Tag: Missions

We Believe (#13): Christ’s Commission to Make Disciples of All Nations

~ fundyreformed

Part 13 in a series of Sunday posts celebrating the glorious Truth we believe as Christians. The readings are quoted from the Elder Affirmation of Faith, of my church, Bethlehem Baptist (Pastor John Piper). I’m doing this because every few weeks our congregational reading is an excerpt from this document, and every time we all read aloud the truths we confess, my soul rejoices. I pray these posts will aid you in worshiping our Lord on His day.

Christ’s Commission to Make Disciples of All Nations

We believe that the commission given by the Lord Jesus to make disciples of all nations is binding on His Church to the end of the age. This task is to proclaim the Gospel to every tribe and tongue and people and nation, baptizing them, teaching them the words and ways of the Lord, and gathering them into churches able to fulfill their Christian calling among their own people. The ultimate aim of world missions is that God would create, by His Word, worshippers who glorify His name through glad-hearted faith and obedience. Missions exists because worship doesn’t. When the time of ingathering is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever. Worship, therefore, is the fuel and the goal of missions.

*Taken from the Bethlehem Baptist Church Elder Affirmation of Faith, paragraphs 13. You are free to download the entire affirmation [pdf] complete with Scriptural proofs for the above statements.

“Across the Lands” by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend

~ Bob Hayton ~ 6 Comments

Here is another great song from the authors of “In Christ Alone”. Keith Getty and Stuart Townend are producing what has been called modern hymns. I discuss their work in my post, “The Rise of the Modern Hymn Movement”.

We sang this song in church Sunday. It is a wonderful, God-centered song focused on the global mission of the Gospel. It works well as a congregational song. I hope you are encouraged spiritually by the lyrics of this song, and that if possible, you will aim to incorporate some of these modern hymns into your own church’s corporate worship.

Across the Lands

Words & Music by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend

Verse 1
You’re the Word of God the Father
From before the world began.
Ev’ry star and ev’ry planet
Has been fashioned by Your hand.
All creation holds together
By the power of Your voice.
Let the skies declare Your glory;
Let the land and seas rejoice!

Chorus
You’re the Author of creation;
You’re the Lord of ev’ry man;
And Your cry of love rings out across the lands.

Verse 2
Yet You left the gaze of angels,
Came to seek and save the lost,
And exchanged the joy of heaven
For the anguish of a cross.
With a prayer You fed the hungry;
With a word You calmed the sea;
Yet how silently You suffered
That the guilty may go free!

Verse 3
With a shout You rose victorious,
Wresting vict’ry from the grave,
And ascended into heaven,
Leading captives in Your way.
Now You stand before the Father,
Interceding for Your own;
From each tribe and tongue and nation,
You are leading sinners home!

 © 2003 Thankyou Music.

You can listen to a sample of the song here, or you can listen to 2 versions of the entire song for free on Rhapsody.com: this one from Keith & Kristyn Getty’s CD In Christ Alone & this one from Stuart Townend’s CD Lord of Every Heart. If you would like, you can also purchase sheet music for this song here.