Thirty-three years ago today, less than two miles from where we regularly meet,[2] South Woods had its first gathering. At that time, we were known as Kirby Woods at Winchester, reflecting the mother church that provided a building for us and sent us out, as well as the “satellite” concept of which we were a part.[3] I would love to say that we knew precisely what we were doing as we planted this new church in southeastern Shelby County. But we didn’t, including the pastor. I had served as pastor in three other churches, so there was no lack when it came to knowing some of the normal practices and mechanics of church life. I had experience with preaching, teaching, counseling, organizing, etc. But what I didn’t understand very well at that point was just how tightly the Lord of the Church has gathered His people to be centered in the gospel. I was learning but didn’t grasp it, nor did others who joined to help start the church.

We had plenty of excitement, lots of activities, warm atmosphere, and involvement in the things we did as a church. Each week in the building where we met, we had to set up and take down everything from the worship area to Sunday School spaces to baby beds for the preschool. People were good about volunteering and pitching in. And the interest seemed to grow, as more people came to visit this new church in southeast Shelby County. But something big was missing.

Many of you know the story, once the original building was sold, we moved about for two years in temporary spaces until building our present facility. Those were trying days in those locations, pretty much shielding us from anyone visiting services. More importantly, those were reshaping, honing, and transforming days, as I, along with a number of others in the membership, began to see the centrality of the gospel to the whole of life, including everything we’re about as a church.

I wish I could tell you that everyone rejoiced in seeing this wonderfully clear gospel line throughout the entire Bible. But it didn’t happen. A division arose—a really big division. The majority of the membership left over a three-year period. But, thank God, something amazingly wonderful happened. We learned what it was to be together for the gospel. We learned that being part of a church was not for self or comfort or personal success or following our dreams or believing what we wanted to believe or even being a Baptist. On the contrary, the gospel birthed the church.[4] In doing so, the gospel didn’t check out, and leave the church to its imagination or creativity or ingenuity. Instead, Jesus rooted and grounded the church in the good news of His redemptive work.

John and Luke offer some strikingly parallel elements about the resurrection story and the young church emerging from the resurrected Lord’s triumph over sin and death. Luke tells us about the two disciples on the road to Emmaus who learned that all of Scripture unfolds the revelation of who Jesus is and what Jesus accomplished (Luke 24:35). These two early witnesses rushed to tell the disciples about Jesus appearing to them, when suddenly, as John and Luke record, Jesus came into their locked room.[5] We’ll follow John’s testimony in this exposition where he helps us understand a critical truth on this 33rd anniversary of our church. The risen Christ binds the church together for the gospel. How does this binding together for the gospel affect the church? Let’s consider it in three regular actions of the church.

1. Rejoice in Jesus’ Triumph

Fear gripped the disciples. “So when it was evening on that day [on Easter Sunday], the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’” Hatred from the Jewish leaders aimed at Jesus might also be aimed at them. They had been with Him at the arrest; some fought back; they scattered (except John); now they regathered. The “doors were shut,”[...]