Here at Kingsgate, we say that our mission is to make much of Jesus. But what does that mean?
The first (and I would argue, most fundamental question) in the Westminster Shorter Catechism asks, ‘What is the chief end of man?’ or putting it in slightly more modern language, what is the goal, purpose or mission of human life? The answer that is given is two-fold. Firstly, ‘to glorify God’ and then, ‘to enjoy him for ever’. I think these two statements sum up well for us what it means to make much of Jesus. So then, let’s explore them in a little more detail:
Living to glorify Jesus
“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all for the glory of God.” 1 Cor 10:31
In this highly vivid sentence, the Apostle Paul is showing us that all of life, even the mundane aspects like eating Marmite on toast and drinking Vimto, have the potential to glorify God (or not!). Or to put it another way, we’ve not been given the luxury of dividing our lives up into chunks of ‘me time’, ‘work time’, ‘family time’, oh – and maybe some ‘God time’. No, all of life, however we decide to ‘chunk it up’, is an opportunity to bring glory to Jesus and in so doing, make much of Him.
So, what does it really mean to live for the glory of God?
Putting it simply, it means that my primary goal or mission in life is to live for, and to show others, the beauty, reputation, worthiness, dignity and honour of God. This is a highly dangerous statement! Why? Because, in stating this, we’re saying that on the Stage of my life, I’m never meant to be the lead actor! No indeed! The role of lead actor and the limelight of my life is meant to be enjoyed by Jesus and him alone. This is deeply offensive, because almost everything within our culture and world moulds our thinking and attitude to pursue the very opposite! As a result, to live for the glory of God requires dying to a ‘me-at-the-centre-of-my-world’ thinking. People who are looking to make much of Jesus, are people who, like the lighting team in a theatre, live to make much of others on the main stage!
However, living for the glory of God is not just about dying for there is also an element of truly living! If the glory of God is his beauty, reputation, worthiness, dignity and honour, then your life has suddenly become focused on and caught up in something totally amazing! To gaze upon the beauty of God himself, to study and draw near to the God who is full of all worthiness, true dignity and everlasting honour – well, that’s a life worth giving up everything else for! That’s the life you and I have been invited to live!
John Piper, an American Pastor and Author of ‘Don’t Waste Your Life’ has said:
“You don’t have to know a lot of things for your life to make a lasting difference in the world. But you do have to know the few great things that matter, perhaps just one, and then be willing to live for them and die for them. The people that make a durable difference in the world are not the people who have mastered many things, but who have been mastered by one great thing.”
I want to suggest to you that the people who make a durable difference in this world, are the people who have been mastered and overwhelmed by living for the glory of God.
Part 2 to follow…