Our vision as Charis is to be a church that reveals the whole Gospel to the whole person for the sake of the whole world.  We believe with all of our hearts that we are to be “the aroma of Christ”; spreading the knowledge of God everywhere we go.  But how are we going to do it?  How are we going to live in such a way as to reveal the Gospel?  We must believe the Gospel ourselves.

We need to understand we continually need the Gospel as much as anyone.  Our first priority is not figuring out what we must do.  Our first priority is always realizing what Jesus has done.  The most important thing about us as individuals and as a church is not what we do.  The most important thing about who we are as individuals and as a church is what God has done for us in the Gospel. 

What is the Gospel?  The Gospel is the good news of the good God who came to earth in Jesus Christ.  He came to save His rebellious children from sin and folly, to forgive them, to make them whole by dying for their sin, and to restore them to Himself. 

Through the Gospel,

We’re forgiven. (Eph. 1:7)

We’re made God’s children. (1 John 3:1)

We’re loved by God.  (Romans 5:8)

We’re given the Holy Spirit. (Eph. 1:13)

We have a relationship with God. (1 John 1:3)

We’re promised an inheritance. – (1 Peter 1:3-5)

We’re made dead to sin and alive to God. –(Romans 6:6-8;11)

We’re freed from selfishness to serve God. (2 Cor. 5:15)

We’re promised eternal life in a world without any sin and sorrow one day. (Rev. 21:3-5)

We receive radical grace and kindness from God. (Titus 3:3-5)

We’re sent out into the world as missionaries with the gospel. (John 17:18)

We belong to God’s people, the church. (Eph. 2:13,19)

We’re given gifts to serve the church. (Romans 12:4-8)

All of this is true of us as believers in Christ.  (*Speaking to Charis* this is true about us!)  These aren’t just nice, inspiring thoughts.  This is our reality in Christ.  What would happen in our lives if we lived everyday, through every circumstance, in every relationship – in view of the reality of the Gospel? 

The most important thing for our church to do is to believe the Gospel.  The only way we will live out our vision of being a church that reveals the whole Gospel to the whole person for the sake of the whole world is if we ourselves continually grow in our understanding, belief, joy, and hope in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

The more we preach the Gospel to ourselves, the more we intentionally strive to live in the good of the Gospel, and the more we identify idols in our lives that look to unseat Jesus as our hope, joy, satisfaction, and identity – the more we will bear fruit, reveal the Gospel, and live out God’s vision for us.  

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.” – James 5:16

Charis Community Church is a community of people saved by grace, hoping in Christ, battling sin, and pursuing Christ-likeness.  Because we understand these truths about ourselves, Charis ought to be a community of humble transparency in regards to our struggles with sin rather than pridefully putting up fronts and hiding from truly being known. 

Because we’re saved by grace, we no longer need to hide, defend and justify ourselves to one another.  We understand God is our Judge (Romans 8:33-34), and Jesus is our Advocate (1 John 2:1).  Our Judge has removed the guilt of sin from us and has justified us already through the blood of Jesus Christ, our Advocate.  This gives us the freedom to confess our sin to one another, rather than hide it, defend it, or try to justify it. 

Because our hope is in Christ, and not in our performance, we can be honest about our failures and ask one another to pray for us and help us and keep us accountable. 

Because we all battle sin, we can assume others within Charis are struggling with the same or similar weaknesses and sins that we are. We can then encourage and confront one another with the love, hope and humility of knowing we are in this together and wish the best for one another.

And because we are all pursuing Christ-likeness, we can invite brothers and sisters in Charis into our lives to help encourage and confront us in love. 

Because of the cross, our struggle with sin is ALWAYS a struggle with sin that has been canceled, forgiven, paid for, and on its way out.  As we confront sin, confess sin, and repent of sin in our lives – healing, joy, and Christ-likeness come in to replace it. 

May God bring this kind of grace into Charis, where friendships built on the gospel of Jesus would be formed and deepened, where there would be a safe place for sinners to come and honestly assess their hearts, motives, and actions, and confess their sin to one another and be reminded of Christ’s finished work on the cross, and where people’s joy in the grace of God would overflow into love for God and repentance of sin.  It is in this context that healing and wholeness comes.  The church is to be a hospital where sinners can come and find grace to be healed (even sinners who are pastors).  

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward.  You are serving the Lord Christ.” - Colossians 3:23,24

 “Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him.” – 1 Corinthians 7:17

It is a common (although often unspoken) belief among Christians that God “calls” pastors and missionaries to their work, but not other jobs and professions – like being a teacher, lawyer, mechanic, or stay-at-home mom.  The belief or assumption is that church work is service to the Lord, but not other work.  This is not true!

The Bible teaches that God calls his people to all kinds of work.  Theologians call this the “doctrine of vocation”.  Vocation simply means “calling”.  The doctrine of vocation teaches that every Christian is called to specific work, through which God himself cares for and governs the world.

God protects us through police officers.  God teaches us through teachers.  God provides means of travel for us through auto mechanics and engineers.  God raises and teaches children through parents. 

Martin Luther called our vocations the “masks of God”.  On the surface, we see an ordinary human face—our mother, the doctor, the teacher, the waitress, our pastor—but, beneath the appearances, God is ministering to us through them.  God is hidden in human vocations.

Gene Veith, when speaking of the doctrine of vocation, says, “When God blesses us, He almost always does it through other people.  The ability to read God’s Word is an inexpressibly precious blessing, but reading is an ability that did not spring fully-formed in our young minds.  It required the vocation of teachers.  God protects us through the cop on the beat…He gives us beauty and meaning through artists.  He lets us travel through the ministry of auto workers, mechanics, road crews and car dealers.  He keeps us clean through the work of trash collectors, plumbers, sanitation workers and the sometimes undocumented aliens who clean our hotel rooms.  He heals through doctors, nurses, and pharmacists.  He brings people to salvation through pastors and through anyone else who preaches the gospel.  The fast-food worker, the inventor, the clerical assistant, the scientist, the accountant, the musician—they are all high callings, used by God to bless and serve His people and His creation.”

So all work is important to God, and God calls His people to all kinds of work in order to bless people.  While most of us place ourselves at the center of our work, under the assumption that the work we do is all about ourselves (what we want to do and how we want to prosper), the doctrine of vocation puts God and others at the center of our work (what God calls us to do to help His creation prosper).  

One of the “perceived” benefits to legalism (treating man-made commandments as if they were God-given commandments) and religion (if I obey good enough and perform well enough, then I’ll be accepted by God) is that they, allegedly, offer the most effective motivation to do good works.  Otherwise, how else will people do what’s right apart from a little fear, guilt, and condemnation?  Right?  Wrong.

For Christians, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is too often seen only as being useful for evangelism, and is primarily viewed as merely the entry point to Christianity.  Legalism often suggests for Christian “growth” to take place, that religion and fear must be called back up from the minor leagues—so to speak—and essential doctrines of the Gospel and grace are forced to take a seat on the bench.  None of us are totally immune from the tendency to fall back into works-oriented religion.  As Martin Luther once said, “religion is the default mode of the human heart.”  We must continually be called back to the gospel of grace.  We must understand the Gospel not only in relationship to justification (being saved), but also in relationship to sanctification (growing in Christ-likeness). 

In the Bible, Titus Chapter 3 gives us good teaching on Gospel-motivated good works.  Titus 3:5-8 says that God saved us, “not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy…through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”  The Gospel always serves as a reminder we are saved by grace, not by works.  The Apostle Paul goes on to instruct Titus to, “insist on these things (the gospel of grace), so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works” (3:8).  In essence, Paul is saying that since we’ve been saved by grace, this ought to motivate us to devote ourselves to good works.  The gospel of grace provides authentic motivation for devoting ourselves to good works!  

We must realize we are called to “insist”—as Paul commands—on the Gospel rather than guilt, condemnation, fear, legalism, manipulation, and all the other things we typically lean on to motivate ourselves and others to do good.  We must “insist” on the gospel to ourselves, to our families, and to one another.  Through hearing, knowing, and operating out of the Gospel, we’ll devote ourselves to good works!

One of our callings as the people of God is to be an alternative “city within a city.” Jesus calls us “the light of the world” and “a city on a hill” that is not to be hidden (Matt. 5:14).  As this alternative city within a city, we are to cultivate a culture that honors God, brings joy to people, and does good to the larger city in which we’re contained. 

An important aspect of cultivating this God-honoring “counter-culture” is understanding who Christ has called us–out of the darkness of the world—to be.  The following is a blueprint of what this counter-culture is to look like, in regards to the roles of men, women, singles, and members of a family.  There is of course much more that could be said about all of these areas, but I believe this starts us off in the right direction. 

Men, who…

§ Love God above all things (Matt. 22:36-37). 

§ Read the Bible and pray (Ps. 19:7-14). 

§ Understand and take seriously their calling to be leaders in our church and in their families by serving others and sacrificing themselves for the good of others (Matt. 20:25-28; 1 Tim. 3:1-7; 2 Tim. 2:2; 1 Cor. 11:3).

§ Have a good theology of work and money (Eph. 4:28; Col. 3:23-24; 1 Cor. 10:31; Heb. 13:5-6; 1 Tim. 6:17-19). 

§ Understand their identity in Christ as loved sons of God, called to sacrificially and humbly serve as missionaries in our community (Romans 8:14-17,37; 2 Cor. 5:17-20). 

§ Act responsibly (Eph. 5:15-17). 

§ Use their time, talents, and resources to further God’s mission in the world (Acts 20:24). 

§ Will not lust after women who aren’t their wives (Job 31:1). 

§ Encourage one another regularly to turn from sin and live for Christ (Hebrews 3:13).

§ Protect the purity of their sisters in Christ, rather than attempt to take it away (1 Tim. 5:1-2).

§ Desire the best for one another (1 Cor. 12:12-27). 

§ Train younger men how to obey God (2 Tim. 2:2).

Women, who…  

§ Love God above all things (Matt. 22:36-37). 

§ Love and care for other women in our community, looking for ways to encourage them in their faith (Titus 2:3-5; Heb. 10:24). 

§ Continually seek to grow in the knowledge of God and to understand the fullness of the gospel (Col. 1:9-10; Eph. 3:14-19). 

§ Understand their identity in Christ as beloved daughters of God, called to sacrificially and humbly serve as missionaries in our community (Romans 8:14-17,37; 2 Cor. 5:17-20). 

§ Practice mercy and righteousness (2 Tim. 1:7). 

§ Serve the men in our community well by dressing modestly (1 Tim. 2:9-10; 1 Tim. 5:1-2).

§ Speak only words that help, encourage, and strengthen others (Eph. 4:29). 

§ Are content with what God has given them materially and are not envious of others (Heb. 13:5-6; 1 Tim. 6:6-10). 

§ Set their minds and bodies to serving Christ (Col. 3:1-2; 1 Cor. 6:19-20). 

§ Train younger women how to obey God (Titus 2:3-5).   

Singles, who…

§ Love and serve Jesus above all else (Matt. 22:36-37). 

§ Take advantage of their time as a single to serve God in ways and capacities they would not be able to if they were married (1 Cor. 7:32-35).

§ Serve the church sacrificially (1 John 3:16). 

§ Prepare for marriage in their time as a single - assuming they don’t have the gift of singleness (Prov. 1-8). 

§ Have healthy, God-honoring relationships with the opposite sex (1 Tim. 5:1-2). 

§ Are examples to the rest of the church in holiness, humility, and faith (1 Tim. 4:12; 1 Cor. 7:6-8,32-35).

Husbands/Fathers, who…

§ Love their wives sacrificially as Christ loved the church (Eph. 5:25-29). 

§ Are active in their children’s lives – talking to them, playing with them, spending time with them, teaching them, and disciplining them (Deut. 6:4-9; Prov. 13:24; Eph. 6:4). 

§ Pastor their family and lead them – in word and deed (1 Cor. 11:3; Eph. 6:4). 

§ Take responsibility for the spiritual/physical/emotional well being of their family (1 Cor. 11:3; Prov. 20:7). 

§ Pray with their wives (1 Peter 3:7; Eph. 5:28-30). 

§ Study the Bible with their family (Deut. 6:4-9; Prov. 22:6). 

Wives/Mothers, who…

§ Love their husband and their kids (Titus 2:4). 

§ Respect and submit themselves with joy to their husband’s leadership (Titus 2:5; Eph. 5:22-24). 

§ Seek to find ways that they can best help their husbands (Gen. 2:18-25; Prov. 31:10-12). 

§ Do not buy into the cultural lie that working in the marketplace is more important or satisfying than working in the home (Titus 2:4-5; Prov. 31:27). 

§ Teach their children the Bible and how to live it out (Deut. 6:4-9; Prov. 1:8-9; Prov. 22:6; Prov. 31:26).   

Children, who are…

§ Seen as a blessing (Ps. 127:3-5). 

§ Loved and cared for (Prov. 13:24; Titus 2:4; Eph. 6:4). 

§ Taught the Bible (Deut. 6:4-9). 

§ Taught how to pray (Eph. 6:4). 

§ Learning about the gospel and their need for Jesus (2 Tim. 3:14-15). 

§ Learning about what God is like through seeing the examples around them (2 Cor. 2:14). 

§ Growing in wisdom (Prov. 1-8). 

§ Disciplined in love (Prov. 13:24). 

In Acts 17, the Apostle Paul shed some divine light on this question as he shared the gospel with a group of Athenians.  In verse 26 Paul said, “And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him.  Yet he is actually not far from each one of us…”

The Bible says here that God has determined the time and place where we live.  We are in Bloomington-Normal by God’s determination, not ours.  Now, don’t give up making wise decisions and become unnecessarily fatalistic.  God uses our reasoning capacities, desires, family and various other things to move us where He wants us.  But, we need to understand we’re here because God has placed us here. 

God has also placed people around us.  He has determined where we live, and He’s also determined where those around us live.  Interesting, eh?  And why would He do that?  “That they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him.”  There are most likely people around you seeking God, or more specifically, God is seeking after them.  And, many may not even realize God is seeking them. 

There are people in your neighborhood, in your family, in your workplace and in your life that God is seeking.  God has purposefully and gloriously put you in their lives to love them, serve them, be their friend, have them into your house, and share the gospel with them, so that they might find Him.  Let us pray and look for opportunities to share the gospel of Jesus with those God has placed around us.

• Jesus never ran from the “mess” of our sin, but rather He layed his life down in order to make us clean. How does this carry over into your life?  Do you run from the messiness of people around you, or do you lay selfish desires down so that they too can become “clean” by the blood of Jesus?

• As we are just beginning our lives together as Charis, what can you do to bring the cleansing power of the gospel into the messiness of our community?

May God remind us that we are to bring His cleansing gospel into the messiness of our world, our relationships, and our church through faith, repentance, forgiveness, and love.  We’ll never have real unity, we’ll never be the church Jesus has called us to be, and we’ll never shine very brightly, without applying the gospel to the messiness of real life.

Jesus was certainly on a mission.  In John 4:34, Jesus said He has been sent to accomplish the work of His Father.  Later, in John 19:30, as Jesus hung on the cross--bloody and beaten--for our sins, Jesus said, “It is finished”.  He had been sent by the Father to do a specific mission, and Jesus completed that mission.  In John 20:21, Jesus told his followers that as the Father had sent Him into the world for a specific mission, so He is sending us: His followers. 

As individuals and as a church we need to ask ourselves...