On Mission Blvd, in Hayward there is a church that seems to occupy the top floor of a small office and commercial building. The name of the church is the “Apostolic Nation of Jesus Christ.” Their tag line is, “Making disciples to change the world.” I don’t think that their mission statement or tag line is biblical.
Nowhere in the Bible are Christians commanded to “change the world” and nowhere in the New Testament does Christ say he is going to “change the world.” In fact, the world is not redeemable, according to Christ and he is going to destroy it with fire and build a new one at the end of time.
I think the motivation of trying to change the world is also misplaced. Jesus himself said that if the world hated him, the world will hate his followers. We see this today with persecution against Christians all over the world. In reading the material from this church, it seems that they want to minimize this persecution. If they get everyone saved and teach everyone Christian moral behavior then there will be no murders, no stealing, no lying and there will be prayer in schools and public Bible reading. This is similar to a post-millennial view which says there there will be a world-wide revival, where everyone will come to Christ, or at least be tolerant of Christ. All tyrants and evil dictators will be deposed and Christ will reign in the hearts of people. When Christ finally does return, he will find a world that welcomes him. There is a group of prophets touring the world making lots of money prophesying in this way.
I do not see this world welcome Jesus, if I read the Bible correctly, especially Revelation. Christ will come back to finish the battle of Armageddon. He will come back to a world that wants to make war with him.
The message from the New Testament is not world domination or changing the world to match my religious views. Instead it is a story of saving people out of the world. Jesus took people out of the kingdom of the world and put them in a new kingdom. If Jesus wanted to change the world, he could have done so when he was here the first time. If he did that, however, they would not have crucified him and no one would be saved today.
I do not seek to change the world. I seek to have a church that can live for Christ in a world that hates them. I want my church to know their Bible and have enough faith to stand in the face of opposition. The world is literally going to hell and the job of every church and every Christian is to rescue as many people as possible out of the world and out of that fate. Then a new kingdom is created, the kingdom of God, which will exist forever with those who rejected the world and did not seek to change it.
Nowhere in the Bible are Christians commanded to “change the world” and nowhere in the New Testament does Christ say he is going to “change the world.” In fact, the world is not redeemable, according to Christ and he is going to destroy it with fire and build a new one at the end of time.
I think the motivation of trying to change the world is also misplaced. Jesus himself said that if the world hated him, the world will hate his followers. We see this today with persecution against Christians all over the world. In reading the material from this church, it seems that they want to minimize this persecution. If they get everyone saved and teach everyone Christian moral behavior then there will be no murders, no stealing, no lying and there will be prayer in schools and public Bible reading. This is similar to a post-millennial view which says there there will be a world-wide revival, where everyone will come to Christ, or at least be tolerant of Christ. All tyrants and evil dictators will be deposed and Christ will reign in the hearts of people. When Christ finally does return, he will find a world that welcomes him. There is a group of prophets touring the world making lots of money prophesying in this way.I do not see this world welcome Jesus, if I read the Bible correctly, especially Revelation. Christ will come back to finish the battle of Armageddon. He will come back to a world that wants to make war with him.
The message from the New Testament is not world domination or changing the world to match my religious views. Instead it is a story of saving people out of the world. Jesus took people out of the kingdom of the world and put them in a new kingdom. If Jesus wanted to change the world, he could have done so when he was here the first time. If he did that, however, they would not have crucified him and no one would be saved today.
I do not seek to change the world. I seek to have a church that can live for Christ in a world that hates them. I want my church to know their Bible and have enough faith to stand in the face of opposition. The world is literally going to hell and the job of every church and every Christian is to rescue as many people as possible out of the world and out of that fate. Then a new kingdom is created, the kingdom of God, which will exist forever with those who rejected the world and did not seek to change it.
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