Our mission is to Know Jesus intimately. Be transformed by the Spirit. Do mission with God... Together
Or the short version: Know. Be. Do… Together
One of the clearest explanations of this from Bible is found in Colossians 1:9-10.
9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, (NIV)
KNOW
Not just knowing about Jesus, but knowing Him personally, intimately, and deeply. This is also about knowing the scriptures, knowing the voice of the Holy Spirit, even knowing yourself. “to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives […] growing in the knowledge of God” Colossians 1:9-10
BE
Becoming more like Jesus. This is about our character, heart, motivations, passions, and convictions changing as the Holy Spirit transforms us. “so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way” Colossians 1:10a (also see Romans 12:2).
DO
As we grow in knowing Jesus and being transformed, we will naturally DO mission with God (living and loving like Jesus). Some broad categories around “DO” are evangelism, justice, and service. “bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God” Colossians 1:10b
TOGETHER
We do this together, it’s that simple (but not necessarily easy). “we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you ...” Colossians 1:9
Also notice how "bearing fruit in every good work” then yields more “growing in the knowledge of God.”
In other words, though Know. Be. Do... Together are four distinct words, they are deeply interconnected.
KNOW. BE. DO... Together Sermon Series (Fall 2019)
Andrew Gates - December 10, 2023
Seeking God's Shalom and Christ's Kingdom
Scripture References: Isaiah 11:1-16
From Series: "Advent 2023: The God Who Comes To Us"
The first block of time on the Christian calendar is Advent: a time of waiting in anticipation. Most of us don't like waiting. I get that. Long lines are annoying. Being unexpectedly stuck in traffic is infuriating. Waiting for the results of a medical procedure can be downright terrifying. To quote Tom Petty, “the waiting is the hardest part.” But it depends on what you're waiting for, and it matters how you occupy yourself while you're waiting, right? Advent reminds us that we are people of the Messiah who are waiting for the Messiah. We turn back the clock to the time of anticipation before the birth of Jesus the Messiah, and we draw from it all sorts of lessons and visions of what it might look like to “let earth receive her King.” We lean heavily into the ways and practices of the Messiah King, knowing that he will come to dwell among us again—the God who comes to us!
More Messages from Andrew Gates...
November 15, 2020
Knock Knock Knockin' on Laodicea's Door
Andrew Gates
Revelation 3:14-22
December 27, 2020
Our Christmas Inheritance
Andrew Gates
Galatians 3:23-29, Galatians 4:1-7
