Eternal Impact: The Passion of Kingdom-Centered Communities

By Ken Hemphill

Greatly respected church strategist Ken Hemphill believes the only process that will radically transform the mission and structure of today’s community of believers is the Word of God applied by the Holy Spirit. Toward that goal, Eternal Impact presents to readers a biblical study of the New Testament Church, focusing on the founding principles of the church in Matthew 16 and the birth of the church in Acts 2. Also included are chapters on the eight key characteristics of kingdom-centered churches and discussions on leadership and giftedness among church members.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BH Publishing Group
• Release date: Jan 1, 2008
• ISBN: 9781433675379

Ken Hemphill

Ken Hemphill is national strategist for Empowering Kingdom Growth (EKG), an initiative of the Southern Baptist Convention. He also serves as distinguished professor of evangelism and church growth at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Hemphill holds a Ph.D. from Cambridge University and is the former president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. His books include The Prayer of Jesus, The Names of God, Empowering Kingdom Growth, Parenting with Kingdom Purpose, Eternal Impact, Making Change, You Are Gifted, and the Kingdom Promises devotional series.

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A Road Map for

the Kingdom Journey

Barbara, where do I turn next?

Where are you?

I’m not sure!

What do you see?

I know the conversation may sound a little unreal but the dialogue you have just read actually approximates the conversation I had with my administrative assistant at Southwestern Seminary on more than one occasion. I would leave the seminary with a clear destination in mind, but I was soon hopelessly lost. I must confess that I am directionally challenged. Thus, in a panic I would call Barbara for directions. Unfortunately Barbara was nearly as bad as me at directions. In her defense I must admit it is difficult to tell someone how to get to a particular destination if they don't actually know where they are to begin with.

My directional handicap became a frequent topic of discussion among the officers of the seminary since several persons were often called to help find and guide the president to his intended destination. When GPS systems became an option on automobiles, my business administrator insisted it would save the seminary both money and stress if we purchased a car with one installed. My quality of life was greatly enhanced by the presence of my mechanical partner giving me turn-by-turn directions.

AN EXCITING KINGDOM JOURNEY

We are preparing to embark on an exciting kingdom-focused journey. For us to make the most of the journey, it will be helpful for us to develop a road map to understand our destination and the stops we must make along our journey to discover God's ultimate purpose for His church. I am quite aware that for many of my readers, the church may not be the most exciting topic they have ever contemplated. Along the journey you will be encouraged to consider issues that are new and challenging to you. Many of the challenges will cause you to look at your own life—your talents, gifts, time, experiences, influence, and resources in light of God's purpose for your life in the context of His bride—the church.

I had the privilege of attending Cambridge for Ph.D. study. I chose a research topic that would allow me to consider passages that described the ministry and fellowship of the early church. As I studied the book of Acts, I would often wonder whether it would be possible for churches today to experience the depth of fellowship and the breath of ministry that was expressed by the early church. Could we see every need of the body met by members of the body? Could the church develop a comprehensive strategy for reaching the known world the way the church did at Antioch? It was obvious that first-century Christians were kingdom centered and this focus called them to a radical and exciting lifestyle. God has privileged me to serve local churches of all sizes and in various locations where many of the characteristics of the kingdom-centered church were pursued with passionate devotion. I am still on the quest to see God work today through the church in such a manner that we would be accused of turning the world upside down.

I believe God wants to use His church to advance His kingdom on earth. Will you ask God to use you? To use your church?

A GUIDE FOR THE JOURNEY

Section 1: From Foundation to Mission

The first section is concentrated in Matthew 16, a passage that brings together the revelation of Jesus' Messianic identity with His intention of accomplishing His mission through His church. You will consider challenging and exciting promises concerning the keys of the kingdom and the gates of Hell while taking a new look at the familiar passage called The Great Commission, as recorded in Matthew 28:19-20.

Section 2: From Jerusalem to the Ends of the Earth

The first section may have caused you to wonder whether your church could ever participate in such a challenging goal as reaching all the nations. But in this second section you will be excited as you consider the birth and empowering of the New Testament church. Looking at the Acts 1:8 challenge and promise in light of the descent of the Spirit at Pentecost, we will answer questions such as the role of prayer and what it means to be filled with the Spirit. This section will end by focusing on the kingdom message.

Section 3: From Character to Function—The Eight Character Traits

Section 3 begins a look at the early church as pictured in the book of Acts. First we will look at four characteristics including prayer and the empowering of the Spirit, the teaching of sound doctrine, the practice of worship, and intentional evangelism. This section will not only be descriptive; it will be practical for the structure of the twenty-first century church.

The final four characteristics will call us to look at the unique fellowship of the early church as they broke bread together from house to house and met one another's needs. We will look at its generous stewardship and its global view. One of the key factors in the vitality of the church is its vision and passion for the world. If you thinking that a single church is inadequate to complete any part of the Acts 1:8 challenge, you would be thinking correctly. The kingdom-centered church works cooperatively with like-minded churches for kingdom advance. The unifying purpose of the church is the discipling of the nations. You will be challenged and changed as you think about the possibilities of having a God-sized vision.

Section 4: From Leadership to Gifted Membership

This section should prove to be an exciting stop on our kingdom journey, as we look at issues such as leadership, the role of deacons, and what it means to say that the church is a community of priests. The ministry of the Spirit and the role of spiritual gifts in the church has sometimes been a controversial topic. When we look at the work of the Spirit in the advance of the kingdom through the building up of the church, much of the controversy fades into the background. We will finish with a better understanding of how gifted leaders and gifted members work together for the building up of the body in love.

Section 5: From Opposition to Victory

When a church really begins to take the Great Commission seriously, it can expect to encounter opposition. Satan doesn't want to see God's kingdom advanced on earth. While we anticipate opposition from without, we are often surprised that some of the most difficult opposition comes from within the membership of the church. Kingdom growth often requires change and change often causes conflict. We will address this issue by looking at the organization that will allow us to maintain our kingdom focus while we manage the change necessary to accomplish the Acts 1:8 challenge. You will be challenged to consider the enormous potential of the church as you look at selected passages in Paul's letter to Ephesus. Finally we will look at the King's concern for His church in the book of Revelation and His celebration of its victory.

It is my prayer and my conviction that this study will radically alter the way we understand the church. I think you will find it to be a fascinating and challenging journey.

We have prepared a forty-day study kit that includes all the administrative and promotional material your church will need to have an effective and life-changing study. Each family involved in the study should have a copy of this book. Each person will need the interactive study guide (workbook) that causes you to reflect on and respond to God's Word as the Spirit reforms your thinking. Many churches can use the materials in a forty-day study for small groups. The workbooks include the materials for class study and participation. The kit and other materials are available www.empoweringkingdomgrowth.net.

SECTION 1

From Foundation

to Mission

1

The Founding Confession

"Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ,

the Son of the living God.’"

MATTHEW 16:16 NASB

It's hard to overestimate the significance of a confession.

The earliest confession known to be widely used among Christians was simple but profound: Jesus is Lord. New believers uttered these words as they made their public declaration of faith through baptism. Yet as simple as it may have been for these few little words to trip from their tongues, the implications were immense, and the harsh reaction often swift. Some of those who made this confession were immediately disinherited by members of their own families. Others lost all means of livelihood. Many early believers were put to death when asked to declare, Caesar is Lord, to which they would proudly and defiantly restate, "Jesus is Lord."

Then as now, this confession—Jesus is Lord—is much more than a passing phrase. It has weight. It has meaning. It holds eternity in its hands.

As pastor I have always enjoyed asking believers to declare their confession of faith as they are being baptized. I thrill to hear them say, Jesus is my Lord! But I wonder how bold we would be to make such a declaration if we knew persecution and even death could follow—the way it still does for many in the world, even though most in America are sheltered from this reality. Would people still publicly profess faith in Christ if they knew their job was at risk for making such a bold statement of confession?

What does it really mean when we say Jesus is Lord?

This is a critical question—one we must carefully consider if we are to understand what it means to be a follower of Christ today and a member of His body, the church.

It all starts here. Everything else hangs on it.

Jesus is Lord.

UPON THIS ROCK

You certainly remember Peter's initial confession when Jesus declared His intention of establishing the church. Peter's confession that Jesus was the Christ, and Jesus' subsequent declaration that He would build My church are inextricably bound together. Jesus. The church. They always belong in the same sentence.

But not in today's way of thinking, quite often.

Most Christians would probably assert that although Jesus is an exciting topic, church seems rather boring. Yet no other entity on the face of the earth has the church's unique authority, power, mission, or potential. Nothing is as vital to the survival of humankind and the reaching of the nations as the church. It is that important and imperative. The church is that big of a deal.

If this seems like a vast overstatement, I invite you to continue reading with an open mind, because I am totally convinced from Scripture that the role of the church is paramount in Jesus' kingdom mission. Your church. Every church. Don't think of it only in terms of your personal experience. Don't limit your understanding to the prevailing mood of the day. Think bigger. Think broader. Think biblically. And I believe that before we're through, you'll see there's more to the church than usually meets the eye.

Even as I declare both the earthly and eternal significance of the church, I am forced to admit that perhaps no other organization exists today where membership is valued so little. For many of its members, church is no more significant than their involvement in a civic organization or sports club. It often receives less of their time, talents, and resources than many other priorities that beg for their attention.

But we must reverse this trend—starting right now, starting with us. To do so, we must come to a full biblical understanding of the nature of the church as God designed it to be!

THE CONFESSION, IN CONTEXT

It's important to keep the context of Matthew 16 clearly in focus, because Jesus' question Who do you say that I am? and Peter's daring confession You are the Messiah form the climax of a long section of Gospel material that begins with the inauguration of Jesus' public ministry. We must not see Matthew 16 as merely an isolated event. In many ways, it sums up all the chapters that precede it.

We know that Jesus had earlier called out the disciples to join Him in ministry. They had watched along the way as He healed the sick, commanded nature, and taught with authority not seen in the other teachers of His day. Yet it's worth noting that at this point, Jesus had not yet publicly declared His messianic identity.

Nonetheless, His teaching and activity had led many to suspect—even to hope—that He was indeed the long-anticipated messiah. Since much of the messianic expectation of this period in history centered on nationalistic pride and political might, any declaration that Jesus might have made could have easily been misunderstood. A messianic statement on His part was sure to come with huge societal ramifications.

For example, Matthew 12:22-37 gives the account of Jesus healing a demon-possessed man. The crowd who gathered around the scene speculated whether Jesus might truly be the Son of David, a messianic title from the Old Testament. The Pharisees, however—a major religious party of the day— accused Jesus of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebul, to which He responded, If I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you (v. 28).

Wow! The kingdom of God has come to you! These words could hardly have been misunderstood—especially by the Jewish leaders, who certainly picked up on His messianic overtones. So they demanded of Jesus a miraculous sign, something He might offer as authentication of His implied claim (12:38).

Never satisfied, of course, by Jesus' unwillingness to play by their rules, it's no surprise that we later encounter the Pharisees and Sadducees demanding the same thing at the beginning of Matthew 16. This time Jesus responded, When evening comes you say, ‘It will be good weather because the sky is red’ (v. 2). In other words, if these men could predict the weather by looking at signs in the sky, why were they struggling to read the signs of the times (v. 3)? They certainly had plenty of evidence from Jesus' ministry to know the truth about His identity.

It's after this encounter with the religious leaders that we come to the dialogue containing Peter's daring confession, which seems to occur in the midst of a private conversation involving only Jesus and His disciples. This was a natural setting for Him. He often took His disciples aside to ensure that they understood what they were hearing and seeing and to give them further instruction.

And like any good teacher, He began by asking questions.

QUESTION AND ANSWER

Jesus' first question was a simple one: Who do people say that the Son of Man is? (v. 13)—Son of Man was a favorite self-designed—of Jesus. It was a title with clear messianic implications, especially when seen against the prophecies of Daniel.

Consider this question an icebreaker. It didn't actually require any personal risk or commitment on the disciples’ part. All they had to do was repeat what they had been hearing from the crowd. So their response came back more in the form of an opinion survey, sort of a man-on-the-street report.

They stated that there was a growing consensus that Jesus was a prophet. One popular suggestion was that He was perhaps even John the Baptist. On the surface this seems hard to imagine, since John had already been beheaded. But it may well have reflected the conviction of Herod the tetrarch, who had developed a fear bordering on paranoia over this prophet who had dared challenge his lifestyle. According to Matthew 14:2, when Herod heard a report about Jesus, he told his servants, This is John the Baptist!… He has been raised from the dead, and that's why supernatural powers are at work in him.

Others speculated that Jesus was Elijah, the prophet who was to come as a forerunner of the messiah (Mal. 4:5-6). Some suggested Jeremiah or one of the prophets. The fact that many agreed that Jesus was a prophet should not be overlooked, seeing as there had been no prophetic word in Israel since the days of Malachi, more than four hundred years earlier.

But just like today, the truth concerning Christ's identity was far more radical than most dared imagine. He was not simply a prophet. He was no mere spokesman from God. He was and is God in the flesh. When He speaks, God speaks. Thus, Jesus proceeded to the next question:

‘But you,’ He asked them, ‘who do you say that I am?’ (Matt. 16:15).

The word you in this verse is emphatic and plural, addressed to the disciples as a group. They had walked with Jesus. They had heard Him teach. They had witnessed His miracles. They had enjoyed the benefit of His personal tutoring. Their understanding should have been far more mature than that of the general public or the Jewish leaders. So with this question Jesus wasn't probing for public speculation. He was interested in hearing personal confession and commitment.

Who do you say that I am? It's a question as relevant today as it was two thousand years ago—a question that will not go away. It must be honestly confronted by every individual, because our answer will not only determine where we spend eternity, it will also determine the purpose and priority of our lives.

But you…who do you say that I am?

ONE DARING CONFESSION

Whenever I read this text, I try to recreate the scene in my imagination. Perhaps the disciples were sitting by a campfire when Jesus posed His initial, nonthreatening question. But after hearing their various findings and opinion reports, Jesus looked in the eyes of each disciple, one after another, and posed the critical question: Who do you say that I am?

You can almost sense the tension, the quickening of the pulse rate, the heavy swallowing that ensued as they wondered, Will someone dare say what we all are thinking? Most likely, the confession had nearly burst through their clenched teeth on several occasions. They knew, though, that the religious authorities would consider their words blasphemous, treasonous. Now the growing conviction could be suppressed no longer.

Finally, Peter blurted out the hope that had been growing in their hearts. His words were direct, simple, to the point, radical: You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God!

Messiah means the anointed one, the King. Yes, the long-awaited King from the line of David had made His promised appearance in Jesus of Nazareth. The One whom God had sent to restore His people was standing before them in the flesh—living proof that all God's promises were true. He was the One who would usher in the kingdom! He was the author of redemption! This is the first occasion in Matthew's Gospel where Jesus' messianic title is used in a spoken confession.¹

Can you imagine the fear and hope that were mingled in this first confession? Try to. Or have we read this text and repeated its words so often that we've lost the sense of wonder, joy, and commitment it should generate?

I was privileged to spend Christmas of 2006 with my granddaughter Lois. She was about eighteen months old at the time. It was the first Christmas where she really got into the spirit of opening gifts. I'll never forget the sheer joy she expressed as she opened each one. She would break into a glacier-melting smile and scream with sheer delight, WOW!!

I'm afraid we've lost the wow factor when it comes to this incredible confession of Jesus' lordship. So far removed from the moment, we forget how radical and truly daring it was. In a few short years, men and women would die for uttering these words.

And if we're ever going to recapture this same kind of commitment and enthusiasm—the kind that will bring renewal to our churches and infuse fresh zeal into our shared mission—we must begin by acknowledging that Jesus is the rightful King of all the earth.

Yes, Jesus is Lord. Say it like you mean it.

MESSIAH AND MORE

If you compare Matthew with Mark and Luke, you'll discover that only Matthew includes the second part of the confession: You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God! (v. 16). Matthew wanted to make clear that Peter's declaration went beyond the nationalistic fervor of Jewish messianic expectation. Jesus was not simply a Jewish deliverer. He was not merely the Messiah. He was the Son of the living God.

Notice, too, that this confession came not amid the intense excitement of signs and wonders but in the relative calm of inquiry. During emotionally charged moments, when the mood and atmosphere are conducive to making rash commitments, people sometimes blurt out confessions that evaporate like the early morning dew. Already in Matthew, members of the crowd had yelled out messianic titles such as Son of David in response to Jesus' ministry (9:27; 12:23). Up until this point, the shouted confessions of Jesus' true identity were still in the form of emotional speculation, not deep belief.

But Peter's intentional confession marked a crucial stage in the disciples’ relationship with Jesus. They had been following Him out of the hope that He was Messiah. To follow Him the rest of the way, however, would lead to the cross of Calvary. Such a journey would require settled conviction and unwavering faith.

So Jesus underlined the significance of this moment by answering Peter's confession this way: Simon son of Jonah, you are blessed because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father in heaven (v. 17). Peter's confession was not the result of human reasoning. It was not an emotional response to signs and wonders. It had come through divine revelation.

It's the same today. A life-changing confession of Jesus as personal Savior is accomplished by nothing other than revelation from the Father. Salvation and the accompanying commitment it grows within us are accomplished by the internal working of God's Spirit, revealing to us the truth about our sin and about His Son.

This is not something we think up. It's not something we're talked into. It's not something we launch out to discover on our own. Declaring Jesus as Lord stems from a heart that has been convinced of this truth by God Himself.

And for Him to go to such lengths, He must have good reason to tell us.

THE CHURCH CONNECTION

While the confession Jesus is Lord is definitely the high mark of this passage, we can't overlook its unique connection with Jesus' subsequent declaration about His intention to build His church (v. 18). We will look at this in greater detail in the next chapter, but let's go ahead now and underscore the linking between Christ and the church.

After all, this is one thing that's frequently lost in our understanding of Christianity. We too often treat relationship with Christ as if it's a purely personal matter, able to be satisfactorily pursued by keeping our faith to ourselves and following our own inclinations. But Christianity was created from its infancy to be lived out in community. To separate Christian faith from church life is to strip it of God's chosen means of expression.

I'm not talking about merely doing churchy things. I'm not talking about perfect attendance and committee chairmanships and other pride-inducing pursuits. I'm not talking about filling in blanks, overcommiting yourself, and coming up with canned answers in Sunday school class.

I'm talking about throwing your full weight in with your brothers and sisters in Christ, joyfully laboring together for the sake of the gospel, watching God creatively multiply His blessing and empowerment in your life. I'm talking about a bunch of otherwise unrelated people being called into one eternal cause—the advancement of the kingdom of God!

For if we do not properly and biblically conclude that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah—the only means of resolving the world's sin problem— we have no basis for understanding the unique origin, function, and authority of the New Testament church. If we do not cling to the uniqueness of Jesus, the church becomes nothing more than any other secular institution—at best, a divine country club for the naïve.

I have no doubt that you agree with Peter's bold, biblical confession that Jesus is the Christ. But I must ask you to deal seriously with what this statement of faith entails. Those who truly comprehend the depth of this confession will never be able to treat His church lightly.

It causes me deep concern when I read statistics indicating that a large percentage of church members are irregular in attendance, uncommitted in terms of service and giving, and generally apathetic about the role of the church in reaching the nations and transforming the culture of our world. If God sent His Son to establish the church—at a cost requiring His death—it would be unconscionable for us to treat it with casual disdain. If it required God's best, it also demands ours.

THE ONE, THE ONLY

Lest you think I'm overstating this connection between Christ and His church, let's look quickly at one other passage, this one from the pen of the apostle Paul, written to the church in Colossae. In this letter Paul was dealing with a form of heretical teaching that threatened the very existence of the church by undermining the uniqueness of Jesus. If Christ was not unique, then the church had no more significance than the many mystery religions of Paul's day.

Beginning in Colossians 1:12, we find one of the greatest treatises in all of Scripture concerning the uniqueness of Christ. It states:

He is the only source of redemption (1:12-14). Because of our sin, we are not fit to share in the inheritance of God's people. Yet, He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (vv. 13-14). Through Him—and through Him only—we are redeemed.

He is the image of the invisible God (v. 15). Paul declared that Christ was, is, and forever will be the One who perfectly reveals God to us. He is no shadowy abstraction, which some in Paul's day were teaching. Rather, He renders the invisible, visible. This verse gloriously speaks of Jesus' pre-incarnate glory, His incarnation, and His ultimate glorification—all of which reveal God to us. He is not on the same level with other prophets and religious leaders. He is God Himself.

He is the Lord of creation (vv. 16-17). He is