A New Kind of Church for a New Kind of World, by Frank Viola
The commission of the church has to do with how she displays the Christ who indwells her to those outside of her. It has to do with how she expresses Christ to the world. Jesus fulfilled the mission of Israel in His earthly ministry. But since His resurrection, He has commissioned the church to continue that mission. How does the church do this?
By communing with the God who indwells her and living by His life. By edifying one another by the corporate display of Jesus Christ in her meetings. And by living as the community of the King with one another. By accepting her commission, the church expresses God’s image and exercises His authority in the earth—the very things that the first Adam was commissioned to do in the garden.
A church that fulfills its Divine commission is an undeniable testimony to postmodern people that Jesus Christ is in fact Lord of the world and His coming kingdom is a certain reality.
Conclusion
It is extremely rare to find a church that is operating in all four dimensions. Most churches excel in one or two of them. And sadly, they often pit one dimension against the other.
For instance, those who chiefly stress the first dimension (communion) are often tagged “contemplatives” or “quietists.” Those who stress the last dimension (commission) are often tagged “activists.”
Stressing one dimension to the exclusion of the others will inevitably create a lopsided, imbalanced group of Christians.
Example: if a church neglects the communion dimension, its activities in the commission dimension will be the work of human energy and ingenuity. It will not be the work of God.
By the same token, if a church focuses all its attention on the communal dimension, it will become an ingrown, insular, and (often) sectarian group of Christians that has no impact on the surrounding culture.
In short, it would please the Lord and advance His Kingdom if every church would seek to walk in all four dimensions. Therein lies the key to fulfilling God’s eternal purpose.
Category: Ministry, Pneuma Review, Summer 2008
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