The Church

You know, our church is part of a denomination called Sovereign Grace Churches,

and we work very closely with some of these churches throughout the country and throughout the world.

Andy is from a sister church in Pennsylvania, Glen Mills, called Covenant Fellowship Church.

Covenant Fellowship Church is actually the church that originally the Huckins family was sent out from to join us

as we were starting this church plant five or six years ago.

So, and Andy serves there as a pastor of care and counseling.

He is a pastor, and he also serves as a biblical counselor.

He's actually a highly sought-after biblical counselor.

And he's authored several books, including Real Peace, which is kind of related to,

we were just talking about passing of the peace, how you can truly find peace in the Lord.

He serves on our denomination's executive committee, which is the committee that represents the council of elders,

which is of all the elders from every local congregation, which is the highest governing body in our denomination.

And so he serves us in a number of ways.

So you might not know him, but we've actually benefited from his service to our denomination.

And I actually seek out his counsel sometimes as I'm counseling others as well.

And so he's been an help to me and an encouragement to me in that.

And I'm excited for you to hear from him and get to know him.

And Andy is married to Jill, Jill Farmer.

He has four grown children, all of whom love the Lord and are serving the Lord.

One son, three daughters, and now he has 12 grandchildren, which is amazing.

He's one of the most interesting people you will ever meet.

He's got very interesting hobbies.

He's really into history.

He's writing a book right now, a biography on Elias Boutinho, whom I had never heard of,

but apparently he was the founder of the American Bible Society, a friend of Benjamin Franklin and an abolitionist.

So he's a really, really fascinating man.

I hope you get to know him during a short time here today and tomorrow.

So Andy, please come up and preach God's word for us.

Please welcome him as he comes up.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

It's a 50-minute flight.

It's like going to the mall.

And so I was like, I should get up here more often because it really is easier than driving into Philly sometimes.

But you turn your Bibles to Matthew 16.

Yeah, just to let you know, guys, I'm excited to be here.

I'm grateful to be here.

Sean and I are friends.

we've gotten to know each other over the years

in various contexts and classes

and retreats

and

serving together

in our denomination

and I bring a greeting

from Covenant Fellowship Church

my home church where I've served as a

pastor for 28 years

you might be looking at me and you might be thinking

okay you've got 12 grandkids and

you've been serving for 28 years

that can't be true

you don't look nearly that old

I recognize that

it is true

I'm much older than I look

but

it's a delight to be here

excited to be among you

what God's doing here in Boston

in Cambridge

we need gospel preaching

churches everywhere

we need faithful churches

we need churches that can encourage believers

who God moves into areas

in fellowship

many of you are probably here

not because this is where you come from

but where you came to

and to know that there's a church here

that serves you

that is a part of a community

you can be involved in

support you

is a wonderful thing

one of the things I do with Sovereign Grace

is I'm involved in church planning

I'm on a national committee

that oversees church planning

and just to see

how churches get started

this church

other churches

and to be part of

envisioning

men and women

and teams of people

to start new works

to do the risky work

of church planning

one of the things we want

is to encourage churches

that are planning

to be thinking about church planning

so you might be sitting here

and thinking

let's just get a good foothold

let's just get a building

and as a good place to start

and that's great and wonderful

but I want to instill in you

a vision to be church planning people

to be people who are thinking

where would we plan

what would we do

if we wanted to extend

what God's doing here

into another area

the thing I'm most concerned about

a lot of the churches

is they lose sense of mission

they go on mission

to get started

but then they kind of

huddle together

and get into survival mode

and I want to encourage you

to not do that

to be a people

who think we're here

because God is

God has invested in us

and he's

other people have invested in us

and now we want to do the same

and be thinking about mission

as a church

so that's

that's kind of my burden

for you

but today we're going to talk

about the church

this is a message

I actually did at my church

as we were going through

our statement of faith

the sovereign great statement of faith

we took a series

and just walked through it

and I

I did a message

I did a section

on the church itself

and so that's where this comes from

so it's very related

to who we are

that statement of faith

I'm sure Sean

has walked you guys through it

it is

it is who we are

as a people

this is who we are

how we express

what God is doing

in sovereign grace

so that's what we're going to be focusing on

so you'll be in Matthew 16

before I jump in there

you may be familiar

with the word

anachronism

now an anachronism

is something that

doesn't belong

in the time or place

that it's in

you ever seen

the series of movies

the Back to the Future movies

that's a whole series

built around

anachronisms

I just discovered

a crazy anachronism recently

in 1997

someone convinced

the 50's crooner

Pat Boone

who was known

as the Christian Elvis

to release an album

of classic rock covers

it was called

In a Metal Mood

No More Mr. Nice Guy

If you want to experience

a serious anachronism

just go on Spotify

and check out

Pat Boone's

swinging rendition

of Stairway to Heaven

but let me warn you

you'll never be able

to unhear it

once you do

I bring anachronisms up

because

the two texts

we're going to be looking at today

that we're considering

reveal

an apparent

anachronism

in the Bible

so I want to read

these two texts

and I want to see

if you can notice it

so we're going to begin

in Matthew 16

and then we're going to be moving

over to Matthew 18

just a couple chapters over

we're going to begin

in Matthew 16

with verse 18

this is Jesus

and the context here

is

well let's start

let's start

where Jesus says

in verse 15

he said to them

who do you say

that I am

and Simon Peter replied

you are the Christ

the Son of the Living God

Jesus answered

blessed are you

Simon Bar-Jonah

for flesh and blood

has not revealed this to you

but my Father

who is in Heaven

and I tell you

you are Peter

and on this rock

I will build my church

and the gates of hell

shall not prevail against it

I will give you the keys

of the Kingdom of Heaven

and whatever you bind on earth

shall be bound in Heaven

and whatever you loose on earth

shall be loosed in Heaven

and in verse 18

chapter 18

begin in verse 15

chapter 18

if your brother

sins against you

go

and tell him

his fault

between you

and him alone

if he listens to you

you have gained

your brother

but if he does not

listen

take one or two

others

along

with you

so that every charge

may be established

by the evidence

of two or three witnesses

if he refuses

to listen to them

tell it to the Church

and if he refuses

to listen

even to the Church

let him be to you

as a Gentile

and a tax collector

truly I say to you

whatever you bind

on earth

shall be bound

in Heaven

and whatever you loose

on earth

shall be loosed

in Heaven

again I say to you

if two of you

agree on

earth

about anything

they ask

it will be done

for them

by my Father

in Heaven

where two or three

are gathered

in my name

there I am

among them

let's pray

Heavenly Father

we just simply

ask you

to visit us

this evening

as you already

have through worship

as you

have through prayer

as you have

through

the declaration

of your word

and the giving

of peace

and the confession

of sin

Lord you have

already been

with us

God

we are

we are in your

presence

and you have

come to meet

with us

Lord I simply pray

that this message

would be

would be used

by you

speak through it

oh Lord God

to help us all

have faith

and vision

for what you're

doing here

in why we gather

and I ask this

in Jesus name

amen

amen

so did you notice

the apparent

anachronism there

critics of the

Bible

certainly do

they will tell

you

and they do

tell you

that these

texts

Jesus is talking

about the church

that's

an anachronism

because there

was no such

thing as the

church

in Jesus

day

they will tell

you that

Jesus words

about the

church

were put

into his

mouth

by later

writers

to validate

the institutional

church

they are

if they're

right

we have

some real

problems

with our

Bible

so we need

to take

what they

say

seriously

the word

translated here

in various

places

as church

speaks of the

gathering

of a chosen

or identified

people

in other words

it's not just

a crowd

for context

the Jews

were oppressed

people

on a search

for a Messiah

a savior

sent by God

who would come

to gather

them together

under his

power

and protection

they

they lived

as if

they were

and oppressed

people

and they

needed to

be gathered

by the

Messiah

they were

regularly

crowding

around the

latest

messianic

hope

Matthew

16

through 18

is

Jesus

speaking

and acting

like

a Messiah

in the

middle of

that he

pulls his

disciples

aside

and he

tests them

on whether

they're tracking

with what

he's doing

Peter

boldly

confesses

you are

the Messiah

the son

of the

living God

clearly

Peter

gets the

point

what you're

doing

and what

you're

saying

is what

the Messiah

will do

and say

and then

Jesus

fills out

the

implication

as we

read

in Matthew

16

he basically

says

I have

come to

build my

church

in other

words

I'm the

Messiah

who is

gathering

the people

of God

together

I've

come

to build

my

gathering

my

church

so

with that

in mind

let me

take a

shot

at

defining

the

church

according

to

Jesus

and then

seek to

help us

understand

how

it might

be able

to help

us here

today

I would

say

based on

the way

Jesus

is talking

about the

church

what he

is saying

is this

the

church

is God's

people

gathered

in God's

place

for

God's

purpose

the

church

is God's

people

gathered

in God's

place

for

God's

purpose

you see

the Bible

critics are

wrong

because they

make the

assumption

that the

church

began

in

Jerusalem

in Acts

2

which I

know you

guys have

been studying

or even

later on

in the

early forms

of the

Catholic

church

in truth

the church

began much

earlier than

that

the

church

as

Jesus

understands

it

we see

the first

church

actually

in

Genesis

Genesis 2 · chapter mention

chapter

2

where

God's

chosen

people

Adam

and Eve

are

gathered

in God's

place

the

garden

for

God's

purpose

to be

fruitful

and multiply

and cultivate

the earth

Noah and

his family

gathered

in the

ark

the

Israelites

gathered

about

Sinai

God's

people

in the

wilderness

camped

around

the

tabernacle

the temple

in Jerusalem

the

synagogues

that rose

up when

the Jews

were in

exile

all

represent

God's

people

gathered

in God's

place

for God's

purposes

so what

Jesus is

doing

is he's

backfilling

Peter's

understanding

of what

it means

for him

to say

he's the

Messiah

he's

saying

you know

your

history

Peter

you know

what it

means

to be

God's

people

gathered

in God's

place

for God's

purpose

you know

that's the

job

of the

Messiah

that's

what

I'm

doing

the people

who belong

to me

Jesus

says

they are

the true

church

and against

that church

even the

gates of

hell

shall not

prevail

to that

church

I will

give the

keys of

the kingdom

verse 16

19

as the

Messiah

I am

gathering

and

commissioning

my

church

so we

get to

Matthew

18

he doubles

down and

he begins to

talk about

the implications

of the

church

specifically

giving it

the role

to determine

and this is

significant

who belongs

among

the

Messiah's

people

and who

doesn't

in verse

17 he

says

if he

refuses

if that

one who

chooses to

live like

an unbeliever

though he

says he's a

Christian

if he refuses

to listen

even to

the church

let him

to be to

you the

church

as a

Gentile

and a

tax collector

so there is

real authority

here

that Jesus

the Messiah

has given

his church

now note

that in both

Matthew 16

and Matthew

18

Jesus makes

the same

statement

whatever you

bind on

earth

shall be

bound in

heaven

and whatever

you lose

on earth

shall be

loosed

in heaven

now this is

one of the

most misunderstood

texts in

the Bible

it's commonly

applied to

what is called

spiritual

warfare

spiritual

warfare is

real

and the

Bible does

tell us

how to

fight it

just not

here

the context

of both

places

where this

statement

occurs

makes abundantly

clear that

the binding

and loosing

is not how

we cast

out demons

the binding

and loosing

Jesus speaks

of is the

delegated

authority

of his

church

backed up

by heaven

itself

to define

who is a

follower of

Jesus

and who

isn't

now it's

not up to

us as

individuals

to decide

who's saved

and who's

not saved

in fact

even the

church

doesn't have

the right

to declare

salvation

only God

saves

but the

church

does have

a right

and a

responsibility

to communicate

on the basis

of your

life

or your

doctrine

you may

or may

not

be included

among the

people of

God

and that

should sober

people

because

that

is a

significant

authority

it should

hit us

at a

heavy

thought

the

church

has a

profound

responsibility

from God

to determine

true followership

and a

profound

authority

from God

to carry

out that

responsibility

that's why

for example

we baptize

people

in our

gatherings

the gathered

church

is responsible

to affirm

the authenticity

of a

person

profession

of faith

that's why

we guard

the table

of communion

only offering

it to professing

followers of

Christ

that's why

we practice

church membership

determining

who is of

this particular

body

and who is

just simply

attending

its services

and functions

that's why

we practice

biblical

eldership

because God

raises up

leadership

in the

church

and calls

leadership

to accountability

for the

health of

the church

it's why

we practice

church

discipline

the context

that is

involved here

because the

most precarious

place to be

in the world

is to be

comfortable

among God's

people

but with

no evidence

that you're

a true follower

of Jesus

brothers and

sisters

the new

testament

includes

us

in the

messianic

community

the church

of Jesus

Christ

called to

be God's

people

gathered in

God's

place

for God's

purpose

what does

it mean

to a

live streaming

mask

enduring

pandemic

fatigued

election

surviving

zoom

exhausted

news

distrusting

social media

disgusted

collection

of followers

who identify

with this

organization

known as

Trinity

Cambridge

Church

that's the

question we're

dealing with

today

and I have

three application

points based

on my

definition

followers of

Jesus

identify with

God's people

followers of

Jesus

gather in

God's place

and followers

of Jesus

live for

God's purpose

so our first

point

followers of

Jesus

identify with

God's people

in early

April

1891

British

pastor

Charles

Spurgeon

was battling

numerous

ailments

and actually

had only

nine months

more to

live

on this

earth

knowing he

was approaching

the end

he wanted to

leave his

people at the

Metropolitan

Tabernacle

in London

where he

pastored for

37 years

with what

he thought

they needed

to know

after he

was gone

130 years

ago this

past spring

he preached

a sermon

entitled

the best

donation

in the

sermon

he speaks

at length

about the

church

including

the following

words and

these are

words that

we have

shared with

our church

numerous

times

in the

past

Spurgeon

said give

yourself to

the church

you that are

members of

the church

have not

found it

perfect

and I hope

that you

feel almost

glad that

you have

not

if I had

never joined

a church

till I had

found one

that was

perfect

I should

never have

joined one

at all

and the

moment I

did join

it if

I had

found one

I should

have spoiled

it for

it would

not have

been a

perfect

church

after I

became a

member of

it still

as imperfect

as it

is it

is the

dearest

place on

earth to

us

coincidentally

for the

last 37

years of

my life

my church

covenant

fellowship

church

has been

the dearest

place on

earth to

me

it was

there that

I was

baptized

all of

my children

were dedicated

to the

Lord there

and later

baptized there

it is there

more than

anywhere else

that I've been

taught to be

a man

to be a

husband

to be a

father

to be a

disciple of

Jesus

and ultimately

to be a

minister of

the gospel

it is there

where I

developed the

deepest and

most lasting

friendships I

will ever

know

it is there

where I've

seen dear

saints that

I knew for

decades ushered

into glory

people who've

taught me how

to live well

and to die

in Jesus

I agree with

Mr. Spurgeon

covenant

fellowship is

not perfect

we've had our

problems we've

had our

disappointments

our mistakes

our regrets

our failures

and because I'm a

pastor I've

been in the

middle of them

all

but it's

truly the

dearest place

on earth

to me

now you

here at

Trinity

Cambridge

are on

the beginning

side of

that and

maybe you're

sitting here

and you're

saying I

can't imagine

being with

this group of

people for

37 years

in our

day and

age it's a

radical idea

when I

started going

to covenant

fellowship

we met in

a rented

facility

an old

school that

was contaminated

with roaches

that would

scurry around

during the

service

with no air

conditioning

and the room

we met in

had no

windows

and no air

conditioning

and that's

where we

started

and it took

15 years

to get to

a place

where we

could actually

be in our

own building

so the very

fact that you

might sit here

today and

say we are

far from

established

we're far

from being

a presence

don't

misunderstand

the way

God builds

his church

he starts

with people

who want

to be part

of his church

and expresses

it through

them

some of you

will be here

for 37

years

some of you

will die

here

if I have

my greatest

desire at this

point in my

life

besides the

salvation of

my grandkids

is to sit

in the

congregation

and see

our church

turned over

from our

senior pastor

Jared

mellinger

who is

about 40

right now

to a

next generation

that will

have given

me the

opportunity

to be part

of a church

plant

and see

two generations

of leadership

take the

church

that's exciting

to me

that's exciting

to me

because I want

to identify

with God's

people

when I think

about the

evangelical

church

more broadly

in our

country

over the

past year

it hasn't

seemed

very dear

if you know

what I mean

it hasn't

seemed very

dear

this past

week

depending on

how your

news feed

is set up

the church

has been

beset by

divisions

on denominational

lines

on racial

lines

on gender

lines

on generational

lines

on political

lines

battered by

scandal

compromise

backbiting

heretical

ideas

I don't need

to get

specific with

illustrations

you probably

know them

our reputation

these days

is kind

of like

being

a Philadelphia

sports fan

in another

town

we don't

necessarily

come with

the best

reputation

I was in

Minnesota

and we

treated

the Vikings

fans so

poorly

a few years

ago that I

felt compelled

to apologize

on behalf of

my city

to the people

in Minnesota

I didn't

apologize for

the beat down

we gave the

Vikings

but I did

apologize for

our attitude

that's how

we can feel

I feel like

I want to

apologize

I'm a

Christian

I'm so

sorry

we're not

all like

that

that's my

that's my

my knee

jerk

sense

maybe you

felt that

way about

the church

this year

you feel

like maybe

you need

to put

some distance

between you

and the

church

it's

it can be

uncomfortable

identified

as a church

goer

if you were

out today

out and about

and somebody

said hey

what are you

doing tonight

and you said

well I was

going to church

maybe you

felt a little

well do I

really want to

tell them that

is that really

going to

to be good

for me to

say

the church's

problems have

given the

world the

opportunity to

gloat over

us

but not just

gloat

we're beginning

if you haven't

noticed to be

viewed as a

problem

something that

needs to be

opposed

Mickey Connolly

director of

church care for

sovereign grace

recently wrote

an article about

how the

church is

beginning to

feel the

disfavor of

the culture

which for

people of my

generation is

disorienting

because we've

grown up as

Christians largely

in a favorable

place in the

culture no

more

it's a disfavor

that may be a

precursor to

opposition and

then even someday

to persecution

Mickey writes

this

when considering

any persecution

sovereign grace

churches in

America and

throughout the

world will face

in 2021 and

following I

don't think it's

going to be a

persecution as we

classically think

of beatings

imprisonment and

death though

someday that that

may come I

think the

persecution we

will face is

being shamed and

slandered because

of historic

Christian beliefs and

values in words

not shamed and

slandered because of

our behavior which

is shameful at

times but because

of the things that

we value at our

best we will be

shamed and

slandered the

hostility created in

these ways then

leads to material

harm being silenced

marginalized

canceled and

perhaps even

punished in some

way that's

increasingly happening

we need to see

that as a reality

here in this

Ivy League town

you may be

experiencing that

already

I'll be honest

I'm not looking

forward to it

I'm not one of

those people that

says bring it on

I'm one of those

people that says can

we just avoid all

that can we do a

better job but I

think it's coming

church we should

be prepared for

opposition for

oppression and

maybe even

persecution but we

must be united as

God's people to

weather that storm

and my main

concern for our

churches is at

this point there

are believers who

have started to

distance themselves

from the church

ashamed of what

people are saying

about it not

wanting to be

associated with it

wanting to

recreate their

spiritual spaces

not tied to the

follies and

fortunes of the

church may that

never happen to

us may it never

happen to you

Charles Spurgeon

knew the ridicule

of proper society

against his church

and we need to

heed the words he

spoke from the

same sermon I

just quoted this

is later on and

he says this I

remember the

difficulty I had

when I was

converted and

wished to join the

Christian church in

the place where I

lived I called

upon the minister

four successive

days before I

could see him and

each time there

was some obstacle

in the way of an

interview and as I

could not see him

at all I wrote and

told him I was going

to go down to the

church meeting and

propose myself as a

member I'd love to

see that happen he

looked upon me as a

strange character but

I meant what I

said for I felt

that I could not be

happy without

fellowship with the

people of God I

wanted to be

wherever they were

and if anybody

ridiculed them I

wished to be

ridiculed with them

and if people had an

ugly name for them I

wanted to be called

that ugly name for I

felt that unless I

suffered with Christ

in his humiliation I

could not expect to

reign with him in

his glory that's

Spurgeon as a young

man a fairly new

believer recognizing

that I cannot stand

alone as a Christian

and distance myself in

fact where the church

feels the disfavor of

the culture I want to

be associated with

that disfavor

that's uncomfortable

but it's in the

nature of what it

means to be the

church Jesus said it

himself he said

people will put you

out because of me

brothers and

sisters we are all

strange characters

called to an imperfect

church and that's a

glorious thing we want

to be people who

identify with God's

people number two

followers of Jesus

gather in God's

place in verse 20 of

chapter 18 we learn

something fundamental

about the nature of

the church Jesus

promises the

disciples where two

or three are gathered

in my name there I am

among them when

believers gather

together in Jesus

name in other words

in obedience to his

lordship they gather

together as under

his Messiah work in

building his church he

will show up last

March I discovered

something remarkable

early in the pandemic

I discovered the

amazing convenience of

live stream church

for many reasons I'm

grateful for the gift

of live stream

churching it allowed

connection during the

shutdown it's served

people who've needed to

quarantine and it even

introduced new people to

our church who found us on

the live stream who'd

never visited that was all

good but I started liking

it too much which is a

problem if you're a pastor

in the church we started

talking about maybe we

should start meeting in I

was like let's give it

another month or so I

kind of like my coffee

roll out of bed get my

coffee sit down enjoy the

service but I realized

something in the process

live stream churching is the

delivery of church content

but it is not church

getting church content

delivered to me through the

device of my own choosing is

not the church we have not

attended church when we

received that live stream

content we can benefit from the

live stream content we can be

grateful for it but we cannot

gather we cannot be the

church unless we gather

Jesus is not promised to show

up through the miracle of you

two he promises to show up

among people in a place he

says when you gather in my name

there I am among you there

locationally I am among you

this has always been massively

important to Christians at the

very beginning of the church in

Acts 2 46 we read that day by

day they met in the temple think

about this way Christians so

wanted to meet with Jesus that

they gathered day by day under the

gaze of the very people who put

their Savior to death on the cross

less than three months before they

were willing to be seen gathered

together in Jesus name the one

who had been crucified three months

before Christians so wanted to meet

with Jesus in the third century

under Roman persecution they would

gather in catacombs underground

burial tunnels it it fell safe

because their Roman persecutors were

superstitious of dead bodies Christians

so wanted to meet with Jesus in the

16th century that the French

Huguenots would gather together as a

church even though the law required

them to reserve a front pew for

government officials who could stop

the meeting at any point if they heard

anything they didn't like Christians

so wanted to meet with Jesus in the

1800s that enslaved people would find

hidden areas on the plantations to

gather to worship sometimes they hung

thick quilts soaked with water to form an

outdoor tabernacle to muffle the sound of

singing and preaching so slave masters

would not know where they were

Christians so wanted to meet with Jesus

that Chinese Christians today gather even

though the church government has

installed the Chinese government has

installed more than 170 million facial

recognition cameras to identify those who

attend worship services for future

crackdowns Christians so want to meet with

Jesus that our sovereign grace sister church in

Nepal baptized six young people just

recently even though baptism itself is a

criminal offense with a five-year prison

term in that country brothers and sisters

following Jesus eventually gets hard for

everybody what a wonderful promise that when we

gather together Jesus is there with us if God be for us who can be against us

and my third point the followers of Jesus live for God's purpose

now why did Jesus take time to instruct his disciples about the church in Matthew 16 and 18 they had no real idea what he was envisioning but see he knew his time was short Jesus wanted his disciples to begin to see themselves not just as disciples following around the teacher but as a body

his body his body remaining on this earth to do his will he wanted them to see themselves as a people left on earth for the sole purpose of representing God's saving grace in a world of sin and death that's the reason we're here you and I are here

because we've been left here for a purpose

in Revelation 2 Jesus the risen king is addressing the church he speaks to the church in Ephesus the thing the first thing he does is commend that church in Ephesus in the culture wars of the day they were standing strong they were not going to compromise

but they were so committed to being on the right side of things that Jesus says you've lost your first love

in the process of standing strong you've lost your first love they forgot their primary purpose to the beat to be the people on this earth who love the Lord with all their heart soul mind and strength and love their neighbor

and love their neighbor as themselves

as themselves

and Jesus warns them

he warns them

he warns them if they do not repent

and return to their first love

he would remove his lampstand

the presence

and power of the Holy Spirit

from among them which would make them simply a group of people

people gathering

for religious purposes

you see I'm not concerned that the world will somehow defeat the church as small as you might feel in this area as small as we feel at covenant fellowship in our area as small as we feel in a culture that seems to be running away from anything related to God I'm not worried because Jesus said the gates of hell cannot prevail against the church and you can't see us

I'm not concerned at the church as we are

I'm not concerned at the church

I'm not concerned at least a little bit

for churches like mine

and maybe for churches like yours

that we could lose our lampstand

we can lose it through compromise

trying to do

trying to stay in the world's favor

trying to keep up with the way the world thinks and talks about issues

trying to make their agenda our agenda

it happens all the time

or

we could also become so focused on opposing

and bemoaning the culture

that we forget why we're here

we could make the

Ephesian mistake

of being so oppositional

to the culture

that we stop loving the people

who are lost in that culture

from the viewpoint of the Bible

the world itself

is preserved from the wrath of God

in order that some

might still come to see

and know

the love of God

and the church has been left here

to demonstrate

and proclaim that love

Trinity Cambridge

in this crazy world around you

you dare not lose

your primary purpose

you dare not put

your lampstand at risk

I want to share a little parable

as I close

as I close

it's a personal parable

from my life

I had a chance one time

to visit Cambridge, England

there's another Cambridge

if you didn't know that

it's in England

Cambridge is the birthplace

of the English Reformation

when I was there

it was early December

and that happened to be

the evening

of the annual

Christmas celebration

they kick off

a Christmas celebration

the evening we were there

we were there

so we went to the market square

where the festivities

would be taking place

we arrived in the square

to find a pack of people

and decorated for holidays

looked around and I saw

the 500 year old cobblestone

plaza

brightly lit shops

cafes and pubs