{"id":3604,"date":"2023-09-29T17:16:09","date_gmt":"2023-09-29T17:16:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.desiringgodchurch.org\/web\/?p=3604"},"modified":"2023-09-29T17:30:10","modified_gmt":"2023-09-29T17:30:10","slug":"dgccs-vision-part-iv-seeing-jesus-together-as-a-family","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.desiringgodchurch.org\/web\/2023\/09\/29\/dgccs-vision-part-iv-seeing-jesus-together-as-a-family\/","title":{"rendered":"DGCC’s Vision Part IV: Seeing Jesus Together as a Family"},"content":{"rendered":"

Preface<\/strong><\/p>\n

Why We Exist: Gospel Purpose<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Our mission statement at DGCC says the following:<\/p>\n

We exist to spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples.<\/strong><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This is why we exist. This has been DGCC\u2019s identity from the time it was planted twenty years ago. This is our gospel purpose<\/em>. And, by God\u2019s grace, this will be DGCC\u2019s gospel purpose for the next twenty years and beyond. The question is, though, what<\/em> exactly do we aim to do in order to live out this gospel purpose.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What We Do: Gospel Pursuit<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

For the past several months the Vision Team here at DGCC has met regularly to pray and discern DGCC\u2019s vision for the foreseeable future. Essentially, the Vision Team aimed to articulate what we do<\/em>, that is, our gospel pursuit<\/em>. And, by God\u2019s grace, in our most recent members meeting, the Vision Team shared with our fellow members the vision we believe God has led us to. This statement below captures that vision.<\/p>\n

We glorify God by joyfully treasuring Christ and prayerfully pursuing Christlikeness in the love of the Father and the power of the Holy Spirit.<\/strong><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Scripture birthed this statement. Specifically, Ephesians 3:14\u201321 became the foundational text that informed and shaped this vision statement. I unpacked that passage over three previous posts: DGCC\u2019s Vision Part I<\/a>, Part II<\/a>, and Part III<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Here I outline how<\/em> we accomplish our vision or our gospel pursuit. We do so through our gospel practice<\/em>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Gospel Practice: How we do it<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

So our mission statement and our vision statement make clear what our gospel purpose is and what our gospel pursuit is, respectively, at DGCC. Our gospel purpose is who we are and our gospel pursuit is what we do. But how<\/em> do we aim to do this? Our Vision Team at DGCC felt it was necessary to answer this question as well. So to go along with our gospel purpose and gospel pursuit, we also articulated our gospel practice<\/em> to answer the question, \u201cHow will we glorify God by joyfully treasuring Christ and prayerfully pursuing Christlikeness in the love of the Father and the power of the Holy Spirit\u201d? We, DGCC, will do this<\/p>\n

By seeing Jesus together as a family.[1]<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

By sharing Jesus with one another as his disciples.[2]<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

By showing Jesus to all peoples as his witnesses in our neighborhood, in Charlotte, and in the world.<\/strong>[3]<\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

As you can hopefully see, to answer this question we aimed to not reinvent the wheel. The call of every Christian is twofold\u2014(1) love the Lord God with all you heart, soul, mind, and strength, and (2) love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:34\u201340; Mark 12:29\u201331; Luke 10:25\u201328). These are the two most important tasks for us as Christians<\/a>. We only know God and carry out this call through Jesus<\/em>. The normative context for carrying out this call through Jesus is the local church.<\/p>\n

The three-dimensional life of the local church of Jesus Christ is the natural ecosystem in which we live out the call to love God and love our neighbor. The church exists to joyfully love and worship God together in truth, to build itself up in love and in truth by ministering to one another within the body, and to spread the love of God and love for God in truth to the lost (John 4:23\u201324; Ephesians 3:10; 4:1\u201316; Matthew 28:18\u201320; 1 Timothy 3:15). Or, in short, the church exists to worship God, buildup one another within the body, and evangelize the lost.[4]<\/a> In the past, we\u2019ve expressed this three-dimensional purpose of the church here at DGCC as (1) expressing joy in Christ, (2) deepening joy in Christ, and (3) spreading joy in Christ. So this is what we aim to make our gospel practice. So you see, it\u2019s nothing novel. It is the same, simple, reproducible gospel practice and rhythm that the local church has embraced since its founding.<\/p>\n

Here, we consider seeing Jesus together as a family<\/em>. In subsequent posts we will consider sharing Jesus<\/em> and showing Jesus<\/em>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

By Seeing Jesus Together as a Family\u00a0in Our Corporate Worship<\/strong><\/p>\n

This gospel practice speaks to our corporate worship of the Triune God. But the language leans into the reality that we only come to know God through the person of his Son, Jesus Christ. Indeed, seeing<\/em> Jesus is what saves us and changes us. Consider the following passages.<\/p>\n

18\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord,<\/em> are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another (2 Corinthians 3:18).<\/p>\n

6\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>For God, who said, \u201cLet light shine out of darkness,\u201d has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ<\/em> (2 Corinthians 4:6).<\/p>\n

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith<\/em> (Hebrews 12:1).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

As these passages make clear, seeing Jesus is what transforms and conforms us into his very image. Indeed, this is<\/em> the eschatological destiny of every<\/em> Christian\u2014looking like Jesus.<\/p>\n

2\u00a0<\/sup><\/strong>Beloved, we are God\u2019s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is <\/em>(1 John 3:2).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Therefore, in all aspects of our corporate worship, we desire to and aim to see Jesus. Thus, God\u2019s Word in the Bible and the gospel of Jesus saturates our corporate worship. From our singing, to our prayers, to our taking part in the Lord\u2019s supper, to our baptism, and certainly to our expositional, gospel-centered preaching, God\u2019s Word and the gospel of Jesus shapes and soaks our worship. We desire and aim to see Jesus. And, importantly, we do this together as a family<\/em>.<\/p>\n

In Christ, God has adopted us as his children (Romans 8:15). Again, Scripture overflows with this reality that we are God\u2019s family in Christ. In Christ, we are brothers and sisters, members of God\u2019s household<\/em> (Romans 8:29; Ephesians 2:19; 1 Peter 2:5; cf. 2 Samuel 7:13; 1 Chronicles 17:12). In Christ, God has made good on his covenantal promises and made us all Abraham\u2019s offspring<\/em> (Galatians 3:29; cf. Genesis 17:5; 28:14). Jesus himself notes that we are his family (Mark 3:31\u201335). Thus, when we gather to see Jesus in our corporate worship of our Triune God, we do so together as a family<\/em>.<\/p>\n

To this end, we intentionally shape our liturgy (our order of service) to reflect our common kinship. From our opening gospel welcome<\/em> and responsive call to worship<\/em> to our final benediction<\/em> and closing call and response<\/em>\u2014and every Scripture reading and prayer that falls in between\u2014we aim to imbue our service with familial hospitality and the participation of all members. This gospel won family reality then spills over into our fellowship after service. We are a family in Christ, and we see Jesus most readily together as a family in our corporate worship.<\/p>\n

Seeing Jesus Together as a Family<\/em><\/p>\n

At DGCC, we joyfully treasure Christ and prayerfully pursue Christlikeness in the love of the Father and the power of the Holy Spirit by seeing Jesus together as a family<\/em>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> \u201cseeing\u201d Exod 33:18\u201319; 34:5\u20139; Isa 6:1\u20135; Ps 27:4; John 14:810; 2 Cor 3:18; 4:6; \u201cfamily\u201d Gen 12:3; 28:14; 2 Sam 7:12\u201313; 1 Chr 17:11\u201314; Ps 22:27; 87; Jer 32:39; Mark 3:31\u201335; 10:29\u201331; Acts 3:38\u201339; Rom 8:15\u201316, 29; Gal 3:28\u20134:7; 6:10; Eph 2:19\u201322; 1 Tim 5:8; Heb 3:6; 1 Pet 2:5<\/span><\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> The various Greek words that convey \u00a0\u201csharing\u201d occur often in the context of the faith community. That is, Christian\u2019s share in Christ with one another in the faith as disciples<\/em>. And therefore, they share with one another Christ, his gospel, his good gifts, etc. For example 1 Thess 2:8\u2014So, being affectionately desirous of you we were ready to share<\/em> with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.\u201d; John 13:34\u201335; 15:12, 17; Acts 2:42\u201347; Romans 12:3\u201313; 15:7, 14; 1 Corinthians 12:4\u20137, 25\u201326; 13; 14:1\u20133, 12; 2 Cor 13:11; Galatians 5:13; Eph 4:1\u201316; 5:19, 21; Colossians 3:1\u20134, 12\u201317, 18\u201325; 1 Thessalonians 3:12; 4:9, 18; 5:11; 2 Thessalonians 1:3; Titus 2:4\u20138 ; Hebrews 3:13; 10:25; James 5:16; 1 Peter 1:22; 4:8\u201310; 5:1\u20135, 19; 1 John 3:11, 23; 4:7, 11, 12; 2 John 5<\/span><\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> \u201cshowing\u2026as witnesses\u201d particularly the Greek \u03c6\u03b1\u03bd\u03b5\u03c1\u03cc\u03c9 (show, make known) often occurs outside the context of the faith community. That is, Christians \u201cshow\u201d Christ and his gospel to those in the world, those outside the faith and outside the Church. For example, \u201cBut thanks be to God who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads\/shows <\/em>(\u03c6\u03b1\u03bd\u03b5\u03c1\u03cc\u03c9) the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. Also, \u201call peoples\u201d; and \u201cwitnesses\u201d; Genesis 12:1\u20133; 22:15\u201318; <\/strong>Leviticus 19:18, 34; Psalms 22:27; 87; Isaiah 49:1\u20137; 52:7; 61:1\u20132; <\/strong>Joel 2:28\u201332; <\/strong>Matthew 5:16; 9:37\u201338; 10:18; 24:14; 28:16\u201320; <\/strong>Luke 21:12\u201313; 24:45\u201348; <\/strong>John 1:7\u20138, 15, 32, 34; 3:11; 13:35; 15:26\u201327; <\/strong>Acts 1:8; 2:22; 3:15; 5:32; 10:39, 41, 43; 13:31, 46\u201347 (cf. Isa 49:1\u20137); 26:16; Romans 1:16; 10:9\u201310, 14\u201315; <\/strong>2 Corinthians 5:20; <\/strong>Ephesians 2:10; Colossians 1:6; <\/strong>1 Peter 3:15\u201316; <\/strong>2 Timothy 2:15; 4:5<\/span><\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> Tim Challies offers simple, helpful, and thoughtful insight that cuts through the common misconceptions of the day regarding the local church. See “What’s the Purpose of…the Church?”<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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