MISSIONS IMPERATIVE IN CONCENTRIC CIRCLES
Installment 1
Twenty-first century Christians have a unique perspective of the intent of God's
command. We can look back through the corridors of time and see what was God's
highest priority for us by the fact that He repeated it over and over through various
witnesses. The final instructions and the last words of His Son on earth, before His
return to heaven, are found in Luke 24:44-51, Acts 1:8-9, Matthew 28:1920 and Mark 16:19-20.
We know that these disciples were required to wait for the “dynamos” or power delivered by the Holy Spirit. They would no longer be students,
but became “witnesses”. They also were changed from reticent, weak, confused observers to channels of Divine strength, power and purpose to a dying world. After
the “power” was placed in these early Christians, the church was birthed by a Divine
design from the center outward in concentric circles. Concentric circles are best understood by having thrown a stone into still water. In my youth, I did throw stones
into still water on a number of occasions. At the time, I did not understand the phenomenon of those ripples origin or why they kept on coming long after the stone lay
on the bottom. The more I understand of God's design, the more I see that design repeated. In fact, is this not the way God forms new stars in our universe, concentric
circles of matter moving out from a center point?
Though the Creator set the convergent circles in motion eons ago, just now we are
visualizing the effects of His creativity through our telescopes. If the church body is
to do the will of the Father, we will do more than make small waves by witnessing for
the ROCK, Jesus Christ, in the POWER of the Holy Spirit. In our own strength we
can do nothing, zero, nada!
Matthew caught the SCOPE of our mission “uttermost parts of the earth” but Luke
showed the DESIGN by which we, His “witnesses”, are to accomplish this huge task.
We are to begin the mission at home (Luke 24:47), later he added the next phase or
phases (Acts 1:8-9) we will call concentric circles.
Next week, let us look at the first concentric circle, our Jerusalem, our home base.
This study will look at His plan and design for us in four weekly installments.
Installment 2
All concentric circles have the same center point. Archers want to aim their arrows
at the center point or the bull’s-eye. God aims the indwelling Holy Spirit at our center point, our heart and soul, to give us His effective and enduring peace with His
power.
When the Holy Spirit found residence at our core, our heart, we are promised
“power” (Acts 1:8), “knowledge and wisdom” by teaching (Luke 12:12) as a gift
(Acts 2:38). Where the Rock (Jesus Christ) impacts the water (world), our first concentric circle, is the place where we will have our greatest ripple or wave (influence)
for the Kingdom. Luke called it “Jerusalem”, our home, our church. Here is where
we train for the world. We learn to serve, to pray, to use and strengthen our spiritual tools. We will learn to “love one another”, “encourage one another”, “pray for
one another” and “build up one another”. Soon the world will observe, “behold how
they love one another” (I Pet. 4: 1-11). This is our litmus test to being ready to serve
in His Kingdom. This is, also, the process by which we become more Christ-like.
As “our love” is practiced, it is also perfected. Paul called it “maturity”. Our growth
into maturity also gives an outward growth to “love our community” to Christ. God
has blessed us as we bless others through our service locally to: The Gathering Inn,
Union Gospel Mission, and groceries to those we serve through St. Vincent De Paul.
The Benevolent Offering, which is given by the congregation each month, has allowed us to express our Christ-like love to those in need. We may even be called to
the humility of the washing of another's feet as an act of Christ's love. What service
is God asking you to do?
Conversely, all of us know of churches who have closed their doors. Many reasons
have been given as to . . .why? Somewhere they “lost their first love” for Christ, His
mission, and others. We must “stay alive and in love” to Our Lord’s vision and the
provision of His power! That is missions!
Next week, we will look at our “Judea and Samaria” as Luke understood it.
Installment 3
In this concentric circle we see a surprising focus that shows the heart of God. Why
were "Judea and Samaria" chosen in the design to spread the Good News? Christ
could have identified other communities close to Jerusalem that needed to hear.
From the starting point, Jerusalem, they were to go first to "all Judea.” Were not
these Jews the "left outs"? This directive from our Lord was an expanding circle:
GO east to the Jordan River, Go south to Hebron, GO west to the Mediterranean Sea
and declare the hope and the resurrection to Jews who were not well-connected to
the spiritual leadership in Jerusalem. If they ever worshiped at the temple, it might
have been occasionally during the annual high Holy Days of one of the Jewish Festivals. These Jews attended only when they could afford the expense and time to worship in Jerusalem. Now Christ was decentralizing the Gospel without all the religious trappings that a few Jewish leaders used to exercise control over the Jewish
people. This "home delivery" of the Gospel helped to make personal commitment
possible. Jews were now included in the beginnings of the Church and not just in Jerusalem. Once the veil of the Holy of Holies was torn in the Temple at Christ's death,
and God's Holy Presence departed from the Temple in Jerusalem, then fifty days later, the Holy Spirit entered the new "temple not made by human hands" (Mark 14:58)
that is, into each redeemed human being. (I Cor. 3:17, 2 Cor. 6:16) I have often wondered where the Holy Spirit resided during those fifty days.
The concentric circle was identified on three sides of the compass by the inclusion of
"all Judea". The north side was included when Christ said, "and Samaria." Samaria
presented a problem to the Jewish mindset. Samaritans were considered "half
breeds", the lower class, or people the Jews intentionally avoided at all costs. Who
might be our Samaritans? Do we avoid, the "homeless", the "druggies" or the
"Muslim"? Are they not the "who-so-evers" that Christ included (John 3:16).
Christ's blood was shed for all of the "lost." (Luke 15) Thankfully, that even includes
you and me, but the eyes of our God sees "all" of the restless masses of this globe as
His creation for whom Christ died.
We will consider those masses next time in Concentric Circles #4.
Installment 4
In the past few weeks we have looked at God’s Design for spreading the Gospel in
concentric circles. His plan is to start at home perfecting our spiritual skills, then to
expand to ever-widening circles as His witnesses. These concentric circles have a
common center point, Christ. Each concentric circle has an intended purpose in
God’s directive for spreading the Good News. Now we come to the outer corners of
the earth. Acts 1:8 OR “remotest part of the earth.” (NASV) We are to be thorough
and complete in sharing the Gospel until all have heard. What then? Our Lord returns! We are not to know the day or the hour of Our Lord’s return, but we do know
God’s plan is hinged on “... none should perish” (2 Peter 3:9) and all have had an opportunity to respond to His invitation. That is a loving God! Two organizations that
receive PGCC support have stepped up the pace of reaching those who have yet to
hear of Christ’s love for the first time. Wycliffe Bible Translators are working on the
translation of Scripture into the “mother” tongue of the final 865 language
groups. Our support of Marty and Carol Pelton is helping to make this a realty.
The second organization receiving our support is the Jesus Film Project (JFP). Will
and Linda Wakeling are our missionaries. God is showing His favor in many remote
villages where Satan has had a stranglehold. Jesus is much more powerful, showing
miracles, deliverance, and physical healing through His faithful witnesses. We are
witnessing New Testament evangelism as the Holy Spirit leads these JFP teams. Often an entire village will turn to Christ after a showing of the Jesus Film. Last year
the Jesus Film Project turned to a new venue in reaching the lost. Now 4.5 billion
people can see and hear Jesus with their electronic devices in their own “heart language.” This allows the hearer/viewer to contemplate the Son of God in the privacy
of their room or home. Jesus comes to them in one of over 1,200 languages or dialects by the press of a button on their own electronic device. The Jesus Film has
started a whole new set of “concentric circles” to reach a lost world.
Merv Dirkse
Missions Committee Chairman