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Knowing Jesus: Sharing Jesus
Vision1.1 27th March 2011
An American business leader who has worked all over the world with governments, companies and charities says this -
‘Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world.’
Of course, the church is not a business. Plenty of business philosophy is viewed sceptically by the church, and rightly so, but I think this statement speaks more about the way human beings function than business We don’t naturally do the best and do the right things. We often forget what the most important things are that we should be throwing ourselves into and chasing after. We are not perfect, we are sinful and are easily distracted. The Bible agrees with all of that, so we need help to maintain focus, purpose and energy. At heart, that is what any desire to gain clarity for a churches vision is about.
At Hockliffe Street Baptist Church, we have been asking God to show us who he wants us to be and how he wants to use us as his servants. We are thankful for his leading in what has been an exciting and in some ways surprising journey.
In one sense, since we first started talking about vision, when I preached on ‘Painting the church’ back on October 10th, we have done nothing new. Where we have got too is at first glance, simple. It is something we can energetically serve God in seeking to grow in so we must now think and talk about the church’s vision with humility; it is not perfect and is only ever a servant of God’s church, not its master. But we can also come with confidence. We have sought to pray through the process and have sought to listen to what God has been saying through his word and through his people.
The vision statement itself is simple, and clearly summarises what we are about and is easy to remember;
Knowing Jesus: Sharing Jesus. Please, learn it, repeat it. If you are reading this as a part of the life of Hockliffe street, Tell it to people and then explain it! The front page of the vision document (available from the church office) is really all we will be looking at today but, as you look through the document, you will see pages about who we need to be before God to do what he is asking us to do. You will see bullet points; our priorities for the next 3 years or so and you will see plenty of scripture that underpins it all. Our on-going prayer must be that God would use this vision, through us, like a 2 pronged fork. This is an active document, and we must pray that as God works this in us the prongs dig deep. We ourselves might dig deeper into God’s word and living lives that better reflect his glory and serve him and that we might cut in to where people are, often buried in the worlds clamour, stuff and struggles offering hope and impacting the world we live in.
It is nothing new, but in sharper focus.
So, these two elements are then expanded in the larger statement.
Firstly -
Knowing Jesus
Words are important and we must be careful to choose the right ones to communicate the right message.
Knowing Jesus is a great, deep, biblical principle that rings true throughout the whole of scripture because God is passionate about it. It is active, something we are doing because we do know him.
The prophet Jeremiah, speaking in the context of a boastful and independent people says this
‘This is what the Lord says: “Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercise kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the Lord.’ Jeremiah 9v23-24
And Jesus in John 10 says this
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me – just as the Father knows me and I know the father – and I lay down my life for the sheep.” John 10v14-15
Something definitive has happened in God’s people that has changed their identity, purpose, values and who they live for. He has change us! We know Jesus, and those who know the Son know the Father.
- Passionate in our worship of God
Knowing Jesus means being drawn into a greater purpose. All that is has been made for the glory of God. He is pre-eminent, we are subordinate. He is worthy of worship and we are not. So this is where we must start. Paul, in Ephesians tells us that we were chosen ‘in accordance with his pleasure and will - to the praise of his glorious grace’ (Ephesians 1v5-6)
Eternity will not be littered by vision statements, church logos, intentions and plans. It will be resounding with the praises of God and his Saviour, Jesus Christ. When the times reach their fulfilment all things in heaven and on earth will be brought together under one head – Jesus Christ. Now that is a vision. It is here we must start and ultimately finish!
This is why, in our expanded statement, we expressly state that it is our aim to be passionate in our worship of God. Passion is required, not passivity. Now passion doesn’t mean conforming to one particular style, model or personality’s expression of worship. Each of us demonstrates enthusiasm, respect, honour, love and dedication to all sorts of things in different ways. But God deserves nothing less than our all; all of us, all the time. We are not just talking about corporate worship together; rather as we work, train, study, clean, we do it to the Lord. But we don’t mean less than passionate corporate worship either. This is who we are aiming to be; an outworking of increasingly knowing Jesus.
But before we go any further, just look at Philippians 3v4-12. Knowing Jesus is something that has happened, but it is also something that is happening.
- We are learning to know and follow Jesus Christ.
Just look at how big this is. In v8-9 we see that nothing is greater than knowing Christ Jesus our Lord. To know him is to gain him (v8), be found in him (v9), to have his righteousness (v9). Everything else is rubbish. Earlier in chapter 1 Paul says that to live is Christ, yet to die is gain! Even life itself, according to Paul is worth nothing in comparison to knowing Jesus Christ!
Then in v10 we see this as being active. Here we see what Paul desires to actively grow in in knowing Jesus Christ. This is not just knowing about Jesus, it is knowing him which means sharing with him in sufferings, death and resurrection. Learning to know and follow Jesus Christ is active. It means getting to grips with the gospel and the good news of Jesus found in the Bible. We are a learning community. We believe in expository preaching, in Bible Study, in rigorous application; why? Because we want to and are committed to knowing Jesus, as well as knowing about Jesus!
But knowing Jesus is more than what we do, it is about what is being done in us.
- Being transformed by his grace through the Holy Spirit
Verses 4-6 tell us something about Paul. He was something special, humanly speaking. In a Jewish sense, he had it all but it was worth nothing to him when it came to knowing Jesus. He was a changed man; transformed, not by his effort but by God’s grace and the work of the Holy Spirit in him. We saw that in v9. By God’s grace we are given righteousness. We are a new creation, but we are also seeking, by the power of God’s Spirit, to be who God has made us. In v16, Paul speaks about ‘living up to what we have already attained’. Be who you have been made to be! And even that is not our effort.
A look back at 2v5-18 makes this very clear. Look at v12-13 in particular.
We are to work out our salvation, but it is God who works in us to will and to act according to his good purpose. It is something God is doing, by his grace. He will carry on to completion the good work he has started in us (1v6), so we can confidently say that we are being transformed by his grace through the Holy Spirit.
But let’s be honest; we can’t really claim to be passionate about knowing Jesus if we are keeping him to ourselves and not wanting to share Jesus too.
Sharing Jesus
This is not rocket science is it? But it needs to be explicit. We are about sharing Jesus with people. Sharing his love, the message of the gospel, sharing our stories of what he has done in our lives. Knowing Jesus will work its way out in sharing Jesus.
Look at chapter 2 again. From v5-11 we have this important hymn which both describes the heart of our faith but also indicates how our attitude should be shaped by Jesus. Jesus, who made himself nothing, took the nature of a servant, who humbled himself even to the point of ultimate sacrifice. Why? So that he would have the name above all names, that every knee would bow before him and declare his name, that he would make for himself a people for his glory. We are to be like that.
And then, in v14-16 we see that this is important because our behaviour has an impact. We, as children of God, are created to ‘shine like stars in the universe’. Who we are matters to the world around us. Just as Jesus is the light of the world, so we, in a much smaller way are to shine like stars in the universe.
And this happens as we ‘hold out the word of life’. So in our statement we say -
- We are seeking to be generous and caring for others as we faithfully share the message of Jesus and serve him in the woider community
We shine as we take on the attitude of Jesus Christ as servants of others, in humility, willing to sacrifice, not clinging on to some pretence of importance. We shine as we do everything without complaining or arguing. We shine as we hold out the word of life, the message of Jesus Christ to all those we come into contact with.
Not only can we not really claim to know Jesus unless we are sharing him, but as we share him with others, then we will be growing in our knowledge of him! It is a thrilling and exciting journey.
So, this is who we are, this is who God calls us to be. It is what he asks us to be about in our town, region, nation and world. Can I ask you – are you up for it? Is this you? Is this where you are at? I hope and pray so. Notice too the first 4 words on the statement – We are a community.
A Community is a group of people committed to each other.
In Philippians, Paul uses the word fellowship. It is a business word meaning partnership. Fellowship is where people have a common purpose, a cause that people are committed to. So, this asks for a response and a commitment. Can, and will you?