Matthew 16:13-19
Jesus said-
"I will build my church; and all the powers of hell shall not
prevail against it."
and in that one sentence tells us 4 things about church:
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Its origins are divine: It is built by Christ - "I will build" It is not
an organization built by humanity to meet our social needs.
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Its nature (character)is divine: It belongs to Christ - "my church"
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Its power is divine: "All the powers of hell shall not prevail against
it" It reflects the power of Christ to overcome death and hell. The Lord of the
church is Lord of life, and Lord over death.
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Its future is divine and assured: "Hell shall not prevail against it"
What is church?
Webster's dictionary gives a good (and biblical) definition "The Church is God's
creation and design; it is His method of providing spiritual nurture for the
believer and a community of faith through which the gospel is proclaimed and His
will advanced in every generation."
When Jesus said, "I will build my church" he used the Greek word ekklesia
(ecclesia) the first time in the New Testament That word comes from two other
Greek words
ek-meaning out or out of
kaleo-meanning to call
ekklesia, then, came to denote a group of people called out and assembled for a
specific purpose (religious or otherwise).
The English word "church" and its related cognate term originated from the Greek
word kuriakos, "belonging to the Lord."
So then the church is people called out of a life of sin and death and into a
life that belongs to the Lord and regularly gathers with the intention of
worshiping, discovering and doing the will of God, acknowledging him as master
and being his servants in the place he has put us. Which is to influence the
world for his kingdom.
The Vision of church
The word vision means - sight, dream, revelation or enlightenment; Vision is : -
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The ability to see
- to see beyond the natural, to see beyond our own agenda, resources, and
abilities, and to see something of the plans and purposes of God . To walk by
faith not by sight.
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Vision includes faith,the faith to believe to grasp that ' I can do all
things through Christ who gives me strength' [Phil. 4:13]. - You don't need much
faith. Faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains; and there are a lot
of 'mountains' that are facing us.
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A vision includes the courage to do- In other words faith includes
action.
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The courage of vision is to say "Lord if that is you, let me come to you walking
on the water."
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The courage of vision is to say "As for me and my house, we will serve the
Lord."
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The courage of vision is to say "If God be for us, who can be against us."
Why we need vision
Without vision the people perish ( Proverbs 29:18 ). To have a lively and vibrant
future we have to have a glimpse, a picture, a model, of what that future is, so
that we can travel in the right direction to reach achieve it.
During building of St Paul's cathedral , Christopher Wren asked one of the
stonemasons what he was doing. He replied that he was cutting a piece of stone.
A second stonemason asked the same question, replied that he was cutting a piece
of stone that would become a lintel to one of the arched windows. A third
stonemason , busy cutting a similar size piece of stone, relied that he was
building a cathedral . Three people, three similar tasks, one had no vision
beyond his task, one had only a very limited vision of his task, the third had a
great vision that his task was an integral part of.
What is your vision?
Let's try and Paint a picture of what God is calling us to be:
Church vision ['Doors' Factor]
Open Doors
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Loving, welcoming, hospitable, to all.
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Shares the good news of Jesus Christ
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Sends people out on mission
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A church that gives of it's best(standards of excellence of generosity
Wide Doors
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Church growing and expanding. Vibrant ministry to Children, youth, students,
young adults, families, singles, the elderly
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Resources people in their home, workplace, school, college, relationships
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A church that makes a difference in this community
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Relevant in worship format.
Secure Doors
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Orthodox in biblical teaching and doctrine
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Encourages membership (belonging) and growth to maturity,
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Charismatic - moving in the power of the Holy Spirit and all the gifts that God
bestows on us. Power of Word and Spirit.
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Equips members to minister using their gifts and talents.
Safety Doors
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Ministry to the disadvantaged , marginalised, the oppressed.
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A place of healing and safety
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A place of refuge in times of need (the name of the Lord is a strong tower.)
What should/could we look like in 5 years time:
- Grown and Growing
- Increasing number of small groups/homegroups
- Reaching and teaching - Alpha, Marriage Courses, family life and parenting skills
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Congregations that is a reflection of the community around it.
What we need to do now is address the 'Yes but How?' question.
How are we going to get there?
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People -
It requires people, people who will give of their best, Commitment is the key
factor.
*One day a fox observed a dog chasing a rabbit for his dinner. The
dog would run through the field to try and catch this rabbit. But the rabbit was
too quick for him. Everyday the dog would find this rabbit and chase him in
order to eat him. And everyday he would be unsuccessful. Finally one day the fox
was curious as to why this big powerful dog couldn't catch this small timid
rabbit. So he went up to the dog and asked, "How is it that you, being a big
powerful dog, can't catch that small but timid rabbit?" "The answer to that is
simple," said the dog, "You see, I was only running for my dinner. The rabbit
was running for his life!"
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Time -
Building is a process, sometimes the site gets messy, sometimes things don't
quite work out, the job doesn't always complete on time. It doesn't happen at
the snap of a finger or a turn of the diary page. There is a progression, a
chronological process, We need to be sensitive to moving at the right pace,
There are occasions to stand still and take stock; There are occasions to move
cautiously or slowly. But the bible is also very clear that when we catch the
vision we are to run with it.
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Money -
There is an old adage to put your money where your mouth is. In this instance we
need to put our money where our vision is. Recently I watched a landscape
gardens programme that focussed on the work of Capability Brown (18th century
architect and landscape designer) - he was a man of vision, he could picture how
a landscape would look in 100 years time, and then would set about moving tons
of earth, planting thousands of trees, and creating new lakes and river paths.
Many of the landscapes of our great country houses, that look so natural, are
the result of one mans vision, and at today's costs millions of pounds. Those
who financed the vision didn't always get to see the finished matured outcome
but they knew that without money, without investment, there was no outcome.
We don't set our vision by money - when you do you end up having little of
either. But we do acknowledge the practicalities. Under 5's, over 50's , Sunday
school or doing School assemblies, evangelism or cleaning, prayer ministry or
car park, there is a financial cost.
Vision doesn't need money but to fulfil the vision does. If you have a vision for
God's kingdom in this community, this city, this nation, and to the ends of the
earth, then if you aren't already a planned giver would you please pray about
that and act on how God then leads you.
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Sign on the Bus(Communication)
Vision both requires and creates unity. People travelling together in the same
direction to the same destination. Travelling together rather than riding in our
own agendas. Of course it's Ok to differ on where you sit on the bus. Some will
like sitting at the front or next to a window, others may prefer to stand for a
while before deciding if and where they want to sit down. But the important
thing about a bus knows where it's going. Imagine standing at the bus stop on
Lenton Boulevard and a bus pulls up. You look at the destination sign and it is
blank, or it says, 'Guess', or worse still, 'Not Sure'. If the bus is going to
Bombay, but it's planning to go via Birmingham, may stop for an MOT at Bristol,
and to change the tyres at Bournemouth , then the people on the bus need to have
that information. If the journey is going to take several years then people need
to know the timetable. Communication is the Sign on the bus. In pursuing a
vision a church need to know where it is going, by which rout and how it will
get there. Communication is key.
During this next year we need to develop or enhance strategies that help us to
fulfil the vision. I will also be asking a couple of people who are particularly
gifted at wording and communication to refine the vision into a clear and
concise Mission Statement.
This will then be central channel through which we can funnel and direct all our
activities and decisions, Homegroups, Children work, youth work, student work,
community work, preaching, teaching, training, finances, staffing, etc. How do
they fit with or enable the vision, how does the vision enable them, what do we
need to do for them to fulfil the vision and make us the church God calls us to
be in the 21st century.
In conclusion
go right back to the question that Jesus asked in our reading ' " who do
people say I am?" This church is called to be a place where people truly
know, or can discover, who Jesus is and in doing so may discover their own true
identity - loved and valued sons and daughters of the living God. That is the
sort of church that Jesus promise 'he' would build, and that is the sort of
church he calls us to have the vision to be.
The Purpose of Being Church
"The prime purpose of being church is to obey the commands of
Christ"
The commands of Christ can be defined under three concise headings, and as such
comprehensively cover the purpose of being church.
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To Love The Lord
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To Love Each Other
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To Love the Lost
I personally believe every command of Christ is covered by under these three
headings and that everything that a church does should be purposed to one or
more of these headings.
Love the Lord
Dt. 6:4-5
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD
your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.
"Shema" is the Hebrew name for Deuteronomy 6:4, probably the most often quoted
verse in the Bible, as orthodox Jews repeats it several times every day--"Hear,
O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one." It is still used today as the
opening liturgy in Synagogue services.
Lev 19:18
"Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people,
but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD."
Reiterated in John's epistle
We love because he first loved us. . .. . And he has given us this
command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
1 John 4:19-21
Love the Lord + Love each other Summed up by Jesus in Matthew 20:34-40
the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law,
tested him with this question: "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in
the Law?"
Jesus replied: " `Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your
soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And
the second is like it: `Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the
Prophets hang on these two commandments."
Love the Lost
Matthew 28:16-20
Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on
earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with
you always, to the very end of the age."
These are the last words spoken by Jesus in his ministry on earth . A persons
last words are always considered to be of great significance and important. Note
that Jesus left no instructions about the size of PCC, what committees a church
should have, if the vicar should wear robes, or what colour we should paint the
loos - His message was clear, GO, Go and love the lost (you can't just love them
from the comfort ( or discomfort) of your pew, love requires an action, GO!
Love the Lost...
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Church to the community:
socially active and interactive
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Church to the unchurched:
accessible and understandable
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Church to the dechurched:
A place to return to
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Church for your social and work network: seeker sensitive but not seeker
driven
Martin Kirkbride
Vicar of Holy Trinity and Priory Church
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