Let’s design a perfect church. Start with the chairs. Next to every seat, leave a seat empty for mercy, for Jesus. Realize what is true. We are seated, with Christ, at the right hand of the heavenly Father.
Ephesians 2:4 “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ, and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding richness of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”
We will come to worship, in our perfect church, knowing we are coming together to sit side by side with He, Who will never leave us nor forsake us. Watchman Nee, a native to China missionary writes in his book “Sit, Walk, Stand : The Process of Christian Maturity”, that “from this point onward Christian experience proceeds as it began, not on the basis of our own work, but ALWAYS on that finished work of Another. Every new spiritual experience begins with an acceptance by faith of what God has done.”
Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
The perfect church is a pit stop in the race Christ has already run. There is no pre-qualifying lap, no calling down heaven to earth. He’s already been there, done that. Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race set before us, looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand throne of God.”
We too have a joy set before us, and it is our strength; discovered in song, uncovered in service, recovered in fellowship and communion. Mr. Nee goes on to say, “there is no need to plead with God for this gift, no need to wait for the Spirit’s outpouring because… Ephesians 1:13 “In Him you also trusted after you heard the Word of Truth, the Gospel of your salvation, and having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, Who is the guarantee of our inheritance until redemption to the praise of His glory.”
Nee completes his reasoning with the statement, “God is not out to reform our life, (or I would add our government), it is not His aim to bring us to a certain stage of refinement. To bring man to Glory He must have a new man; one born anew, born of Himself, regenerated and justified according to His purpose.” Without spot or blemish. A perfect church. The Bride of Christ living what He, the Master wedding planner, has prepared for us as a normal, Christian, life.
How we design our perfect church, which of course is our heart and mind, will come to a head in the banners we unfurl, as Christ has in the invitation to the Great Banquet: “Come; for all things are now ready.” Luke 14:17
Take a seat.
Great stuff! Straight gospel juicyness!