The Perfecting Church

Jesus demonstrates the power of one with His life. He leaves heaven and willingly lays down His life to rescue and redeem our lives. Too often we’re afraid and unwilling to lay down what we value. We too are called to give ourselves, to collaborate with God and extend His Kingdom one obedient step at a time. We are called to extend God’s Kingdom over building our empires.

Jesus called a little child into the conversation when His disciples asked Him, “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?” The people with child like faith may not look like much to the natural eye, but their level of trust, dependence and availability to God is what makes way for His glory — it allows God’s greatness to shine through their lives.

Jesus’ disciples had the desire for greatness, but they didn’t know what greatness was or how to achieve it. God alone defines greatness and He calls us to it, through collaboration with Him in childlike faith. This means, there will be times when we have to let go of what man calls good enough to embrace what God calls great.

One thing that hinders many from living with a child like dependence on God, is believing we have to look out for ourselves. The truth of the matter is we aren’t as capable of looking out for ourselves as we believe we are. In fact, looking out for number one is the very thing that keeps us from being the one. If only we knew and trusted how closely heaven watches and keeps us, we could take our rightful place as the one.

This year’s esteemed panelists will shed light on ways the “Drum Major Instinct” has led to the many disparities and inequities the pandemic and recent political turmoil unveiled, while highlighting the fact that "Everybody can be great because anybody can serve,” as Dr. King famously concluded.

In any partnership, it is imperative we agree on terms. We have heard repeatedly this week “words matter.” As believers, this is not news (life and death are in the power of the tongue) but prayerfully, in the course of the recent and coming messages, we are seeing with more acuity how this Truth matters to you and me.

Could it be that while Donald J. Trump and other nationalist leaders like him were being sworn into office around this country and the world, God was beginning a campaign of His own to make our hearts childlike again? A campaign to show that man apart from Him does not know what greatness is nor have the ability to make anything or anyone great. While man is at work foolishly trying to make himself great again, God is powerfully and personally at work to make our hearts childlike again.

Greatness and glory are synonymous with God. Some have no desire for greatness or glory, others are obsessed with it. God has purposed us for glory, His greatness to be seen on our lives. He intends for us to be great because He is — and we‘ve been called to collaborate with Him.

Tonight, we begin a journey by stepping into the grace of God that will challenge, shape and guide us throughout this year. The one word that captures what God is saying and revealing is collaboration. There’s so much packed into that one word. Tonight we begin unpacking, as God begins pouring great grace into us — His Church for Collaboration 2021.

It’s true we can’t move forward while looking behind. But often those things behind were preparing us and revealing to us what will be needed ahead. So we look back, but with the awareness that we’re being prepared to press on. The first year of this new decade has shown us much and prepared us for much more.