I was really blessed by Pastor Tim Keller’s recent article about his church’s five main ministry fronts to their city of NYC, and why these are their main ministries:
"Foundational to everything we do is the gospel message that God entered the world in Jesus Christ to achieve a salvation we could not achieve for ourselves. This good news is first of all grace-centered. Jesus lived the life we should be living (but rebelliously will not live), and he paid the penalty for the life we are living (so we do not have to pay it ourselves). Therefore, we are not reconciled to God through our efforts and record—as in all other religions—but through his efforts and record.
Second, this good news is kingdom-centered. Jesus is not ultimately saving individual souls by removing them from the world, but rather he is bringing the life and power of God down into the material world to eventually renew and restore it. Thus we seek not only the conversion of individuals but also the peace and prosperity of our city. The grace and kingdom emphases of the gospel compel us to be very city-centric, as God instructs in Jeremiah 29:1–7 and as Paul demonstrates in his urban-centered mission in the book of Acts. Grace-centeredness reminds us to love the city, not despise it. Kingdom-mindedness leads us, as citizens of the city of God, to be the very best citizens of our earthly city.
...Redeemer seeks to minister in both word and deed. The Bible’s basic narrative points to the restoration of the whole world, material and spiritual, as the aim of salvation. Christian churches, therefore, must work for justice and peace in their neighborhoods through service, even as they call individuals to conversion. Indifference to the poor and disadvantaged demonstrates a lack of understanding of grace and God’s free salvation. A church that grasps the gospel will be holistically faithful in both word (Bible teaching) and deed (acts of service)."
Keller makes it clear that one of the main objectives of his church is to carry out Christ's mandate for social renewal AS WELL AS personal renewal. Because Christ came not just to remove us from this world and deliver us to heaven, but to use us to bring His love and redemption in the world NOW to help prepare it for its eventual complete restoration, Keller biblically states that one of the main purposes of his church is to minster to the city in both Word AND deed, seeking to bring peace and justice through their actions just as much as they preach the Word. (to read the other main purposes of his church, read the rest of the article at http://www.qideas.org/blog/the-five-ministry-fronts-in-the-city.aspx) This is a purpose of the Church that I think we too often forget. We as people are so bad at balance: either we preach the Word and focus so much on ourselves that there is no room left for action for the benefit of others, or we have all action and no preaching of the Word and focus on ministry to our own souls. But Christ came to show us that God desires BOTH. he desires a balance of both aspects: He came to redeem us, but also to redeem the cities we live in - and He wants to use US to help Him do it! As Keller, said, failure to recognize that Christ came to redeem the world around us and not just take us out of it – failure to recognize that He came so that we may live out His love and care for the poor around us - is a failure to truly grasp the meaning of God's grace and its impact on our lives. I pray the Church continues to explore what this balance looks like and holds both the teaching of the Word and acts of service as equally important to Christ's calling for us.
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