by Justin Thomas
Read part 1: A church that turned from Idols here
Read part 2: A church that is waiting for Jesus here
…so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe. For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything. For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. – 1 Thessalonians 1:7-10
A church of testimony
The Thessalonian church had become a church of testimony both in the example they set for the believers and in the message they spoke to the world. People, Christian and non, had heard about their church even outside of their local region. In essence, God’s plan for the Thessalonians extended well beyond their own local church.
This is always how God works. He gives so that we might be generous, he blesses so that we might be a blessing, and he works so that we might testify. Consider the Samaritan woman in John chapter 4. Obviously, Jesus showed great interest in her personally, but she ended up being the “evangelist” who brought an entire city to Jesus. No doubt this was part of Jesus’ divine strategy. Even in handling the worst case of demon possession recorded in scripture (Luke 8), Jesus sent the healed man back home to be a testimony in his city, a place where Jesus wasn’t welcome.
Part of the vision that God has given us for the church on Capitol Hill extends beyond that neighborhood, because God is calling us to be a church of testimony. Granted, we must be careful here to separate vision from vanity. The danger is in seeking to be a famous (or infamous) church, the “new thing”, or the church of “cool”. This is not what it means to be a church of testimony, so what does it mean? At our last prayer meeting, our group took some time to discuss what it means to be a church of testimony and we decided that the key word was transformation. We desire for drastic change in the people of Capitol Hill that inspires the church at large and cannot be ignored by the world. This is not something we can do, or take credit for; we are completely dependent on God to do the work, for his glory.
The church in our region needs this testimony. They need to be reminded why we’re not ashamed of the gospel, that our weapons are mighty in God for the pulling down of strongholds, and that nothing is too hard for the Lord. The local churches need to know that no place is too dark, or antagonistic (not even Capitol Hill) for the gospel to take root and thrive. Our cities need this testimony as well; in stark contrast to personal methods of fulfillment, the gospel alone leads to peace, freedom and righteousness.
Yes, God has a plan for Capitol Hill, but his plan goes beyond that neighborhood, beyond the city of Seattle, and to the ends of the earth. Therefore, we are praying that God would do such a great work that we would become a church of testimony. Please join us in that prayer.
