Now that ‘Crossroads in the City’ is up and running, it’s a good time to reflect again on how God views church and what it will mean for our gathering on Sunday nights. The Bible makes it clear that God’s attention, work and plans for this world actually centre on the church. People he has purchased with his own blood come together through the power of the Gospel to experience and play their part in his new Kingdom community all under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
When congregations are born and serve together in Gospel unity it is a demonstration of God’s power and shows that the extraordinary news about Jesus has and is making a difference. This means Church is no mere social gathering of people with some common interests or hobbies. No, church is like no other group for it is the gathering of people who have been delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred into the Kingdom of God’s beloved Son. (Col.1:13)
This gathering of God’s people is bound by Christ’s blood and God’s desire for us is to meet regularly to hear from his Word and to encourage and build each other up. Paul describes the church using the metaphor of a body (1 Cor.12-13; Eph.4) where every member matters and where every member has a part to play. Indeed the picture we are given of church is of a vibrant, growing, loving, Spirit-filled and Christ honouring community who have been transformed and continue to be transformed by the power of the gospel to the benefit of everyone around them. How good does that sound?!
For our own sake, for that of our world, and for the ultimate glory of God we wish to pursue a model of church where we can be that kind of a community. A place where there is a hunger and love for the Word of God, where there is repentance and joy and genuine love for others, a place where there is an authenticity of speech and action that honours and points to the wonderful Gospel that has brought us life.
Doesn’t Canberra needs to see this kind of thing in action? Don’t we all need to experience and take part in a church like this?
Dave Macca’s sermon on Sunday was a great reminder of who we are called to be: God’s own possession to declare his praises (1 Peter 2:9-10). As such we want our new congregation to reflect God’s desire for us. But do we perhaps sometimes under-estimate how good, how significant, how transforming church can be? Do we perhaps not notice the miracle that every Sunday night is evidence of? Can we forget that blood has been spilled for our gathering and every individual involved. And rebels have been secured eternal joy and comfort in this world of tears, pain and sin at no cost to them….huge cost to Christ.
So come each Sunday night with something of God’s heart and desire and hope for his church…and let’s allow his plans to keep shaping and reforming ours. Then let’s see how God will use his ‘Crossroads in the City’ to be making a difference.
