Gospel Community – Keynote Talks
Recordings and articles from the Gospel Community Keynote Talks by Mark Dever.
Recordings and articles from the Gospel Community Keynote Talks by Mark Dever.
Why do we go to church? This is a question that believers should consider, especially in a culture that often sees church through a self-focused lens.
When I planted a church and was confronted by other Christians who wondered “why we need another church in town,” what they were really challenging was the authority I had to invade their town with another church. “Who gave you the authority to plant this church?” they asked me. What they failed to realize is that I was not planting a church on my own authority, or by their misguided understanding of their own authority, but by the authority of the One who said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (Matthew 28:18) This is the third of the 3 Reasons Planting Churches is of Infinite Value[1] (see Part 1 and Part 2 here). Reason Three: The Church establishes Christ’s authority on earth. In Matthew 16:18, Jesus says that the foundation-stone of every church is the belief and confession that He is the Son of the living God. He goes on to say that the church is given the “keys to the Kingdom of Heaven” (v. 19) These are not literal keys that give access to a place, rather they access the authority of God. Jesus is using an illustration. It’s like the car I rented at an out-of-town conference. The rental car company owns the vehicle, but I was given authority to use it. Jesus gives the church His authority so that “…whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (v. 19). Churches are outposts of God’s authority on earth. They are a mini embassy of the Kingdom of Heaven, and there are not enough of them yet! Churches are not the authority, but like embassies, we speak on the authority of the King. New churches are needed to alert the world that the King is coming, and He will still issue passports and citizenship to His Kingdom. The mandate of the King is recorded in Matthew 28:18-20, in which we are told to “make disciples of all nations” by going, baptizing, and teaching. Christ’s mandate is to call people to submit to His authority. Now here’s the cool part…when Paul writes his prayer in Ephesians 1:15-23, he thanks God for enlightening our eyes and giving us his glorious inheritance. He then tells us that the reason God raised Christ from the dead is so that we would proclaim Christ’s authority throughout the world. This is the purpose to which God saves us. Verse 21 tells us that Christ’s “authority” would be “above every name that is named.” Here we see why the people of Babel (see Part 1) sinned so significantly in trying to make a name for themselves. It is Christ name alone that we submit to and worship. Paul gives us three reasons: first, that “all things are under his feet,” second, “he is the head of the church,” and third, “he fills all” (vv. 22-23). Christ is making us a people who fully submit to His authority. Our goal, then, is that His authority goes out to all the world because He is coming to rule. We are to plant churches to demonstrate his authority and call people to choose to submit to his reign now as all will do in heaven. Revelation 5 records the song that will be sung in submission and worship in heaven: “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on earth” (vv. 9-10). We plant churches because of the infinite value of establishing Christ’s authority on earth now and for eternity! [1] Content adapted with permission from the Great Commission Collective Global Summit 2018 by Pastor Brian Payne
It is far too common to fall into the trap of thinking that we don’t need to plant new churches. Church planting is a lot of work, takes financial resources, and confronts our selfish, inward-looking, comforts of being part of an established church. However, there are 3 Reasons Planting Churches is of Infinite Value[1] (see Part 1 here). Reason Two: the Church displays the beautiful wisdom of God to the visible AND invisible world. In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he is in the middle of explaining how the Gospel breaks down ethnic walls when suddenly he interrupts himself to talk about how God called him to reveal the mystery of the church: “Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace…To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made know to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 3:7-11) Notice a couple important things Paul is teaching us about the church: It was the “mystery hidden for ages in God” meaning that it was not revealed in anything previously communicated by God in the Old Testament. The prophets didn’t know there would be a time called the “church-age,” which we live in now. Jesus revealed it (Matthew 16:18 and 18:17), but Paul was given the stewardship to teach us what the church is to be. God’s multi-faceted wisdom is revealed through the previously unrevealed church. Paul reveals that the purpose of the church is to reveal God’s manifold wisdom. This word “manifold” means multi-colored. So the church is to display the prism of color of God’s perfect ways to the visible world! Even more incredible is the last statement, that God would be made know not just to the visible world, but the invisible world! This last revelation demands further attention. Think of it…the invisible world, both good and evil, are watching what we do as a church. The enemy shudders as they see and realize that God’s plan is working. When you think you are all alone as you do little things for your church that no one sees, there are 10,000 plus eyes in the invisible realm that are witnessing your good work. It is causing the angels to worship and exclaim, “Christ is winning!” Meanwhile the enemy is feeling their defeat. The world we cannot see is celebrating and cowering in their corners as we serve in existing churches and plant new churches! We plant churches because of the infinite value of displaying the beautiful prism of God’s wisdom to the visible and invisible world! [1] Content adapted with permission from the Great Commission Collective Global Summit 2018 by Pastor Brian Payne
In 2008 I planted a church in a small, rural town that already had a few churches. Some good Christians in the community were opposed to our new church. A few revealed their insecurities and confronted me asking, ‘why do we need another church in town?’ It was an easy question to answer for both practical and biblical reasons. I am suggesting 3 Reasons Planting Churches is of Infinite Value[1]. Reason One: the Church is the beginning of the New Creation! In Genesis 11 a description of the post-Flood world is given and verse 1 says, “Now the whole earth had one language and the same words.” Consider what they were supposed to use that one language for: worshiping God. Instead, they determined to use their common language for self worship! Verses 2-4 describe how they settled together, decided to make bricks, and then said, “Let us build ourselves a city and a tower…and let us make a name for ourselves…” The Flood had not washed away humanity’s problem with pride and misplaced worship. But God had a plan to rescue us from our sin. God cursed the people of Babel, confused their language, and dispersed them over the face of the earth (vv. 5-8). In His sovereign plan this curse was full of grace. The mixing of languages and dispersing of people stopped them from their self worship. Of course, even in our divided language groups we are tempted to think ourselves too important, but God provided a solution for that: on one great day of language unification. “When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven sound like the mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 1:1-4). This is the day that the Church begins. Notice that the Spirit comes and one of the manifestations of this inaugural event is the 120 praying together start speaking different languages (Acts 2:5). Those who hear these languages are astonished that they hear their “native languages” (v. 8). Verses 9-11 continue emphasizing the different languages being supernaturally spoken by detailing the geographic locations dispersed around the world that are “hearing them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God” (v. 11). The first church began when our tongues were restored to do what they were always supposed to do: glorify God! The church is where the heralding of the New Creation began. The church is still the place where our tongues are to lift in unison of heart, soul, and mind the full adoration the name of Jesus! We plant churches because of the infinite value they are in demonstrating the hope of the New Creation! [1] Content adapted with permission from the Great Commission Collective Global Summit 2018 by Pastor Brian Payne