The Church is Catholic Ps 67:1-7 Ezek 36:22-38; Rev 14:1-7; Matt 28:16-20

Introduction https://youtu.be/-ylxBaFRoQs

As with the “oneness” and “holiness” of the Church, its “Catholic” nature is a matter of common confusion. The English word “catholic” comes from the Greek katholikos[1] meaning “directed towards/embracing the whole”. That “catholic” means universal or inclusive is not controversial. [Of course today the title Catholic is publicly claimed by one particular Church[2], which Protestants like to call “Roman Catholic”.] From the early second century[3], “catholic” was used to describe the whole church, the one orthodox Church in opposition to the numerous heretical groups emerging in competition with the Church of the day[4][5]. Over the centuries there was an unfortunate growing tendency to see catholicity in terms of faithfulness to Church rather than faithfulness to the nature of the gospel (more on this later)[6]. The truth[7] is that “in Christ” every part of the people of God belongs to every other part across time and space[8]. More than this, in the light of the glorified Jesus’ self-description and command, “All authority in heaven and on earth[9] has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matt 28:18-19), the Catholic nature of the Church relates to the whole created order, things visible and invisible, material and spiritual  (cf. 1 Cor 1:21-23; Eph 1:10, 22; 4:10; Col 1:1; Heb 1:2).

Lord of All

To understand God’s plan, it is helps to begin with what he has told us about his final[10] purposes in creating[11]. The prophets testify that at the End, “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” (Hab 2:14)[12]. This means that throughout eternity the whole people of God[13] will be forever immersed in the glory of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit (John 17:24-26; Heb 9:14)[14]. In the End [By completely sharing in the divine nature (2 Pet 1:4)] we will be baptised in the Holy Spirit into all that the one God shares in himself. The life of love, joy and peace we will enjoy forever is being immersed completely in how God has always known and loved himself[15].

The key biblical truth making possible this reality is that for Christ, God has “put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” (Eph 1:22-23)[16]. The preachers of the New Testament strongly emphasised Christ’s reign over the whole created universe. When the gospel was first preached to the Gentiles Peter boldly stated, that God had sent his Word to Israel, “preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all)”. Whilst the Jews had long known there is only one God (Deut 6:4), the Gentiles believed in “many gods and many lords” (1 Cor 8:5-6).  To preach only one Lord[17] and God (1 Cor 8:4-6) was deeply offensive [and to confess this truth a sign of the genuineness of faith][18]. Roman persecution came not through offense at Christianity as a rival religion[19], but as an exclusive religion which threatened to stir up the wrath of their ancient gods whose blessing would be taken off their empire. The gospel of the one true God has so radically changed the Western world view[20] that it is very hard for us to comprehend what it must have been like to live in the pre-Christian ancient world of many gods (Acts 17:16). What does the single sovereign Lordship of Christ mean for our world today?

[Looking at things more directly/spiritually/ “in the Spirit”,] the fundamental structures of belonging the “Catholic Church” in a world that is in rebellion against the Lordship of Christ have not changed since the first century.  The latest census figures make it clear that the Church in Australia[21] has failed dramatically to fulfil Christ’s command to “make disciples of all nations” (Matt 28:19). There is a huge difference between the presence of religion today and in previous decades[22]. How are we then to respond to the biblical teaching that everything was made through and for Jesus (John 1:3; Col 1:16 –17) and that the Church is the medium by which Christ fills all things with himself (Eph 3: 18 – 19; 4: 10 –13). Are we living with an awareness that when Christ returns “the saints” i.e. us, will judge angels and nations (1 Cor 6:2-3; Matt 19:28). In that day, when Jesus has placed all his enemies under his feet, God will be all in all (1 Cor 15:58; Rev 21: 3,11,22,23). After the Last Judgement the glory of God will fill everything that has been created.

Between now and eternity, God in his wisdom (Rom 16:27) leaves the Church in the world to train her [as he trained Jesus as her Lord Master and Betrothed] to prepare us to reign with Christ over the whole cosmos forever[23]. Most of us have [24]forgotten” is that for the vast majority of his life Jesus lived an ordinary existence learning to submit to authority without rebellion, to pray “without ceasing” (1 Thess 5:17), to run in a holy way his small business[25], developing the fruit of the Spirit, like “patience” (Gal 5:22-24) [in dealing with difficult customers] and so on. Christ was called to work, not for money (Eph 4:28), but for the same reason we are called to work, so that his “light might shine before others and that seeing his good works they might give glory to his Father in heaven” (Matt 5:16 cf. 1 Cor 10:31). Christ’s obedience has consecrated the workplace making it a holy sphere for God[26].  Much of the Church has never been informed that the history of Western society is full of examples of the kingdom of God breaking gloriously into the workplace[27].

Properly understood, the revelation of these truths revolutionises how we understand what it means to follow Jesus. One of the greatest strategies of the devil[28] has been to neutralise the mission of the Church by reducing the gospel to the level of individual forgiveness and getting to heaven when we die. The great Baptist preacher Charles Spurgeon correctly remarked that the gospel is “the chief subject of God’s thoughts and acts from all eternity…the grandest of all His works”. The gospel is far larger than our experience, for when Jesus came preaching the “gospel of the kingdom” (Mark 1:15) he appeared as King to reclaim God’s rule over everything. About 100 years ago a theologian, politician and past P.M. of Holland prophetically proclaimed, “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!” I had no idea about these things[29] until in 1994 at the end of a week of prayer (6 am- 6pm) it became almost impossibly difficult to pray, “I was in deep inner torment trying to hold in there with God. when Peter’s preaching about Jesus came to mind; “And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18 But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. 19 Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, 20 that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, 21 whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.” (Acts 3:17-21), and suddenly I was aware[30] of Jesus in heaven far above all earthly things putting everything into its proper order. I could sense all spheres of life and culture; education, health, marriage, art, media, politics, law etc. being brought into submission to his Lordship. This was a prophetic call that revolutionised my perspective on why the risen Lord commanded us to “make disciples of all nations” (Matt 28:18-20)

The Mission of the Catholic Church[31]

The mission of the church is as extensive as the salvation Jesus has bought by his blood which has “reconciled all things to himself…on earth or in heaven (Col 1:20; Rev 5; 7).  We are commissioned to bring the good news to every creature, to bring the gospel to all nations and to the ends of the earth (Matt 24:14; 28: 18 – 20; (Mark 16:16); Luke 24: 46 –47; Acts 1:8; Col 1:23). When this charge has been accomplished “the end will come” (Matt 24:14). The mission of the Church in union with Jesus is to witness the transformation of every dimension of life. The divide (dualism) between a Sunday life and a Monday-Friday life[32] is unbiblical. As someone said, “If Jesus is not Lord of all (Lord of family work entertainment recreation finance…) he is not Lord at all”. The Church is Catholic because this expansiveness of vision and service is her essential nature. To quote Paul in Ephesians 4:13, we are called to grow in “the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,5 to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph 4:13). In the End we will rule and reign with Jesus over a fully redeemed universe.

Conclusion

Since the whole world is the focus of the gospel (John 1:29; 3 :16 – 17; 8:12; 1 Cor 15: 27 – 28; 2 Cor 5:19; Eph 1:10; Col 1:15 –20), the call of the Church is to cooperate with the Spirit of God so that the Lordship of Christ must be extended over all creation, over all aspects of life. To live as a Catholic people means to refuse to cooperate with the withdrawal of the modern church into herself and her survival life. the problems that that plague the earth today have answers in Christ because the distortions of creation caused by sin, Satan and idolatry cannot destroy the essential nature of what God has made, and reconciled, in Christ. When a local writer says, “the work (Mike Cannon-Brookes[33]) [whom she gives “messianic” status] is leading to repent and be converted to solve the biggest problem our world has ever faced: climate change”[34], she uses religious language without acknowledging the sin of the human heart and its insatiable greed, an outlook which is partially responsible for the escalating mental health crises in our nation[35], when we hear day after day references to scientists as our saviours from a pandemic, only to meet disappointment after disappointment, we have forgotten that this virus has a Master in heaven (Rev 6:8), when we look at homeless people begging the solution can only be found in him who said of his own status, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head.” (Luke 9:58), when we see the emerging crisis in aged/health care we need to go back to Jesus and his gospel and how it revolutionised/created the health system as we know it.[36] The Lord himself once testified, ““With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible….All things are possible for one who believes”” (Matt 19:26; Mark 9:23). He also testified, “the one who is faithful in very little is also faithful in much” (Luke 16:10). Trust Jesus with the small things and he will grow your life. Ask Jesus what he might achieve through your life. and our lives together, as we work with him in the power of the Spirit to the glory of God the Father.