Isn’t it enough if we are enjoying the blessing of the Lord?
We can have a personal or congregational outlook that values our own relationship with God as sufficient – especially when God is manifestly present and we are seeing miracles and people ‘who come to us’ getting set free.
Isaiah 56:10-12 Israel's watchmen are blind, they all lack knowledge; they are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they lie around and dream, they love to sleep. They are dogs with mighty appetites; they never have enough. They are shepherds who lack understanding; they all turn to their own way, each seeks his own gain. "Come," each one cries, "let me get wine! Let us drink our fill of beer. And tomorrow will be like today, or even far better."
As good as it gets in our church, God calls us to be part of His. The Great Commandment asks us to love others as ourselves. The Great Commission sends us to go to other peoples. No single congregation can establish the kingdom of Christ in Melbourne. A city covered by a geographic patch work of divided, competitive, suspicious, hostile congregations is not the will of God for His Church in our city, either.
John 17:23 "I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me."
John 13:35 "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
1 John 3:10 "This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother."
1 John 3:14 "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death."
1 John 3:16 "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers."
Transforming Melbourne has been given a unique function – to call the Body of Christ into functional, relational unity. When we are truly submissive to the will of Christ we will be one – not politically, economically, denominationally or even theologically (Romans 14) - but one in the name of Christ, one in His love (1Cor 1, 12). When Melbourne sees the love of God we have for each other, they’ll thirst for God’s love themselves. And we’ll be ready, together, to pour God’s love on them.
Isaiah 56:10-12 Israel's watchmen are blind, they all lack knowledge; they are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they lie around and dream, they love to sleep. They are dogs with mighty appetites; they never have enough. They are shepherds who lack understanding; they all turn to their own way, each seeks his own gain. "Come," each one cries, "let me get wine! Let us drink our fill of beer. And tomorrow will be like today, or even far better."
As good as it gets in our church, God calls us to be part of His. The Great Commandment asks us to love others as ourselves. The Great Commission sends us to go to other peoples. No single congregation can establish the kingdom of Christ in Melbourne. A city covered by a geographic patch work of divided, competitive, suspicious, hostile congregations is not the will of God for His Church in our city, either.
John 17:23 "I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me."
John 13:35 "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
1 John 3:10 "This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother."
1 John 3:14 "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death."
1 John 3:16 "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers."
Transforming Melbourne has been given a unique function – to call the Body of Christ into functional, relational unity. When we are truly submissive to the will of Christ we will be one – not politically, economically, denominationally or even theologically (Romans 14) - but one in the name of Christ, one in His love (1Cor 1, 12). When Melbourne sees the love of God we have for each other, they’ll thirst for God’s love themselves. And we’ll be ready, together, to pour God’s love on them.
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