The Blog

CHBC Connect for October 25, 2024

Purpose, Mission, Vision:

God in His wisdom created humanity and put them in community. The first community was the family. Then He made them into a nation, fulfilling His covenant promises to Abraham. That people of God was always intended to bless “the nations,” literally, the people groups of the world. That covenant promise is being fulfilled in the spread of the gospel through the church.

God instituted and established the church, and He is continuing to build, empower, and bless the church. For what purpose has God done this? God’s eternal redemptive plan of the church is for His glory. Hebrews 1:3 says, “And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” This verse is speaking of Jesus, but we know that Christ is the head of the church, and we, the church, are His body. We exist for God’s glory to be visible, so that the world will bring Him glory.

His purpose for the church becomes our mission for the church. That mission is to extend the gospel to our neighbors and nations by personal witness, faithful prayer, and purposeful giving. It is our mission to share the gospel with others. As people respond to the gospel we are to make disciples, baptizing them and teaching them to observe all things He has commanded us. As these new believers grow in knowledge, they grow in the love of Christ, and desire for obedience to Christ. Our extension of the gospel, exaltation of Christ, and equipping of believers becomes a tightly woven net for the work of being fishers of men.

As the church fulfills its mission, the vision starts to become reality. The vision is what it looks like as the purpose and mission are fulfilled. The vision is a people of God, equipping believers, exalting Christ, and extending the gospel to the glory of God. The vision is real people doing regular life by God’s design and according to God’s will. Men and women, students and retirees, husbands and wives going to jobs, going to school, planting flowers, raking leaves, attending ball games, having dinners, planning trips, and all the rest. But doing all these things by His power, for His glory, and for the purpose of others knowing Him and loving Him.

By His Grace, and For His Glory,

Pastor Mark

CHBC Connect for October 18, 2024

A Great Command and a Great Commission:

At Capitol Hill Baptist Church our ultimate goal is to develop fully devoted disciples of Jesus Christ who live by the Great Commandment (Matt. 22:36-40) and who fulfill the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20). Everything thing we in choosing ministries, activities, and fellowships are focused on helping one another love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, love our neighbor as ourselves, to make disciples of all nations, baptizing, and teaching them.

Loving God is where it all begins. When we commit ourselves to love God as called upon by Scripture, we love our brothers and sisters in Christ. 1 John 4:7-8 says, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God for God is love.” Obedience to loving one another is evidence of genuine faith.

Not only will we love one another – remember love is doing something, not feeling something (see 1 Cor. 13) – but we will love those who do not know Christ and desire to see them come to repentance and faith. We will actively pursue ways to share the gospel with those who are now separated from Christ. We will pray for those who are lost, we will give so missionaries make it to places where people need to hear the gospel. That will include our neighborhoods, our workplaces, the halls of our city, state, and national government.

Loving God means loving neighbor, believing and unbelieving. It means learning more about God, becoming more like God, and acting more like God. The ramifications and applications are deep and wide. Christian men and women in the workforce will give their best at work as serving the Lord, so that God is honored, people benefit from their work, and co-workers and clients see a living gospel.

Christian moms and dads will parent in such a way as training their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Providing food, shelter, and clothing. But also providing love, nurture, correction, and discipline, so their children are cared for in this world, but are also aware of their need of a Savior for the life to come.

Believing retired adults will want to use newfound hours to spend worshiping God, serving His church, and investing in generations who are coming behind them. Their love of God will flow out to one another, as well as younger adults by showing themselves as an example of service in the church, faithfulness in marriage, and ongoing missional living.

No age or stage of life is exempt from living by the Great Commandment or fulfilling the Great Commission. It is up to each of us to discover how that is to be lived out where we are today. It is not something we get around to someday. It is what we do every day.

By His Grace and For His Glory,

Pastor Mark