The Church's Highest Calling: Faithfulness

Overview

As Christians we are faced with an extremely difficult task: to live as holy people in a sinful and evil world. When we choose to follow biblical values, we embrace a worldview that is in opposition to that of the larger culture. But as Alan Jacobs argues in an article in BOOKS & CULTURE, there is a tendency in this contemporary age for Christians to pursue a countercultural influence as an end in itself. Jacobs believes that our first goal as Christians should be faithfulness to the gospel. If we steadfastly pursue this calling, the inevitable result will be a countercultural influence on society.

This study will ask: What are the marks of a faithful church? How do we resist the tendency to pursue counterculture change for its own sake? What does faithfulness to the gospel look like in contemporary society?

Table of Contents

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 28:18–20; Luke 10:30–37; John 14:15; 15:18–19; 2 Corinthians 9:12–13; 2 John 1:5–6

LEADER'S GUIDE

• Identify the Current Issue

• Discover the Eternal Principles

—Teaching point one: Living faithfully means being obedient.

—Teaching point two: Being faithful implies an open-ended generosity.

—Teaching point three: Faithfulness is marked by an uncommon love.

• Apply Your Findings

• Recommended Resources

ARTICLE FROM BOOKS & CULTURE

• Choose Life, by Alan Jacobs (March/April 2006, 6 printed pages)

Total number of pages—