The Church is Strong

“… For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” (1 Thessalonians 1:7–10 ESV)

Jesus has promised that He will build His Church and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it. And Paul has spoken of the Church as the “manifold wisdom of God” (Eph 3:10); and the “pillar and buttress of truth” (1 Tim 3:15). And Eugene Peterson’s interpretation of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians in chapter 1:22 is worth considering…

“He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the center of all this, Christ rules the church. The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ’s body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence.” (Ephesians 1:22–23 MESSAGE)

As our world around us has been shaken to the core in the year 2020, Christ is building His Church. As the troubles multiplied and the pressures increase, we can rest assured that the true Church of Christ will remain standing. If we are the Church, we can have full assurance, that all this shaking and moving is done in order finally to ensure that what is truly unshakeable will be remain. The Church of Christ is truly strong and have nothing to fear. So it is vital for us to ask - Who is the Church? Are we the Church of Christ? What marks us as the Church of Christ?

When the Circuit Breaker began in Singapore in the first quarter of the year, I challenged us with this truth - God is inviting us to a fresh understanding of what it means to be the Church. We read Acts 2:42 and on Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday weekend 2020, we devoted ourselves to Eat, Pray and Grow Together; and I believe since then till now, God has taken all of us on a journey to comprehend what it means to be the Church.

As we come to the end of the year, and prepare ourselves for 2021; as we begin to take stock of our lives and consolidate this challenging year 2020, I want to highlight Paul’s description of the church for our reflection and consideration. The Church, according to Paul is

1. a people who are have “turned to God from idols”

2. a people who having turned from idols now “serve the living and true God”

3. a people who are to “wait for His Son from Heaven”

With the help of the Spirit, I hope to develop these three points from Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians over the next few weeks. Christ is building His Church - and I pray that as we end the year, and prepare for 2021, He will strengthen us for His Glory.