The church I pastor has a list of eight values that reflect and direct our culture. We evaluate ourselves based on the values, celebrate staff who display the values, and teach them to ourselves continually. Our first value is “the Word must be central.” The order of the other values is not important, but the first value is first for a reason.
Ministry leaders, I am not suggesting you state the value of Scripture in your context in the same language or even lead from a set of values, though I find identifying and articulating values to be clarifying and energizing for the people we lead. I am, however, imploring you that the Scripture must be central in your ministry. The apostle James reminds us that God uses His Word to save us, sanctify us, and send us.
Save us: “By his own choice, he gave us birth by the word of truth” (James 1:18). We did not just wake up one day on our own and just decide to be born again; God used His Word to wake us up and give us new life. By His Word, God brought life to this world. And by His Word, He brings new life to His sons and daughters. We see salvations in our ministries by the power of His Word. I love how Martin Luther described his role in the Reformation. “I simply taught, preached, and wrote God’s Word; otherwise, I did nothing… the Word did everything.”
Sanctify us: Notice what the Word continues to do in the lives of those of us who have been given new life. Right after James encourages us to be quick to listen and slow to speak and not to let anger destroy us, he gives the way for us to be peaceful. “Therefore, ridding yourselves of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent, humbly receive the implanted word, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21). When we believed in Jesus the Word was implanted in us, and we grow by continually receiving the Word. The only way the moral filth of this world won’t control us is if the Word does instead. The spiritual growth, the sanctification, happening in our churches, in your church, is God using His Word.
Send us: James summarizes what the Word does in our lives – “Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to keep oneself unstained from the world and to look after orphans and widows in their distress” (James 1:27). The Word does not merely make us people who know more information about God, but people who are experiencing transformation from God. We are to be unstained from the world and yet serve people in the world. We are to be uncontaminated by the world and yet compassionate to those in the world, especially to the vulnerable in a culture. The reason people are being sent out to serve people in our cities and around the world is because God is using His Word to convict and commission.
For our churches to see people saved, to help people grow, and to send people out – the Word must be central.
I originally wrote and published the above post in the March/April issue of Outreach Magazine with the title “Built on the Word.”
