Community Is Our Heartbeatنموونە

The God Who Saves

Most of the great stories we tell are stories of salvation and redemption. We meet the key characters, we get introduced to a problem, it all comes to a head with a crisis, then through the actions of some type of saviour or hero it gets resolved. It’s almost as if this ‘narrative arc’ is wired into our humanity.

Of course, the reason that we love a good story is because we experience life this way. Each of our lives is a story. A story of growing up, of discovery and identity, a story of hopes and dreams, coupled with grief and loss. A story of acceptance and rejection, of success and failure, anticipation and disappointments. We find ourselves in the middle of a unique and detailed story, complete with serious problems and pressing needs. It’s the story of life.

At the heart of it, faith is all about this experience of life. It poses a deep question. Is there a story that can make sense of my story? Is God’s story for my life big enough and good enough to trust? Is God able to meet my needs, to solve my problems? Am I willing to let God rewrite my story? Is God the kind of saviour that I can rely on?

We often talk about discovering God’s love as an experience of being ‘saved’. And our focus tends to be on what we’ve been saved from. Saved from our sins, our failures, our emptiness, and our despair - and that’s very true and important. But as we explore more of God’s plan for our lives we start to realise that we are also saved into something. We are given a new family, a new kingdom, and a new identity. We are saved into a community of faith.

From start to finish, God's story is about how He invites individuals into His family. Sometimes it’s the most unexpected and unlikely candidates who take up the offer of this new life and identity. There’s no restriction on who God’s grace and forgiveness is available to. But in reality, the Church of Jesus is the most inclusive community that has ever existed. Do you believe that? At times Christianity hasn’t lived up to that high calling, but God is always at work inviting each new generation to discover Him through connecting with other believers and experiencing a love that changes lives.

We live in a world that’s more connected than ever, and yet the longing for true community is as strong as it’s ever been. We get to share in safe and nurturing relationships, to strengthen and enrich one another’s faith, to be a community that is life-giving. So over the rest of these devotions, we’re going to be looking at God’s blueprint for His Church - what it means to live in a healthy community that reflects God’s heart for us and this world. How do we do it well? Imperfect people following a perfect Saviour.

Reflection Questions:

1. What’s my best memory of feeling like I truly belonged?
2. How much do I believe that the local church is God’s answer to our deepest longings?
3. What are the things that stop me or others from embracing our faith community?