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)
Keith Walatka - December 18, 2022
Altar & Basin
Scripture References: Exodus 30:17-21, Exodus 27:1-8
From Series: "Advent 2022: Tabernacled Among Us"
Each year during Advent Riverside takes four weeks to lean into the miracle of the incarnation of Christ—how in Christ God took on flesh and dwelt among us. And considering Riverside has spent all of 2022 going through the book of Exodus, this gives us a wonderful opportunity to connect the tabernacle in Exodus—the space where God dwelt among his people in the Sinai wilderness—to the coming of Jesus Christ, God taking on flesh and quite literally tabernacling among us (John 1:14). So we will approach Advent this year looking through the physical elements of the tabernacle space. We see how God has always revealed himself through these elements, and how each element represents something of the character of God most fully embodied in Jesus—God incarnate. Looking forward to this Advent journey with you!
