Why Add a Sixth Value?
The values of the Restored Family of Churches are so beautiful and inspiring and cover so much of what it means to be a healthy, mature and biblical Church.
So, why add the 6th value of Renewal?
When Jesus wraps up his earthly ministry and ascends to Heaven at the end of the Gospels and beginning of the Book of Acts, He commissions us to go and make disciples in the power of the Holy Spirit. And that is something that we are so committed to doing!
Preaching the Gospel, making disciples, planting churches, enjoying Jesus. We’re all about it.
But, at the end of the book of Revelation, Jesus gives John and us a picture of what will happen when He returns. And ultimately what the end goal of our Mission in this world is:
Revelation 21v1-5: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. (2) And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. (3) And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. (4) He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." (5) And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new."
That's the Vision. That's what we're looking forward to and working towards. That is the trajectory of the Story of God.
And for many people this is a surprise; because it’s not the cartoon picture of clouds, angels, halos, harps and Eternity in the sky that many of us have grown up with.
"The Bible does not begin at Genesis 3 (or end at Revelation 20). You might think so when you listen to some presentations of the Bible’s message and mission. That is to say, the Bible is not just about the solution to our sin problem and how to survive the day of judgment. It begins with creation and ends with new creation. So our biblical theology of mission needs to take this great beginning and ending seriously.” - Christopher Wright
What Wright is trying to say, is that a lot of Churches only talk about Sin, Salvation and Judgement. And they forget about the significant stuff before Genesis 3 (The Fall) where sin entered the world. We forget about Creation, where God made the world and mankind, and commissioned us and gave us purpose to partner with Him in Project Earth.
And we forget that after Jesus’ Return and the Judgement Day in the future described in Revelation 20, that life will carry on with God, and the original purposes he had for us will continue, but in a renewed, redeemed and glorious state.
Revelation 21v1: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away…”
When we hear “New”, most of us naturally think: “Brand New”: Out of the box. Fresh off the production line. Fresh. So, we read this verse and think: Out with the old, tired, used Earth, and in with this cool 'new-and-improved' Planet.
We think of buying a new Car, with that new car smell. And we look forward to the new Earth and that New Earth smell. But the word “new” here doesn’t mean “Brand New”. It’s the Greek word Kainos, which means “Re-newed”. So, don’t think of a Brand New Car. Think of an old vintage Car, that an expert mechanic has worked on, and restored as a passion project. Something you would rev the engine of, and show off at a Car Show. Something you would drive around in and everyone would marvel at and stand in awe of. Think an old car, restored, and almost better than new…
And that picture of Cosmic Renewal, is exactly what Jesus does with us:
2 Corinthians 5v17: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
“New” here is again the Greek word “Kainos”. And this is huge. When we become Christians, God doesn’t toss our old sinful self out, and get someone new and improved. No, He renews us. We are given a new life in Jesus, and are gradually transformed to become a New Creation, renewed in His image. And this spiritual re-newal is symbolic of the Cosmic Renewal that is still to come when Jesus returns.
While we look forward to that day, we live as representatives of this new creation life, this renewed life, this Salvation life, inside of us. And it is meant to flow from us and touch every person and every part of our world, until His return. Socially, Culturally, Spiritually, Economically, Ecologically, Politically. Holistically.
You see, the Gospel isn't just for some things. It's for everything.
So, just as Jesus has renewed and restored those of us who have responded to His Gospel: We are New Creations.
Jesus will also restore everything. His entire Creation (Colossians 1v20).
And there will be a Re-newed Heaven and Earth, free from sin, suffering, death, pain, and evil. With all of the brokenness and injustice and inequality we see around us made new.
The way it’s supposed to be.
So, what does Jesus tell us to do for while we wait for this to happen?
Preach the Gospel.
Make Disciples.
Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness (Matthew 6v33).
To do these things is to reorient our lives around Jesus’ Kingdom reality, and the ‘Already/Not Yet’ tension we live in as ‘the people of the future, in the present.’
Living with this story in mind, will affect how we work (and why). It will affect how we treat the people around us, how we do relationships, how we handle money and time and sex, how we respond to the poor and marginalized in society. It will change everything, because we are living in two places at once. First, as Citizens of a different King and Kingdom, with different values and priorities. And secondly, and at the same time, living in the Cities and cultures and neighbourhoods we call home.
So, as we seek first His Kingdom, as a faithful minority dotted around the world, surrounded by so much that does not look like the rule and reign of our King. Jesus tells us to pray for this Renewal to become a tangible reality all around us:
Matthew 6v9-10: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven..."
Here Jesus calls us to Pray:
- That every person would Hallow (or Honour) God as King.
- For His Kingdom - His rule and reign - to be realised in every square inch of society.
- And that the fullness of His will would be done by every person, in every situation, and in every place.
Why Pray it?
Because we can't do this without Him.
Ultimately, this is Jesus’ work.
Jesus calls us to seek first His Kingdom, and make its advance a priority through our lives. But, here we see that at the same time the scope of this work is His, and we need to look to Him to fulfil it.
How often do we feel inadequate and overwhelmed as we see all of the brokenness, sin, evil, injustice, idolatry and great need all around our world?
We can't do everything. But we should all be doing something.
The Lord’s Prayer reminds us that when we feel inadequate and overwhelmed by this great need, that we should turn our eyes to Him and Pray. We are asking God to take the initiative, and do what we cannot do.
Renewal means that we are living and asking that we might taste and see, more and more, here and now, in the places we live and work, what will only be fully realised when Jesus returns.
And we are asking that more and more, we would see the Gospel that has changed us and continues changing us, renewing the needy world around us: spiritually, socially, culturally, economically, politically. And completely.