President of Egyptian seminary speaks on ‘true mission’
By Paula R. Kincaid, The Layman, January 20, 2012
ORLANDO, Fla. — Atef Gendy began his sermon Thursday evening asking for prayer for “a nation that is really trying to make sense of the revolution that started and for a church that is trying to find the right and positive role in these important situations.”
Gendy is president and associate professor of New Testament at the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo (ETSC). He was speaking to the more than 2,100 gathered at the Fellowship of Presbyterians Covenanting Conference. The service included music performed by an orchestra and choir.
He brought greetings from his church back in Egypt – “your daughter church that your ancestors planted in 1854 and also from my seminary that your ancestors planted in 1863.”
His sermon text was Luke 9 and his topic was true mission and the role of the church on mission and the global church.
“First I want to refresh our minds back to the mission of Jesus and the Church,” he said. The first verses of Luke 9, “say something very significant about what the mission of Jesus, Himself and the church is about.” Gendy said that Jesus went preaching the Gospel of the kingdom and healing the sick and requested His disciples to do the same.
“So teaching and preaching the Gospel of the kingdom on one hand and healing on the other hand, this was the mission that Jesus Himself did in front of the disciples and requested them to do.”
Preaching the kingdom, Gendy said was “probably not good news to the sinners … that God can be the author of your life. I assure you that no sinner would find that good news. What changes their mind is the second part.”
He added that authentic expressions of values may provide the best witness. “When people see the values of the kingdom — the justice, love and mercy of the kingdom embedded in the life of the sons of the kingdom — it’s only then they believe that the kingdom of God is good news. We need to remember it … We need people showing us the righteousness of the kingdom practice not only verbally but in life.”
Gendy’s second point came from verses 10-17. True mission is about passion and concern toward people’s needs, rather than a list of tasks. Just before Jesus and the disciples could get away for some rest and relaxation, the people came to hear about the kingdom and experience the healing.
“Surely the disciples were tired. They wanted some time. They probably thought, ‘Shorten your message, Jesus,’” Gendy said. “But Jesus continued and the people were very happy and responsive.”
Gendy added, there came a ti me, though, when the disciples thought Jesus should dismiss the people so they could find food to eat. “The disciples probably thought the simplest decision was the best and why not think that everyone should be responsible for himself,” he said. “But Jesus had a different view. His view was that you give them something to eat.”
Gendy said that, for him, the disciples were probably like the minority church in Egypt. “I tell the students in the seminary that the only way we can have safe and fruitful existence is for people to feel that we have useful existence,” he said. “We are a blessing to the people, to the whole nation.”
This is typical of what incarnation is about. “The incarnation that Jesus practiced is going down to earth and saving those from their needs and troubles. … That is what He expects us to do.”
His third point was taken from verses 28-36, and focused on the centrality of Jesus. During the transfiguration, Jesus was in between Moses and Elijah. Then they disappeared and Jesus stood alone.
The prophets, said Gendy, were there to revere Jesus, and then the words came from heaven, “listen to Him. This is my son.” The heavenly voice said if “we really want a church that lives mission, then return to the centrality of Jesus and His mission. … obey Him and listen to Him,” Gendy added.
Gendy told those gathered at the FOP meeting that he respected them for re-examining their theology and staying faithful to the Bible and the teaching of Jesus.
“The idea of the authority of the Bible is amazing and beautiful, but everything is undermined if we speak about these things theoretically and don’t obey the Word of God,” he said. “Part of the proof that we believe in the authority of the Bible is if we live it … Make sure that the holiness of the people of God is what affirms and confirms our belief in the authority of the Bible.”
Gendy said that true mission refrains from competition and confrontation. The disciples were arguing about who was the greatest among them. Jesus brought up a child and said, “Whoever receives this child in my name, receives me.” It’s about serving anyone in Jesus’ name, he said.
True mission, said Gendy is about “doing God’s work, God’s way.”
“My friends, we probably will have problems as we serve our nation and as we serve the world,” he said. “We will probably not always be well received. Sometimes we have to carry the cross and the persecution, but always remember to do God’s work in God’s way.”
Gendy earned his Ph.D. from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. He has written study notes to the Book of Acts for the Bible Society of Egypt and serves as a translation consultant for the Revised Arabic Bible Translation. He has an Arabic book in print about the interpretation of the parables of Jesus.