I am writing these things to you so that… you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. – 1 Timothy 3:14-15
Here, Paul tells us what his letter is about. It has been given by God to tell us what He is looking for in the church—what we are to pursue, how we are to behave, and what we are to be about.
People talk about what they are looking for in a church. But what is God looking for? It’s not for us to decide what’s important and then look for Bible texts to support our passion. We start from the Bible, where God tells us what is important to Him, so that we can follow after His passion.
Sometimes, a few people have a particular passion. They want the whole church to be about what they are about. That always leads to division. If Jesus Christ is not the center of your affection, you will become a divisive person in the church.
Paul says, “I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2). We are not here to advance our own cause. We are here for Christ! For the gospel!
Why is this so important? “The aim of our charge is love” (1 Tim. 1:5). The only way to have real unity is by keeping Jesus Christ and His gospel at the center. We are to put down deep roots into God’s Word. We are to grow in our life in Christ. We are to bear fruit around the world.
The book of 1 Timothy spells out for us ten distinctives of a church that stays focused on Jesus and the gospel.
Are you more interested in talking about what you want in a church, or in hearing what God wants in a church?
