Grow in Love
Grow: Rethinking Church Growth - Part 5
May 12, 2024
Matthew 22:36-40, 28:18-20
“Teacher, what is the greatest commandment in the Law?” He replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: You must love your neighbor as you love yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands
Matthew 22:36-40, CEB
Jesus came near and spoke to them, “I’ve received all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you. Look, I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present age.”
Matthew 28:18-20, CEB
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Last summer at our Annual Conference, Rev. Dr. Martyn Atkins of Great Britain shared the centrality of the two texts above as essential to our Christian faith. These passages are known as the Great Commandment and the Great Commission.
Dr. Atkins points out that these two cannot be separated and together they provide the most clear indicator of our spiritual health. The Great Commandment is the tone by which we undertake the Great Commission and the Great Commission is the means by which we fulfill the Great Commandment. In other words, we can’t love God and neighbor if we do not bear witness to Christ’s love for them and we cannot bear witness or make disciples unless our efforts and intent are fueled not by our own interests, but by our love of God and neighbor alone. Evangelism must always be personal, relational, and incarnational, just as Christ modeled for us when he came to dwell among us to show us the depth of God’s love.
Our intent, Dr. Atkins says, must always be to offer Christ’s love authentically, consistently, and in the same manner as Christ offers himself to us and to others. “The last thing the world needs,” he proclaims, “is more salespeople of an institution called “church,” but what it does need is many, many more free samples of Jesus Christ.”
Generally speaking, Atkins points out, we like the Great Commandment, “except when we don’t.” We like the idea of being good, loving people, until we get caught up in our religious and culture wars that tell us who are and are not included among our neighbors. The problem with both the Great Commandment and the Great Commission is that neither “give us any ammunition to keep anybody out of who Jesus is talking about.” Atkins continues, “Every generation of Christians has trouble with such scriptures because they give us no help whatsoever in our endless search to find people to exclude from it.”
As we seek to grow in Christian maturity, to grow our roots deeper into Christ, and to grow wider in the scope of our ministry and service to others, we are ultimately growing in love. Love is not a program for numerical growth, but it creates fertile soil for the Holy Spirit to do what only she can do.
Love God. Love Neighbor. Make Disciples.
This alone is our task.
You can view Dr. Atkin's’ full presentation below: