Christ Sets Two Foundations for the Church's Mission

“Now Jesus heard that John [the Baptist] had been taken into custody. He withdrew into Galilee; and leaving Nazareth, He came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulon and Nepthali. This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: ‘The land of Zebulon and the land of Nepthali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles-the people who were sitting in darkness saw a great light, and those who were sitting in the land and shadow of death upon them a light dawned.’ From that time Jesus began to preach and say, ‘Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.’”---Matt. 4:12-17

 

Today we begin our search for understanding of the preparation which Jesus did with the disciples to prepare them for an exchange that would become the foundation for the missional church and the greatest evangelization of the church in its history. We can see a couple of things on which the church was initially founded on:

 

1.)                The Word of God.

2.)                Location, Location, Location

 

It doesn’t take you reading very long in the gospel of Matthew to realize that every single detail of Jesus’ life was controlled by the Word of God. Earlier, in Chapter 4 of Matthew, we see Jesus respond to three separate temptations of the devil by using the Word of God.

 

To set the stage a little, we need to understand that the imprisonment of John the Baptist did not come immediately following Jesus’ temptation by the devil. John continued his ministry even after Jesus’ baptism and temptation in the desert for some time (John 1:19-3:36). This is important to understand because the people in the area were still in questioning of who Jesus was. John the Baptist was there to “prepare the way” for the Messiah. As a result, as we will see tomorrow, through John the Baptist, people were drawn to Jesus and, actually, the first disciples which Jesus calls-Peter, Andrew, James, and John-were called due to a meeting they had with Jesus at the hands of John the Baptist. We must understand that timing is everything.

 

The practical application of this passage is stunning to me. We may never know the root works behind a calling which we have. While living in Chicago, Jess and I were part of a church plant which started in one of the Western Suburbs. People prayed and sought out for the exact location and community which this new church would engage. Over the course of a few years, the calling came to plant the church in Downers Grove. Within weeks of the announcement and the engagement into the Downers Grove community, we learned of people who had been praying for many, many years that a strong and Biblically sound church would come to Downers Grove. The bottom line is that when we are led by Scripture and the Holy Spirit, God always leads us where we need to be. Jesus Christ was no different. He set the example at the very onset of the Christian Mission and the Christian Church: be grounded in Scripture.

 

Interestingly enough, it was Scripture which brought about for Jesus the destination to which He would begin His earthly ministry, and the destination to which the church would be founded. In Isaiah, the prophet wrote about people who “walked” in darkness, yet, we must understand that by the time Jesus quoted this passage in Matthew, the situation in Capernaum was so incredibly discouraging that the people were “sitting” in darkness. Jesus Christ, the light of the world, brought the light of the gospel to them. He planted Himself and His Mission right slap dab in the center of the chaos and confusion and darkness. Such was the exact place where Jesus knew His message would take root. Jesus knew that He could feed upon the need, and create such a deep desire in the hearts of the people there that His Mission and His purpose would spread like wildfire.

 

We will see in coming days why Capernaum was indeed a great place-a place by the sea, a sea that was covered with professional fishermen; fishermen who would make up over half of His band. There was absolutely no coincidence in the location; a location determined through the reliance upon the Word of God. For those of us desiring to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ in our world today, we should take note!

 

I pray you stay with me as we continue searching…

 

KT

Why Fasting?

So begins this process of questioning, listening, praying, seeking, solitude, quietness, sadness, pain, humility, struggle, and fight. I name all of these because at different points over the next 90 days, I am certain to feel at least one of these; likely more than one with each day that passes. Why the fast? Why now? Why 90 Days? What do I hope to get out of it?

 

1.)                Stillness- “Be still and know that I am God.” I have found myself over the last couple of years pushing the boundaries of the speed of my life, seeking to fast forward to a time of security and comfort-dismissing the calling and purpose of the here and now.

2.)                Patience- “The Lord is good to those who wait on Him.” I learned a valuable lesson when I was still a running: “Timing is everything!”

3.)                Love- “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” We live in a world where love has been all but demolished and written off. “They will know we are Christians by our love.”

4.)                Fighting Pride- “Humble yourselves…under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you at the proper time.” If I am ever known, let it be at the timing and boasting of Jesus Christ!

5.)                Despondency vs Happiness- “Why are you in despair, Oh my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence.” The greatest need of the hour is a revived and joyful church. Unhappy Christians, are to say the least, a poor recommendation of the Christian faith!

6.)                Answers to the Longings of the Heart- “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness. And all these things shall be added unto you.” When I have lost something, or when I desperately need something, I search for it. All else falls to the way side as I search!

 

Over the next 90 days, I plan to engage my studies richly in the text to examine the preparation, the calling, the exchange, and the execution of the Early Church. I will attempt to take a wholistic approach to the gospels, walk through the beginning of the church in Acts, and examine the spreading of the Church in the epistles. Before I embark on the Scriptures, allow me t put forth one of my favorite quotes by Jonathan Edwards: “The state of the times extremely requires a fullness of the divine Spirit in ministers, and we ought to give ourselves NO REST till we have obtained it. And in order to do this, I should think ministers, above all persons, ought to be much in secret prayer and fasting, and also much in praying and fasting one with another. It seems to me it would be becoming the circumstances of the present day, if ministers in a neighborhood would often meet together and spend days in fasting and fervent prayer among themselves, earnestly seeking for those extraordinary supplies of divine grace from heaven, that we need at this day.”

 

One of the clearest examples of fasting shaping history is found in Acts 13:1-4: “Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyprene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. And while there were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work of which I have called them. Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid hands on them, they sent them away. So being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia and from there they sailed to Cypress.” At least from what I hear in this passage, there was unrest and a deep burden on the leadership team: “Where do we go from here as a church?” They were fasting to seek the leading of the Holy Spirit in their next move.

 

The problem that often comes up in times like these, at least from my experience, is that the Bible doesn’t directly answer the questions we need answered. “Should we begin a missions program? Should it be now? Should we send some of our own leaders to be missionaries? Which direction should we go? What city should we go to? Where will funds come from? Will the leaders be bi-vocational or be supported by the local church?” If the Bible does not directly answer these questions, where do we get the answers from? Paul prayed earnestly that believers would be “filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all Spiritual wisdom and understanding…and bear fruit in every good work” (Colossians 1:9-10). The answer to the questions above are Spiritual matters. So what can we learn from the passage in Acts about the power of fasting and prayer?

 

1.)                This fasting was after Christ coming. Fasting wasn’t just an Old Testament thing. These leaders: Paul and Barnabas-believed fasting still had relevance today.

2.)                It was a corporate fast. Some say Jesus warned against fasting to be seen by men (Matt 6:17-18). The critical issue here for Paul and Barnabas was not whether people knew they were fasting, but whether you want them to know so that you can bask in their affection. One is selfless, the other is selfish.

3.)                It was an occasion for special guidance. There is a clear connection between worship, prayer and fasting and decisive guidance of the Holy Spirit.

4.)                It changed history. Before the fasting period there had been no formalized world missions movement. After, the gospel was catapulted from obscurity.

 

I think it is fair to say God was pleased to make worship and prayer and fasting the launching pad for a mission that would change the course of history! May it do so here as well!