The Church of Jesus Christ: Remembering Our Mission and Embracing Our Power

Moderator Michael Rice

Moderator, Rev. Dr. Michael Rice

Our Elder Brother Jesus Christ established the Church as an artificial environment in the world.  The intended nature of Christ’s Church is to create a safe and nurturing place for newly birthed disciples to be loved, cared for, and grow into dynamic and dangerous followers of Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ reminds us of why His Church is so essential,

18“If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. 19 The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.

The Church exists to power disciples of Jesus Christ to become more and more like Him. It is helpful to remember that the Church is not a natural entity, though it exists in the natural world. The Church of Jesus Christ will survive through whatever times and circumstances it may find itself in at that moment.  It is critical, therefore, that we remain focused upon three things as the church in times that feel like imminent peril and outright danger.

First, maintain a clear focus on the mission of the Church to equip the saints to do the work of the Church and to grow the body of Christ. (Ephesians 4:12)  While the world appears to be in disarray, it remains our call to Be the Church of Jesus Christ in the world of swirling Chaos.  We must shine all the more so that the traveler in the dark can see the City of Christ ablaze on the hill because of the lights in the houses.

Second, we must take responsibility for the well-being of the Household of Faith. Just as God commissioned the Deacon’s ministry in Acts to care for the widows, we have a call to empower those most vulnerable and exposed to the dangers that appear on the horizon. 

We must take responsibility for teaching our Children and Youth what it means to be a great people of African Descent and Followers of Christ in a world that is hostile to both.  It is our responsibility to provide at every turn, opportunities for our children to learn, to grow, and to prosper because they belong to us. We are the village, and we must nurture and  protect them.

We must create a safe place of welcome, encouragement, care, and familiarity for our senior saints.  The world is changing around them at blinding speed, and it can prove daunting to try to keep up.  Many of our seasoned saints have labored, given, and supported ministry, church, and the Association for years. Now is the time to find ways to double down and assist them in every way that is within our power to do so.

Third and finally, we must mobilize as the Church of Jesus Christ to push back against the forces of the world and government.  We must stand against those who would throw us back 75 or 100 years.  The power of God is present in the Church because the Holy Spirit powers us.  

There are five things I believe we must do:

1.     We must find and use our voice to challenge wickedness in the world.

2.     We must harness the power of our dollars to build and strengthen our communities through business and homeownership.

3.     We must equip our members and the community with the knowledge necessary to combat destructive ideas and actions. Ideas and actions that are embodied in documents and strategies unfolding in our nation’s capital, state houses, and city halls.  

4.     We must attack and defeat the self-destructive ideas that infiltrate, erode, and destroy the sanctity of human life and the values of family and community that we desperately need to cling to now.

5.     We must embrace every tool and technology available to win the battle for our families, communities, and churches.

In the end, the challenges we face can be overcome if we face them together.  There is a famous quote attributed to Benjamin Franklin that says, “We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.”

In Proverbs 4:12, NLT, God counsels us, “12 A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

More to the point, Jesus says,

“Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.”  Matthew 12:25b NLT

Let us stay strong, Stand Together, and We will thrive Together. You will hear more in the coming weeks about national strategies being employed to combat the rising tide of hatred in our nation and land. With Love For the People of God, The Precious Household of Faith.

Remember Our Mission and Embracing Our Power

Moderator Michael Rice