First Thoughts

What do you say to intoduce yourself to a church you hope to lead with all the love, energy and vision you feel God has given you? I am not too sure. I decided to just lift their eyes to the vision of God for His church and the glorious role it plays in the ‘redemption story’ that is reality.

Here is a brief summary of the exhortation I gave to the church in Watford:

The dynamic church leader Bill Hybels has made this stunning statement, “The local church is the hope of the world…” I believe this wholeheartedly. Every moment of my life is driven by a consciousness of this glorious truth. Hybels did not just pluck this from the air, he did not just come up with it, this is the overarching truth of God’s redemption plan.

The whole story of the bible is a story of redemption, a story of a gloriously just and loving God orchestrating a marvelous plan to redeem lost, broken, self-destructive people back to Himself. The story is now in its final chapters and these are the best ones—these chapters are about THE CHURCH.

Just let these verses strike you:
Is. 2: 2-3; Jer. 31:33; Ezek. 36:33-36; jn. 17: 21-23; Eph. 3:10

All these verses are about this time, they are about you and me. They are about the startling story that God is now using you and me to redeem the world to Himself. He is using you and me to advance the Kingdom of God…

“[and] we who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”- II Cor. 3:18

This verse is all about transformation, it is all about God the Spirit transforming us into bright reflections of Christ that display His glory to the people surrounding us. Do you get that, how powerfully does that strike you? I am riveted to this verse. This verse grasps the ‘life’ of the church perfectly. It speaks of MISSION because it is written to a community of people so it means that WE, the church, should reflect the glory of Christ to a lost, broken, and dying world.

The community of God’s people is the agent of change for this world. This vision, the vision of this church transforming lives, changing communities and impacting nations is the overarching, driving hope that has united these men of God, your brilliant elders with me as God has worked in bringing us together ‘for such a time as this.’

We know what God has called us to. We see a future and it is captivating, exhilirating but will be extremely demanding.

We will not be an army of people with a family mindset that is stunted by self-love we will be a family with an army mentality, strategically advancing the Kingdom of God in Watford and watching the ripple effects influence the ends of the world.

Simon