Pray for Your Church: The Foundations (4)
But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. Hebrews 12.22-24
A telling question
Some time ago, during a small group discussion, the leader asked a very important question. As the group responded, the important question also became telling.
The leader asked, “How do you think people in our community view our church? What do they think of when they think of our church?”
Right away people began responding in terms of their experience of the church, all the things they loved about their church—its lively worship service, various fellowship opportunities, outreach activities, sense of community, and more.
One of the group members spoke up and said, “But that wasn’t the question. The question wasn’t how do we think about our church, but rather, how do the people in our community think about our church?” He went on to say, “Frankly, I don’t think they think about us at all. After all, we don’t really do anything to reach our community or discover or address their needs or seek to learn how we might pray for the people in our community. We have answered in terms of our view of the church—which seems a bit ingrown, after all—and not in terms of our community’s view.”
And that was the end of that conversation.
But the question is not how we see our church, our how our community sees us. The question is how Jesus sees His Church, and our church as part of that project, and whether our church matches up to His vision and focus for His Church.
How do we see our church? As Jesus does? Do we think about our church in a way that lines up with His vision and focus? Or have we settled into a view of our church that we find agreeable? Our view, rather than Jesus’ view?
Things seen
The writer of Hebrews invites us to refocus how we think about our church and what we aspire for it to become. We can assume he is speaking for Jesus. His description invites us to search the Scriptures for more light to shed on how Jesus sees the Church He is building, and thus how we should see our church as part of that effort. Aspects of that vision fall into the category of things unseen. But one facet encourages us to a compelling vision of how Jesus sees His Church and all the churches that comprise it.
The writer of Hebrews tells us where we have come by virtue of our faith in Jesus. We have come to a City, to Mount Zion. A City is something we can envision, at least to some extent. Ours is a City belonging to the living God, the same City mentioned elsewhere in Scripture. As we read in Psalm 48, it is a strong and imposing City, bringing beauty and joy to the world. Micah tells us that this City wields powerful influence, for it is seen to be the “chief” mountain among many others (Mic. 4.1-8).
In that same passage we learn that the Law of God goes forth by word and deed from this City, into the surrounding world for holiness, goodness, truth, and beauty. The City of God—the Church Jesus is building—exerts transforming power—like salt, light, and leaven—into its immediate surroundings and beyond (Matt. 5.13-16). It is a growing City, comprised of various neighborhoods and districts, each contributing its own distinctives to the City as a whole (Is. 54.1-8). A river of life flows to, throughout, and from this City for refreshment and renewal as far as its reach extends (Ps. 46; Jn. 7.37-39). Can we see this? Does this look like our church?
And in the midst of this vision the Son of God rules (Ps. 2), and He rules in such a way as that His City is both a sign and outpost of His Kingdom’s presence on earth.
This is how Jesus thinks of the Church He is building—all the churches in any given community and in worldwide fellowship. We are the City of God—one community of disciples and citizens and ambassadors of the Kingdom of God and witnesses to the surrounding world. Our oneness is our most convincing argument for the reality of Jesus and His work (Jn. 17.21). We are one City, the Body of Christ, and we share the same spiritual DNA with all other churches in Jesus project to build His Chuirch.
But there is more.
Things not seen
By our faith in Jesus we have come together as God’s City, and we are established in the midst of an array of unseen things, which, as we envision them, strengthens faith and brings forth the evidence of it (Heb. 11.1).
We have come to “an innumerable company of angels” who are appointed by God to serve us, His citizens, and to protect us as we carry out our Kingdom callings (Ps. 91.9-13). Surely these angels are meant to help us in the work of building the Lord’s church.
In this City we have also come “to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven”, that is, all the departed saints from every age, who surround and observe us as we pursue the work they carried on in their day (Heb. 12.1).
And we have come “to God, the Judge of all”—we are seated with Him! (Eph. 2.6)—“to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant, and to [His cleansing and renewing] blood”. Do you see Him, exalted in glory? Do we set our minds there (Col. 3..1-3), on these unseen things, so that we may rise above mere mundane realities and live as citizens of a new City, living and working for a new world? And does our vision of the Church as a worldwide City established among these powerful unseen things move us to be a “cloud of witnesses” in our own time?
Well, this is how Jesus sees us. And it is how we must learn to see our church as well. So let us pray,
Thank You, Jesus,
that You have brought us to Your City
and to saints and angels
and the very Presence of God!
Show us Your beauty, Lord Jesus,
and make us a source
of beauty, goodness, and truth
in our own neighborhood and district
of Your great and glorious City of God
and of our own community.
For reflection
1. How would you describe your church’s vision of itself? How close is that to Jesus’ vision?2. Jesus and the apostles proclaimed the Gospel of the Kingdom. As you understand it, what is the Gospel of the Kingdom?
3. Does it matter what our vision for our church is? Explain.
Next steps—Transformation: Begin thinking of your church in the way the writer of Hebrews does. How does that affect your participation in worship? The contribution you make to your church?
T. M. Moore
Give thanks
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Knowing Jesus
Being confident witnesses begins in our relationship with Jesus, in knowing Him. Two books can help you grow in Jesus. To Know Him is a brief and lively exposition of Philippians 3.7-11 and explains what Paul means by this. You can order your copy by clicking here. Be Thou My Vision offers 28 daily meditations on Jesus, drawing on Scripture and writings from the period of the Celtic Revival. Order your copy by clicking here.
Thank you.
Many of you are faithful and generous in praying for and supporting Crosfigell and The Fellowship of Ailbe. Thank you. I encourage all our readers to seek the Lord about becoming a supporter of The Fellowship of Ailbe. It’s easy to give to The Fellowship of Ailbe, and all gifts are, of course, tax-deductible. You can click here to donate online through credit card or PayPal or Anedot, or send your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, P. O. Box 8213, Essex, VT 05451.
Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
