Dear Cornerstone Family,
Last week in our Exploring Cornerstone class, which is our version of a new members class, we took time to unfold our vision as a local church. In a sentence, our vision is “To glorify God in the gospel together as disciples who make disciples.” In that one sentence, you see four commitments:
· To glorify God in the gospel—Worship
· To glorify God in the gospel together—Fellowship
· To glorify God in the gospel together as disciples—Discipleship
· To glorify God in the gospel together as disciples who make disciples—Missions
Everything we do as a church fits within these four commitments: worship, fellowship, discipleship, and mission.
The order — worship, fellowship, discipleship, and mission—is vitally important. The first, primary, and eternal call of the Christian is worship. Evangelism will end. Ministries of mercy will end. But worship will never end. Our eternal chorus will be, “Blessing and honor and glory and power be to him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever” (Rev. 5:13).
But, notice, I said, “Our eternal chorus will be...” The emphasis is on our. This isn’t lone ranger worship. This isn’t individual praise. We’re a community of worshippers. We are the body of Christ drawn together in worship of the Lamb. Therefore, our worship is an expression of our fellowship, and our fellowship will only ever be as strong as our worship. As we draw together in worship, the prayer of Jesus is answered, “I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one” (John 17:21).
Further, our worship and fellowship compel us forward as disciples. Worship and fellowship spills over into followership. That is, we are disciples of Jesus Christ. We are soldiers marching forward to Zion. We are pilgrims traveling to the Celestial City. Having been raise with Christ, we every day “...seek the things above where Christ is, seated at the right hand of the Father” (Col. 3:1).
Lastly, our worship, fellowship, and discipleship give birth to missions. A Christian can’t keep Christ a secret. It is of the nature of true Christianity to share Christ with others. We long for others to know the saving riches of Jesus Christ and to join us in worship, fellowship, and discipleship.
In a special way over the last few years, we’ve witnessed the power of the gospel at work in worship, fellowship, discipleship, and mission at Cornerstone. Praise the Lord, we are seeing more and more people come to know the Lord and grow in their love and commitment to his church.
As our Ministry Expansion Team gets underway and as we prayerfully seek the Lord’s face in planning our next season in ministry, please join us in prayer that we would walk in peace and not fear, be strengthened with power by the Spirit, and answer with faith and expectation whatever the Lord calls us to do as a church (John 14:13, Eph. 3:14-21, 1 John 5:14).
Your servant,
