In modern business culture it is common for organisations to adopt a mission statement, capturing their purpose and vision. The statement invariably refers to quality of product, an efficient service, value for money together with an emphasis upon the opportunities that the organisation provides for employee and customer or client alike. A mission statement is intended to project the image of the company in an easily understood fashion while providing something that management and workforce can keep before their minds as their key objective.

The business of this world, however, while it has its place, revolves around material things that relate to our shared material and emotional experiences in this world. The Church is quite different. Our business is eternity, the salvation of precious souls. Therefore if the children of the world regard mission and vision as important concepts, how much more should the Church of Christ not be consumed with our key objectives and core values.

The subject of this study is the congregation of Christians who fellowshipped and worshipped in the first century Asian city of Philadelphia. They were clearly a group of people who understood that the Church needs to be on a mission. They had many challenges being described as a people who had little strength (v8). Despite their problems and sense of weakness they had a glorious opportunity presented by the Saviour in that they had an open door of service.

In exhorting the Christians to make full use of this opportunity, John presents them with a Holy Ghost inspired mission statement. While these words may not mean much to the world at large, they will certainly enable Christians everywhere to maintain our focus and spiritual sharpness.

Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown

THE MISSION UNDERSTOOD

which thou hast

Understanding our mission begins with an appreciation of what we have; what the Lord has provided.

For the Philadelphian congregation they possessed the encouragement of an open door which only Christ could have made available. They not only had an open door but they had been consistently faithful in confessing Christ’s name in what was a most hostile society. Although the Jews, especially, despised them greatly, these believers had been quietly faithful, serving the Lord with patience. They accepted their trying circumstances, while using their time to graciously bring the Gospel.

Let us today reflect upon our open doors, our opportunities, together with the talents given for service. Let us not only reflect but appreciate what the Lord has provided for us.

THE MISSION REWARDED

thy crown

The shadow of eternity hangs over Revelation in a way that is more real than any other in the great book of eternity. This is especially pertinent where the mission of the Church is concerned. We are called to employ all of our abilities and energies in fulfilling this mission in the expectation of an eternal reward.

In the New Testament the ‘crown’ is often employed in illustrating ‘the well done’ of God.

THE INCORRUPTIBLE CROWN

“And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.”

1 Corinthians 9:25

THE CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

” Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”

2 Timothy 4:8

THE CROWN OF LIFE

” Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”

James 1:12

THE CROWN OF GLORY

” And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.”

1 Peter 5:4

In each of these cases the crown is represented as that which we anticipate. It is associated with our faithfulness for the master. In the case of Paul’s writings writings the metaphor of the crown was drawn from the ancient Greek games where the victors received a crown of leaves. In the parlance of today we long for the medal which the Lord will present to His faithful people who have fought a good fight and ran the race well.

The concept of rewards is distinct in the teaching of the New Testament. As judges sat on the bench determining who merited the honours, so the Lord will determine various rewards for His people depending on their faithfulness to Him.

” For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”

2 Corinthians 5:10

The Saviour Himself, using the medium of parables taught this truth, that when we stand before Him there will be an award ceremony. Perhaps the most striking is ‘The parable of The Ten Talents’.

“And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”

Matthew 25:22

The lesson from the crown, the personal reward available to each of us, is that we do not labour to please others or to receive their recommendations or congratulations. This does not mean we are to be careless of the thoughts, feelings or opinions of the family of the Church. We are one body and the one body ought to be harmonious. But in the service that we do for Christ we serve Him alone as the Head of the body. We work with the other members, not for the other members. We work to benefit the whole body but take our directions from the Head. To be consumed with the congratulations of others is to be filled with pride; this is to prove that we are men-pleasers, self serving and selfish – our eye is not on the master. But for those who labour unnoticed and unrewarded in this life, the encouragements are phenomenal. What we do and give may seem little in the eyes of others, our abilities may be meagre and our accomplishments may be hardly recognised – BUT if they come from a heart and soul that is engaged, committed and striving for His glory the reward is assured.

THE MISSION ABORTED

That no man take thy crown

While we cannot lose our salvation, we can lose our reward. While each redeemed soul will be completely satisfied in glory, some will receive a higher commendation than others. This text teaches us that the possibility of failure should drive us, inspire us not to backslide, not to become cold or lethargic but to continue in the faith.

This text teaches that the possibility of failure , of losing reward is very real. The Apostle Paul lived his entire ministry challenged by this fear of failure.

“But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”

1 Corinthians 9:27

In his ministry Paul would sometimes refer to people who started well, who made progress, who were a blessing but then they slipped and lost out with God.

At times this calamity befell a congregation of Christians as with Galatia.

” Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?”

Galatians 5:7

On occasions individuals like Demas became a sorrow of heart to the man of God.

For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world

2nd Timothy 4:10

No one is immune from losing out with God. The world creeps in, pride takes over, temptation is not resisted, coldness of heart overcomes the spirit that was once on fire. We become dry, barren, cold. Our spiritual experience is a shadow of what we were.

Where is the blessedness I knew

when first I sought the Lord?

Where is the soul refreshing view

of Jesus and His Word?

What peaceful hours I then enjoyed!

How sweet their mem’ry still!

But they have left an aching void

the world can never fill.

William Cowper

It is interesting though, that Paul describes the crown being taken by another. This indicates that God’s work will continue with us or without us. The work of the Church generally and also every individual aspect of the congregation particularly, depends upon no one individual. If we refuse to do the work given to us, God will raise up another, and they will gain the crown that we have lost. The same is true of the congregation. If we permit apostasy to creep in and lose our effectiveness, He will raise up another body of people to do the work. His cause will not suffer but we will. With humility we accept our place in His vineyard and labour being conscious of our propensity to fail.

THE MISSION COMPLETED

hold that fast which thou hast.

To avoid losing the crown we must continue on and ensure that we complete the race which God has set before us. The mission which we have been given will not be complete until the day we die; only then will our work be done.

The exhortation to persist and to persevere in order that we don’t go back is a recurrent theme in the New Testament.

Our Saviour spoke of the ploughman and the cross bearer in this context.

” And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Luke 9:62

” Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”

Matthew 16:24

Paul, however, when writing to Christian Jews, who were severely pressurised to give up their profession and return to the old faith of their natural families was especially severe on this point.

“Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.”

Hebrews 4:1

“And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”

Hebrews 6:11-12

” Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)”

Hebrews 10:23

There is a natural tendency at times in our Christian experience to rest on our laurels. Perhaps this is due to weariness, discouragement, worldliness or simple carelessness. It will manifest itself in a failure to consistently attend church services, to be at the place of prayer, to be less committed than once we were. Excuses may be made, others may be blamed, age may even be cited as the reason but in reality the problem lies with our own hearts, our own spirit. Over the process of time the means whereby we show our commitment to church work may change but the commitment itself must never be in doubt. We are on a mission, let’s complete the mission strongly!

Our congregation in Clogher Valley has known the blessing of God in a material sense. We have beautiful new and refurbished buildings as a consequence of God working in our hearts and enabling us and others to give. These buildings, however, have been given for a purpose, that we might complete the mission. The extra space, gives us greater possibilities and a higher capacity for ministry. These buildings represent in a tangible sense the open door for service. But we must use the open door, invite others in and employ these buildings to their fullest sense for Gospel ministry and building up believers in faith and holiness. We must not fall into the trap of looking at our surroundings, being deceived into thinking that somehow we don’t need to be as committed or as energetic as we once were. A building is only of value if it is employed for the purpose for which it was erected. In the case of the Church of Christ – our buildings have been given for the purpose of worship, of prayer, of preaching and of evangelism. This is our mission, this is our purpose – let us never, ever lose that vision.

Ultimately Christ is our pattern, our message, our reason for being. Let us keep His words before our minds and in our hearts.

” I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.”

John 17:4

THE MISSION EXAMINED

Behold, I come quickly

As we fulfil the Lord’s mission, we do so in the knowledge that all of our work will be examined by the judge in the last day. The coming again of Christ is both a comfort and a challenge. The Saviour related the parable of the servants who were entrusted with the care of their master’s estate while he was away. Eventually he returned, at a time that was unexpected, and he examined the faithfulness and the unfaithfulness of his servants.

But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

Mark 13:32-27

The calling of the elder highlights just how serious this day of investigation will be. The higher the office within the congregation, the more onerous the examination is going to be.

“Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.”

Hebrews 13:17

This is an important text teaching the importance of church membership, being under the authority of elders. Yet this authority is to be handled with great sensitivity and fear because one day every elder will make account of his stewardship and there will be tears. Tears because of our own failings and tears because of those who did not respond the call of the Gospel or who went back on the heavenly calling.

This principle, of accounting, however, is relevant for every Christian as Paul taught the Romans.

“So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.”

Romans 14:12

Parents accounting for their work within the home, Sunday School teachers accounting for the classes placed under their care, a pastor accounting for the charge given to him…the list reaches into every area of life.

Such an examination will reveal our failures, it must do so so because at our very best we are unprofitable servants. Perhaps that is why the twenty four elders in Revelation chapter four cast down their crowns; such is their sense of unworthiness they must give the Lamb the glory. There is no do doubt that this examination will reveal our need of grace, of cleansing by the blood.

There has been much conjecture as to why there are tears on the judgement day. Is it because of lost souls being taken to lake which burns forever? Is it because of our sins which make us so unworthy? Is it because of the life we only really half-lived for Christ, we ought to have given Him more? Is it because of the terrible sufferings of our Lord, seeing His nail prints, understanding His love as we never understood it on earth. Perhaps the tears have been induced for other reasons or by a combination of these and many more things. But this I know, God will produce his handkerchief of fatherly care and tenderly wipe the tear from every eye. All regrets will be vanquished in an instant and the sense of comfort will be infinitely felt by everyone. And we shall forever be the Lord.

Our calling is to watch, to wait and to work in anticipation of that day when the quality as well as the quantity of our work will be assessed. In so doing we are reminded that the work is His, the Church is His flock – our calling is to trust and obey, to remember that little is much when the Lord is in it and to give ourselves without reserve for the Gospel mission – the greatest of all endeavours.

Is there not, however, an urgency in this text? Christ is coming quickly. We are to live every day as if it were the last day for this old corrupt world. Living and serving as if Jesus were appearing now to investigate and examine. That word we spoke in haste – what would He say about that? Those idle moments when we could have praying and reading – how would He assess those moments? That act of weakness, yielding to temptation – what conclusions would he reach? Those times when we seemed to care about the income, the business, the career and when eternity was far, far away – what would be His verdict if He were to come today? – with an urgency and with a priority let us rise from our lethargy and give Him everything because nothing less will do.