We're thinking about church; about the Christian community.

Community, real relationships - to know and be known, to love and be loved is something we all long for. It’s inherent to our humanity.  The God in whose image we are all created is in himself a community of loving relationships. The glorious Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 

When humanity fell out of relationship with this God - we also lost one another. Community is fractured at every level of existence. 

So.. part of God’s salvation through Jesus Christ, his restoration of humanity back to the image of our creator is to bring us back into true community together, Christ is our peace.  And the beginnings of that - the full realisation will only be seen when Jesus returns to establish his kingdom - but the beginnings, the first fruits is the Christian church. 

So  

Church is not a human institution. It’s not an optional extra that you can tick or leave when you become a Christian.  As if being a Christian is just about my personal relationship with Jesus which occasional church attendance may or may not resource. No, becoming a Christian means being incorporated into Christ’s body - the church. Becoming part of the new humanity. 

Furthermore It is for the sake of the watching world outside that the church exists

The church at its heart has a missionary dynamic. That’s what we’re thinking about today. 

What is it that no one else knows about you?

Maybe there are details of your life that you would hate to be disclosed. The idea fills you with dread, with terror. A decision you wish you’d never made; an event you want to forget, a pattern of behaviour that you can’t shake. Maybe it’s not something you did but something done to you. Perhaps you wrestle with tormenting thoughts and feelings that you are convinced no one will understand. 

Secrets. We all have them. Human nature seems wired to withhold and tuck away areas of our lives we deem undesirable. The best option seems to be keeping our secrets in check and out of sight. 

We dare not come into the light to show who we truly are because we fear shame and we fear rejection. 

But there’s great danger in keeping secrets hidden. Secrets have the power to hurt everyone you know and love. 

A small boy was at church with his dad and asked, "Dad what are those names carved into the walls?”

“That’s a list of names of people who died in the services,” his Father answered. 

The boy’s eyes widened. “The morning or the evening services?”

We’ve been talking about the centrality in the plans of God of this peculiar thing called church!

The church is the beginnings of God’s New world. Humanity restored in his image.

It’s the community that all people are made for!! Come to church!

Here’s the story we told last week:

God the Trinity.. God who is in himself the perfect community of persons united in love -Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 3in1

Creates humanity in his image - that is, to be in community. Relationships are at the heart of what it means to be human. 

That community is lost and broken when humanity breaks contact with God 

But is now being restored again by Jesus Christ IN THE CHURCH 

Here’s a radical conviction: 

That it is inside the church that is found THE community that we were all made for and that we all long for.  All people

Does church matter? Does church have a future?

it is inside the church that is found THE community that we were all made for and that we all long for. The church is where it’s at. It is the showhome of the New Creation!!! It is the trailer for the main event!!!