| WHAT IS OUR MANDATE? |
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| Written by Rev. Peter Bloomfield | |
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What is the task of the Church? What are we "on about"? Seminars at our State Assembly failed to grapple with the real issues. Problems in our denomination were looked at from the mundane perspectives of administration, finance, and statistical trends. Some delegates said, in effect, that we don’t know the answers, so lets appoint a special task force to tell us. Others argued that we need revival, and that we should pray for it, and that revival is our only hope. This sounds plausible and spiritual, but if you think about it, it is dangerous. Historically, revivals are rare. Most churches and Christians live in times on non-revival. Yet we are still to be faithful to our mandate, and still graciously and fully equipped to do so. There is great danger of a revivalistic mentality which, among other things, implies that our ineffectiveness is due to God’s inadequate provision. Instead of Adam’s sinful "The woman you gave me" speech, we put it in other words: "The revival you didn’t give me". Some suggested blatantly wrong answers, including getting involved with the "Toronto Blessing". Tragic but true: two Ministers spoke to that effect. They support the incredible notion that when God walks into the room everyone laughs! In Scripture the advent of God brings fears and woes and laments and realisation of human sinfulness. Even "the very hills melt away like wax at the presence of the Lord" (Psalm 97:5). But Toronto is hailed as the coming of the Holy Spirit, and people fall about laughing! Others (ever concerned with the stingy givers), advocated ‘stewardship campaigns’ as the way to go. It is my conviction that these happenings at the Assembly are simply more evidences of the problem! The problem is spiritual ignorance, tradition habits and thoughts not examined with Biblical rigour, and a departure from proper Biblical priorities. Let me indicate three of our mandatory priorities. 1. A mandate for holiness. The whole point of Christ saving us is stated in Titus 2:11-15, "Christ Jesus; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds". We must be holy as our Heavenly father is holy. We must pursue holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. Salvation does not stop at "conversion". That’s only the beginning. It leads to a progressive conformity to the holy life of Jesus, a holiness of mind and action. "The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age". When people don’t act sensibly it is because in that respect they are not holy! The non-sensible behaviour of ‘Toronto’ alerts us to its unholiness. Money is also a holiness issue. When a Christian is content to put mere pocket money on the plate, to give stingily and reservedly to the spread of God’s kingdom, we see someone who is not zealous for good deeds. We see someone who has not denied "ungodliness and worldly desires". We see an unholy person who has never understood that massive declaration "Christ Jesus; gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us". It is a spiritual problem not a financial problem! The answer is not a stewardship campaign. While preachers do need to sometimes teach the Biblical view of financial responsibility, this stingy person needs to hear of the unsearchable riches of Christ until the eyes of their heart are opened. Preach a holy Christ in all the holy Scriptures who demands a holy people. That’s our mandate. Holiness is itself evangelistic. A holy church is a powerful statement to a lost world. Without holiness our message is impotent. Calvin is right: "even the daintiest morsel is unattractive if it is offered in a leprous hand". In my judgement, the true "great commission" for the church is holiness, not missions. 2. A mandate for discipling. In order to obey this mandate (Matthew 28:18-20), each of the three component parts is vital. There is outreaching (making disciples of all nations), ingathering (baptising them into the church of the triune God), and upbuilding (teaching them to observe all that Christ requires). We must not think of "missions" only (or mainly) in terms of the initial point of conversion through front-line missionaries. It is imperative that converts be grafted into strong and faithful churches where they will come under the nurture of good preaching. This has big implications for our church. First, how serious are we about the Theological Hall? Why is it starved for funds? Why are there still, after 96 years, only two full time Professors at the Theological Hall of the Presbyterian Church of Australia in Queensland? Everyone agrees that a minimum staff is five Professors to cover the massive subject areas. Why are major subjects like Hebrew, Greek, and Preaching, still reliant on part time lecturers? This is not a financial problem but a spiritual problem. And why are Sessions and Presbyteries prepared to accept candidates who do not have the obvious teaching, academic, social and people gifts essential to that teaching ministry? The second implication is for preachers themselves. Why are they giving minimal attention to preparation for preaching (labouring in word and doctrine)? Why are they so busy doing 101 things that sermons get just an hour or two? Because they are disobedient to their plain Biblical duty, summed up in 1 Tim 4:13-16, "give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching .... Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress may be evident to all. Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things; for as you do this you will insure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you". Preachers are to be both occupied and preoccupied with preaching. Even the best men will need about four days in the week in the study doing the rigorous preparation for two sermons, a Bible study, and other papers and theological statements. Woefully, many ministers can’t say "no" to competing interests. They have become salaried clerks, parish managers, administrators, chairmen of committees, visitors, counsellors, telephone receptionists, marriers, buriers, baptisers, anything but preachers. Not only are they run ragged, but the preaching becomes mundane. Mediocrity is common. There is a loss of the stimulating exposition of the massive areas of Biblical teaching. Instead the sermons are commentary-cullings, loaded with moralisms, allegorisms, and fundamental inconsistencies with the "big picture" that only fresh, rigorous exegetical reflection will produce. 3. A mandate for maturity. Repeatedly God insists that babes must grow into mature manhood. Milk gives way to meat. We must grow in knowledge and all discernment (Phil 1:9-11), no longer children swayed by every new idea (Eph 4:14). But God also tells us that He has already given us everything we need to fulfil our mandate. In this respect we need to look at 2 Peter chapter 1. "His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence"(v3). We lack nothing. Moreover we have "His precious and magnificent promises" (v4). We have the truth and the Holy Spirit. We have God’s power at work within us (Eph 1:19 & 2:20). We have the gospel which is dynamite. Christ ("all power in heaven and earth") is with us in our obedience. God does not need to add something to all this: we need to do the adding! "Applying all diligence, in your faith add moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge; and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness; and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love". The cause of ineffectiveness or unfruitfulness in the church does not lie in a lack on God’s part (like a lack of revival). The text puts the ball in our court: "For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins." The answer to problems in the church is not to be crying out for revival, (though if God sends it we’ll all rejoice), but to get on with the obedient mature use of the rich graces He has given us. In other words, let’s be obedient! "Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you". |
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