(Advancing the Gospel as Missionaries & Educators)
By Martin Dendekker W
hen you think of the ARP’s work to advance the gospel as missionar- ies and educators, your mind as an ARP member probably begins thinking of our denomination’s foreign and domestic mission labors
through presbyteries, World Witness, and Outreach North America. Maybe you think more locally of evangelistic ministries overseen by your local session, such as open-air preaching or door-to-door invitations to church. At Covenant- ers, we’ve hosted outdoor preaching services the last two years in September and plan to do so twice more this year. That’s a good place to begin. After all, our Lord gave the Great Commission
went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. And Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’” The apostles are the foundation of the church and were com- missioned by Christ to bring the gospel in that capacity. Today, the church, led by ministers and elders, carries on this work. But there is work to be done by you and every member in an ARP church.
The Great Commission calls for the gospel to be brought to the nations. You, too, have an important responsibility and privilege in your personal mission salvation of Jesus Christ. The Great Commission calls for all brought into the church to be taught “to observe all things” Christ has commanded. And so, you have the responsibility and privilege of coming alongside young believ- ers, discipling and educating them in the ways of the Lord. Let’s look at these responsibilities as missionaries and educators in turn.
Advancing the Gospel as Missionaries
You don’t have to move across the world to encounter the unchurched from various backgrounds. The Lord has brought mission opportunities to your door- step. Your mission work begins with praying for the Lord to provide you with opportunities in your everyday life. It’s a prayer that God delights to answer. Prayer acknowledges that God is sovereign in the salvation of anyone. Some think that such a view of sovereignty hinders gospel witness, but it should spur us on. God’s sovereign power in salvation is your only hope that your efforts will have success in advancing the gospel. Your Christian witness begins (but does not end) with your example. Your example will speak to more people about the Christ you serve than your words because more people will observe your life than you’ll be able to talk to. By God’s grace, you must “adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things” (Ti- tus 2:10). In other words, you must show off the beauty of the doctrines of salva- tion and the Saviour by how you live your life. In this verse, Paul was talking of slaves before their masters. Slaves wouldn’t have had many opportunities to
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speak verbally of Christ to their mas- ters, but their lives could show Christ off and perhaps open more doors. But you must be more than an ex- ample. Some favorably quote Francis of Assisi: “Preach the gospel at all times; use words if necessary.” But this is not a faithful saying. While our lives must always demonstrate gospel-shaped living, our lives are not the gospel. The gospel is the good news revealed to us by God in the Scriptures about sin, the Saviour, and salvation. When Peter writes, “Al- ways be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15), he assumes you are living out your Christian faith before others and that this will then lead to opportunities for gospel conversation and call. Such speaking opportunities will enable you especially to invite oth- ers to come to church and sit under the authoritative proclamation of the gospel. We believe that “the Spirit of God makes the reading, but especial- ly the preaching of the word, an ef- fectual means of convincing and con- verting sinners, and of building them up in holiness and comfort, through faith, unto salvation” (WSC 89). According to the commands of
Scripture and as a member of the church, take your role in advancing the gospel as missionaries seriously. By God’s grace, be faithful, and he will make you useful.
Advancing the Gospel as Educators Advancing the gospel doesn’t stop with missionary efforts; it only be- gins there. There is also work to do as educators within the church, teaching believers to “observe all things” that Jesus commanded (Matt 28:20). WSC 89 applies here as well. Christians will grow in the faith primarily through the public and authoritative preach- ing of the Word. While other educa- tion programs may be a great blessing and needed, preaching must be every church’s priority. But all Christians have a responsibility as educators. layperson is advancing the gospel in your households. For example, fathers lead the home and fam-
Th AThe Associate Reformed Presbyteriant R f Th i d P b t i
Synod Emphasis
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