THEME: THE DIVINE MANDATE FOR GLOBAL KINGDOM RECONSTRUCTION 

This is the background to Re-Visiting Christ and The Church Mission. The basic understanding and fundamental foundational truth with the Church is that; Christ is the Church, and the Church is Christ. That Church Mission is no more than Christ in mission with His people— the Church Body. These are the people in whom he dwells, with whom, and through He manifest Himself to the world. Church mission is Christ indwelling and moving with humans, the redeemed—those born of Him, baptized into fellowship with the Triune God, and filled with the Holy Spirit for the worship and service of God and the pursuit of Christ’s vision and mission on earth towards its heavenly determined and ordered everlasting end. 

It is truth to say, first, that the Church is of Divine origin. That the vision and mission of the church is also a heavenly determined, ordered, supervised, and controlled enterprise. 

Second, Jesus Christ is the one sent. It is He who, in turn, has commissioned and sent the Church for the pursuit of the father’s and His vision, and purposes on earth. Christ Jesus therefore is the spirit-power and master behind church mission. In reality, Christ is the one in mission; His people—whom He calls His brethren—serve as His mouth, hands, feet, and vessels in short.  Church mission is simply Christ in mission. 

This makes true connection with Christ Jesus a vital fundamental pre-requisite and critical factor for the individual saint, within the Church herself and with church mission in general. 

Third, Jesus Christ is the prime worker in church mission. He said, “I will build My Church (Matthew 16:18).  “As the Father has sent Me, so send I you” (John 20:21), “GO and disciple the nations. Lo, I am with you always” (Matthew 28:18-20). 

DEFINITION OF TERMS 

If we follow the spiritual underpinning, the mind, and understanding of church mission, we cannot but conclude that church mission is essentially Christ and His Church (His people) in mission.  The Holy Spirit accompaniment is to assist the church, humans with Divine Love, Passion, Knowledge, Wisdom, Understanding, and assignment to help maintain and sustain the purity and integrity of Christ, His Spirit, vision, mission, and works. Indeed, the Holy Spirit acts on behalf of the Father and the Son so to uphold and maintain the Divine heavenly agenda on earth (John 16: 7-16). Church mission in the ultimate is Christ, The Holy Spirit and the Church (humans) in action. 

In the final analysis, Church Mission is the Church in action on the authority and power, orders, prescription, supervision, and control of Jesus Christ, and under the Holy Spirit. Accordingly, Church mission enterprise is only legitimate and acceptable in and with Christ and the Holy Spirit. Church work, the spirit power, knowledge, wisdom, and understanding of man is illegitimate and fruitless (John 15:1-11; 1st Corinthians 2:1-8). 

To summarize, Church Mission is the Church in pursuit of the heavenly vision and mission of Jesus Christ—the Son of the Living God, commissioned as Lamb of God, and Lion of Judah, Saviour, Reconciler, Redeemer, and Restorer, King of kings, and Lord of Lords. Christ is the King of Glory. Amen! 

It is with this in mind that given the authority, power, and mandate by the Father—Jesus Christ assumed the right, authority, and power to commission the Church as related in Mathew (Matthew 16:18-19; 28:18-20 and (Acts 1:8). The church is commissioned with heavenly agenda, power, authority, and orders. 

Prior to that, Christ undertook ‘pilot projects’ as in (Luke 10), to test the ground and working power and effect of Church in mission on His orders and in His name and in the shadow of His presence. The seventy disciples proved the feasibility of authority and power transmitted to men on His word. The demons were subject to the seventy. “I saw Satan fall like lightening.” What a spectacle! What a spiritual explosion!! What a new life! What a new world order!!! 

THE ESSENTIALS OF CHURCH MISSION 

Church mission has to do with; 

• Believing and accepting Him and His Word on (His vision, commandments, direction, and counsel) His Name, and Spirit Power available in His Word and from the Holy Spirit for the pursuit of His Christ’s vision and mission agenda, and specific assignments. 

• Maintaining effective connection and relationship with Him. 

• Seeking directions on tasks, the unction, and accompaniment of the Holy Spirit for action. (Herein study of the voice/word of God, prayer, fasting, and waiting on the LORD in true identification and connection, power transmission and direction).  

Church Mission is based first upon and therefore derives spiritual basis, clearance, and legitimacy from God, to be precise, the Word, (the Scripture) Commandments, and assignments of Jesus Christ. Second, it is carried out under the spiritual command and direction of Christ and the unction and accompaniment of the Holy Spirit.   

Anything outside this spiritual authority and power framework is unrighteous, illegitimate, unacceptable, and untenable. Some action may have a semblance of divine order, they may be appealing, plausible, and acceptable to humans and spirits, but they shall not and cannot receive the approval and blessing of Jesus Christ and the Triune God as a whole if they do not emanate from Him. Such is the case with religion and fruitless piety, and humanistic religious ventures. 

Hence, Christ Jesus has warned about activities in His name, but which will not receive approval and reward in the end (Matthew 7:22-23).  Similarly, the Holy Spirit speaks expressly through Apostle Paul warning about works built upon the name and power of Jesus Christ, but which do not conform to the spirit, mind, purposes, and goal of Christ (1Corinthians 3:11-15; 2:1-16). 

Sadly, in the Church today’s Church, men have set convenience, gain, and happiness as basis of the worship and service of God as well as life and conduct. Property, wealth, and human glory, the wisdom, praise of men, and fame have become the rationale for church work and mission in general. All this is but worldliness not godliness, earthly not heavenly, transient not eternal. 

THE NEW THING  

It may be appreciated in this connection that Church Mission is aimed at creating and establishing a new thing in the world. It is aimed at introducing and establishing a new basis of life and conduct. It therefore involves creating a new people with a new spirit and mind-set, removing old spiritual and transforming old social order, building new spiritual and social order and establishing alongside a new political order, governance, and government. Christ has come to build and establish a New Kingdom Government, Dominion, Throne and Glory in the world.  

“Behold, I make all things new” is the Christ vision and mission (Isaiah 42: 1,9; Revelation 21: 5).  This is the ordered goal of Christ and Church Mission. 

THE THREE MAJOR CHURCH MISSION ACTIVITIES 

Essentially, Christ and His Church Mission, entail three major activities. These are Church Building, Kingdom Building, and Nation Building for the establishment of the New Heavenly Godly World Order in the nations and the world. These constitute the basis of the “New Thing” which Christ has come to establish on earth, leading ultimately to A New Heaven and A New Earth. 

We may observe in this regard, that the Church has on the whole lost sight, understanding, and full comprehension of Christ Vision and Mission for A New Man, a new human race, and new human society, new nations of a new Heavenly Godly Kingdom Order with new Divine heavenly ordered life, conduct, government, and kingdom on earth.  

Christ’s vision and mission on earth entails ultimately in ordering and establishing a spiritual and social order after the Knowledge, Will, Purposes, and Glory of God the Creator and His Sovereign reign and rule on earth (Isaiah 9: 6-7).  Come, Lord Jesus is the seal. 

June 17, 2011