseph’s life. His brothers decided to sell him as a slave instead of killing him. He experiences the favor of the Lord while serving as a slave. And finally, he gets promoted while in prison. Let me put it this way; Joseph would have had to have been a world-class optimist not to lose all hope.

Undoubtedly God could have orchestrated another way to position Joseph for dream fulfillment. Why so much pain? I have the same Bible you have, so you know we don’t know for sure. However, I do know this about humankind. When dream fulfillment comes too easy or too quick, it’s easy to think the dream is about the dreamer. It never is. It’s always about God’s bigger plan, and nothing aids in the learning of this lesson like pain.

So, if you feel like your dream has gotten off track, don’t lose hope. God can be at work in the cistern, the servant’s quarters, and the prison. He may be trying to teach you a valuable lesson–that this isn’t about you.

When God was ready to act, it only took one afternoon. Thirteen years of painful discouragement were redeemed in a few short hours. Never lose hope. You never know what tomorrow holds. Learn today’s lessons, and remain hopeful about tomorrow.