Jack and Grace met through a mutual friend.
From day one, they just seemed to be perfect for each other.
Grace was everything Jack had always wanted.
She was beautiful and she was outgoing and she was caring.
She was always there whenever Jack needed her.
For the first five months, they were inseparable.
Jack could hardly think of anything else but Grace.
He didn't need to look further.
He, in fact, told his friends, she's the one for sure.
But now almost three years have passed.
Jack still enjoys the comfort and the familiarity of being with Grace.
But that sort of initial spark is gone.
Grace's flaws seem a little more obvious to him now.
He's not sure he finds her as attractive as he once did.
And he's beginning to resent all the time that she wants to spend with him.
And so one day when she asks if she can define the nature of their relationship, Jack blows up.
We're together, aren't we?
He asks angrily.
Why isn't that enough for you?
Obviously, Jack isn't quite ready for commitment.
He's not sure he, in fact, ever will be ready for commitment or, in fact, ever really needs to be ready for commitment.
Have you ever been in a relationship like that?
Do you know people who are in a relationship like that?
I do.
Let me say, if that is you, if you're in a relationship like that, this is not God's purpose for your life.
God wants you to be in a relationship that is defined by both passion and commitment.
The reality is there are millions of Jacks walking around today.
But there is something more you should know.
Grace isn't a girl.
Grace is a church.
And this is the let's define the nature of the relationship talk.
Three things I want us to explore this morning.
Number one, what is the church?
Number two, what is the purpose of the church?
And number three, how to be a church member on purpose.
So what is the church?
It's really hard to get clarity on the word when there are so many different uses of the word church running around today.
In fact, as I was writing this message, it was Melbourne Cup Day, Tuesday.
I was sitting on the balcony over at the rectory, just having a quiet moment writing this.
And as I was writing this message, there was someone walking through the car park on the other end of their phone.
And they said to whoever was on the other end of their phone,
hey, you could park in the church.
There's plenty of room here.
Well, actually, no.
I've got two problems with that.
Number one, your definition of church, because I'm writing in this space right now.
But I won't go there in this moment.
But secondly, no, you can't just park here whenever you choose to.
So other views of church is that church is a set of a system of beliefs,
or it's a program that you attend for an hour and a half, two hours on a Sunday,
or it's a denomination that you belong to, or it's an institution.
That exists in society.
The word that is translated as church in our Bible, in our New Testament,
comes from the Greek word ecclesia.
It's used just under 80 times in the New Testament.
And all but three of them in the New Testament,
it is translated into the English word church.
Now, if we look at one of the places where it isn't translated into the English word church,
you actually get an idea of what the New Testament meaning is behind,
but what is the meaning behind the original word for ecclesia?
So it's Acts chapter 19.
And a silversmith named Demetrius used to make a great living out of making idols
until the apostle Paul arrives.
He preaches and all these people start to become Christians.
So that's great for the church, not so great for the idol business.
And so what Demetrius does, realising that his income's dropping,
he decides to whip the city up into a riot.
And next thing you know, there's this large gathering in this amphitheatre,
and it says this in Acts 19.32.
Now, that's not the description of the church,
but let me just pick up the word assembly there,
is the Greek word ecclesia.
It's translated elsewhere in the New Testament as church.
So you could literally read this,
the church was in confusion.
It's just a gathering.
The word church, at its core,
simply refers to a crowd of people gathered together.
It's a mob.
Sometimes in the New Testament,
church is used to refer to the gathering of Christians
around God in heaven from all time and places.
Theologians refer to this as the invisible church.
Everyone who knows Jesus from every time and place,
both alive and dead,
are gathered spiritually in God's presence and magnifying him.
And what we are waiting for is the end of all things
when we will physically,
everyone be in his presence,
magnifying him.
Mostly,
the word refers to the local church,
the local gathering in a particular place,
like the church at the corner of Fuller's Road
and View Street in Chatswood.
This is the church visible.
But it's not just any mob.
It's not just any crowd that has gathered.
The Greek word ecclesia
is made from two other words,
two other Greek words which are joined together.
And these words mean to call out.
Two words, to call and out.
To call out.
And so the word church
really refers to those who were called out by God
from the world
to join together as his people,
the followers of his son,
the Lord Jesus.
Now this is crucial
for us to,
in understanding
what the church is.
But also,
what the purpose of the church is.
Last week,
we looked at the
much broader question
of
what is the purpose of life?
And we saw that God
created us
and saved us
to magnify him
because he is magnus.
He is great.
We saw that God
is worthy
to be magnified
because he is great
and he is good.
And this great and good God
has a great
and good plan.
So let's have a look
at what that plan is.
And we're going to begin
in Ephesians chapter 1 verse 8.
I've given you a list of references
so
you can go back
and check them later on
or scribble them down
if you like.
So Ephesians chapter 1 verse 8,
with all wisdom
and understanding,
he,
that's God,
made known to us
the mystery of his will
according to his good pleasure
which he purposed
in Christ
to be put into effect
when the times
reach their fulfillment
to bring unity
to all things
in heaven
and on earth
under Christ.
Christ.
So
that's where
everything's going.
That's
the plan.
That's the goal.
This big God
has a big plan
and the big plan
is everything
gathered together
under Jesus.
Jesus supreme
and Lord
over everything.
So that's the end.
So let's go back
to the beginning
and let's see
that this is in fact
been God's plan
all along.
It's the reason
why you and I
were created
and saved.
So back in the beginning
it's the Garden of Eden
and in the Garden of Eden
you're not going to read it
but there's a real sense
in Genesis 1 and 2
where all things
are gathered
to God.
He's made it.
Everything's at peace.
Everything is ordered.
Everything is perfect
in relationship
with Him.
And then
the first people
make the decision
to
instead of
magnifying
God
they decide
to magnify
themselves.
They decide
to live life
their way
and to make everything
about them
rather than about God.
The Bible calls
this attitude
in this action
sin.
And the consequence
of sin
is everything
that is ordered
now becomes
disordered.
There's no more
harmony.
There's no more
peace.
Everything's turned
upside down
and relationships
with God
is broken.
Where there used
to be unity
and closeness
with God
now because of sin
there is just
distance and
disunity.
And then God
what He does
is He removes
people from
His presence.
He judges
their sin
by
it's a theological
word
scattering them.
He scatters
them from
Himself.
And this is
the principle
that you see
right throughout
the entire
Bible.
You can trace
it right to
the Bible.
Wherever
humanity
sets itself
up against
God
He scatters
them.
But when
He saves
them
He gathers
them to
Himself.
You see it
not far
into
Genesis
where the
Tower of
Babel
in Genesis
11
and where
He scatters
people from
Himself
and from
each other
and yet
in
Genesis
12
He calls
Abraham
to
Himself.
It's a
theme that
runs right
through the
Bible.
When God
saves He
gathers
people to
Himself
but when
they rebel
against
Him He
scatters
them from
His
presence.
Which is
the ultimate
thing that
happens.
The goal
of all
things God
will gather
those to
Himself
who are
His for
eternity
in His
presence
and those
who are
not His
He will
cast them
from His
presence for
all eternity.
In Isaiah
11
several
hundred
years
before
Jesus
Isaiah
is looking
forward
to this
day
when
everything
is
finally
ordered
and
harmonious
and
peaceful
and in
right
relationship
like it
was in
Genesis
1 and
2
and he
refers to
a particular
person
who will
accomplish
God's
great
plan
and in
Isaiah
11
this person
is called
the root
of Jesse
this person
is the
Messiah
he is
historically
known as
the son
of great
King
David
and in
verse 12
it says
this
he will
raise a
banner
for the
nations
and gather
the exiles
of Israel
he will
assemble
the scattered
people
of Judah
from the
four
quarters
of the
earth
then
as
Isaiah
keeps
going
you get
to
Isaiah
56
8
and
God
himself
declares
there
that he
will
expand
his
plan
beyond
his
historic
people
Israel
and this
is what
God
says
he says
I
will
gather
still
others
to
them
besides
those
already
gathered
and the
climax
of God's
plans
is revealed
at the end
of the book
of Isaiah
in Isaiah
66
18
we read
and I
this is
God
again
and I
because
of what
they have
planned
and done
am about
to come
and gather
the people
of all
nations
and languages
and they
will come
and see
my glory
see
God's
plan
is to
gather
people
from all
nations
and tribes
and peoples
and cultures
to himself
that they
might see
his glory
that they
might
magnify
his
magnus
it's a
plan
that starts
to get
worked out
in history
with the
creation
of the
church
by the
Lord Jesus
Christ
and you
see that
in Ephesians
2 11
the passage
that was
read out
to us
therefore
formally
remember
that formally
you
who are
Gentiles
by birth
and court
uncircumcised
by those
who call
themselves
the circumcision
which is
done in
the body
by human
hands
remember
that at
that time
you were
separated
you were
scattered
from Christ
excluded
from
citizenship
in Israel
and foreigners
to the
covenants
of the
promise
without
hope
and without
God
in this
world
see what
Paul does
here in
Ephesians
is he
highlights
the
massive
division
between
Jews
and Gentiles
but also
between
them all
both Jews
and Gentiles
and God
there is
deep
hostility
which is
hard for
us to
understand
and what
Paul does
in verse
13
is he
shows us
how God
brings about
the end
of this
hostility
and gathers
these people
to each
other
and to
himself
so
Ephesians 2
verse 13
now in
Christ Jesus
you who
once were
far away
you who
once were
scattered
have been
brought near
been gathered
by the
blood of
Christ
for he
himself is
our peace
who has
made the
two groups
one
and has
destroyed
the barrier
the dividing
wall of
hostility
by setting
aside in
his flesh
the law
with its
commandments
and regulations
his purpose
was to
create
in himself
one
new
humanity
out of
the two
thus making
peace
and in
one body
to reconcile
both of
them to
God
through the
cross
by which
he put
to death
their hostility
sin
death
hostility
between
Jew and
Gentile
is finally
dealt with
by Jesus
at the
cross
Jesus
is the
one who
gathers
these
diverse
people
together
and he
calls them
a new
people
a new
humanity
and we
will talk
a little
bit more
about that
next week
a new
people
gathered
to God
in relationship
with God
so what's
God's purpose
in all of
this
we're still
asking that
question
what is the
purpose of
the church
why do
this
why gather
like this
Ephesians 3
10
his intent
God's intent
was that
now
right now
here
through the
church
the
manifold
wisdom
of God
should be
made known
to the
rulers
and the
authorities
in the
heavenly realms
according to
his eternal
purpose
that he
accomplished
in Christ
Jesus
our
Lord
the
manifold
wisdom
the
multi
colored
spectacular
wisdom
of God
should be
made known
through the
church
the great
and glorious
God's great
and glorious
plan
is to gather
a very diverse
people
to each
other
in unity
with each
other
and to
himself
in such
a way
that his
greatness
and his
glory
is made
known
to all
the heavenly
realms
God
does this
work
so that
his
magnus
might be
seen
there is
a sense
here
where
right now
God
calls
over
the rulers
and the
authorities
and the
heavenly
realms
and he
says
hey
Gabriel
Michael
have a
look at
that
have a
look at
that
look at
St.
Paul's
Chatswood
that is
what I've
been doing
for all
of history
working
this out
my son
made that
possible
he brought
these diverse
people together
he broke
down the
dividing
walls
and he
says to
the demons
hey
Satan
get over
here
and take
a look
at this
not even
the gates
of hell
are going
to stop
my son
doing that
until I call
them all to
myself
you can't
stop that
every
every tribe
and language
and peoples
gathered
together
unified
in my
son
that
displays
the
magnificence
of God
United
Nations
can't do
this
it can't
achieve
this
God
you see
what did
you say
that you
what is
church
about
what did
you say
this morning
you see
before church
is about
serving one
another
before it
is about
learning
more about
God
before it's
about
whatever
other things
you came
up with
it's about
us being
gathered
together
to God
so that
God
looks
magnificent
that's
what it's
about
this
is so
fundamental
for us
to grasp
in fact
I'd say
it's
critical
for us
to grasp
before
church
is about
me
before it's
about
you
before it's
about
us
it's
about
God
this is
his
design
this is
his
grand
plan
for all
time
and
eternity
dare I
say it
transcultural
church is
his
grand
plan
transcultural
church is
his
grand
plan
and I
think this
is again
captured in
our purpose
statement
here at
St.
Paul's
treasuring
Jesus
together
for God's
glory
and the
joy
of all
peoples
so let's
move on
how to be
a church
member on
purpose
how do we
as individuals
be members
of a church
on purpose
let me say
first of all
that you
become a
member of
God's
church
not by
completing a
membership
course
church
or by
attending a
church for
a very
long time
that's not
how you
become a
member of
a church
you become a
member of
God's church
by repenting
of living
independent of
God
by putting your
trust in the
Lord Jesus
by receiving the
Holy Spirit
who unites you
with God and
with other
believers
that's how you
become a member
of the church
that's the
fundamental
first step
so you could
be sitting in
church for
decades and
not taking that
fundamental first
step
there will be
plenty of
people in
heaven who
haven't done
the St.
Paul's
Chatswood
pathways
course
plenty of
people
but there
won't be
anyone who
hasn't repented
of sins and
trusted in
Jesus
not a single
one
and maybe
today this is
the first
fundamental step
that you need
to take
maybe you've
come along
you got involved
in the local
expression of the
church and
you're doing a
bunch of stuff
maybe doing a
bunch of stuff
for ages
but you've got
confused
you're doing
step two
before you even
got to step
one
maybe today's
the day you
need to take
step one
if you've
taken step
one
then the
most important
way you can
be a member
on purpose
at St.
Paul's
is to
embrace the
vision the
values
that we have
as a church
our mission
statement and
live out our
core values
our shared
values which
are driven
by
God's
grand plan
one of the
key values
that helps us
think about
the sort of
gathering that
we are and
the sort of
gathering that
we aspire to
be at St.
Paul's is
treasuring Jesus
together and
it was written
specifically to
enforce if you
like to
highlight the
need to
gather and
how we
gather let
me read it
to you
having been
led individually
by the
spirit of
God to
receive
Jesus Christ
as the
Lord
Saviour
and supreme
treasure of
our lives
we now
most solemnly
and joyfully
enter into
covenant with
one another
as one body
in Christ
we believe
the people
whom Jesus
has called
into relationship
with himself
are his
church
and not
an institution
or a
building
in an
age of
individualism
we value
vigilance
and accountability
in treasuring
Jesus
together
now in
Ephesians
Paul goes
on to
spend
extensive
time on
what God's
new humanity
his gathering
his church
looks like
in their
life together
and
treasuring
Jesus
together
is a
value
that tries
to capture
things like
the rest of
Ephesians
and a whole
heap of
New Testament
language
it's all
about life
together
it's about
relationships
it's about
our
togetherness
and like
all our
values
this one
is highly
practical
like all our
values
it is
highly
practical
it says
things like
as a church
we are
committed
to
and then
there's a
bunch of
statements
one of
them is
making
corporate
worship
a weekly
priority
in other
words
if God's
purpose
is
for all
the time
and eternity
to gather
to himself
people
under the
lordship
of Christ
then we
express
God's
ultimate
goal
by gathering
really
simple
we gather
is what
we do
in the
Bible
to
magnify
God
always
requires
the regular
gathering
of God's
people
so
I'm not
going to
throw
around
too
many
statistics
here
but
have you
ever
calculated
how many
gatherings
you miss
a year
did you
know
that
in our
culture
regular
nowadays
has become
somewhere
between
30 and
40 percent
attendance
I'll just
let that
sit
we don't
need a
rule
here
I'm not
looking for
rule
what we
need
is to
see
the great
and the
gracious
plan of
a great
and a
gracious
God
I said
it last
week
how do
we grow
in
magnifying
God
by
gazing
on him
and being
blown away
by him
we need
to see
what it
cost him
to gather
us
together
and to
gather
us to
himself
nothing else
will motivate
us to
gather
no rule
will motivate
us to
gather
that's
for sure
treasuring
Jesus
together
not only
says that
we value
being
together
but how
we value
being
together
we're
committed
to
meeting
together
in small
groups
for more
intimate
opportunities
for nurture
for growth
accountability
and service
we are
committed
to engaging
to watch
over one
another
in brotherly
love
committed
to remembering
one another
in prayer
committing
to aiding
one another
in sickness
and distress
committed
to cultivating
Christian
sympathy
and joy
committed
to being
slow
to take
offense
but always
ready
for
reconciliation
and mindful
of the
command
of our
savior
to secure
without
delay
we are
committed
to welcoming
people
from every
background
we are
committed
to openness
towards new
people
and the
avoidance
of clickiness
we are
committed
to purging
our lives
of the
sin
that causes
division
we are
committed
to pursuing
increasingly
visible
authentic
and practical
ways of
loving each
other
and patriarchy
so i am
want to
the beach sort of stuff.
So get ready for this.
Jesus started it with these words.
A new commandment I give you, love one another.
As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
By this all people know that you're my disciples if you love one another.
John 13, 34, 35.
Paul states the commandment to love each other in more than a dozen ways.
Romans 12, 5.
In Christ, we who are many for one body,
and each member belongs to all the others.
Romans 12, 10.
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.
Again in 12, 10.
Honour one another above yourselves.
Romans 14, 19.
Make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
Romans 15, 14.
Instruct one another.
1 Corinthians 12, 25.
There should be no division in the body,
but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.
Galatians 5, 13.
Serve one another in love.
Galatians 6, 2.
Carry each other's burdens.
Ephesians 4, 2.
Be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Ephesians 4, 32.
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other.
Ephesians 5, 21.
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Philippians 2, 3.
In humility, consider others better than yourselves.
Colossians 3, 9.
Do not lie to one another.
1 Thessalonians 4, 18.
Encourage one another.
1 Thessalonians 5, 15.
Always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.
That's Paul.
Okay.
And then the book of Hebrews joins in the chorus.
Let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds.
And do not forget to meet together.
Then James pipes in, in chapter 4, verse 11.
Do not slander one another.
5, 9.
Don't grumble against each other.
5, 16.
Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.
And then Peter jumps in, in 1 Peter 4, 9.
Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.
5, 5.
Clothe yourselves with humility towards one another.
And that doesn't even get into John.
Revelation.
We'll just leave it at that.
What is obvious from all of this is the prominence of loving, Christ-exalting, other person-centered personal relationships.
So let me say it.
There is no such thing as isolated, individualistic, meet-my-needs consumer Christianity in the Bible.
It doesn't exist.
And it works against all of God's purposes.
You see, a church dater has an attitude towards church that is me-centered.
What can church do for me?
How are my needs and personal preferences going to be met?
Church daters are independent.
They're disconnected.
And they're minimally involved in people's lives.
And don't at all like the idea of accountability to one another.
Essentially, however, a church dater is critical.
They're short on allegiance.
And they are quick to find faults.
They're looking, if you like, for the best product for their price of two hours on a Sunday.
They are, if you like, they're like the lover with a wandering eye, always looking for something better.
The sad thing is, what the church dater is thinking, is working in their favor, is actually working against them.
It results in a serious loss for them and a loss for others.
You cannot fulfill the command to love and to serve and to give by yourself.
Normal, essential Christianity is loving, Christ-exalting, other person-centered, personal relationships in the local church.
And so what we're seeking to do here at St. Paul's is to build a gospel community.
Another way of putting that is what we're seeking to do is to build a supernatural community, rather than simply a natural community.
A natural community is where people feel connected because of a demographic phenomenon.
That is, people who would normally gravitate to each other and find a sense of belonging with each other because of similarities, irrespective of whether gospel is true or not.
That's natural community.
Like, gathering together with like, with similarities.
Now, that's not entirely a bad thing.
I share common interests with basically all of my friends.
In fact, all of my friends.
I can't imagine not having any common interests with any of you.
I think all of my friends have got common interests of mine.
And so it's not a bad thing to have those connections and affinities here at St. Paul's.
What I want to caution us about is not to think it is the sum total of gospel community and what gospel community is about.
In fact, we do church the way we do church.
With a shared discomfort in order that many more people who are diverse might find affinity in a congregation like this.
But at the end of the day, you can have natural community without Jesus.
And when Jesus becomes dominant and we start sacrificing for the sake of Jesus being dominant so that more people might come to know Jesus,
that natural community gets fractured.
That's what happens.
The heavenly realms look on and see the wisdom of God when they gaze on supernatural community.
When they see gospel community.
It's the kind of community that could really only exist because of what Jesus has done for us on the cross.
This is when people who would not gravitate to each other normally or people groups who have open hostility towards each other historically
are drawn together in peace and in love through the unifying work of the Holy Spirit and Christ's work on the cross.
So how do we be church members on purpose?
Number one, gather.
Really simple.
That's what God has saved you for together.
Number two, by building supernatural community.
And lastly, by being willing to purposefully fracture the community.
It is awesome to be part of a gospel community that God is growing.
But one of the painful realities is the need to keep fracturing it in order to make space for others to be welcomed into it.
One of our principles is we must fracture in order to welcome and to gather more people in.
When we're comfortable and we're comfortable and we're comfortable and we're settled, we don't want to fracture what we have.
And we start moving from gospel community into natural community and affinities.
It is wonderful to form and to build deep relationships.
Deep relationships.
But let me say, you can do that naturally.
You can do that naturally.
Deep relationships.
You don't need the gospel for deep relationships.
What is supernatural is the willingness to fracture community groups, to fracture congregations and time with people I love in order that others might be part of what we have in gospel community.
We must never forget that community is not the goal of the church.
As great as it is, the glory of God is the goal of the church and he is magnified as he gathers more and more people to himself.
That they might see his glory.
And so our core value, treasuring Jesus together, living in unity with one another, accepting and loving each other,
is valuable finally because it makes God look good.
It displays to the world the greatness and the glory and the value of the Lord Jesus and his love towards us.
It is from God.
It is through God.
And it is to God.
And we can practice it this morning very simply, very simply by not rushing off.
By engaging with someone totally different this morning.
Rather than just, you know, walk out of here and...
By sitting somewhere different in the...
By going deeper in a relationship.
Now there are a few metaphors that the Bible uses to describe the intimate way that the Lord Jesus views his church.
He calls it his family.
He calls it his body.
He calls it his bride.
He loves his church and he gave himself over to death for his church.
And he looks forward to the day when his bride, in all its perfection, will be presented to him and will be with him forever in delight.
As I said at the beginning, today is the commitment conversation.
Are you still dating his church?
If so, you're still dating him.
You haven't fully surrendered to Jesus.
The church matters because God chose it to show and to tell the universe his wisdom and his love.
This message is the world's only hope.
And if you're a Christian, you have a crucial part in God's eternal plan.
Your life...
Can I just push this a little bit harder?
Your life is so much bigger than a good job.
It's so much bigger than an understanding spouse.
It's so much more important than non-delinquent kids.
Good friends and an active social life.
It's so much bigger than beautiful gardens and nice holidays and fashionable clothes.
You are part of something immense.
Something that began before you were born and will continue long after you are dead.
God is rescuing fallen, scattered humanity, gathering to himself and progressively shaping them into the likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ.
He gathers you to himself so that you might be taking part in his grand and glorious plan.
Does your life reflect it?