Pastor Joseph M Curry

Clocking in for the Kingdom Pastor Joseph M Curry

God has called us to seek first the Kingdom and its expansion on earth (Matt. 6:10, 33). Jesus Said, "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, as a Testimony to all nations and then the end will come," then the King will return to fully establish the Kingdom (Matthew 24:14). In outreach to unreached people groups the various Great Commission agencies seek increasingly to work together to advance the Kingdom. Like the parts of the body, each has its specialties, but they seek to serve a common head, Jesus, towards a common goal, the inclusion of many people from every ethnic group in the Kingdom of God. But partnership is not practical if there is not agreement on the strategy to be followed (as well as on the core values that will guide methods and decision making). A common strategy that is emerging is some areas is the development of culturally appropriate church-planting movements among each people group. This in fact is what one finds in the work of the Apostle Paul. The results of his approach are reflected in his first letter, in which he praises the young church in Thessalonica, saying "The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia-your faith in God has become known everywhere" (1 Thess. 1:8). Paul planted the church by God's grace, and in a short time the church had evangelized the surrounding region. So the sign that a church-planting movement has developed is that there are locally led bodies of believers who are following Christ, using the Scriptures, spreading the faith and starting more churches. In this way they fulfill the call of Christ, who said, "I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit-fruit that will last" (John 15:16). Pastor Joseph M. Curry