"Living the gospel to multiply Christ's kingdom"
When we say who we are in one sentence, that's it!
"Living the gospel”
John 1:14 is one of the most spectacular verses in the Bible. “The Word became flesh and lived
among us...” The Eternal God actually became a human and lived among people. Humans touched God! They saw his glory, they ate with him, slept with him. They watched how Jesus lived, they got to hear him speak. What did he say? What were his priorities? Jesus laid them out as he spoke in Nazareth's synagogue at the beginning of his public ministry.
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor," (Luke 4:18-19).
If we want to live the gospel the way Jesus did, our priorities have to line up with his.
“to multiply Christ’s kingdom”
God has never been into simple addition. He multiplies. It was the key word in God's first conversation with Adam and Eve. "Multiply." God repeated it to Noah after the flood, "Multiply, fill the earth." Abraham heard it, too. "Abraham, I will multiply your descendants. They will number like the sand and the stars."
It's no surprise, then, when Jesus described the kingdom of heaven, he used multiplying word pictures. He said the kingdom is like a mustard seed that grows many times its original size. It's like a farmer planting seeds that will produce 100 fold. It's like yeast filling a lump of dough (Mt 13). Just before his ascension, Jesus laid out a strategic plan for the apostles, one that would multiply his kingdom. "Be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and on to the ends of the earth," Jesus said (Acts 1:8). Jesus designed the church to multiply. Cornerstone's mandate is no different than the one God gave the first couple, Abraham, Noah, and the apostles. Multiply. Never settle for simple addition!
Multiplication happens personally when we share Christ with others. It happens in a larger way when we start other churches. In April 2007 we launched our first church plant, Gresham Bible Church. We like the mid-sized church (300-400 people). It's big enough to do the things we need to do, and yet small enough so we can know each other. As we grow, and as the Lord provides leaders, we will continue to plant churches. There is no better way to "multiply" the kingdom!
"Living the gospel”
John 1:14 is one of the most spectacular verses in the Bible. “The Word became flesh and lived
among us...” The Eternal God actually became a human and lived among people. Humans touched God! They saw his glory, they ate with him, slept with him. They watched how Jesus lived, they got to hear him speak. What did he say? What were his priorities? Jesus laid them out as he spoke in Nazareth's synagogue at the beginning of his public ministry. "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor," (Luke 4:18-19).
If we want to live the gospel the way Jesus did, our priorities have to line up with his.
“to multiply Christ’s kingdom”
God has never been into simple addition. He multiplies. It was the key word in God's first conversation with Adam and Eve. "Multiply." God repeated it to Noah after the flood, "Multiply, fill the earth." Abraham heard it, too. "Abraham, I will multiply your descendants. They will number like the sand and the stars."
It's no surprise, then, when Jesus described the kingdom of heaven, he used multiplying word pictures. He said the kingdom is like a mustard seed that grows many times its original size. It's like a farmer planting seeds that will produce 100 fold. It's like yeast filling a lump of dough (Mt 13). Just before his ascension, Jesus laid out a strategic plan for the apostles, one that would multiply his kingdom. "Be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and on to the ends of the earth," Jesus said (Acts 1:8). Jesus designed the church to multiply. Cornerstone's mandate is no different than the one God gave the first couple, Abraham, Noah, and the apostles. Multiply. Never settle for simple addition!
Multiplication happens personally when we share Christ with others. It happens in a larger way when we start other churches. In April 2007 we launched our first church plant, Gresham Bible Church. We like the mid-sized church (300-400 people). It's big enough to do the things we need to do, and yet small enough so we can know each other. As we grow, and as the Lord provides leaders, we will continue to plant churches. There is no better way to "multiply" the kingdom!