As individuals and as a congregation of believers, our chief purpose is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever. We glorify God when we obey the gospel and trust in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and when we obey his commands. As recorded in Luke 10:27, Jesus Christ summarized the commands of God, including the moral law contained in the Ten Commandments, by quoting from the Old Testament: “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind” (Deuteronomy 6:5), and, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18).
Our purpose also includes a mission. The mission of Providence Orthodox Presbyterian Church is derived from Matthew 28:18-20: “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.'” At Providence OPC, we are excited about our mission. In fact, the very reason we planted this new church in Tulsa is because we want to make disciples who will truly follow the way of Christ.
The early Protestant Reformer, John Calvin, defined a distinctively Reformed methodology for fulfilling the Lord’s missionary command in Matthew 28, which helps express much of how Providence OPC hopes to fulfill its mission:
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- We should always acknowledge that the extension of Christ’s kingdom is first of all God’s work, and that the advance of the church is utterly dependent on the mercy of our Sovereign God. Accordingly, we should continually look to God in prayer for joyful strength to accomplish his mission.
- Preaching and teaching that is faithful to the word of God are primary means used by God to spread the gospel.
- Although gifts, knowledge, experience, and abilities do vary within the church, there should be no distinction between the responsibility of pastors and of other Christians to witness to others about God’s grace and mercy. All believers should be prepared to be a witness for the truth of God’s word by life example, word, and good deeds.
- Our Christian witness should be motivated by passion for God’s glory, gratitude for His great mercy toward us, and love for our neighbors.
- We should be committed to assisting the OPC in general and our Presbytery in particular in the planting of churches Reformed in faith and obedient to the Holy Scriptures.
- As with all of Christian life, we must believe the fundamental truth that our God is all powerful, and we must work sacrificially to advance our Lord’s kingdom, always depending on God’s endless resources to accomplish our mission.