Joining Jesus for 125 Years
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free.”
Early on in Jesus’ ministry, he proclaimed these words of Luke 4:18, quoted from Isaiah. This was Jesus’ prophesied calling, his responsibility, and his mission. He would announce good news, proclaim freedom, give sight to the blind, and set the oppressed free―both literally and metaphorically.
Fast forward three years. At the end of his ministry on earth, Jesus invited his disciples into this mission by saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matt 28:18-20a).
All authority was given to Jesus, and now he commissions us to join him! When you really think about it, it’s a little overwhelming, isn’t it? But, the same Spirit that Jesus mentioned in Luke is also with us today! Jesus said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
God’s Mission, that we are called to be a part of, is big, it’s risky, it can be dangerous, and it requires a lot of patience. But is there anything more important in life than the mission of the One who created us? While we spend our lives gathering possessions, experiences, and recognition in this world, God is on the move in the hearts and lives of those around us. He is using each of us to reach the world with the gospel. There is so much going on in this sinful, broken world that can consume us. So, how can we possibly take on this commission that Jesus gave his Church nearly 2,000 years ago?
125 years ago, on December 17, 1900, five congregations gathered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and made the decision to form the Church of the Lutheran Brethren. While a part of the decision grew out of feeling isolated and alone, they also wanted to do together what they couldn’t do on their own: send missionaries and provide Christian education, and eventually plant churches. We are not alone. As the Church of the Lutheran Brethren, a disciple-making church, we have each other. We can plant churches, send missionaries, and prepare future church leaders, together!
But there’s so much more! The beautiful thing about Jesus’ commission is that there’s a promise attached to it: “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt 28:20b). We weren’t meant to do this on our own, and Jesus knows this. This isn’t one more thing on our task list―this mission permeates every area of our lives. It’s foundational to everything we do. As we work, as we play, as we care, as we teach, as we shop, as we cook, as we eat, and as we help, we can love others and share the gospel. As we live our lives, we watch for God’s work in those around us and boldly and lovingly share the gospel through our words and actions. All authority was given to Jesus to proclaim the good news, and he has invited us, his Church, to join him.
Planting churches comes naturally as part of our calling, and, as you’ll read in this issue, this is a really exciting time for the Church of the Lutheran Brethren. Most of us attend an established church in our community, so not many of us have had the opportunity to be part of a church plant. Over a decade ago, I had the privilege to be on the launch team for the planting of Bethel Lutheran Church’s campus in Battle Lake, Minnesota. It was a really exciting time as we did research, planned preview services, organized outreach events, trained volunteers, and prepared for launch Sunday on January 18, 2015. This was all done because we believed there were people in that community who needed to hear about Jesus.
Planting a church is really hard work and requires full commitment to God’s Mission, both with time and money, along with constant prayer. While there are many models of church planting, requiring different strategies and expectations, we can rest in the truth that there is only one God and one Mission―to worship God together and share the gospel with those who don’t know his love.
Please pray for North American Mission, as well as our church planters, as they carry out the Great Commission. And surely, Jesus will be with us, to the very end of the age.
Tim Mathiesen is the Director of Communications for the Church of the Lutheran Brethren in Fergus Falls, MN.