Yesterday I posted on some of the areas where the law appears ignored, challenged, or is flagrantly broken (and why we need it). And it was harsh. it was hyperbole (in part: Fearsome Pirate had the idea of purple, which was a genius bit of snark).
Today drags us back to the essentials. What is the goal of the church. It is to make disciples.
16Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
The goal of the church is not huge secular moral campaigns, although some are needed.
The goal of the church is not social justice and redistribution of wealth, although we should help the poor, sick and visit those in prison.
The goal of the church is not to be a therapeutic community, although I know of Christians who work in such places, and who live deliberately as poor and with the poor.
The goal of the church is not to raise our children, although we want their support and wisdom.
The goal of the church is to make disciples. A disciple is trained to be like his master and to do the works of his teacher. So we do need teachers, we do need teaching, and we do refer back to the interpretations of those who were taught by Jesus himself — in the pastoral letters — and those writings from the early generations, who turned the world to Christ in a mere 200 years.
For Christianity has reached the ends of the earth. As a demonstration, I give you a NZ praise band.
