Christ Church

Leave and Cleave (Christ the Redeemer)
Christ Church on October 3, 2025
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Genesis

Big Church Blessings (King’s Cross)

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INTRODUCTION

Many Christians say they prefer smaller churches, and in God’s providence, there are many smaller, thriving churches. But it’s worth checking your preferences against God’s word. Are your preferences aligned with biblical priorities? Or are you making your preferences into biblical priorities?

Our church and community have grown significantly over the last few years, and while it is understandable to miss seeing certain friends, we want to make sure that we are processing this growth like believing Christians. So this is a message on big church blessings.

The Texts: “And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness” (Gen. 15:5-6)

“For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls” (Acts 2:39-41).

“After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb” (Rev. 7:9-10).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXTS

When God called Abraham, He promised to give him descendants as numerous and glorious as the stars of the heavens, and Abraham believed the promise of God. Justifying faith is, in part, believing the promise to Abraham that his descendants will be numerous (Gen. 15:5-6). At Pentecost, when the Spirit was first poured out and Peter preached the gospel to the Jews gathered for the feast, he referred to the promises to Abraham (Gen. 17:7), and three thousand souls believed and were baptized in fulfillment of that promise (Acts 2:39-41). And having seen the fullness of the tribes of the Jews in Heaven, John turns and sees a great multitude that no man could number of all the nations standing before the Lamb singing praise (Rev. 7:9-10). Part of the glory of Heaven is that it is crowded.

THE BLESSING OF BEAUTY

One of the blessings of bigger churches is the opportunity to cultivate more beauty. Unfortunately, the largest modern churches have often opted for shopping mall efficiency, but in times past they built beautiful cathedrals and supported the arts, particularly with singing, instruments, and music for worship (e.g. 1 Chron. 15-16). Bigger churches often provide the means and personnel to cultivate beautiful worship.

We never want to get the cart before the horse, but it isn’t better to reject carts altogether. Better to worship in a gym or a theater in Spirit and in truth than a cathedral where the Spirit has been driven away by abominations. But better still to worship in the beauty of holiness in every direction. A woman is lovely first of all because she trusts the Lord and has a gentle and quiet spirit, but because she has that inner beauty, it is fitting that she adorn herself to match it (1 Pet. 3:3-5). And so likewise the bride of Christ (Rev. 21:2).

THE BLESSING OF CONCENTRATION

One of the principles of warfare is concentration of force: an army spread out along a vast battle line is not nearly as potent as when it focuses on a particular point. Concentration of resources is also a force multiplier, meaning that the overall momentum is exponentially increased, the sum result is more than all the parts working alone. And therefore, a numerically smaller number can have a disproportionate impact at a decisive point, overwhelming the enemy. “And five of you shall chase an hundred [5%], and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight [1%]: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword” (Lev. 26:8).

This principle applies to evangelism, worship, education, business, and media. Where God’s people band together in humble obedience, there is often a force multiplier.

Of course, this still completely depends upon the blessing of God, and God is always free to save with many or few – like Gideon’s army. But Gideon’s army is actually an example of the principle of concentration – a vastly smaller force amassed at a key vulnerable point.

THE BLESSING OF GIFTS IN THE BODY

When God added thousands to the early church, needs became apparent, and the first deacons were appointed, and the word of God increased and the number of disciples multiplied greatly (Acts 6:7). Likewise, the one body of Christ is made up of many members, with many gifts: the body is not one

member but many (1 Cor. 12). And the body is better and stronger for that diversity of gifts. Some resistance to size can be like the eye saying that it has no need of a hand, but God sets the members in the body as it pleases Him (1 Cor. 12:18-21).

We are in a great war, and when God adds to our numbers and it’s hard to find a parking spot or we have to start another service, our instinct ought to be to think: “so thankful for all the reinforcements.”

THE BLESSING OF A UNITED WITNESS

The early chapters of Acts are sometimes sentimentally romanticized, but it is true that as the thousands of believers “were together” and continued steadfastly in the word and prayers, and cared for one another’s needs, they had “favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily…” (Acts 2:41-47).

We have many opportunities to demonstrate the tangible love of Christ by meeting the needs of the body: new babies, showers, sickness, and unexpected tragedies. Larger churches can rally around in remarkable ways and demonstrate the gospel in action which is an invitation to the world to join us.

CONCLUSIONS

Blessings are heavy, and that means the blessing of growth and numbers brings with it the need for wise administration, organization, and freedom – something that requires regular maintenance. We are striving for an organic unity in Christ, not bureaucratic paper-pushing and bar codes. This is one of the reasons why we have continued to start new services and church plants, while continuing to share office space and staff with the other Kirker churches. All of this requires creativity, grace, wisdom, lots of flexibility, new and more suitable buildings, and more grace, while keeping our eyes on the goal: All of Christ for All of Life for All of Moscow, America, and the World.

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The Image of the Triune God (King’s Cross)

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INTRODUCTION

In the worship of our congregations, we have the practice of reciting the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Definition of Chalcedon. There are various implications of this, but one of the central things it means is that we are Trinitarian Christians. But what is that exactly? Why does it matter? And for our purposes this morning, what difference does it make in your marriage?

THE TEXT

“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” (Genesis 1:26–28).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

In the course of the creation week, God declared that He was going to make man. But He says it this way. First He says, “Let us.” The creation of man proceeds from an us, and it doing to result in an us. “Let us make man in our image,” He said. He will be made “after our likeness” (Gen. 1:26). Man is made in the imago Dei, the image of God. The next thing has to do with the position and task of this created image. It is dominion over everything (v. 26). So then God did what He said He was going to do. He created man (Adam) in His own image, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them (v. 27). Having done this, God blessed them, and set them to their task of dominion (v. 28).

WE MUST TAKE CARE

Christians are monotheists. We believe in one God. We are not tri-theists. We do not believe in three gods. At the same time, we hold that this Godhead eternally lives in three distinct persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These are persons, and not mere aspects or modes of one unitarian god. Now we believe that this triune God can reveal truths about Himself in the created order (Rom. 1:20), but He does this without getting tangled up in the created order. As His image, we reflect Him. We do not contain Him.

“For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father [Pater] of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family [patria] in heaven and earth is named” (Eph. 3:14–15).

THE WORD IMAGE AND YOUR SALVATION

So Scripture is very clear that we were created as image-bearers. This is the way we were in our innocence. But God had placed a probationary tree in the Garden, and had prohibited them from eating the fruit of it. This they did anyway, and our race fell into darkness. The image of God was shattered, but not entirely eradicated or erased. A little later in Genesis, God assigns severe penalties for murder because the victim, whoever he was, was made in the image of God (Gen. 9:6).

Nevertheless, we know that the image was marred and defaced in us because it was the assigned task of the second Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ, to restore that image. Our growth in grace is the process of that great remodel project. The image of God is being restored in us. All the pieces are being put back together.

“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Cor. 3:18).

“That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Eph. 4:22–24).

So in our sanctification, we are not being turned into angels. Neither are we being transformed into some other kind of creature. What is God doing then? He is making us into human beings. What material is He using for this audacious project? He is using wreckage of human beings. He is using the debris field of Adam’s great crash.

THE TRIUNE GOD HAS AN IMAGE

We have no right to try to turn the glory of God into an image of man. That is the sin described in Romans.

“And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things” (Rom. 1:23).

Rather, God is establishing a glorious likeness of the incorruptible God, and He is making this image out of corruptible man. We refuse to drag God down, but we dare not refuse when He determines to lift man up.

INESCAPABLE PORTRAYAL

Now what this all means is that you all, in your marriages, are a walking Nicene Creed. Not only so, but you are also a walking Definition of Chalcedon. A godly marriage is a robust and clear statement of the truth. A marriage that is struggling along is a mumbled and garbled recital of the truth. A rancid marriage is the creed of heretics. But every marriage is doing something. It is not possible for any marriage to be silent.

A man and a woman, standing alongside each other, are saying, “This is what the triune God is like.” That is either going to be an expression of the truth, or it is going to be a lie. A man who speaking to his wife is saying through his words that this is how Christ loves the church. And that is either true or it is false. A wife who responds to her husband is saying that this is how the church is sweetly submissive to the Lord. And again, this confession will either be accurate . . .or inaccurate.

But if your marriage is resting upon the Word, and if you are trusting in Christ alone for your salvation, and if you honestly confess your sins, to God and to one another, it is not only possible for your marriage to become a glory . . . it will be a glory.

“For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man” (1 Corinthians 11:7).

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