The Cross
West Seattle
The Church: those who gather at the cross of Jesus and trust in him for life...
Religious fervor is sweeping our nation right now and in some of these religious circles there is talk of Jesus. In some circles it is believed that Jesus desires to give us financial blessing and make us happy. In others it is believed that he is here to dazzle us with signs and wonders. And in others he is one of many gurus of wisdom that has passed on from us but his memory and wisdom live on in our hearts along with Buddha and Muhammad. All of these are false pretenses by which to understand the Son of God.
"For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified." (I Corinthians 2:2) Paul was unwilling to disassociate Jesus from his Cross. We are surrounded by ideologies that embrace Jesus but they will not look at his Cross. I want to point out two important things that the Cross indicates. It shows us the extent of our sin and rebellion - that it took the life of the Son of God to make it go away. Here we are reminded that if not for the Cross of Christ, we are hopelessly sentenced to an eternal death. Second, the cross tells us that we no longer stand condemned - that our sin has been removed from us once and for all. "For the law of the Spirit of live has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death." (Romans 8:2) The Church that Jesus is building can only be done so from the foundation of Jesus and his Cross. We are told that the word of the cross is foolishness to the world (I Corinthians 1:18) so let us be prepared to look foolish! Yet we are also told that for those who are being saved, the cross is the power of God and that it pleases him 'through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.' (See I Corinthians 1 and 2 for more on this). So God sends us out into the world to proclaim the Cross of Christ and he calls us to resemble his cross in our life together: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.' (Mark 8:34-35)
So when we call others to faith in Jesus, we are calling them to his cross and all that it entails. The cross of Jesus is our only hope. Let us hold firmly to the truth and may our hope be evident to all of West Seattle.
When we gather together - we are coming, not to the Church or a church, but to the Cross of Jesus - the only thing that can save us and the world. When we invite people to join us in fellowship, we are inviting them to join us, not at church, but at the cross - the one and only place where we can stand before God and where fellowship in the Spirit is possible.
Sunday Mornings: Not 'The Church'
When we examine God's Word, it becomes clear that 'church' is far more than a bunch of people meeting together on a Sunday morning every week. Paul wrote in Ephesians 3:10 that the function of the Church is to make known to the rulers and authorities in heavenly places the vast wisdom of God. Chew on that one for awhile.
Further, the Church is those who have surrendered their own lives (passions, plans, decisions) in order that Jesus would live in them, filling them with the hope of the glory of His return.
Congregations tend to gauge their livelihood based on growth charts that reflect attendance on Sunday morning. God's Word rejects such illusions. Our mandate is to 'present everyone mature in Jesus' (Colossians 1:28). If the masses are not interested in becoming mature in Jesus, they probably won't come check out what we're doing. I believe that the majority of the ministry that God is giving His Church to fulfill (2 Timothy 4:5) takes place on the streets and workplaces that we are present at every day. Jesus warns us: "We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work." (John 9:4)
Do you know and are you working the works of the Father?
For indeed, "by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:8-10)
May we repent of dead works (feverishly fixating on our Sunday mornings) and place our faith in God (Hebrews 6:1) - that He is at work in our midst and drawing us into His works whereby He is reconciling men and women to himself through the spilled blood of His Son Jesus.
"Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it." 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24