The focus of the gospels is pretty plain...Jesus' life, teachings, death, burial, and resurrection. The focus of Paul's letters seems obvious...church. Acts seems to focus on the actions of those who were following Jesus over Judaism for the first time since Jesus' ascension. The pastoral letters, James, Petrine epistles, Johanine Epistles seem to focus on those that are doing their best to follow Jesus or exhortation to follow Jesus. Jude and Revelation focus on what it may mean for those who suffer for Christ and briefly say something about His return. Hebrews...now Hebrews focuses on Jesus being the ultimate high priest. When it comes down to it all, the entire focus is Jesus Christ. Paul is sharing what it means to be church through the lens of being a follower of Christ. Acts is giving examples of what it looks like to follow Jesus. The pastoral letters are how to use Jesus as your leadership model. The other letters constantly are pointing back to Christ. The apocalyptic literature is framing martyrdom, and suffering as a grace act of relentless faith in Jesus.
If you go back through the Old Testament with your Jesus goggles on you will see also how the entire story of God is seeking His son, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. The church must not be the thing. It is a thing, but not the thing! The church is the living of of the rest of the story. The Old Testament to the New Testament to our current Testament the focus is Jesus Christ.
What does this mean? Does this mean we don't worry about the budget, carpet color, missionaries, staff salaries, ministry to neighbors, fellowship meals, or worship on Sunday. Not at all! We shouldn't really worry over those things, but they aren't precisely evil things for us to pay attention to. It means that the focus, the mission, the vision, the call should all be out Christ and living out our redemption through him into the world.
When we worship it should be because of Jesus.
When we take communion it should focus on the Messiah.
When we sing it should be songs of the Savior.
When we preach it should point to the Lord.
When we pray it should not just be in His name, but all about His name.
When we leave and go out into the world, we should be sent with the Christ call.
Church is only what it is, because of Christ.
To make it anything else is to miss the point of church and Christ!
Church shouldn't make us want more church. It should make us want more Jesus.
If you go back through the Old Testament with your Jesus goggles on you will see also how the entire story of God is seeking His son, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. The church must not be the thing. It is a thing, but not the thing! The church is the living of of the rest of the story. The Old Testament to the New Testament to our current Testament the focus is Jesus Christ.
What does this mean? Does this mean we don't worry about the budget, carpet color, missionaries, staff salaries, ministry to neighbors, fellowship meals, or worship on Sunday. Not at all! We shouldn't really worry over those things, but they aren't precisely evil things for us to pay attention to. It means that the focus, the mission, the vision, the call should all be out Christ and living out our redemption through him into the world.
When we worship it should be because of Jesus.
When we take communion it should focus on the Messiah.
When we sing it should be songs of the Savior.
When we preach it should point to the Lord.
When we pray it should not just be in His name, but all about His name.
When we leave and go out into the world, we should be sent with the Christ call.
Church is only what it is, because of Christ.
To make it anything else is to miss the point of church and Christ!
Church shouldn't make us want more church. It should make us want more Jesus.
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