Grace Community Christian Church

 

Archived Things Above

This Must Be The Place (12/9/03)

Grace Community Christian Church. GC3. Kind of has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? It's not the name I would have picked. And it may not be the name you would have picked, either. But when little Savannah Poole reached into the hat & drew out that slip of paper, I have no doubt it's the name God picked!

As we begin this new era of congregational life with a new public identity, my hope is that it is much more than a mere "name change." I hope it actually reflects our recognition that the church, in the words of Leroy Lawson, "is the only institution in the world that exists primarily for the benefit of non-members."

One of the most daunting challenges for any congregation is to keep this truth front & center. Jesus said he came to seek & to save the lost (Lk. 19:10), & his last command to his church was to be about the same business. There are many good things that can consume our attention & energy as a church, but if they detract from accomplishing the one thing, then we've blown it. This is where strong leadership is required, because the natural bent of most people is to withdraw into their comfort zone. Since most church leaders see their role more as accommodating the majority rather than leading them into God's (often) uncomfortable will, the resulting status-quo usually results in a mediocre, ineffective yet warm & fuzzy sort of "it's all about us" kind of fellowship. A most dangerous brew indeed.

I recently came across an article by James Draper, who addresses the necessity of remaining outward focused:

The church at Ephesus was surrounded by false religions and egocentric philosophies. People were consumed by their sexual appetites and practiced "every kind of impurity with a desire for more and more" (Ephesians 4:19). Did the Apostle Paul tell the Ephesian Christians to get inside their building, close the door and lock out the evil that permeated their society? No, and in fact, he told them to walk worthy of their calling, obey God's commands, stay true to the divine strategy and be Christians right where they were.

God's design for the church is not that it exists for my comfort or for the convenience of its members, but he instituted it as an equipping station to thrust us into the harvest for souls. We rob hope from individuals who are on a collision course with eternal separation from God when we focus our energy on ourselves.

As we project the Gospel outward from our churches, we must follow the leadership of God. God does not overlook people's sin. He extends grace and forgiveness in spite of it. We must be accepting of individuals without condoning their lifestyles.

I like the chorus of the song, "This Must Be the Place," co-written and sung by Steve Amerson. "This must be a place where a broken heart can mend/This must be a place where the outcast finds a friend/For we cannot lift the fallen if our hand still holds a stone/And their sin that seems so great to us is no greater than our own/There must be a point where shame meets grace/And this must be the place."

Grace Community Christian Church. GC3. An exciting step toward the goal of becoming that church!


Jim Dewar --