by Justin Thomas
We have been feeling called to plant a church on Capitol Hill. This is the second post sharing the vision that God has given us. (The first post can be found here) The core of this vision comes from 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10
For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to 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, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
A church that is waiting for Jesus
The return of Jesus Christ is mentioned by every New Testament author. In total, it is referred to over 300 times. To the early church however, the second coming of Jesus was more than just a major doctrine, it was an interpretive lens through which they viewed the scriptures, their circumstances, and even their daily life. Our desire is that the church on Capitol Hill will be a waiting church.
Within this desire, orur emphasis on the coming of Jesus needs to be scriptural. The Bible doesn’t speak of Christ’s return as being immediate, which would lead us to sell our possesions, isolate ourselves from the world, while watching the clouds; but instead it speaks of His imminent return. This should lead us to active waiting, that is, serving while knowing our Master could return at any time.
Stating that the church on Capitol Hill will emphasize the imminent return of Jesus does not mean it will be a church that is caught up in detailed eschatology or prophecy conferences. The problem with these things is not in the obvious desire to know God’s word but the fact that often the result is solely being more knowledgeable, not more obedient. As stated above, the doctrine of the second coming was a primary motivation to the early church to get to work. Why is it then that modern prophecy conferences just seem to lead to more prophecy conferences? It is not the perfect explanation of this doctrine that should be top priority but the expectation this doctrine produces. To paraphrase H. A. Ironside, It is not enough to just take hold of the doctrine of the second coming of Jesus, this doctrine needs to take hold of us.
These two abuses, a passive waiting in response to the expectation of the immediate return and an overemphasis of the explanation of this doctrine without an expectation for these things, has led many churches to neglect the return of Christ in order to emphasize the here and now. The thinking seems to be that a missional church (a church where the members are being equipped for ministry in their home, work, and city) has little place for a focus on the future return of Christ. In actuality, the expectation of the imminent return of Christ is the ultimate motivation for the missional church, because it is Jesus’ church, not ours, and it’s Jesus’ mission, not ours. We are his stewards, his servants who will be called into account when our Master returns, and no one knows the day or the hour. (Matthew 25:13)
Our desire for the church on Capitol Hill therefore, is to be a church that is waiting for Jesus. Not just a church that believes in the imminent return of Jesus, but a church that interperets all we do through the expectation of that return. A church who with their mouths and lives continuously say, like the early Christians, “Come Lord Jesus”. (Revelation 22:20)
To be continued…
