Okay, we're going to have the Bible reading.
Hebrews chapter 12, verses 18 to 29.
For you have not come to what may be touched,
a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest,
and the sound of a trumpet and a voice
whose words made the hearers beg
that no further messages be spoken to them.
For they could not endure the order that was given.
If even a beast touches the mountain,
it shall be stoned.
Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said,
I tremble with fear.
But you have come to Mount Zion
and to the city of the living God,
the heavenly Jerusalem,
and to the innumerable angels in the festal gathering,
and to the assembly of the firstborn
who are enrolled in heaven,
and to God, the judge of all,
and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,
and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant,
and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word
than the blood of Abel.
See that you do not refuse him who is speaking,
for if they did not escape when they refused him
who warned them on earth,
much less will we escape if we reject him
who warns from heaven.
At that time, his voice shook the earth,
but now he has promised,
yet once more I will shake not only the earth,
but also the heavens.
This phrase, yet once more,
indicates the removal of things that are shaken,
that is, things that have been made,
in order that the things that cannot be shaken
may remain.
Therefore, let us be grateful for receiving
a kingdom that cannot be shaken,
and thus let us offer to God
acceptable worship with reverence and awe,
for our God is a consuming fire.
Well, there's two things we crave as people,
more than other things.
That is, one's identity,
and one's community.
So, identity is a sense of who I am,
and how I fit into the world.
But because we're relational beings,
we also crave community.
And these two things actually create
a curious tangle for us,
as we try to pursue both of them.
See, our sense of identity
is oftentimes very individualistic.
It's often expressed in what I do.
So, I'm a mechanic, I'm an engineer,
I'm a doctor, I'm a pastor,
and so on and so forth.
Or even more individualistic these days
is that my own expression of who I am.
That is, I am me.
What more is there to say?
I am David Calderwood.
And coming with that,
then my individualistic notion
is that I have a sense of entitlement
to be what I want to be,
and expect others to respond to me
as I should be responded to.
But here's the problem, you see,
because that sort of individualism
doesn't fit easily with community.
Because community is about being
part of something bigger than self.
It's not easy to be part of something
bigger than self
when you're driven by your own sense of entitlement.
And so we're torn.
We really are torn.
We want to be in a relational community,
but we don't want to do that
which is necessary to protect
and build the community we crave in the first place.
Because to build community,
that calls for loyalty and commitment,
and putting others ahead of our own sense of entitlement.
And so I think we get ourselves,
as I say, in a curious tangle.
We speak, and as Christians,
we speak very loudly
about the importance of community.
What we are here this morning.
But,
we act individualistically.
And so,
I think oftentimes,
community just becomes a tool
to get what we want,
or to get what we think we deserve,
as we engage in that community.
And,
I think so many Christians
are caught in the same tangle
in thinking about church,
which is what we're going to be doing
over the next nine weeks.
And,
at the heart of this series
on the church,
which we're calling
the Fortes of Heaven,
at the heart of this series
is
identity
in community.
So,
there are those two words.
We're going to have to work out
how they fit together.
Identity
in community.
You see,
as a Christian,
I am an individual.
I'm using the word individual
as opposed to individualistic.
The two are quite different.
As a Christian,
I'm an individual.
I'm saved and renewed
entirely by God's grace to me
in Christ's death and resurrection.
And so,
therefore,
my identity is now
entirely shaped
by relationship with Jesus.
I am his died-for person,
and he is my Savior and Lord.
Lord,
but then much of the language
of the Bible
is plural
and corporate.
And so,
I have to say,
I am a died-for person
as an individual
in a died-for community.
The family of God.
What we're calling
Christ's church.
And here's the heart
of this series.
God's word
doesn't allow for
identity in Christ
individualistically
with only lip service
given to identity
in Christ's community,
the church.
I'll say that again.
God's word
doesn't allow for identity
in Christ individualistically
individualistically
with only lip service
given to identity
in Christ's community,
the church.
And that's hard for us,
I think,
to grasp that
because we are naturally
inclined
to individualistic thinking.
You can reference
the second page
of the bulletin.
We're naturally inclined
to what's called
their solo flying
as Christians.
While God's word
is constantly pushing us
to community
or formation flying.
And as it says
in the bulletin there,
and I think rightly,
even our stints
of formation flying
as of this morning,
even that
can be very individualistic.
That is,
I will fly
loosely associated
with formation
because at that moment
I perceive
some benefit to me
in doing so.
Otherwise,
I will just naturally
do my own thing,
fly solo.
So,
what that means is
that this series
is going to be hard
to hear
and engage with,
I think,
for many of us.
But before we get there,
let's jump into the text.
Let's jump into the series
by asking,
what picture
or idea,
therefore,
do you have in mind
when you think
about church?
Now,
picking up some
of the pictures,
most Australians
would say
that the church
is that
weird old building
down the road
that's got a cross
stuck on top of it.
or they might say,
well,
actually,
the church
is just a really
outdated institution
in our society,
well past its use-by date
even though it doesn't
realize it.
Or perhaps even more
viciously,
people would say,
well,
the church
is just a hunting
ground for pedophiles.
What about you?
What would you say?
Perhaps you might say,
well,
actually,
church is,
the church
is the place
you go to worship
God on a Sunday.
So you think of the church
as a building.
It's a location.
I'm going to church.
You might think
church is about
identifying with
a particular doctrine
or denomination.
So I'm a Baptist
or Presbyterian
or an Anglican
or a Charismatic
or an Independent Reformer
or so on and so forth.
Or perhaps
church for you
has just been
a lifetime habit
or something you learned
to do when you were a child.
Your parents always
say that's what you do
on a Sunday morning.
You go to church.
That's what our family does.
We go to church.
So therefore,
after a lifetime,
you turn up
on a Sunday morning
but don't really
think too much about it.
You don't see it
as a family community.
You don't think of it
as something really good
but costly
because it requires
loyalty and commitment
and engagement
at every level.
That's well beyond you.
You just go to church.
Or perhaps maybe
church is your social club
and your attraction
into a group like this
is common interests,
perhaps similar likes.
You want to be around
nice people
and you perceive that
well at least there's
some nice people
in a group like this.
Or you might have
similar needs.
So I want my children
to be exposed
to the values
that this group holds
or whatever.
similar stages in life.
Similar causes to fight.
And the danger
of those sorts of things
is that sometimes
people can be drawn
into a community
like ours
through those things
and they're far,
far more important
than the hearing
of God's word
or the gospel.
And so they could be
in the community,
the gospel could be removed
but as far as they're concerned
the community continues.
And perhaps
you're already writing
off this series,
this teaching series
because of the name
Church,
A Foretaste of Heaven.
I wouldn't be at all
surprised if some here
are thinking,
seriously?
That is so out of touch
with reality.
My experience of church
has been anything
but A Foretaste of Heaven
or if it is
A Foretaste of Heaven
I don't want to be
part of Heaven.
So some are so
hurt
by their experience
of church
that the whole notion
of the church
as a family of God
is just,
well,
at best
a nice theory
but it sure
doesn't work
in practice
because your
experience of church
has left you
disappointed
disillusioned
and seriously
wounded and damaged
and fearful
because some of the
most nasty behavior
you've ever been
subject to
has been from
church-going people.
And so I think
what that does
for people
and there's a huge
community like this
in Newcastle
we have lots
and lots of people
who wander
between churches,
between church communities
longing for community,
longing for a place
to belong
but keeping people
at arm's length,
not willing
to be committed
except
in their own terms
and in response
to their own fears
and ideas
of what will
make them happy.
And so people
drift in
and they drift out
again,
always searching
for that
happy community.
Friends,
that's a long
introduction
but let me
say this,
if we're to have
a correct picture
of church
in our mind
and correct
practice
and commitment
within this
local church family
then we need
to see
church,
the church
with God's eyes
and through God's eyes
and that's what
we're about this morning.
And as I said before
that might mean
I think
that this series
will be hard to hear
and engage with
for many here
this morning.
it may require
a massive
change
in your thinking
and priorities
and behaviour
especially when we
jump into passages
like Hebrews
which in spite
of its difficulties
has actually
a fairly simple message
and the simple message
is that God's church
is something
that God
has established
and it is
glorious.
as God
sees it
and so
the gap
opens up
I think
between what
we might
think of church
how we might
see it
through our eyes
and what we're
going to hear
from God's word
about how
God sees it
through his eyes
and there's
our challenge
over the next
weeks
to realign
our thinking
to God's thinking
but first
let me give you
some background
before we jump
into Hebrews 12
and have a look
at the details
in there
the background
context
to the letter
with which
we won't
understand
the beauty
of what's
been taught
in these verses
so the letter
as a whole
was written
to encourage
Christians
who had been
converted
from a
Jewish heritage
they'd been
converted
into small
church family
units
scattered
variously
around the
Roman Empire
and the letter
was written
to assure
them
of this
that to be
in Christ
as an individual
believer
was to be
in his church
which was
to be
in community
with all
believers
and that
was
very much
a foretaste
of heaven
beautiful
precious
to the Lord
and totally
secure
now
why was that
necessary
well
because
for these
Christians
having become
Christians
with the joy
of being freed
from sin
and been renewed
into wonderful
new relationship
and the good
life with God
it seems
that many
were totally
shocked
to find
that having
become
Christians
life
became
heaps
harder
not easier
and it
became
heaps
harder
because
they were
facing
persecution
from the
Romans
and from
the Jewish
authorities
as well
and the
result of
that was
that so
many of
these
Christians
were being
tempted
to go
back
to the
old
Jewish
faith
the old
Jewish
way
of doing
things
with
its
system
of
priests
and temples
and sacrifices
and holy
days
it had
served
their
ancestors
well
and even
more importantly
it was
accepted
by the Roman
authorities
so that
would mean
going back
to that
would mean
an avoidance
of any
more
persecution
and suffering
their
little
church
families
their
little
church
communities
looked
insignificant
compared
to the
Jewish
synagogues
compared
to the
other
pagan
religions
with their
massive
temples
and their
holy
days
and their
holy
people
and their
fancy
rituals
the
church
just
didn't
look
as if
it
was
cutting
it
and
how
does
the
writer
encourage
them
then
in
their
daily
experience
of
awful
persecution
and
suffering
from
Jews
and
Romans
alike
well
he
presents
a
picture
of
God's
church
as
seen
through
God's
eyes
beautiful
precious
built
around
Jesus
and
unshakable
so
diving
into
some
of the
points
then
I want
to make
this morning
primarily
from these
verses
primarily
the
church
is
God's
gathering
of his
saved
or
redeemed
people
and
the
Greek
word
for
church
is
ekklesia
now
if you
look at
some
of these
verses
18
and
then
verse
22
the
passage
is put
together
with
lots
of
Old
Testament
pictures
to
describe
things
but
essentially
the
passage
is
just
a
series
of
really
strong
contrasts
verse
18
powerful
contrast
between
God's
gathering
or
assembling
or
churching
of his
people
at
Mount
Sinai
and
verse
22
his
gathering
assembling
or
church
of his
people
in the
heavenly
Jerusalem
it's a
before and
after
picture
but
before we
get into
the
detail
I just
want to
pick up
then the
fact that
churching
is about
gathering
that's
the
essential
concept
of
the
church
it's
God
gathering
or
assembling
or
calling
out
or
congregating
that's
where we
get the
idea of
the word
congregation
from
it's
God
congregating
or
bringing
together
assembling
his
people
and
God's
commitment
to
churching
his
people
is
evident
right
across
the
Bible
the
Bible
starts
and
finishes
with
God
speaking
about
gathering
his
church
around
him
it
starts
the
first
picture
of
churches
in
Genesis
2
Adam
and
Eve
were
gathered
from
the
world
in
general
as it
were
into
God's
special
place
at
the
Garden
of
Eden
into
special
relationship
with
God
which
was
the
good
life
the
good
life
that
God
intended
but
of
course
then
we
know
from
Genesis
3
that
sin
wrecked
all
of
that
forcing
God
to
disperse
his
people
but
as
he
dispersed
his
people
from
the
Garden
he
dispersed
them
with
the
promise
that
in
the
future
he
would
act
to
gather
them
back
into
that
same
condition
again
as
in
Genesis
2
that
he
would
fix
the
problem
and
once
again
call
or
summon
or
gather
his
people
into
a
special
place
in
new
relationship
with
them
and
with
the
internal
inheritance
of
heaven
and
that's
exactly
what we
see
when we
jump
across
then
from
Genesis
2
and
3
to
Exodus
19
God gathers his people out of Egypt
where they'd been in slavery
and he brings them to himself at Mount Sinai.
Gathers them to himself, new relationship,
I will be your God and you will be my people.
And once again, it's a picture of the life of blessing.
The life that God intended his people to have
as they were gathered around him and enjoying his blessing.
And that means then also that God's gathering of his people
has always been central to his purpose
and finally achieved in Christ.
If you look at verse 23,
this is the verse that Matt helpfully focused on
and made me really nervous to start with.
Verse 22, you've come to Mount Zion
unto the city of the living God,
the heavenly Jerusalem,
unto innumerable ages in festal gathering,
unto the assembly of the firstborn, and so on and so forth.
Now there's a lot of remote pictures in there
that are Old Testament pictures
coming from the time of the Exodus.
But the main thing, just start with the main thing
and then we'll say a couple of things
about the other, the detailed pictures.
The main thing is that the focus of that verse
is on what Jesus has done to establish the church,
to gather God's people.
God's purpose has never changed.
Right through the Bible,
his purpose has been to gather his people,
but now the end point has been achieved.
God's people are now gathered,
are now churched,
are now finally and completely
around Jesus.
It is what he has done
that has actually brought God's purpose
to fruition.
What he has done through his death
and resurrection.
The rest of those things in there,
I don't have time to gain to,
but I can talk to anybody
who wants to talk about it.
They're just pictures,
different pictures from the Old Testament
of what Christians are
as viewed through God's eyes.
The main point being
that Jesus is the one
who has finally brought this assembly,
this church in God's people
to completion.
And verse, the end of verse 22,
second part of verse 22,
it's a festal gathering.
That is, it's a joyful,
triumphant celebratory.
Gathering and community.
Why is it that?
Because it's complete.
Because it's finally,
it is the end point
that God has been working for
right throughout history.
His people are gathered now
in Jesus around him.
It's Christ's death,
verse 24,
that achieves God's purposes
because it deals with sin
and restores his people
to perfect relationship with God
and secures the ultimate community
or inheritance of God's people
which is heaven.
Heaven tested now
in Christ died for
resurrection community
of church families.
Now,
that's complicated
in the way it's put there
but it's exactly in line
with what Jesus himself says
back in Matthew chapter 16,
verse 18.
So,
if you want to turn back,
if not,
just mark it and check it
at home sometime for yourself.
We looked at that a few weeks ago
when we were looking through Matthew.
It's a very,
very profound statement
of church
in Matthew chapter 16,
verse 18.
The first 16 chapters
of Matthew
has been given over
to establishing
and nurturing,
Jesus establishing
and nurturing disciples
into that final point
of saying,
okay,
who am I?
And they get to that point
where the disciples say,
wow,
you are God.
You are Messiah.
You are God's King and Savior.
The one who had been promised.
The one who had been promised
to come
and bring God's people back
into relationship with him,
into community with him.
And with that,
now that it's been established
who he is,
Jesus immediately
goes on to say
what he has come to do.
Verse 18,
he has come to
build his church,
establish and build his church.
In Matthew chapter 4,
it was saying
that he had come
to establish
and build the kingdom of heaven.
The two are interchangeable.
Jesus has come
to build his church.
And it would be
a precious,
unshaggable
community.
The means to that end,
Matthew chapter 16,
verse 21.
Jesus then goes on
to speak about
his death
and resurrection
coming up
in Jerusalem.
The order
is very important.
The end point
that Jesus comes for
is the establishing
of the church.
That's the community.
The means to that end
is people being saved
individually
through the death
of Christ.
So the church,
my friends,
is God's big idea.
The notion of the church
spans the whole
of the Bible,
the whole
of biblical history,
the whole
of world history.
Now,
why do I say that?
Well,
you might think
I'm being a bit
defensive here,
but I've come across
it so many times
that Christians think
that the notion
of church
is just a notion
that's been beat up
by pastors
as a means
of controlling people
and getting them
to be committed
to things.
Now,
I'm sure pastors
have used it that way.
No question at all.
Perhaps even I've done it.
Hopefully I haven't.
If I have,
come and tell me afterwards.
Don't stand up
and wave your hand now
because that would be
terribly embarrassing
if you all stood up.
You shouldn't have been laughing.
That was a serious point.
Yeah,
okay,
anyway,
let's just move on.
Yeah,
so no doubt
some pastors
have used it like that,
but the point is
the church is God's idea,
has been from the beginning,
and it's been
such a costly idea.
It cost him
the life of his son,
and that was what
Jesus had in mind
when he died,
that he was establishing,
he was doing that
which was necessary
to bring together
a community
of God's people
as it had been
in Genesis 2
and as God had promised
it would be once again.
God's purpose
in his world
has never simply been
to save people
from their sin
as a solitary,
individualistic experience.
Yes,
every single person
here as a Christian
has been saved
as an individual.
There's no question
about that,
but God's purpose
has never been
to save people
as an individualistic experience.
People are saved
one by one,
but ultimately
this is God
gathering his church,
building
the community
of died-for people.
That is his end point.
And the church,
therefore,
point three
is also the display
of God's glory
or the verifying data
of God's grace
and salvation.
This is a,
that's a quotation
from somewhere,
but I didn't write down
who the quotation
was from,
so I have no idea
where I got it from.
I've stolen it
from somebody.
It's the verifying data
of God's grace
in salvation.
Again,
another strong
before and after
picture in these verses.
Look at verses
18 through to 21.
For you have come,
for you have not come
to what may be touched,
a blazing fire
and darkness
and gloom
and tempest,
and the sound
of a trumpet
and the voice
whose words
made the hearers beg,
no further messages
be spoken to them,
for they could not
endure the order
that was given.
If even a beast
touches the mountain,
it shall be stoned.
Indeed,
so terrifying
was the sight
that Moses said,
I tremble with fear.
Before and after picture.
It used to be,
before Christ,
it used to be
that God's people
gathered before him
in the context
of his holiness
and their unresolved sin.
And so quite naturally,
it was a terrifying context.
And God spoke his word
and his holiness
became even more evident.
If even a beast
touches this mountain,
I tell you,
it will be burned,
consumed.
Moses said,
I tremble with fear.
The scrutiny
of God's word,
threatening judgment
for his sin,
just left people
debilitated before God.
But now,
verses 22 and 23 and 24,
but you have come
to Mount Zion
and to the city
of the living God.
And then it goes on
to speak about
the gathering,
the difference
in the gathering
now in Christ.
Because of the word
of Christ
on our behalf,
God's gathered people,
God's church,
meets now
in a totally
different context.
Now it's perfect.
Now it's personal.
Now it's unbreakable.
Now it's a family
relationship with God
that's governed by joy
and assurance
and comfort
and confidence,
not fear.
God's word
no longer creates fear
but brings grace
and comfort
and mercy
to God's people.
And so therefore,
the before and after picture
with regard to church
and church itself
there becomes
a wonderful testimony
to God's grace,
to God's character.
It's in the church,
this community here,
it's in the church
that we see
God's delivery
on his promise
that he would act
to undo the effects
of sin
and bring people
into a special place
in special relationship
gathered around
the Lord Jesus.
Perfect
community
that worships him.
And when you look
around this community
and you see
the ragtag bunch
of people we are
broken,
dysfunctional
in a hundred,
thousand different ways,
that speaks
of God's grace,
doesn't it?
God's character.
And so
the title
of the series
is right.
Church is a wonderful
foretaste
of heaven.
And in this passage
the writer moves
seamlessly
between heaven,
which is the ultimate
headquarters
of God's church
or God's died
for community,
and the immediate
context of his writing.
These ordinary believers,
men and women,
boys and girls,
scattered around
the Roman Empire,
suffering daily,
bending under
persecution,
just struggling
to get through
one day
after the next.
What's said
about heaven
is said
about that
motley group
of people.
The community
have died
for people.
God's church
is expressed
in the
picture of God's
church
is expressed
in local church
families like this one.
But that comes in
Ephesians 2 and 3,
and as I say,
we'll dig into that
a little bit more
next week.
But the point I just
want to make
in passing this morning
is that
as the writer
moves seamlessly
from heaven,
the ultimate
headquarters of
God's church,
to the daily
work-a-day world
context
of God's church,
with all its
failings,
with all its fears,
with all its
imperfections,
as the writer
moves between
those two,
then what we can
say is this,
that church
for us
is not like
a third-class
waiting room
while we wait
for our
first-class
accommodation
in heaven
when we die.
I think
that's how
many Christians
view the church.
It's something
I'd prefer not
to be in,
but this is
the waiting room.
But one day
I'll be in the
real place.
There's a sense
in which that's
true,
but there's another
sense in which
it's terribly
untrue.
We are now
gathered in
this place,
God's YouTube
clip,
God's YouTube
video,
demonstrating
God's wisdom
and glory
in salvation
as we live
out in practice
the life-changing
power of the
gospel.
That's what
God,
that's how
God views
his church.
Do we do
it well?
No.
Do we struggle
to do it well?
Well,
I hope we do.
Either of those
two things are
irrelevant because
that's to God's
view of his
church.
And the final
point I want to
make then is
that God's
church is a
permanent
gathering.
In fact,
it's not too
much to say
it's the only
unshakable
reality in
this world.
Now,
that's a big
call,
isn't it?
But I believe
that's what's
been said here.
If you look
again at
verse 26,
27,
28,
there's a
contrast.
Contrast in
the imagery
of shaking.
So you
remember back
in Exodus,
Mount Sinai
is said to
have shaken
when God
gathered his
people.
Why?
It was a
sign of
God's
presence,
of God's
holiness,
God's
awesomeness
in his
world and
among his
people.
But that
shaking back
at Mount
Sinai was
nothing to
the shake
up that was
experienced in
the world when
Jesus died and
was resurrected.
because in
the death and
resurrection of
Jesus,
God, as it
were, has
put a massive
condemned
sticker on
all the
apparently
strong and
lasting things
in this
world.
And he's
put an
unbreakable
sticker on
his kingdom,
the church.
So
Torah may
think their
youth are
unbreakable,
but they're
not.
At least
that's not
true.
Yep.
The only
thing that's
unbreakable in
this world is
God's church.
So there's
shaking at
Sinai,
shaking when
Jesus died and
was resurrected,
but there's
another shaking
to come in
these verses at
the end of
the world.
And the
picture there
is one of,
well, I
don't know if
you see, I've
never been
through a
serious
earthquake,
so you
see everything
just jangling,
buildings crumbling.
Well, that's
the picture here.
The shaking of
God's world is
going to be so
severe and so
continuous that
when it
finishes, when
the dust
settles, the
only thing that's
going to be
left is God's
church.
All the
things in the
world that
look strong
and lasting
and worthwhile
will one day
crumble and
fade.
It's a big
thing today to
talk about being
on the right
side of
history.
I get sick
and tired of
hearing it.
Everybody wants
to be on the
right side of
history, but
nobody has any
idea of how to
get on the
right side of
history.
And here it
is here.
If you want
to be on the
right side of
history, be in
God's church
through salvation
by grace alone
in the Lord
Jesus Christ.
Christ's church
currently despised
from those on
the outside,
apparently weak
and unstable
and even
despised by
those on the
inside.
will last
forever.
Why?
Because that's
God's plan and
purpose.
When God has
finished shaking
his world in
judgment, there
will only be
the church.
Maybe hard for
us to believe,
maybe hard for
us to grasp,
but the only
really secure
thing in God's
world is being
part of God's
glorious church.
So let me
wrap up then by
two or three
questions.
One question
really in a
couple of
illustrations.
The question
then is,
whose eyes
are you
viewing the
church
through?
Is it our
society's eyes?
Is the
church past its
use-by-date,
as it is often
portrayed?
Well, I think the
answer is yes.
If we think of
the church as
some sort of
antiquated
organization,
expression, or
as buildings.
Yeah, absolutely
past their use-by-date,
if that's where
people's confidence
is.
But if you're
speaking about
God's living
organism, God's
community, the
gathering of God's
people around the
Lord and His Word,
then nothing could
be further from the
truth.
in spite of
appearances
sometimes.
So for my
friends, the
size of the
congregation, the
state of the
building and the
carpets even,
has no relevance
to the health of a
church.
or working
out how we
think about and
value the church
of God.
And can I say
that even our
own lived
experience of
church with its
failures and
hurts, even
that is irrelevant
to how we think
about and value
God's church.
Saying the
church with
God's eye is to
have a great
sense of
privilege in
being part of
that which God
has planned and
acted to make
glorious and
permanent in
heaven and which
has given real
visible expression
in local church
assemblies like
ours.
Seeing the
church with
God's eyes,
through God's
eyes, is to
act passionately,
to show the
watching world
through how we
relate together
and live together
here.
that we are
God's renewed
people, to
show people the
changing power of
the gospel, that
the gospel actually
works, and that
people who crave
identity and
community can find
both in such a
harmonious and
meaningful way in
the Lord Jesus
Christ.
Seeing the
church through
God's eyes is
recognizing that
God has brought
you into this
local church
family, and
he has.
If you're here
this morning, God
has brought you
here.
Why has he brought
you here?
Because it's a
good and necessary
place for you to
be.
And like any
family community,
it therefore
requires, it will
be costly, it
will require loyalty
and commitment and
hard work, because
family members always
manage to annoy each
other to varying
degrees.
Now, seeing God's
church through God's
eyes doesn't mean
we're blind to sin
or the reality of
failure.
No, that's
everywhere around us.
It's part of me, it's
part of you.
But it does mean
that we'll see in
Christ that we have
far more in common
than we ever have
at odds, even when
we fail one another
and hurt one
another.
Now, my friends,
perhaps this is
pretty new to you,
perhaps you've never
ever thought of
church like this.
Perhaps you have in
the past, but you've
just grown weary or
just been worn down
by hurt and
disappointment, bad
experience.
And perhaps you
now have just been
reduced to seeing
the church through
your own eyes of
past experience and
hurt, rather than
seeing it through
God's eyes.
So I'll just finish
by reminding you,
the Lord views his
church as his
precious community.
He's died for a
community of those
made new in Christ
at great cost.
It's a good
community that he
has always wanted
his people to be
in because it's a
testimony to his
character and his
grace.
And from there, we
can say that God
wants us to have the
same view towards
one another.
We should have the
same eyes for our
brothers and sisters
in Christ as God
has for his church.
others.
And those eyes should
be through the
filter of by grace
alone.
All right, let me
pray and I'm done.
Lord, so often your
word is hard, not so
much because it's
difficult to understand,
but Lord, because the
concepts are
inconvenient to our
own personal thinking.
And so, Lord, I pray
that we might not
stumble over our
own thinking, our
own fears, our
own past hurts, our
own preferences, but
we might be able to
see what your word is
saying and align
ourselves, Lord, that
we might also view
this church family
here through the
eyes that you view
us and have it
revolutionize us,
Lord, ourselves and
revolutionize others
here as well.
I pray this in Jesus'
name.
Amen.