Religion & Spirituality
Josh kicks off a series of messages walking through the theme of "equipping the saints for the work of ministry" from Ephesians 4. Paul explains to the church in Ephesus that God has already done and continues to do much of the work in and through us. Part of becoming "equipped" is remembering that we walk in that reality. We know that God is good; He has a plan; and He will bring righteousness and shalom. Ephesians 4:11-13; Ephesians 1. Josh shared two quotes 1) Gordon McClellan -- "I think the answer is to be found in verse 17. There, we hear of the goal to come to 'know [Christ] better' (NIV). This, it seems to me, is the true purpose of the church -- not always to get it right, or to have a pristine history of always being on the right side of every issue. Rather, the purpose of the church is to be a vehicle that works continually to know and reveal Christ better. In this sense, there is no other vehicle, no other institution like it on earth. This is what allows the church the opportunity to 'complete Jesus.' By presenting to the world a model of what it looks like continually to strive to know Christ better, the church has the unique opportunity to complete the mission and ministry of Jesus Christ." 2) Henri Nouwen (from Life of the Beloved) -- "Every time you listen with great attentiveness to the voice that calls you the Beloved, you will discover within yourself a desire to hear that voice longer and more deeply. It is like discovering a well in the desert. Once you have touched wet ground, you want to dig deeper."