Becoming friends of God

This verse out of James chapter 2 has gripped me: “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God” In this chapter James is most concerned about the influence, both positive and negative, that our faith has on others. He uses the phrase, “faith without works is dead.” He is concerned that our faith is active, living and vibrant; that it is making a difference to our lives, to others and the communities in which we live. He urges these early Christians not to forget this and not to have sinful unbelieving hearts, which are corpse-like and lifeless.

James continues to urge his readers not to be lazy believers who count for nothing in the kingdom. He uses the example of the faith of a “believing demon” This describes faith that is an intellectual ascent to the gospel but which fails to compel the believer to sacrificial living for others. We have been saved by grace – this is a gift to us and this is certainly the most important thing, but it is not the only thing! There is something else that James says we all need. He commends us is to live as doers of the Word and not merely as hearers of the Word. He urges us towards obedience that comes from faith.

He uses uses the final positive illustration of Abraham. He is our father in the faith called the friend of God. What an accolade to have spoken over your life! Every time I read Abrams story, I am freshly reminded of his imperfect walk with God. It is through this that he learns obedience. He is saved in Genesis 15.6 when he believes God, this is counted to him as righteousness. He begins to walk imperfectly by the Spirit and 30 years later in Genesis 22 he offers up his son Isaac. It is at this point that James says his works have justified him. God smiles on his integrity and obedience and calls him his friend. Here, some 30 years after his salvation his works have completed (vindicated) the events of Genesis 15.

This so encourages me, as I seek to journey with God. There have been many mistakes in my journey but God has never given up on me. Walking in obedience to his Spirit brings intimacy and sweetness into my relationship with him. I see it much like a marriage. I have been married for 20 years. The legal part was sealed many years ago. What makes a great marriage is the subsequent years that followed those initial promises. Helen and I have journeyed through many mountains and valleys trusting in the goodness of God through them all. This is what makes a great marriage.

In the same way the legal assurance of our sonship is guaranteed when we come to faith and trust in the cross of Calvary. This is sure and certain but James encourages us into a deeper friendship with God, a living righteousness that comes as we walk with God by his Spirit and journey with him in obedience. This must hold true even when there are difficult things that we don’t understand. The story of Polycarp, the second century martyr perfectly illustrates this. As he was being tied to the stake to be burned, it was whispered in his ear” All you have to do is pray to Caesar and deny your Lord.’ To which he replied “eighty-six years I have served my Lord and he has done me no wrong” How can I deny him now” This is the response of a friend of God. My prayer is that many will be shown faithful in the same way as we shine like stars in a world that is increasingly dark, where friends of God are few. Grace and peace to you.

The Golden Rule: Part 2

I thank God for the freedom that the Gospel of grace brings to all believers. We are free from the Mosaic law and called to live under only one law. We have seen that the apostle James calls this the ‘Royal law” It is the golden rule, It is the law of the Lord Jesus, the law of love, the law of the Spirit. (Galatians 6.2, Romans 3.27, Romans 8.2 and James 2.12.)

As Christians we are no longer “under” the Mosaic law. As we read through James it becomes clear that even as a Jewish traditionalist James no interest at all in the vast majority of the Mosaic law. He says nothing about the Sabbath, circumcision, or regulations for food and ritual washing. When James talks about the law he does not seem to refer to the Mosaic law at all. For James the Christian is called to something much higher than the letter of the law which simply says do not kill, do not covet, do not steal, do not commit adultery!

Second, the Royal law, this Golden rule, which we are called to fulfil by the power of the spirit fulfils the Mosaic law. Michael Eaton puts it this way. “Just as animal sacrifices point to and predict the cross of Jesus, so the Mosaic law, including the 10 commandments points to and predicts a high level of Godliness which is the Christians law.” In other words we are not under the animal sacrifices any longer, but we are under what they point to, we are under the cross. We are no longer under the “morality” of the law either. We do not break the 10 commandments, and as we walk by the Spirit we are led well beyond what the 10 commandments require of us. We are not under the law but we are under what it points to. We fulfil what the law points to, by walking by the Spirit. As we do this we are able to love our neighbour as ourselves. Who then is our neighbour?

Jesus answers this question in his story about a man beaten up and left bleeding on the side of the road. The person who comes to his aid, is the one that most least expected to. James talks of the “Golden rule” in his letter, because he is saying that whoever fulfils this golden rule, will never be a respecter of persons, will never be a person who discriminates between people. Someone once said: “your neighbour is never the one that you hoped you would have!” Henri Nouwen observes: “A community is a place where the person you least want to live with always lives” Jesus said in Matt 5.46 and 48: “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

We might wish that Jesus said love your friends, family and fellow Christians as you love yourself, but he did not. The Greek here means everybody and anybody! Furthermore we are talking about AGAPE love. This is unselfish love. It is not PHILIA, the Greek word which means family or “brotherly” love. It is no EROS, the Greek for physical love! It is AGAPE love, that which seeks the “highest good without being a respecter of persons!”(RT Kendall)

Lastly, what does James mean by loving your neighbour as yourself? Simply this, treat others as you would want them to treat you. This is why it is called the golden rule. If you want to be treated with respect, dignity and honour, with care, thoughtfulness, unselfishness and without manipulation or rudeness, then do the same for others. To quote Rick Warren “Be polite to everyone, especially those who are rude to you, not because they are good, but because you are”

The Mosaic law does not instruct us in this. It instructs us not to murder but does not teach us to love our enemies. It demands an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, but does not expect us to pray for and bless those that persecute us, or to turn the other cheek when we are insulted. The law calls for tithing but it can never inspire generosity in a persons heart. Grace calls us to all of this! We might be exposed by the Mosaic law, but we are never (thank God) judged by it. If we were all of us would be doomed for all eternity, for if we have broken the smallest part of it, we have broken it all.

James says in Ch 1verse 12 that we are judged by the perfect law that brings freedom. The law of liberty shouts over us, you are OK. Go and be a doer of the word. You are free. Live a life that shows all people, rich and poor, black and white that there is a God in heaven who loves them. He is a God who cares, who is not a respecter of persons, who has forgiven us although we all stand condemned! This is amazing grace, this is the Gospel.“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life”

The Golden Rule: Part1

Jesus says in Matthew 7.12; “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” James quotes this in chapter two of his letter and calls this the Royal law. It is called the royal law because it is the law of the Kingdom of God. As we walk by the Spirit, he leads us in the way of love, by which are able to love our neighbour as ourselves.

‘“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” A small phrase with huge implications for all Christians. Jesus lived this way, and so can we. This is one of the most powerful doctrines of the Christian faith, that Christlikeness is a real possibility. James continues “If you really fulfil the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself,” you are doing well.” There is a big IF here, but it is possible! Furthermore, James is laying before us all as Christians the standard of measurement by which all will judge what we believe. Jesus himself said in John 14,.12: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.”

Jesus did not say this because it is impossible, or to cruelly tease us. He said it because it is possible and because he loves us. I believe that there are two reasons why the modern church is largely powerless, and why we do not see signs and wonders following the preaching of the Word.

First, believers do not deal radically with their sin, rather, they live comfortably with it. Second, as believers we do not take these words of Jesus seriously! “The works I do you will also do!” Paul said in 1 Cor 2. 9-10: “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him,”these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. Before we see this kind of power we must fulfil the royal law of love, the golden rule, love your neighbour as yourself. There are no short cuts to power!

There are some that look for short cuts. We can pray for revival from now until Jesus comes back but until we love our neighbour as ourselves we are powerless. There are two ways that the Christian church looks for shortcuts to power. One is to try to bypass Christian doctrine, the other is to try to sidestep holiness.

Doctrine is vital! We cannot so emphasise the gifts of the Holy spirit that good reformation doctrine is thrown out along the way. We must look at ourselves in this regard. Peter says in 1 Peter4.17 “that judgement begins with the house of God” Some try to bypass holiness and we are all affected by this to an extent. We can try to take refuge in sound doctrine, but without the power of the Holy Spirit this is dry and paralysing, counter productive and self righteous. God is serious about holiness and about our lives being transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are called to be people of both the Word and the Spirit.

James encourages us to gaze into the perfect law that brings freedom. As we gaze upon Jesus we see that acceptable holiness is this,“to love your neighbour as yourself” If we cannot even imagine doing this, then we are still living in sin and selfishness. If we have taken what James has said to heart, if we have laid aside all immorality, asked for wisdom from heaven, from the Father of lights, from whom every good gift comes, and kept ourselves from the stain of the world, the overflow of all of this is that we will love our neighbour as ourselves.

Dealing with the “Black dog”

I love it when the words on a page that I am reading seem to spring out of the page and resonate and bring life to me. I want to pass on a story that I read this week, in Greg Haslam’s excellent book: “A radical encounter with God” It concerns the life of Martin Luther, the great German reformer. He went through many struggles in his life, both personal and spiritual, but through his study of Gods word he rediscovered the Gospel, this gift of Gods sovereign grace to an undeserving world. Through this he had many new insights which continue to inspire and challenge us today.

He was also pursued by his critics and subject to intense pressure and persecution. As a result he was a man who also experienced deep periods of depression. His wife Katherina had grown tired of her husbands bouts of the “Black Dog” (to use a phrase coined by Churchill). It so affected her that she too became close to despair. She realised that after a particularly lengthy period of depression, she had to do something to snap Luther out of it. So she decided to dress herself in black mourning clothes. Her dress, stockings, shoes, gloves and hat, were all black as if she was going to a funeral.

She went and took Luther his supper dressed in this way. Luther asked her: “Has someone died? “Yes ” she replied, “and it is a most tragic loss. God has died” Luther at once responded passionately, “What, God cannot die, he is eternal. The ancient of days who alone dwells in immortality and unapproachable light. God cannot die. What blasphemy”

Katherina responded;” You speak the truth so well, my dear husband, but if that is so. why do you go about these last six weeks in such misery and despair as if the life of the eternal one was no more? I had to conclude that God must be dead”

What a timely reminder to us all, and I include myself in this, that God is always on the throne and in control of every detail of our lives! When circumstances conspire and pressure seems unbearable, remember that we have Father in heaven who smiles upon us with joy as we persevere in him! We have our brother Jesus who is now praying for us at the right hand of God. We trust him for our futures, and those of our friends, families and others that we shepherd. Luther the great reformer had to be reminded of this by his wife. We would do well to remind each other.

Simply 2.42: “Building, ripening and reaping”

I have started this year feeling refreshed in God and full of faith for the year that lies ahead. I have also asked some friends involved in church leadership what they feel about the upcoming year and there have been some interesting responses. One has been that 2012 will be a year of building not battling. This does not mean that 2012 will not have its challenges, but rather that it will be a year that is characterised by building not fighting the same battles that we fought in 2011. For many in London 2011 was a challenging year.

Another friend had a prophetic word that 2012 will be a year of ripening and reaping. That we are going to see an increase in salvations and an unprecedented harvest for the Kingdom. Both of these words have really encouraged me in what I am praying for 2012. I believe that this is what God has for us. The question is how can we best prepare for it? I felt God speak to me simply out of Acts 2.42. There are six things described here that will help prepare us for what God wants to pour out on his church.

Acts 2.42: “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common.”

Peter had just preached the Gospel and this portion in Acts comes directly after this. People have responded to what he has said, they have expressed their faith being baptised. From Luke’s account of the story it is obvious that they have experienced forgiveness and that they have received the promised Holy Spirit. They are new people, they are born again.

This new birth produces something extraordinary in them. These few verses make this clear. Here we read the first account of a newly revived and restored congregation of Israel. This was the entire church! This was Gods “Israel” which was restored to life by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. This infant church later multiplies and becomes many congregations. Gentiles would be saved and added and so on. Here we have a snapshot of a revived church. Here we see a church at it’s best. A church as church should be! It is a picture for us to gaze upon and wonder at and be inspired by. It is a church that:

1. Has received the Gospel that has come from the apostles. They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching. The apostles simply preached the Gospel. As people listened to these eyewitness accounts of the story of Jesus they believed and embraced the story as their own. The good news of Jesus became their story, good news to them. They fully embraced and received the Gospel. As we gaze forward into 2012 with expectation this surely must be the starting point for all of us? That we fully embrace the Gospel. All of us need to ask if this is true of our lives. Are there parts of our lives that have not fully come into the freedom and forgiveness that the Gospel brings? Are we hedging our bets in any areas of our live? The simplicity of the Gospel is that we are saved by God’s grace, not because we have earned God’s favour but because Jesus died for us. This is all a gift!
2. They have fellowship.As the early church received the teaching of the gospel, the result of this common faith is that they have fellowship together. We cannot have fellowship around any other thing in the church of Jesus. What brings us together is a common faith in Jesus, the gospel, not our culture, or that we like each other, although these things are good. Our fellowship is around Jesus.
3. They break bread.The cross is central to their lives, and they celebrate this by breaking bread together. Christians break bread together to constantly remind ourselves that we need the cross in our lives. It is through the Lords supper that the church keeps focussed on the cross. This is why we so value the breaking of bread in this church family, this is why we celebrate it often.
4. They pray. These things result in pray. Prayer expresses our need of God, and our willingness to trust him. Prayer is not mentioned first in this portion but fourth. First, we submit to Gods word, second we are in fellowship with Gods people, and have faith in the cross of Jesus. Then we can really pray! This is Gods order in the New Testament! Prayer is the oxygen, the life blood for our lives and for any church.
5. There is Power. We read further that the overflow of all of this is that they experience the presence of God amongst them in power. They have signs and wonders. There is also great generosity that is amongst them. (this surely is a sign!) They are all giving and all sharing with one another. There is also a short term voluntary communal lifestyle that some choose to be a part of.
6. They worship. Lastly Luke tells us that they worshipped daily in the temple. This was part of a persistent, dedicated and joyful anointing that they had found in the Holy Spirit. No one forced them or coerced them into doing this. It was in their hearts to do this, because they loved Jesus! The temple was a public meeting place and so they used the courtyard of the temple to meet and worship. Jesus had done this and it was a good place to preach and share the Gospel. They also had smaller meetings in each others homes, they loved being together, and as they effected those outside of their fellowship, many came to faith and joined the congregation. People are saved and added to the congregation daily! What a refreshing and simple snapshot for us today of what New Testament church looks like! This is what God has for us. We can experience this in 2012. Let us all give ourselves joyfully and passionately to what the early church gave themselves to. Let us love and preach the Gospel and love and value each other. Let us love breaking bread together and practically express generosity and hospitality to be conduits of his grace to others. Let us and give ourselves in worship. All of this simply because we love Jesus. Truly 2012 will be a year of building, ripening and reaping. God bless you all as you love and serve him!

Community compelled by love

I love the body of Christ. I love his church. I value and enjoy the many friends that I have made over decades in a number of different church communities. Some of these deep friendships I continue to enjoy today. These are the lifeblood of my life. As much as I savour the rich reward of deep friendships my concern is that friendship and community is being eroded and lost in the body of Christ. The bedrock of church community is covenant. The church is wonderfully constructed as God knits together the hearts and lives of different individuals.

There is a particular evil that I believe God wants to deal with in his church. It is a pernicious and prevalent idol and it is the enemy of true Biblical community. It is the idol of individualism. It is the idol of ME. We live in a world of nano seconds and instant communication. This is the Facebook, Twitter, web generation. This is a world where hundreds of varieties of coffee can be specifically chosen from a huge number of options. Skinny or full cream, decaf or double shot, expresso or cappuccino, latte or macchiato, whatever you fancy, you will be satisfied. It is the world in which even our technical gadgets speak pointedly about ourselves. This is the world of the “I phone”, “I pad” and “personal computer.”

This is the world in which every blogger has an opinion, and we are told that all opinions are equally valid and deserve equal consideration. This is a world in which relationships are treated as casually as coffee choices. A world where friendships are formed and discarded on whims. A world where men and women move in and out of each others lives and homes as easily as they would buy a new car every few years. When something better comes along, just take it! This is a world in which real relationships with real woman are set aside by weak willed men for the ogling fantasy of a fake tanned, surgically enhanced, perfectly proportioned, air brushed, latest page 3 Katie Price look alike. This is a world where real relationship, with real people in real community is set side for the deception of “internet intimacy.” This is a world of convenience and self centred ness on a massive scale. Many are motivated by a basic selfishness. What is good for me is the anthem of our age!

Fortunately, into this self centred, broken and sick world, God has always spoken, and God continues to speak! He speaks a completely different language and a completely different message. His Gospel, his good news speaks a language of “other centred love.” He says that because of his love for us, he was prepared to lay aside all of his glory, and come and live with us, like one of us. He does all of this out of “other centred love.” The Bible says that he so loved the world that he gave himself to us. He invaded our space and time world by taking the form of a baby and living amongst us, just because he loved us. This is magnificent, this is the good news of the Gospel. God calls those that know him to the same language of “other centred ness” and the same lifestyle of other centred ness that he exemplified in his son Jesus. He calls us to live like this, for others, by the power of his Spirit in us. To live like this is challenging! It is not convenient, it is not easy for it goes against all of our selfishness and our lust for more of everything. It challenges our desire for comfort, for personal peace and affluence. It cuts against the grain of all of this but it is what God calls us to!

The Bible uses an unfashionable word to express what I now describe. It is a word that the world hates, spits upon and mocks. It is a word upon which God calls us to build our lives upon. It is a simple word..COVENANT. Covenant is a basic promise that commits itself to a God honouring, others centred, unselfish life. It is a commitment to building a community of faith, the family of God, together. The world of convenience doesn’t understand this. Our instant world does not even begin to comprehend the majesty, the joy and beauty of covenant community that God has for us. Sometimes you do glimpse the beauty of it. You catch it in the eye of an old married couple that have been building together for many years. It sometimes does not even need to be whispered to be expressed but it is obvious and it is there. I read an article published on1 January 2012 in the Sunday Telegraph which discussed the growth of the Christian church over the last decade here in London. (This in contrast to the trend of a shrinking church going population over the last 50 years) A desire for genuine community seems to be a central reason for why many churches are growing. I would strongly encourage you to read the article by following this link. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/8970031/The-return-to-religion.html

There are some things worth fighting for. One is the Gospel. It’s truth brings freedom and forgiveness to all that believe. Community and friendship are also worth fighting for. Firstly, friendship with God and then friendship with Gods people. This however is birthed in a gospel that lives for others, and not for itself. Its motivation is other centered love not self centered fulfilment. This is my encouragement as we step over the threshold into 2012. There does seem to be sea change in our society. Selfish “freedom” which has damaged communities for so long is being challenged at long last. It is by the truth of the Gospel. Jesus came into a dying world for the sake of people that he loved. We are still called to go into the world, our communities, and take the same message of the gift of the gospel of grace to all that we can. This brings true freedom and builds genuine community. May 2012 be the most fruitful year for all of Gods church, as we live for him and for the sake of others.

A Gospel Inspired Church

In my last couple of blogs, I have looked at the central place of the Gospel and what it produces in our lives. I believe that as we saturate ourselves in the wonderful sufficiency of Christ’s gift to us on the cross, that it not only impacts us individually, but it begins to change the motivations for why we do things together in the church community.

A church that is centred on the Gospel of Jesus  is a church that is about Jesus being set above everything else. This might sound obvious, however the truth is that when we don’t aim at Jesus as the focus of all that we do, we can become distracted and drawn aside by many other things.

Many times these are not bad things in themselves, but they can draw us away from our reliance on God’s grace and the simplicity of the cross.

As I have been reflecting on this, it has become clear that this loss of being rooted in Christ can affect many churches from many different backgrounds and denominations. Sometimes our churches are motivated by doctrinal purity. The pursuit of truth is foundational but often intimacy with the Godhead becomes obscured. The person of Jesus is the author and finisher, the perfector of our faith.

Sometimes our churches can be motivated by a desire to grow. There is a desire to see as many people as possible put their trust in Christ. This is good but can lead to a pragmatism in church life to get people through the front door! In this we can forget the wonderful gift of grace found in Jesus and the gentle leadings of his Holy Spirit.

There are also times when our churches are motivated by a desire for cultural relevance. All of these issues are valid things that need to be engaged with, but we should not allow them to become causes that stop us relying on the sufficiency of the cross and the power of Christ to change lives.

In all of these examples something other than the cross can capture our attention and hearts.  Jesus is the hope of our redemption. He is the highest object of our passion. The good news of Jesus needs to motivate and inspire our preaching so that many will be drawn to him, many will be convicted of sin and come to repentance.

When we as the church grasp the wonder of the Gospel, we will intrinsically become those that love the truth; that reach out to the lost; that find ways to be a light to people from all walks of life. We will be the people of God that shine out like a light in a crooked and a perverse generation.

God has called out his church to be a covenant community on a mission together. The mission is to proclaim Jesus and his gospel both with our words and with our actions and by the choices that we make. Let this be the focus of our worship and our work as we move forward into the future together.

Treasures in the Gospel

In my last blog I shared a couple of thoughts around the Gospel journey that we have been on as a church. There is so much to discover and be fully rooted in. Here are a few things that have become treasures to me along the way.

1. Intimacy with God our Father:

We have recently been studying the book of James. In Ch 4.8 there is this promise to us.”Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you”

Similarly Hebrews 10.22 says: “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”

With the Gospel at the centre of our lives we have assurance of intimacy with God! This is not because we deserve it, or need to “perform” for it, but simply because of Jesus! He is our mediator, our heavenly advocate that has all charges against us thrown out of the heavenly court. He has made perfect peace for us with our Father because of his sacrifice. We are able to draw near confident that we will receive grace and not judgement. What a gospel!

2. We have great confidence.

Hebrews 3.14 says: “For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end”

There is also this beautiful reminder in Hebrews 4:16: “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Our confidence is rooted in this one thing, the blood of Christ. His atonement by his death on the cross has made this confidence possible. In this we rejoice. God receives us as Sons and daughters, this is how we come to him, the children of a loving Father. I love the words of the song “Simply to the cross I cling” This is our anthem, we no longer despair because of our sin, or allow the guilt of sin to weigh us down. Sin and guilt simply compel us to come again to Christ for grace and mercy. He restores, strengthens and refreshes

3. We are transformed by the power of the Spirit.

2 Cor. 3:18 says: “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit” I love this verse

Michael Eaton puts it this way. “Walk in the spirit deliberately and you will fulfil the law accidentally” This is the privilege that we have as believers. We are changed, not by willpower, but by the power of the resurrected Christ in us. Christ in us, the hope of glory! Our hope to become the people that God wants, is not rooted in the power of self, and trying hard, but simply by trusting more in his truth and his Spirits work to sanctify us. What good news

4. We love the Church Community

When Jesus and his gospel is central in our lives we long for and discover unity with other believers. This happens in the local church. What unites us is not culture or class but a common faith in Christ who is saviour to us all. One of the things that excites me so much about the local church is the great diversity of people from all classes and cultures that are brought together because of what Jesus has done for us. This is rich fellowship indeed. I love that the church is a covenant community. The power of this reality breaks the highly individual, independent, self centred spirit of our age.

A covenant community is gospel centred! It is only in a covenant community that we will experience the kind of friendship and fellowship that comforts the broken and lovingly challenges us when we are wrong. It is this kind of community in which the lonely can find a family and where the outcast can find a home. It is here that hearts can be refreshed and encouraged in this amazing Gospel. I am convinced that it is through the church that God reveals his glory to the world. Let us all unswervingly give ourselves to this great Gospel. We can become the church that God has always intended for us to be. What good news this is!

A Gospel Journey

Over the past three years, Forest Town Church has been led by God on a journey towards discovering the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Many are exploring what it means to be “Gospel centred” and it has become a bit of a buzz phrase these days. What does this phrase mean and how does it affect the church and it’s mission?

To answer these questions we first need to define what we mean by the Gospel. Simply put, the Gospel is the good news that God has a plan for the redemption of a sin-scarred, lost and weary human race. His plan was announced by angels to the shepherds on a hillside in Bethlehem. It involved God invading the earth as a baby: Jesus, born in a stable. Through Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, God purposed to redeem and restore all those who believe and ultimately, all of creation too would be saved.

In his life, Jesus fulfilled the Mosaic law completely and fulfilled all righteousness on behalf of sinners who have broken God’s law at every point. Through his death on the cross, Jesus atoned for all our sins and satisfied the wrath of God. Forgiveness is available for all who believe. As Jesus was raised from the dead he won victory over sin and death. We too have the same victory in and through him! Jesus’ saving work on the cross not only redeems sinners and brings them into relationship with God but it also looks forward and anticipates the future restoration of all creation. This is the gospel, the “good news,” that God redeems a fallen world by his grace. What a Gospel!

Therefore, to be “Gospel centred” means that the gospel, Jesus himself, is who we gaze intently upon. We gaze upon the “perfect law that brings freedom,” as the apostle James puts it. Jesus is our greatest hope and our highest boast. Jesus is who we long for, he is the one who brings the deepest joy to our lives. Jesus is the one that inspires the songs that we sing in worship and he inspires the focus and the passion with which we preach.

It means that the gospel is what defines us as Christians and unites us as brothers and sisters. There is no discrimination in the Gospel! We are all sinner/saints that have experienced the transforming power of his grace in our lives. All of us are on a journey of learning to walk by the Spirit. We have a mission that we are on together as the Gospel takes deep root in us and produces much fruit through us. The Gospel changes everything, his grace changes everything!

So as we journey together as individuals that are part of his church, and specifically here at Forest Town Church we want to learn to exult the Gospel above every good thing that we have been blessed with and every bad thing that would come against us. Simply put, this means a growing, intentional reliance on the Gospel to protect us from performance- driven religion and from the seduction of an idol driven culture and world view. What a wonderful journey that we are on together. God is setting his people free, and building his church through which his glory will be shown to the world!

The Three “C’s” of conversion

Here is another thought that has been troubling me for the last number of years. How is it that there seems to be an increasingly large number of people who  say that they love Jesus, but have little time for his church? This thought has really troubled me as one who loves the church of Jesus. It seems that offence, independence and a desire to live a “Spirit led adventure” with God have colluded to damage the church of Jesus.

This is not right, and I am convinced that it cannot possibly be Gods best for us. I am also convinced that issues like this can be traced backed to poor theology.

In the last couple of years, we as a church leadership team looked again at our church mission statement. We tried to crystalise what we feel God has called us to into a simple sentence. We came up with this: “Rooted in Christ, Planted in family and fruitful in life” This little phrase also captures what I believe authentic New Testament conversion is.

A friend of ours Greg Downes, uses the three C’s of authentic Biblical conversion, which essentially say the same thing as our mission statement. We are converted to Christ, converted to his Church, and converted to the cause of Christ.

If one of these is missing in our lives then our conversion is deficient, and is not Biblical. We cannot love Christ without loving the community of his church. This is impossible! We cannot love Christ without taking the same message of the Gospel that has transformed our lives and declaring it boldly to others, so they too might enjoy the same freedom.

I know many that say they still love Jesus but do not love his church. I also know many others that through a variety of choices have let the attractions of the world dazzle them more than the fellowship of Gods people. Being part of a church is no longer a priority.

The church is a community of faith. This community of faith boldly preaches the Gospel, and introduces people to the Father, who is the author of this good news. The role of any community of faith does not stop here. We are also called as transformed people to take this same Gospel into the community and our workplaces. This same Gospel will bring freedom to those that hear it preached and see it lived out!

God waits, like the Father of the prodigal, for many sons to hear his voice and to come home. Can I encourage you to make this a priority in your own times of prayer, and in your own love for Gods church.There many prodigals that need to return. Can we become communities of faith that welcome them back with open arms, and celebrate as we see the glory of God revealed to the world through his bride, the church!