“I believe that the local church is the hope of the world. I believe to the core of my being that local churches have the potential to be the most influential force on planet earth. If they get it and get on with it, churches can become the redemptive centres that Jesus intended them to be. Dynamic teaching, creative worship, deep community, effective evangelism, and joyful service will combine to …strengthen families, transform communities and change the world”
Now I've talked about the local church as the hope of the world before and I'm probably not the first nor will I be the last person to use that line. But today we did something a little different.
Having talked about the model of church I see in Acts 2 and setting out our vision, mission and purpose, I introduced the quote. And then I asked a question.
"What kind of local church is the hope of the world?"
We did a little interactive thing with a flipchart and wrote down our answers. Using different words, we basically described the early Acts community. If you do that you realise something rather significant.
We get it.
We actually understand what a local church needs to be and do in order to be the hope of the world. And if we get, we need to get on with it! I don't think we need more teaching, I think we need more opportunities to get on with it.
God added, on a daily basis, to the church because they got it and got on with it. Is it really that simple? If we get it, and we do, then if we get on with it, might not God respond to that and do what does best as we seek to do what he's called us to do.
I know that God is no slot machine. I can't pull some theological lever and get him to deliver the jackpot. But I do believe God honours what we seek to do that brings him glory.
So, since we get it, why don't we just get on with it! What have we got to lose?
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