THEME: WINNING, BUILDING & ESTABLISHING NATIONS & PEOPLES IN CHRIST & THE KINGDOM 

PREAMBLE 

Praise ye the Lord! Great is Jehovah, and greatly to be praised. 

Beloved, this is but one out of a number of church mission conferences. However, I am excited to say that the CHURCH MISSION CONFERENCE (DECEMBER 17-19, 2013) at Christ the King (St. Marie Hall) is a very singular and unique one. It is a conference of a distinctive nature—conceived as it is with Deliberation on God Ordained, Ordered, Executed, and Accomplished Church Mission Works of Glory, supervised by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.  

Therefore, we are gathered here to consider not mere possibilities and probabilities, but real, accomplished, and standing church mission works. I am privileged to share and discuss with you the dynamics, realities, and effects of church mission undertaken over a period of approximately 30years, which has not been abandoned but is ongoing in two respects: 

i. To consolidate, uphold, and maintain the integrity of the mission accomplished in the mission territory.  

ii. To extend, uphold, and exemplify church mission in winning, redeeming, building, and establishing peoples and nations in Christ Jesus and the Kingdom of God—His reign, rule and dominion—to nations in Africa and beyond. 

Through conferences of this nature, we not only seek to keep church mission fire burning but also to enlist, equip, and get church people specifically called, and assigned mission tasks, be it comprehensive or particular mission tasks. We also aim at building, understanding, appreciation, and cooperation with the mission within the church body in the nations and the world. Indeed, it will be praiseworthy and glorious if this conference is followed by a broad-based, comprehensive Church Body arranged Church mission conference for a full and comprehensive study, understanding, and commitment to the full church mission tasks so to win, redeem, rebuild, and establish nations, peoples, and the world in God via Christ (Messianic) redemption, government, and kingdom mission. 

Beloved, we have been wondered whether the Ghana Church mission experience is a unique mission story. We ponder whether the early apostolic foundation churches, followed by the Roman Catholic Church, and the Protestant churches in Europe have all conceived and undertook church mission in such a comprehensive manner as has happened in Ghana. 

As we may observe during the conference, there were three major players with the Church Mission in Ghana under discussion: The Ghana Evangelical Society, The Church Body, and The Government, People, and Nation of Ghana. To achieve the broad and comprehensive church mission that took place in Ghana over these past 40 years, one requires a special kind of spiritual, cultural, and political order.  

The only observation we can make right now is that a FULL 3-WAY CHURCH MISSION program cannot but involve intense spiritual, political, and socio-cultural battles.  We have dubbed these “Kingdom Battles.” It entails warfare, travail, determination, diligence, and a holy walk with God to save, deliver, heal, and reconcile, redeem, win, build, and establish the church, people, and nation in Christ Jesus the Son, His government, and Kingdom for the Father’s ultimate and total reign and rule. 

I stand before you in a position as the Leader of the Ghana Evangelical Society (GES). GES is the organizer of church mission conference. Our personal role in the church mission in Ghana story is clearly stated in the book, CHURCH MISSION IN GHANA/AFRICA AND THE WORLD, copy of which you all have by now (otherwise get one now or arrange for one later). 

INTRODUCTION 

In this opening Talk at Church Mission Conference, December 2013, we will discuss the primary mission task: CHURCH BUILDING MISSION 

DEFINITION OF TERMS 

First, let us define Church Building Mission, what it is not and what it is. 

By Church Building Mission, we are not referring simply to the narrow church mission with evangelism for salvation of souls, discipling, and equipping in the worship and service of God, and knowledge of God with its interest in church planting, church growth, and church multiplication, in territories and the world. This though important, and indeed falls under church building generally, it is not total church building mission as such. By Church Building Mission we are referring first and foremost to a major issue of reconciling, delivering, redeeming, and establishing peoples and nations under God, as People of God or Church, where the church is the nation and the nation the church. “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom He hath chosen for His own inheritance.” (Psalm 33:12 KJV) 

The Old Testaments understands and treats territorial Israel as the nation and people of God. Such is how Israel of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were viewed, looked upon, determined for life, government, and glory as a nation and people (Jeremiah 32: 38-41; Deuteronomy 6: 1-15). “Hear, O Israel:  The LORD our God is one LORD.” (Deuteronomy 6:4 KJV) 

The New Testament on the other hand, treats the church people on lines similar to Old Testament Israel born unto God, through faith in Jesus Christ, as with Abraham the Old Testament arrangement, discipled, organized, governed, reigned, and ruled as People of God on earth and of the world to come.  The church people are, accordingly, the inheritance of God in the world—the Royal Priesthood, Holy Nation and People of God. (1st Peter 2: 9-10).  

This is the background spiritual base of “I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH” and the “GO YE” of the Great Commission (Matthew 28: 18-20; Acts 16: 18-19). The church has been given authority and power over the gates of hell and the kingdoms of Satan and man (Luke 10: 18-19). The church has the keys to heaven and has authority to order and bring down the Kingdom of heaven on earth. The church has power to re-order and establish the HEAVEN KINGDOM ORDER on earth. 

THE RECONCILIATION MISSION ACTIVITY (2nd Corinthians 5: 18-19) 

To the church, therefore, the Word and Ministry of Reconciliation has been committed.  This is a nation-building mission. It embraces worship, knowledge, obedience, and honor of God, so there be peace and no more curses, condemnation, and woes. Indeed, there will be the mercy, goodness, blessing, peace, progress, prosperity, and goodness of God for nation and people. The Temple becomes the dwelling place of and gathering unto God within the nation; hence, the Temple serves as the place of gathering unto God, the meeting, worship, honoring and acknowledgment of God. 

PREACHING, TEACHING, EVANGELISM, DISCIPLING, EQUIPPING, AND WORSHIP OF GOD (Matthew 28: 18-20; Acts 1:8) 

The Great Commission—”Go ye, preach, teach, disciple nations and people”— is not merely a matter of the few gathered within the chapels. It pertains to winning the entire nation, its people, and all of creation. The nation and people together constitute the mission field for church building in nations.  The aim is to win, disciple, and equip the soul of the people as well as the soul of the nation unto God, His worship, knowledge, and honor by individuals, families, tribes, corporate entities, society, and nation as a whole and life for all (Isaiah 2:1-5). Evangelism, in this respect aims as much at winning individual souls as in winning the soul of the nations and people as one people and nation—transforming, building, and establishing as a nation and people of and unto God. 

Hence, it is necessary to consider discipling as a major ‘check tool’ within nations. People must be brought to know, accept, and honor the Creator as God—and Him alone is worthy of worship. In doing so, the people and the nation will know and acknowledge God, His majesty and supremacy, the fear and honor of Him Jehovah God, Father of Jesus Christ, as a Great One.  He told Israel, and He is telling all: “I AM THAT I AM” is My Name. 

PRAYER, TRAVAIL, WARFARE 

(1st Timothy 2: 1-7; Psalm 122:6-9; Ezekiel 3:17; Isaiah 62:1, 6-10; 2nd Corinthians 10:3-6; Acts 26: 18-19; Ephesians 6: 10-18; 3:3-11) 

In the past, Ghana was steered deep and far away from God. Consequently, the Church and the soul of Ghana went into sorrow, fears, and woes. It is against this background that the Ghana Evangelical Society (GES) was commissioned at two fronts:  

i. With the Mosaic Redemption Mission: To set Ghana free unto God, disciple and establish her back as a Nation and People chosen unto God’s Inheritance—the “Star of Africa” on one part. 

ii. And to set out the Christ (Messianic) Redemption and Kingdom Mission: To win, disciple, build, and was involved to break the chains of ‘Satan-man’ order, set captives free, and build the country unto God.  

The mission had advanced unto Independence. However, the Nkrumah era raised the stakes very high. The Nkrumah-CPP atheistic-scientific-socialist state dropped a big and heavy ‘bomb’ on the country. The Church Building mission—aimed at winning, building, and establishing Ghana as a nation and people of God—started with the foreign church missionary groups. significant progress was made to win, build, and establish the Gold Coast (now Ghana) as a Christian nation and a people of God. However, it has taken much battle to establish Ghana as a nation and people of God—”Beulah Land” and God Kingdom Glory State, Star of Africa for the reconciliation, redemption, reconciliation of Africa unto God. The winning of nations and peoples unto God and Christ is far more complex and involving than meets the eye. There is a great warfare and battle to wage to bring nation and people under God. This is a critical church building activity. We will discuss this under Kingdom Building Mission. 

CHURCH BUILDING MISSION IN GHANA (the GES Mission Story) 

Church Building Mission in Ghana began with foreign missionary groups. The Society’s mission agenda was Evangelism and Revival of the Apostolic foundation and the worship and service of God in the Church Body in Ghana as well as the spread of the Truth, Light, and Way—the Knowledge and Worship of God alone—nationwide.  Furthermore, the Society was also charged with the rebuilding of the “broken walls” of Ghana and the God Kingdom Glory Ghana Mission. 

GES took the whole nation and people as evangelism ground and mission territory.  Church, nation, and people were the mission. The whole nation is the PROSPECTIVE CHURCH and PEOPLE of GOD. Evangelism, preaching, teaching, discipling, equipping, and sending out were purely from a national perspective and platform for God Kingdom order in the land. The modus operandi is to work with all churches to preach, teach, disciple, and equip nation and people in the knowledge, worship, and service of God, the Truth, Faith, Light, Way, Hope, and Glory of God in the land. 

GES worked with all churches that were willing, obedient, and ready for mission. The Society went out in collaboration with many churches round the country to bring villages, towns, tribes, and people unto the truth, knowledge, and worship of God—the acknowledgement and honor of Him as God and King around the country. Great has been the influence, impact, and effect of God in the land. The Society’s activities round the nation served more as a MASS BIBLE and MISSION TRAINING SCHOOL or COLLEGE where Disciples of Christ, Ministers, Gospel Workers, Saints, and Servants of God are enlisted, trained, equipped, and sent out into the church and nation, towns and cities, communities, tribes, and nation for the Divine eternal purposes and glory in the land. 

CONCLUSION 

Church Building Mission, from a national and people’s perspective, goes beyond evangelism for the salvation of individual souls and getting people established in the church.  It pertains primarily to the reconciling, delivering, redeeming, winning, building, and establishing people, nation, and creation as the PEOPLE and NATION of GOD. The church in that case, the vehicle, and the faith the mechanism for winning, building, and establishing people and nations unto God. 

The GES Mission Accomplished is the reconciling, delivering, redeeming, building, and establishing Ghana as a nation and people of God. The Mission Accomplished is A NEW CHURCH, A NEW PEOPLE, and A NEW NATION.  Ghana—the nation and people of God—has been eked out of the Mosaic-Christ Redemption and Kingdom mission. Ghana, has today, become a de facto Christian nation. We await legal and constitutional ratification for Ghana to be fully established as a Christian nation—a People, and Nation of God—for His Kingdom Glory Order in and under Christ Jesus: Saviour, Redeemer, Lord, and King. Indeed, Jesus Christ has been crowned by the Church Body as King of Glory of Ghana. 

Church Building Mission in Ghana has redeemed, won, built, and established Ghana as a NATION and PEOPLE Holy unto God.  To the Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—be the glory now and forever more.  Amen! 

Glory to God in the highest!  Amen! 

God bless Ghana! Amen! 

Tuesday, December 17, 2013