The Hope of the World

I recently found a quotation that captivated me. Spurgeon (1834-92) was the pastor of the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London. He frequently preached the Good News of Jesus to audiences of more than 10,000 people. He has been called the Prince of Preachers. The quotation is about the Church and speaks much to the necessity for the Church to be impacting our culture.

And let the entire body of the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ–instead of looking to societies for evangelization, or to commerce, or to governments– remember that she is the sole saviour of the world. As Christ was the world’s hope, so is the Church the world’s hope, and she must take up the charge as if there were not another.

I agree with Spurgeon. I have heard Bill Hybels of Willow Creek Community Church state it this way:

The local Church is the hope of the World.

The Church, the bride of Christ, is called and charged to bring the hope and love of Jesus Christ to the World that Jesus Himself says that He loves (John 3:16). It may be nice, and maybe on some issues necessary (ie: abortion), to have the government and as Spurgeon refers to "commerce and societies" to partner with us. But in the end the call to feed the hungry, to give hope to the poor, to care for the orphans and widows, to address the issues of oppression, of bondage, of social ills like AIDS, abortion, and Human Trafficking to mention a few is the charge to the body of Christ. We cannot depend on the government to have the heart of Jesus Christ nor to truly be able to bring hope to our social ills.

I must confess that much of my life as a Pastor has been primarily about pasturing the local church that I have been a part of and of personal evangelism. I believe this is my spiritual gifting. But over the last several years, I have been convicted and challenged that a significant part of my maturity and the discipleship of God’s people must include engagement in the lives of the “lost and the least” of the world. We must do this not only from an evangelistic perspective, but also to address with compassion and justice the needs of those around us.

I am being challenged that true discipleship cannot be merely knowledge (although it must include knowledge) nor just personal life issues. Any plan for maturing believers in Christ must include leading followers to be engaged in the lives others. To be engaged with an evangelistic heart with those who do not know Jesus yet. And leading them to be engaged with a “loving people as they are in Jesus’ name” heart that serves people with compassion and seeks justice for people in the name of Christ.

Discipleship, of course, is following Jesus. To follow Jesus will certainly lead us to become a friend of the “tax collectors and ‘sinners’” of our day. Following Jesus will lead us to bringing good news to the poor, to proclaim freedom for prisoners, recovery of sight for the blind, and to release the oppressed (Luke 4:18).
“Jesus, expand my heart.”
Your partner in the gospel,
Pastor Paul

P.S. This post is not meant to take us off the hook in our need to be politically astute and aware. We certainly don't want a government that would be working "against" the Church or the causes that the Church is called by God to address.