Unity is a community of people who seek to…
Continue Jesus’ Work
God did this to equip all God’s people for the work of Christian service, in order to build up the church, the body of Christ.
-Ephesians 4:12
When you want to pick up a pencil, how do you do it?
That probably sounds like a strange question. You just pick it up, right?
Actually, your brain tells your hand to move toward the pencil. And your brain tells your fingers to grasp the pencil. Your brain sends electrical signals through your nervous system to direct your body to act.
The direction of your body comes from your brain.
Scripture tell us that the church is the body of Christ and that Christ is the head of the church.
So if the church is the body of Christ…
And if Christ is the head of the church…
Then Christ is like the brain and we are like the body. Christ directs the church and guides the church to accomplish Christ’s work in the world.
As a church, we do not act on our own. We do not come up with the things we want to do or accomplish by our own imagination.
As Christ’s body, we respond to Jesus’ direction.
This verse of Ephesians summarizes well the purpose of the church: we are to be directed by Christ to continue Jesus’ work in the world.
If Jesus did it on earth, the church should continue it today.
Jesus preached the Good News to the world.
The church continues this by expounding God’s Word each week and relating it to our lives today.
Jesus healed the sick and proclaimed sight for the blind.
The church continues Jesus’ healing ministry through bringing wholeness and restoration to a broken and hurting world.
Jesus cared for the poor and advocated for the needy.
The church continues this work through its unwavering focus on missions, outreach and reconciliation.
Did Jesus do it on earth? Then the church should do it today.
The really amazing part of this is that God promises to equip the church for this work.
To equip is to provide something for a specific purpose.
We already know the church’s specific purpose— continue Jesus’ work on earth. How incredible is it to realize that God promises to equip us for this very work?!
God is going to give the church what it needs in order to continue Jesus’ work in the world. Yes, God is going to build up the church. God wants the church to be healthy and vibrant and outgoing so that it can accomplish Christ’s purposes.
God has given us a great criteria for determining a church’s activities and initiatives. When a church thinks of adding something to its schedule, it can ask “Is this something Jesus did?”
If not, then that is probably something that the church should not commit its time and energy towards.
If yes, then you can trust that God is going to equip the church as God builds it up to accomplish that purpose.
What ways do you see God building up Unity in order to continue Jesus’ work?
This Sunday we will be continuing our series on Experiencing God. Go ahead and read Jeremiah 29 if you want a sneak peak.
“See” you on Sunday!
-Pastor David
“The church is the body of Christ fashioned by baptism and the Eucharist.”
-Henri Nouwen
