Can I ask you a question? What does Jesus love? What is His great prize?
It is the church.
The church of Jesus Christ is the most important institution in the world. It is greater than any nation state, it’s more important than America, the EU, China. As big as they seem to us, they are just specks of dust in comparison to the glory of the church. We may think that organisations such as the United Nations, Oxfam, Save the Children, Foodbank are important charity organisations but their importance is like a snowflake that lands in our hands when compared to the church. It stays for just a moment before melting. The church is an immovable giant that will stand through the ages in all its glory.
The church is more important than any other organisation. It is more important than the government, parliament, the home, school. WHY… BECAUSE..It is the only one in whom God has put himself into.
This isn’t club Jesus or the society for Jesus appreciation. We are part of the most significant, important, dynamic and powerful institution in the world. We are part of the church of Jesus Christ.
I am convinced that the church is the centerpiece of God’s great plan, it is the vehicle, it is catalyst, the movement. It is the church. As weak and foolish as the church may at times seen he has put his life and thereby his power into this body. That is why as MLG Churches we should believe in the purpose and power of the church in God’s great plan of salvation.
Ephesians 3: 10-11
“the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, 11 according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord”
The church is to display the incredible wisdom of God and that it is to be shown to the heavenly realms. The church is the diamond in God’s great eternal purposes.
As we study the scriptures we will see that the church is there at the end of all things. The church is the final piece of the jigsaw that will be put into place as God ends this age and begins the new everlasting one.
I still remember my wedding day. I remember the church. I remember Helen at the back of the church, with her Dad walking down the aisle. A day when I would marry the one I love. As she begins to walk down the aisle, every head turns, everyone enjoys and marvels at the beauty of the bride walking, in a perfect white dress, with not dirty marks, no wrinkles.
It is a wonderful moment but I believe the reason we enjoy those moments so much is because they foreshadow of that great day at the end of history. (See Rev 21:3)
My feeble words will not do this justice but the day when the end of all things, after the tribulations, after the great battles, after the return of Christ finally we realise that it has all been for this. Jesus will finally get the reward for his sacrifice, Jesus will finally get what he has worked for and paid for.
The church. His Bride.
Hidden in your ordinary church in an ordinary town is the mystery of the ages, it is the prize Christ died for, his eyes are never off the church and he wants to prepare us for his return .
Our church (the one we attend locally) isn’t just something that we can mess around with, committed to when we feel like it, the merry band of misfits that gather together may look like nothing but together in Christ they hold the power of heaven.
I don’t know about you but I want to spend myself in the service of Jesus to accomplish his purposes in building and preparing his church for Him. This is why MLG is about supporting churches and about seeing the church built.
Jesus is building is his church but he is using you and I to be a part of that building.