One way we communicate our core values at Kaleo is, we are about The Gospel of Christ, His kingdom and His church. We want to spread the Gospel of Christ, His life and death that bring redemption and propitiation for his people. His resurrection that proves his atoning work and displays the promise of our future resurrection. His Kingdom, which is already but not yet. He reigns over all things now, in that he is the only sovereign God. But all things do not acknowledge submission to him. We live in rebellion to his perfect and holy will. As a result we see the effects of sin, poverty, injustice, perversion, rebellion in all kinds. But we long, to give small glimpses towards that day, the day He will return and establish his kingdom forever. So we fight injustice and rebellion because that is the work of our coming king!
Last but not in any way least, we are about his Church! Christ loves his church, so much so that he gave himself for her. Often people like to think about his church as being all Christians and forgetting the local church. But biblically and logically we can see that the church (All believers) is made up of churches (communities of believers). 1 John teaches us clearly that if we don’t love the church, we ought to question if we truly love God.
Tonight at Kaleo and many mornings at FBC, I am reminded of how great a blessing it is to be a member in a local church. The blessings of accountability, teaching, training, truly being able to carry out the “one another” commandments of scripture to list a few. But tonight I was thankful for love that comes from being part of a church family.
After worship I was thinking how much I love to sing to the Lord (something I never loved or did for that matter before I truly joined Christian community). I was thinking how much I love to sing with my church family. It is not because Josh is a great vocalist (thought I believe he is) nor is it that the band is very talented (though I believe they are) but it is because they are the taste my church, my family has grown to love.
I thought of this analogy of the blessings of family. Many would prefer the cooking of our own mother to that of anyone else. Even as we grow we find her cooking, even if we have experienced better somewhere else, to be as loved and familiar taste. We enjoy dinners with our families, we love the flavors not only of the food but also of the fellowship, and what draws us to that table of fellowship is not the taste of the food. It is the sweetness, the safety and the comfort of the fellowship found at that table.
To seek a church based only on the “taste” or preference of Music, or show, is to choose company based only on the food at the table. I pity the many that are seeking to find the tastiest morsels of music or style and are missing the true sweetness of family and fellowship to the Glory of God. I am thankful God has blessed us with a church.
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