Light, Salt and Righteousness – Matthew 5:13-20
Read this passage in light of the missional nature of the church — a topic discussed in this video of Ed Stetzer, that I recently posted on this blog. Stetzer says, for example, that it’s not so much that the Church has a mission as that God’s mission has a Church.
The mission of God requires a people who are bearers of God’s light and presence in the world. As Christ came into the world to mediate God’s presence to the world, his followers — the disciples to whom this Sermon is addressed — are now to continue and extend that mission.
The church doesn’t exist for itself; it exists to serve the world. It is not ultimately about the church; it’s about the people God wants to bless through the church. When the church loses sight of this, it loses its heart. — Rob Bell, Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith p. 165.
Jesus began the Sermon on the Mount with a series of shocking statements about who had the blessing of God. The blessings of God’s Kingdom were falling upon unlikely people. Jesus now continues with a series of sayings about his disciples and their role in the world. They are people who are sent on God’s mission to bring hope to the world. (more…)
Ed Stetzer Explains the Missional Church Movement
In one of Asbury Theological Seminary’s Seven Minute Seminary series, Dr. Ed Stetzer briefly explains the missional church movement (how a mainline church conversation became a mostly evangelical church conversation) and what it means to be a missional church.
This video is a great explanation for people who have heard of the missional church movement but don’t know what its all about. (If you’ve never heard of it before you might get a little lost.)
It says on Stetzer’s Christianity Today blog site: “Ed Stetzer is the President of LifeWay Research, a prolific author, and well-known conference and seminar leader. Stetzer has planted, revitalized, and pastored churches, trained pastors and church planters on six continents, holds two masters degrees and two doctorates, and has written dozens of articles and books.” (more…)