I was blessed with the opportunity to help a young person, CeCe Azrael Lee, the daughter of FB friend Traci TC Carr. As a result earlier this week CeCe won the 22nd CED Quadrennial A.M.E. Zion Church Oratorical Contest in Raleigh, NC. Blessed to have been able to help. God bless.
Prepared by Eric L. Woods
“21st Century Christians: Restoring the Mission, Retooling the Leadership, Rebuilding the Community”
When you say the phrase “21st Century” the first thing that comes to mind for many is technology. Many tools are available now that were not available before:
The Internet
Websites
Facebook
Twitter
Myspace
LinkedIn
etc…
While these are tools Christians can use, technology has nothing directly to do with what it means to be a Christian in the 21st Century.
You put up a blog or post, but who have you prayed for?
You put up a website, but have you visited the sick and shut in?
You have created that facebook group, but with whom have you shared your testimony and the Good News of eternal salvation by acknowledging Christ Jesus as your Lord and Savior?
In the end what being a Christian means today in the 21st Century is really no different than it was in the 1st Century.
Restoring the Mission
Our primary mission as Christians is still missions work.
In Matthew 4:18-22 it states
“18 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19 Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 They immediately left their nets and followed Him. 21 Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.”
Jesus was a carpenter and carpenters build or repair structures. Now did Jesus go out looking for other carpenters? No, he does not need our help in the fixing business, we are called to catch. The four He gathered were fisherman and furthermore he even instructed them to “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
That is the model today. Jesus did not call us to try and fix people ourselves, but He called us to be disciples who gather others that they may know Christ for themselves and be healed.
Don’t worry about what that person has on, offer Christ.
Don’t worry about what that person looks like, offer Christ.
We can and should feed or otherwise provide for a person in need, but even the best meal is temporary and that person will need to eat again, but the salvation of Christ Jesus is eternal.
Retooling the Leadership
In many churches the times have changed while the leadership has not. We are not to follow the world, but in order for the church to remain relevant new blood must be brought in.
Saints that have served long and in many areas need a break.
New Saints willing to serve need to be given a chance to lead.
This is not about disrespecting Elders or forgetting our history, but rather acknowledging our heritage and history by ensuring the next generation is involved and engaged so they can take their place in leadership and carry on with the mission.
Leadership is not a place for egos. It requires the utmost humility. At our best we are still a resource. Christ is the source.
Leaders need to be facilitators rather than dictators. When we do lead we are to be facilitators seeking to glean the best out of every participant so that their gifts may be fully realized and utilized, not dictators attempting to rule over those seeking to serve the Lord. Engage the younger Saints and give them instruction and responsibilities. This benefits current leadership as well. Overworked leadership will be broken down by stress and strain as warned against in Exodus 18, but if you follow the advice Moses’ father in law Jethro gave him to share the load then as it says in Exodus 18:23 “you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”
Rebuilding the Community
To build a strong community the church itself must be strong. Not just in number, but in disciple making.
When the Church loses focus the community will not be far behind.
In Matthew 28:18-20 it sates:
“And Jesus came and 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.” Amen.”
Our main calling has nothing to do with clubs, cliques, organizations, or events.
We were not called to be Self Congratulatory Societies or Mutual Admiration Associations.
When the primary focus becomes the denomination to the point of dividing Christians we must refocus on our collective primary mission.
The denomination is in place for order and administration, not for self serving celebration, empty works justification, and “those not like us” condemnation, all of which distract the congregation from their primary missionary occupation which has, is, and always will be seeking soul salvation.
It is not only about what we do for those already within the four walls of the church, but what have we done to reach those outside of the four walls? This requires making disciples of those in the church.
We were called to be disciples of Christ spreading the Good News so that others can be saved.
Where cliques have formed we must refocus them on the mission.
Where politics have taken over we must refocus on the mission.
Once the church is strong the community will become strong.
Conclusion
Restoring the Mission
Be fishers of men.
Retooling the Leadership
Facilitate and Delegate, but never Dictate.
Rebuilding the Community
Train up the Church and make Disciples.
In the 21st Century our task is the same as it was in the 1st Century, saving souls and introducing to as many as will hear the Good News of Salvation made available through Christ Jesus.
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