Skip to main content

What Does Jesus See in the Church? by Pastor Charlie Handren

By Anonymous
     What do you see when you look at the church? When we look at the church we probably see a mixture of things and that’s understandable, but when Jesus looks at the church he sees great and glorious things. He’s not unaware of the flaws and difficulties that are there, but he is hyper-aware of what he has accomplished for the church and therefore who she is in his sight and where he is leading her and what her eternal destiny is.
     So when Jesus, the Lord of heaven and earth, looks at the church he sees a holy temple in which his Spirit is dwelling, even now. He sees a people who are so intimately related to him, by grace through faith, that he identifies them as his very body. And despite all of her flaws, he sees a beautiful bride who’s being made holy by the overflowing mercy of his Father and by the power of his own blood and by the presence of the Holy Spirit which he has freely given to all who believe. He sees the one to whom he is now engaged and who is now being prepared to become his wife forever.
     When Jesus looks at the church he sees the Kingdom of God on earth. He sees the light of his glory breaking into the kingdom of darkness through his bride, and he rejoices because he knows that no matter what she has to suffer, the gates of hell will not prevail against her—his blood shed on the cross and his presence in her midst and his promises upon her are just that strong.
     Beloved, Jesus is neither blind nor ignorant. He sees all things. He knows all things. He penetrates through the surface and sees the secret thoughts and intentions of our hearts. He takes our sin very seriously and he cares about the flaws and imperfections that are part and parcel of our daily lives together. But he is immeasurably great and gracious, and he has purposed in his heart to make his precious bride holy as he is holy. He has purposed to remove from us every spot and blemish. He has purposed to make us fit to marry him and to dwell in his presence forever. And when he looks at us now, he sees what we will be then, and he rejoices!
     Oh Beloved, I pray that we’ll have eyes to see today. We tend to think small thoughts of the church, but Jesus thinks glorious thoughts of her. She is immensely precious to him. He loves her, cherishes her, protects her, guides her in the way she should go. She is utterly central to everything he is doing on this earth, and through her he will supplant the kingdom of darkness and so display his wisdom and grace and kindness for all of heaven and earth to see. “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet” (Rom 16:20).
     Now, as we come to see what Jesus sees in the church, we will come to feel what he feels for the church and we will act as he would have us act toward the church. Next week we’ll consider some of the things he expects of his people for his glory and our joy, but for this week I want to urge you to meditate on these things and ask Jesus to help you see what he sees in his Bride.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

To Have My Soul Happy in the Lord, by George Muller

By Anonymous
To Have My Soul Happy in the Lord By George Muller “It has pleased the Lord to teach me a truth, the benefit of which I have not lost for more than fourteen years. The point is this: I saw more clearly than ever that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was to have my soul happy in the Lord. The first thing to be concerned about was not how much I might serve the Lord, or how I might glorify the Lord, but how I might get my soul into a happy state, and how my inner man might be nourished. “I saw that the most important thing I had to do was to give myself to the reading of the Word of God—not prayer, but the Word of God. And here again, not the simple reading of the Word of God so that it only passes through my mind just as water runs through a pipe, but considering what I read, pondering over it, and applying it to my heart. To meditate on it, that thus my heart might be comforted, encouraged, warned, reproved, instructed. And that thus,...
Post a Comment
Read more

Worship Songs, October 15, 2017

By
We post these worship songs leading up to the worship service so that parents may listen to them in the house or in the car within the days leading up to the worship service. Our hope is that children will hear the songs prior to and it will prepare them to participate in worship on Sunday mornings. My Redeemers Love Hope Has Come I Will Glory In My Redeemer Blessed Be Your Name Here In Your Presence Your Glory Be Still My Soul (In You I Rest) -- Sermon Text: John 11:1-16 That the next generation will set their hope in God and not forget the works of God (Psalm 78:7).
Post a Comment
Read more

Meditations on the Glory of Christ: He Sits at the Right Hand of God

By
In Hebrews 1:2-4, the author makes seven claims about Jesus that when taken together greatly exalt his glory. The seventh claim the author makes about the Son is that, having made purification for sins, he now sits at the right hand of the Majesty on high. The words “he sat down” set the stage for chapter 7 where we’re taught that Jesus is both Priest and King. Prior to Jesus, no king offered his own sacrifices and no priest sat on the throne of David, for that wouldn’t be right. God had decreed that there should be a separation of powers between the priest and the king, but Jesus, unlike all before him, is worthy and able to fulfill both roles. So, on the one hand, Jesus sat down at the right hand of God after making purification for sins because the sacrifice he offered, namely himself, is sufficient. Other priests were always standing, as we see in chapter 10:11-14, because their work was never done. The blood of bulls and goats can never take away sins, so the priests could...
Post a Comment
Read more