The Infinite Value of Planting Churches Part 1/3

In 2008 I planted a church in a small, rural town that already had a few churches.  Some good Christians in the community were opposed to our new church.  A few revealed their insecurities and confronted me asking, ‘why do we need another church in town?’  It was an easy question to answer for both practical and biblical reasons.  I am suggesting 3 Reasons Planting Churches is of Infinite Value[1]. Reason One: the Church is the beginning of the New Creation! In Genesis 11 a description of the post-Flood world is given and verse 1 says, “Now the whole earth had one language and the same words.”  Consider what they were supposed to use that one language for: worshiping God.  Instead, they determined to use their common language for self worship!  Verses 2-4 describe how they settled together, decided to make bricks, and then said, “Let us build ourselves a city and a tower…and let us make a name for ourselves…”  The Flood had not washed away humanity’s problem with pride and misplaced worship. But God had a plan to rescue us from our sin.  God cursed the people of Babel, confused their language, and dispersed them over the face of the earth (vv. 5-8).  In His sovereign plan this curse was full of grace.  The mixing of languages and dispersing of people stopped them from their self worship.  Of course, even in our divided language groups we are tempted to think ourselves too important, but God provided a solution for that: on one great day of language unification. “When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.  And suddenly there came from heaven sound like the mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.  And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.  And they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 1:1-4). This is the day that the Church begins.  Notice that the Spirit comes and one of the manifestations of this inaugural event is the 120 praying together start speaking different languages (Acts 2:5).  Those who hear these languages are astonished that they hear their “native languages” (v. 8).  Verses 9-11 continue emphasizing the different languages being supernaturally spoken by detailing the geographic locations dispersed around the world that are “hearing them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God” (v. 11). The first church began when our tongues were restored to do what they were always supposed to do: glorify God!  The church is where the heralding of the New Creation began.  The church is still the place where our tongues are to lift in unison of heart, soul, and mind the full adoration the name of Jesus! We plant churches because of the infinite value they are in demonstrating the hope of the New Creation!   [1] Content adapted with permission from the Great Commission Collective Global Summit 2018 by Pastor Brian Payne

The Gospel, Injustice, and the Widow’s Last Two Sen

Once, while Jesus was in Jerusalem, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on” (Luke 21:3-4). “Therefore,” the preacher concludes, “this passage is teaching us that, just like that poor widow, we too should live by faith and give all our money to God!” My heart sinks: that does not sound like Good News at all! I came to church to hear more about what Jesus has done for us; I leave church wondering if I’m giving enough to qualify. Discouraged, I look back at the text. But what’s this, in the verse just before this episode about the poor widow? Jesus says, “They devour widows’ houses…These men will be punished most severely” (Luke 20:47). Who are these widow-devouring men? Ah, here we are, in verse 46: “Beware the teachers of the law.” These guys are in charge of the temple! Jesus is not praising this poor widow for giving away all she had to live on; he is cursing the temple leadership for using their religious authority to devour her last two sen! So if this episode is not about giving away all our money and living by faith…what is it about? I take another look at the text. The protagonist is a widow. I do a quick word-search: “widow”. Ninety-six (96!) scripture references pop up, including this one, “Do not take the cloak of the widow as a pledge” (Deuteronomy 24:17). That confirms it: Jesus is definitely upset. Taking a widow’s last two sen is worse than taking her cloak as a pledge. Which means this episode is actually about injustice to widows, not about giving money to God. Great! — but what are we supposed to do about that? Then I remember that Jesus just told us exactly what to do about this injustice: “Beware the teachers of the law”! Okay. But how? What does “beware” mean in this context? I do another quick word-search: “beware”. Luke has used the word two times before, in 12:1 and in 17:3. I look up the first passage. Jesus tells his disciples, “[Beware] the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy” (Luke 12:1). What are the disciples supposed to do? I look at the verses just before. There, Jesus curses the local religious leaders for using their legalistic faith to crush the poor and make themselves wealthy. Then Jesus turns to his disciples and says, “Beware: do not become like these guys!” I turn to the second passage. Jesus tells his disciples, “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come…So [beware]” (Luke 17:1-3)! What are the disciples supposed to do? Again, I look at the larger context. Just before this, Jesus tells a story about a rich man who has no compassion on a poor man and is punished most severely. Then Jesus turns to his disciples and says, “Beware: don’t cause people to stumble!” Then he says, “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them” (Luke 17:3). Here Jesus commands his disciples to proclaim forgiveness again, and again, and again. A forgiving faith produces compassionate people. A legalistic faith devours compassion: it demands that everyone pay for their own salvation; and those who cannot pay can go straight to hell. I turn back to the story of the poor widow. I am beginning to understand Jesus’ command, “Beware the teachers of the law.” He is saying, “Do not become like these guys! They use their legalistic faith to make poor widows pay and pay and pay for salvation, and they will be punished most severely for it!” So what is this episode actually about? This episode is actually a curse on preachers who tell Christians to live by faith and give up every last penny to God. This episode is Jesus’ warning to every pastor: “Do not use your position of authority to guilt people into giving.” This episode is Jesus’ warning to every disciple: “Have nothing to do with false teachers who use promises of health, wealth, and happiness to wring more money out of God’s people. They will be punished most severely! “Instead, join a church where forgiveness is preached again and again and again and again…” Now that sounds like the kind of Good News I’d want to hear!   Article derived from a sermon entitled “Who Exactly is in Charge Around Here? (Part II) or: Jesus: 6, Government: 0”. The sermon can be listened to at https://www.cdpckl.com/luke/

The Gospel, Injustice and the Widow’s Courage

Once, Jesus told a story about a widow who pesters a corrupt judge until he gives her justice. Jesus did this to show his disciples, “that they should always pray and not give up” (Luke 18:1). “Therefore,” the preacher concludes, “this parable teaches us that God is like that corrupt judge. If he does not answer, just be like the widow, pray harder, and eventually God will give you what you want!” My heart sinks: that does not sound like Good News at all! I came to church to hear more about what Jesus has done for us; I leave church wondering if I’m praying hard enough to qualify. Discouraged, I look back at the text. But what’s this, right here in verse 7? “And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?” Jesus says God answers our prayers quickly, not slowly and reluctantly! What a relief: God is actually the opposite of that corrupt judge! But then…what does this parable actually teach us about God and prayer? I take another look at the text. I realize Jesus uses the word “justice” four times. So justice must be a central concept. Then I notice that the protagonist in the story is a widow. I do a quick word-search: “widow”. Ninety-six (96!) scripture references pop up. When I scan through the references, I find a very strong biblical connection between “widows” and “justice”, like: “[God] defends the cause of the widow” (Deuteronomy 10:18), and “Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees…making widows their prey” (Isaiah 10:1-2). The parable begins to make sense: the corrupt judge is actually under God’s curse. The widow knows this. That is why she keeps bothering the judge so boldly and persistently: she understands from God’s Word that God is on her side! She knows that, one way or another, God is going to make sure she gets justice! Reading through the parable again, I realize the corrupt judge figures this out in verse 4: “Even though I don’t fear God or people, I’m gonna give this widow her justice so she won’t eventually come and attack me!” The judge is not afraid of anyone’s judgement. But the widow is so bold and persistent he starts to wonder if she is more powerful than she seems. Perhaps she has a rich relative who has gone away on a long trip, and when that relative gets back and finds out how the judge treated her he will rally all his wealth and power and have that judge removed? So he gives in. The judge can only speculate in earthly terms — but his thinking is spiritually correct. Jesus confirms this in verse 6: “Listen to what the unjust judge says!” Pay attention: the judge is right! This widow is actually far more powerful than she seems! Why? Because God is on her side. To test my interpretation, I look at the larger context. Sure enough, in the moments just before Jesus told this parable, he told his disciples that he would be going away for a long time, that they would suffer while he was gone, but that he would return suddenly and destroy everyone who “tries to keep their life” (Luke 17:33) — especially at the expense of the poor and the helpless. Then, to illustrate his teaching, Jesus tells a parable about a judge who tries to keep his life at the expense of a poor, helpless widow. What is Jesus’ point? He tells us in verse 7: “Will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones?…I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly.” Then he finishes with, “However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” So what is this parable actually about? It is about praying faithfully for Jesus’ return! It is about speaking up boldly and persistently against earthly injustice, knowing that God has promised to give us justice, and quickly. Does this parable mean Jesus guarantees us justice in earthly courts? No. That is earthly thinking. In fact, Jesus tells his disciples they will often be executed by earthly courts (Luke 21:16)! But Jesus has guaranteed us justice in God’s court — and on the Day of his return. Therefore, like the widow, we pray. And we speak up boldly and persistently against earthly injustice, knowing that — even as we suffer the earthly consequences — we are the beloved children of the One who is “coming soon” (Revelation 22:20) to destroy all injustice and make all things new. Now that sounds like the kind of Good News I’d want to hear!   ——— Article derived from a sermon entitled “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (Part I), or: How to Survive the Apocalypse”. The sermon can be listened to at https://www.cdpckl.com/luke/

Transcultural Community

What does it mean to be a transcultural community? South African pastor One Mokgatle defines “Transcultural” as “a community that reflects, embraces and enjoys the diversity of its context, but by the power of the gospel transcends it and creates one new community in Christ”. When we planted Regeneration Church in the city of Monash, Melbourne in 2017 we decided that “Transcultural Community” was going to be one of our core values. We are aiming to reach the suburb of Clayton, the most ethnically diverse suburb in Australia with 122 nationalities represented, so we want to be a church that welcomes people from every nation. Yet, the impetus to make “Transcultural” a core value was not just missional and pragmatic, but theological and biblical.   The Gospel Creates a Transcultural Community Ephesians 2:1-10 is one of my favourite gospel summaries in all of Scripture. In the next few verses, Paul applies the gospel to the Ephesian Christians by first reminding them that they being Gentile were excluded from God’s promise but have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Then he goes on to say this: “For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility”. The gospel breaks down every national and ethnic boundary. The people of God are no longer defined by nationality or ethnicity but rather by faith in Christ. A vertical reconciliation between God and humanity now leads to a horizontal reconciliation between people. Peace or “shalom” is the goal. This is not just the cessation of war but wholeness, health, security, harmony, prosperity and well-being. Therefore, the gospel destroys racism, ethnocentrism and all forms of cultural pride to create a transcultural community.   The Goal of the Gospel is a Transcultural Community “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:9-10) In Revelation 7, we get a glimpse of the ultimate, final, triumphant church. Every Christian that ever lived throughout history from every nation, tribe, people and language, gathered around the throne to worship Jesus. The amazing thing is that we don’t somehow get assimilated into some heavenly monoculture. Rather, each people group retains its language and culture in the New Creation. The goal of the gospel is a people of God redeemed from every nation, tribe, people and language. The local church should be a foretaste of this heavenly reality. If the ultimate church is a movie, then the local church should be a trailer.   The Gospel Transcends Culture Some people might ask why “transcultural” instead of “multicultural”? While “multicultural” communicates that there are many cultures, “transcultural” communicates that there is something that transcends the many cultures. The gospel of Jesus Christ. The way to achieve a transcultural community is to value the strengths and uniqueness of every culture while not elevating any culture above the other. At the same time, we must allow the gospel to critique the weaknesses and idols of every culture. As we pursue a transcultural community, what emerges is the culture of the kingdom of heaven. John Piper says, “The bloodline of Jesus Christ is deeper than the bloodlines of race. The death and resurrection of the Son of God for sinners is the only sufficient power to bring the bloodlines of race into the single bloodline of the cross”.

Gospel-saturated parenting in the city

Living in a harried, busy city kind of life means little time to spend with our children. In between work, school and enrichment classes, our lives are spent mostly on the road driving somewhere or stuck in a traffic jam. The short window of time to interact is often filled with practical stuff like homework or things to prepare for school. We fit in a short time of devotion if we find time, and if not, a short prayer before bedtime to complete our checklist of tasks to do. “We simply can’t squeeze a biblical model of parenting into a frenetic schedule shaped by the world’s view of what a successful child looks like.” (Paul Tripp) Many of us are running from activity to activity, anxious that our children will somehow miss out. Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates,  so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth. (Deuteronomy 11:18-21) Is it possible for busy parents to live up to the bible passage above? Yes. These verses are not just for parents in the OT times – they are just as relevant to us today. Teaching the Word of God and showing our children how to develop a relationship with Him is more than another thing we have to do. It is the utmost priority! We have to swim upstream against all the demands this busy life is calling us to, turn our backs on them, fix our eyes and hearts on the unchangeable faithfulness and grace of Jesus, and grasp the wisdom and grace that can only be found in His word. When we lose God in our parenting, we lose the very thing we need to give our children most: God Himself. Children do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4). If we don’t prioritize or see the urgency of the souls of our children, we have lost what we are called to do as parents – that is to be tools of God’s agenda to shape the hearts and lives of our children in His Word. So, how can we live out gospel-saturated parenting? Rest in the knowledge that God is sovereign, and we can depend on Him totally for our children. Their future lies in His hands, not ours. Christ is more than enough to help us meet the demands of the day. Fight to develop a sweet communion with Jesus, as we can’t give what we don’t have. Strive to keep the main thing the main thing, and be courageous to filter out temptations to be like the world. Spend time in God’s word, and teach it to your children. Find opportunities throughout the day to speak truths into their hearts. Let us not lose sight of our main calling in parenting. Let us put off our striving in our own strength, and rest in the sufficient grace of Jesus to bring up our children in this world. Faithfully point them to Him, in the way we live and we love. Our children do not need more of the world. They need more of Christ.

Christians need to hear the Gospel

“The truth of the Gospel is the principle article of all Christian doctrine…. Most necessary is it that we know this article well, teach it to others, and beat it into their heads continually.” Martin Luther.   It may seem strange that Christians need to continually be reminded of the gospel. After all, shouldn’t we already know it? Here are 3 reasons why Christians need to preach the gospel to themselves, and to each other regularly. For the Accusing Conscience Some time ago, when I was in the heat of an argument with someone, that person said to me “…and you call yourself a Christian! “ As the words sank in, I felt terrible. I had disappointed God, again. I was unworthy to be called His child. This person was right. How could I call myself a Christian when I had just lost my temper in such a manner… These were some of the thoughts swirling through my head. When a dear friend needed urgent prayer some moments later, I couldn’t even pray for her, simply because I felt unworthy. Truth be told, our sinful nature isn’t something we should blatantly dismiss. Sin is sin, trifle or otherwise within our own perceptions.  It is to be confessed to God, and grieved over. However, when our sins feel greater than God’s grace, could it be that we have lost sight of the gospel? In such times, we need to stop, confess our sins to God, and then preach the gospel to ourselves. It’s true. I am not worthy of God (Romans 3: 23). But Jesus is worthy (Romans 3: 24-25; 8:34). Jesus lived the life I should have lived, perfectly. Jesus bore my punishment for me so that I may receive forgiveness (Romans 5: 6-9). He will forgive my failures and not cast me away (Romans 8:32-39). I am not worthy, but Jesus is my righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). For the Religious The human heart’s default mode is believing that God’s acceptance of a person is dependent on their works. We need to reset our hearts to gospel-mode every day! When we lose sight of the gospel, we either look at our sins and doubt our standing before God, or we will look at our good works and think we are accepted by them. We are eager to know how we can please God. This is a good thing. However, if we lose sight of the gospel, we will naturally position our “religious” works on a pedestal higher than God’s finished work at the Cross. When we feel we have obeyed God for the day, our prayers become happy and bold. On the contrary, our failure at obedience makes us feel that we need to make it up to Him. Dare we ever think that our standing before God is based on our own merit (Galatians 2:21)? The gospel reminds us that it isn’t! We need to set ourselves, and help others to set themselves to gospel-mode every day! For the Christian Life For the Christian, the gospel provides not just the entrance to the faith, rather, it is the fuel for the rest of our walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. In the New Testament, ethical teachings arose from constant reminders about the status of those who belonged to Christ. In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, for instance, Paul spends the first three chapters explaining God’s great work in Christ, and then devotes the concluding chapters to the practical implications of the gospel for personal, family and congregational life. Romans 6 reminds us that our fight against sin arises from knowing who we are in Christ, and what He has done for us. Colossians 3: 1-4 reminds us that because we have been raised with Christ, we are to set our hearts on things above. Are you struggling to love the unlovable? Are you struggling to trust God? Are you trying to fight sin in your life? You can’t overcome it by just trying harder. Meditate on the gospel. Know what He has done for you. Know who you are in Christ. It is at the Cross of Jesus that you will be humbled, be ever so thankful and find power to live a life worthy of the very same gospel you have received! Preach the gospel to yourself daily. Preach it to each other. Help each other think through the implications of the gospel. And may God let the truth of the gospel of Christ sink deeper into our hearts daily as we wait for His return!      

The Christmas Story You’ve Never Heard

We sit down to read Luke’s Christmas Story and we think we already know it: there’s Joseph and Mary, searching the streets of Bethlehem for a place to have their baby. There’s the mean inn-keeper saying, “no room for you here!” Then there’s the starlight shining on a cozy little stable. Mary gives birth, and lays the Baby Jesus in a nice clean manger with all the nice clean animals looking on. That is a lovely story! — too bad it’s not actually in the bible. There was no desperate search for lodging, no inn, no mean inn-keeper, and no stable. The Greek word often translated “inn” actually means “upper guest room”. And the Greek word for “manger” actually does mean “manger” — except that Jewish families did not keep their mangers in a stable. Of course, at this point someone is going to say, “C’mon man, don’t ruin the spirit of Christmas with all that textual stuff! Besides: a lonely couple, a mean inn-keeper, and a cozy stable just add to the pathos of the story!” Well, yes, they do. They also totally distract us from the Author’s actual point. Those other elements were added later by Christians who misunderstood both text and context. Their misunderstanding turned the Christmas Story into the sentimental account of a lonely couple lost in the winter midnight, allowing preachers everywhere to ask the question, “Have you made room in your heart for the Baby Jesus?” But Luke’s Christmas Story is not actually about loneliness and rejection. It’s about corrupt governments and poor migrant workers. It’s about injustice, and sedition. It’s about the crushing weight of tyranny, and a people’s longing for something more: a country of their very own. Here is Luke’s Christmas story, told with an eye toward both text and context: Joseph grows up in Bethlehem, but the local economy is depressed. However, in Galilee, far to the north, an earthquake has destroyed the city of Sepphoris. Herod the Great wants it rebuilt. Thousands of construction jobs are available! So Joseph migrates. He lives in the small migrant-laborers’ kampung (village) of Nazareth, and walks to work in Sepphoris, about seven kilometers away. He meets a nice local Jewish girl named Mary (according to tradition Mary was born in Sepphoris). He gets engaged. Then Mary turns up pregnant! Just then the corrupt Roman god-emperor decides he wants more money. He commands everyone to balik kampung so they can be counted and taxed more effectively. Joseph the migrant worker has no leave days, no health insurance — and no choice. He quits his job, scrapes together his savings and his fiancee, and walks the distance from Kuala Lumpur to Ipoh. And when he finally arrives home he finds that the “upper guest room” of his parents’ house is already packed full of other relatives, also home for the census; so he and Mary have to sleep on the ground floor, in the kitchen/living room, where the family’s animals are kept at night. A few days, weeks — or perhaps even months! — later Mary goes into labor surrounded by helpful relatives. She lays the baby in the only piece of furniture available: the manger… It may not seem like much: a return to a more authentic understanding of the Christmas narrative. Some might say, “Why bother?” — but I believe the Gospel demands it. The Good News of Christ’s birth is not supposed to be a one-dimensional, simplistic contemplation of an individual’s need to “find room” for Jesus. On the contrary, Luke’s narrative is nuanced, complex, cosmic in scope; it contains the seeds of glory and foreshadowed grief. Here, in Luke’s Christmas Story, Mary wraps Jesus in cloths and places him in a manger; at the end of Luke’s book, Jesus is again wrapped in cloths…and placed in a tomb. Here, the angel says, “Today a Saviour has been born to you!” On the Cross, Jesus says, “Today…you will be with me in Paradise.” Here, Jesus is born on the ground floor because Joseph’s ancestral home is so full of family there is no room for him in the “upper guest room”. In the end, Jesus has begun a new kind of family, and he eats the Passover feast with them in a large “upper guest room” — yes, Luke uses the exact same word. So what’s the point? Just this: I am convinced that if we read the Christmas Story as its Author intended, our comprehension of the Cross can only grow deeper. Ultimately, the Christmas Story is not supposed to make us wonder, “Have I made enough room in my heart for Jesus?” Rather, it sets us up to ask the only question that really matters: “Could there be room in Jesus’ family for me — even me?” ————————————————————————————————————————— Article derived from a sermon entitled “Why the Christmas Story is More Political and Less Christmasy Than You Have Been Led to Believe”. The sermon can be listened to at https://www.cdpckl.com/luke/

Going Forward by Going Back: Celebrating the Reformation Movement

Five hundred years ago on October 31, 1517, a German theologian named Martin Luther nailed a protest (with 95 bullet points!) on the door of a local church. Luther’s bold and controversial action spawned a movement that would change the church and the world. This act of “protest” (where we get the term Protestant) was not the first nor was Luther the only voice calling for reform in the church, but his nailing of the 95 Theses on the Wittenberg Church door became a rallying point for reform-minded Christians. For Gospel City Network the Reformation emphasis informs much of what we are about: going back to the gospel, going into the growing and changing cities of the world, and growing intentional churches. Going Forward by Going Back During Luther’s time the church had become a powerful institution but had stopped emphasizing the essence of the Christian faith. Luther, himself, had been plagued by overwhelming guilt before a holy God who called for perfection. As Luther went back to the Holy Scriptures he read Romans 1:16-17 and was overwhelmed by the knowledge that salvation was not up to him. Salvation was from God through sending his Son to take our guilt and shame to the grave and then overcame death itself to give us life. The mantra of the Reformation became encapsulated by what has become known as the Five Solas (Sola meaning only in Latin): Sola Scriptura- “Scripture alone” Sola Fide- “Faith alone” Sola Gratia- “Grace alone” Solus Christus- “Christ alone” Soli Deo Gloria- “To the glory of God alone” The Reformation was a decisive turn back to biblical Christianity, which also meant a return to seeing Jesus Christ as “the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:2, ESV). Five hundred years later, we must continue to look to Christ and the Scriptures as central to our faith. Gaining Urban Influence Europe during the time of Luther was changing dramatically. There was a shift from a rural, agrarian society to the beginnings of modern society based in growing cities. The Reformation was essentially an urban movement, anchored in cities and using urban forms of communication and cultural expression (Steven Ozment, The Reformation in the Cities, 1). The Reformation gained momentum by using the latest in communication technology, the printing press. The rising educated, middle class in the cities embraced the ideas of the Reformation which then impacted the cities of Europe. John Calvin and others observed the needs of the growing cities and adapted ministry and church social services to serve the poor and marginalized. It was the cities of Europe that influenced the culture and direction of Europe. When the Reformation took hold in the cities, all of Europe had fresh exposure to the beautiful hope found in the gospel. Five hundred years later, the rise and influence of cities all over the world is unparalleled in history. We have the opportunity to return to the truths of the gospel of Jesus to offer hope to the billions now living in cities. Growing Intentional Churches Another monumental shift of the Reformation was a renewed focus on church life. Since the time of Constantine, someone was automatically associated with a church and little was asked of the average Christian except occasional participation. The Reformation sought to return to the biblical teaching about church life. The church is called to represent Christ as his body. The church is called out as royal priesthood proclaiming the gospel to people of every language, tribe and nation. The church was to be distinct from the world as a community shaped by the gospel. The Reformers taught us to search the Scriptures to understand church life. Five hundred years later we look afresh at the Scriptures we see a clear pattern of planting churches everywhere we find people beginning with major urban centers. We commemorate and celebrate the courage of Martin Luther and many others who risked everything as servants of the gospel. As we remember Luther nailing his protest to the door of the Wittenberg church we are reminded of the one who nailed our countless trespasses to the cross (Col. 2:14). It is through new life in Christ that we are freed from bondage to our sinful nature and able to start churches shaped by this gospel reality. Soli Deo Gloria

The Gospel Worldview of Work

All work is typically done out of a worldview. Everyone has a worldview, a framework through which they interpret reality and answer life’s ultimate questions. The temptation then for the Christian, is simply to plunge into workplaces dominated by secular worldviews and conduct their work lives according to the reigning paradigms, rather than seeing work from the lens of a Christian worldview and doing their work with Christian distinctiveness. To be a Christian in the workplace is much more than being honest or not sleeping with your colleagues. It even means more than evangelizing or holding a Bible Study at your place of work. Rather, it is thinking through the implications of the Gospel and living under God’s kingship for your entire work-life. When you do that, people will find it electrifying when they see a balance of moral conviction, compassion and competence. Many Christians believe that Gospel of Jesus Christ is just the good news to be preached to unbelievers, or simply used as a ticket to get to heaven. But Dr Tim Keller says, “The Gospel is not just the ABCs but the A-Z of Christianity. The Gospel is not just the minimum required doctrine to enter the Kingdom, but the way we make progress in the Kingdom.” The Gospel transforms our hearts and our thinking, and it changes our approaches to absolutely everything. It affects literally everything about us. It is a power that creates a new resurrected life in us. How the Gospel Transforms our Worldview of Work Following the meta-narrative of the biblical story i.e. creation, fall, redemption and restoration, this is how I see the Gospel transforming our worldview of work: Creation | The Christian faith gives you a new identity at work. If you make work your identity, if you are successful, it gets to your head. If you are unsuccessful, it destroys your heart. The Christian faith reminds you of your identity in Christ – that you are God’s child! God loves you, not because of your performance, but because of Jesus’ finished work. If you know that theory in your heart, it makes high-pressure jobs bearable and even the most modest work meaningful. It also keeps success from getting to your head and failure from crushing your heart. Fall | The Christian faith transforms how you see the many pitfalls of work. You will understand how sin has robbed work of its joy and meaning and you will not despair when you experience the drudgery of or unfairness at work. As Keller says “Just because you cannot realize your highest aspirations in work, doesn’t mean that you have chosen wrongly, or you are not called to your profession. The Fall means, we should expect to be regularly frustrated in our work even though we may be in exactly the right vocation.” Having this perspective, strengthens you to have grit, resilience and an indomitable spirit to persevere through the discouraging days. Redemption | The Christian faith changes your motivation for work and your concept of work. It charges you to think of every job as working for God and your work as worship to Jesus. You see that God has ordained work as a stewardship of His created world and that work is good. It also means all work, even the most menial tasks, has intrinsic value and great dignity. In your work you are God’s hands and fingers, sustaining and caring for His world. You will also work from biblical values, ethics and principles. This means for e.g. you can stand up and take the rap for your staff’s mistakes, because you know Jesus took your sins upon Himself! Restoration | The Christian faith offers a sophisticated kind of hope. For the young and ambitious, you may want to change the world. Using the analogy of a painting, your goal may be to paint a whole tree. But perhaps in your lifetime, in God’s economy, all you will get to do is to paint a leaf! The Christian faith gives you a new kind of hope. It means that even though things do not change now as you want it to, you can take heart that your work in the Lord is not wasted. God will use it (and He will complete the painting, even if it is not in your lifetime). The Gospel works on every aspect of us – at a micro level, the work of the cross is capturing and resurrecting dead hearts. At a macro level, Jesus’ atoning work is restoring and redeeming creation and making all things new. When our worldview is seen through these two vantage points positioned together, we have a glimpse of the size and weight of the Good News, the eternity-spanning wonderment of the finished work of Christ!