Baptist Bible Seminary Session III Living Under the Reign of God: Gospel, Church & Culture in a Postmodern Context

The Dispensationalist

The Charismatic

The Calvinist

Discovering Cultural Conformities What assumptions and values shape our understanding of gospel & mission? What does the rule of Christ mean? Do our assumptions about power incarnate the gospel? Do our decision making processes witness to the gospel? What assumptions about success guide our churches?

Discovering Cultural Conformities How do our assumptions about success incarnate the gospel? How does the relationship between what we do and how we do it embody the gospel. What assumptions about money, property and investments guide our churches? What is the relationship of wealth to mission? How do churches relate to their past and what role should it play in decision making? What obstacles persist that keep churches from converting to a more gospel way of functioning?

Missio Dei Theology Proper a. Based in the character of God… b. Based in the action of God… 1.) Father sends the Son… 2.) Father and Son send the Spirit… 3.) Father, Son and Spirit send the church… Implications for Ecclesiology… Implication for Soteriology…

The Redemptive Mandate Matthew 28:18-20 “ALL authority is given unto me … Move out and disciple ALL the nations, Baptizing them into ALL of the name of God, Teaching them to keep ALL I commanded you; I myself am with you ALL the days even …”

The Church Between Gospel & Culture

Relationship of the Redemptive and Cultural Mandates

Missional Church Structures The gospel must define every aspect of the church’s life… Gospel must define the institutional structures (governance)… Gospel reduction by the church has led to cultural structures… Gospel has been tamed by cultural reductionism…

Dichotomy: Benefits & Mission Emphasis on the benefits of the call a. these personal benefits constitute the essence of salvation… b. emphasis thus rests on a form of pious egocentricity, a kind of cozy happiness… Emphasis on the mission of the call a. God’s call assumes these benefits but does not make them constitutive of the essence… b. God’s call has two foci: (1) to form a people and (2) have them execute the task of mission... Benefits are preparation for the work…a kind of secondary surprise in that it was not the goal nor was it the expectation…

Missional Churches & Pastors 1. Shaped by the Revelation of Jesus Christ in whom the Reign of God is present… 2. Shaped by the Spirit’s formation of the post-Pentecostal community of the redeemed… Shaped by the Recovery of Eschatology… Shaped as a People/Person who both demonstrate and announce God’s intention for the Creation...

Hearing, Responding to and Obeying the Gospel Evangelization – the heart of ministry... Encountering Christ as the purpose and witness of public worship… Community commissioned to be, to do and to say His witness… Holy Spirit shapes community for mission by continuous encounter with Scripture… Ministry of Word equips community through the biblical witness… Gospel fullness recovered…

The End Living Under the Reign of God: Gospel, Church & Culture in a Postmodern Context