God's Masterpiece

Church is not a mindless tradition that we as Christians attend to once a week.  And it's not a place where we gather with friends to hear a motivating message about how to live better lives.  No.  It is much bigger and immensely more important. 

"What is the really important thing that is happening in the world in our generation?  Where are the really significant events taking place? What is the most important thing?  Where do you need to look in the modern world to see the most significant event from a divine perspective?  Where is the focus of God's activity in history?

The most significant thing happening in history is the calling, redeeming, and perfecting of the people of God.  God is building the church of Jesus Christ.  The rest of history is simply a stage God erects for that purpose.  He is calling out a people.  He is perfecting them.  He is changing them.  History's great climax comes when God brings down the curtain on this bankrupt world and the Lord Jesus Christ arrives in his infinite glory.  The rest of history is simply the scaffolding for the real work...

And there will come a day when God will pull down the scaffolding of world history.  Do you know what he will be pointing to when he says to the whole creation, "There is my masterpiece"?  He will be pointing to the church of Jesus Christ.  In the forefront of it all will be the Lord Jesus himself who will come and say, "Here am I, and the children you have given me, perfected in the beauty of holiness."  - Scottish preacher Eric Alexander as quoted by Richard Phillips in Masculine Mandate

Let this encourage you.  God is building & perfecting his people for that glorious day of His return.  And how has God purposed to bring this about?  Through your local church.  We must never forget that God uses means, and what a glorious means this is!  Therefore, when you take the time to cook a meal for the family who is extremely busy with the birth of a newborn, you are God's chosen hammer to drive another nail in the framework of the house of God.  When you sit down with your friend in small group to pray with him for an upcoming surgery, you are the chisel that God used to carefully sculpt His monument in progress.  And when you gently rebuke your brother in Christ to turn from his sin and toward his Savior, you are the brush in the hand of God that gently stroked the canvas of His Masterpiece.  God is perfecting His people, and it is a glorious work!