PDF Version of This Document Button

Spreading a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ.

From our perspective this statement expresses God's vision for every church. We are not the first to use this wording, nor do we think that it is the only way one could express the key ideas that it contains. But stated in this particular way, our mission is to strive to live out this vision in the power that God provides.

We exist to "spread a passion." That's where we begin. We seek to cause the actual increase of emotional affection for and commitment to something. We are not after a hollow emotional high. Neither are we seeking a cold, intellectual formalism. We are after hearts that genuinely "delight themselves in the LORD." We want to live and speak so as to be used by God to stir up awakened interest in and desire for something. But for what?

"A passion for the supremacy of God in all things." The word "supremacy" is not commonly used today, though its root meaning is clear. According to the dictionary, to be "supreme" is to be "greatest in power, authority, or rank; paramount, of greatest importance; ultimate."

Surely this describes God. He is the greatest power, the highest authority, chief in rank – forever, over all things. All creation, and all aspects of all created things. And He is of paramount importance, the ultimate reality with Whom we must deal, to Whom we can relate. He is the One Who is worthy of all our attention, all our adoration, all our affection, all our hope, all our obedience... all of our all. And He is the One Who gives meaning to all of our all; Who controls our circumstances, Who changes hearts, Who sets up and tears down.

This is true whether we like it or not. But God means for us to very much like it. In fact, He means for this reality of His supremacy in and over everything to be for the great, full, lasting joy of people. This is tremendously good news. As Isaiah 52:7 says, "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, 'Your God reigns.'" In other words, "Good news – salvation, peace, happiness – God is supreme!"

What this means for our church is that we strive to magnify and exalt God – to bring Him glory – in all that we do and to continually make the explicit connection between the delighting in the supremacy of God and lasting joy in the human heart.

A joy that is for all peoples. "Peoples" is plural, indicating that it is "people groups" we have in view. God reigns over and will be the joy of every tongue, tribe and nation on earth. But tragically, He is not the joy of every individual person on the earth. This is so because of the last phrase: "through Jesus Christ."

Only through Jesus, fully God and fully man, the second Person of the Triune God – only through His sacrifice on the Cross as a sufficient satisfaction for the penalty of a person's sin – only through Him can God become a person's joy. Apart from Christ, one's sin is not forgiven, and God's wrath, rather than His pleasure, remains on that person. This moves to the heart of the Good News – the Gospel – the message of how God has acted to remove sin in the Cross – and how all who trust Jesus alone for the removing of their sin are forgiven.

This is glorious news and when it is understood and embraced and takes root in the heart, it will produce joy and even passion. For this we depend on God's grace. This is His vision for His people and it is our mission as a church: Spreading a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ.