The Church, on Center Stage

Scripture:

^{Ephesians 3:10} so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. ¹¹ This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, ¹² in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him. 

Observation:

What becomes clear is that the church has unique role to play in revealing God’s mystery. This mystery of ministry among all peoples ushers in new era. Suddenly the church becomes the theater where her actions are on display. Spectators in the heavenly realm are focused and intent upon what God is doing in the theater of the church. What happens in the church is highlighted on center stage, as God’s wisdom is manifest in the variegated, multi-faceted diversity for all of earth and heaven to see. The original word for “rich variety” is the same word used to describe Joseph’s coat of many colors. It is only used here in the New Testament, a nuance that allows us to realize that the church has a unique role to play. It is in the church that all things are to be united into one through love, a holy unity the witnesses to the love found in the Holy Trinity. 

The church is a part of God’s divine plot, no afterthought, but woven into the texture of history from the very beginning. And now, all of God’s people are invited into the theater, not just as spectators, but as participants, each playing a role in reflecting the very character of God to the world. 

Application

The church carries on her shoulders a divine responsibility. This is not just some business organization, but the very instrument through which Christ has chosen to reveal the mysteries of God to this world. The church is not supposed to be like the world. Instead, it is to be a beautiful patchwork quilt, made up of the multi-faceted diversity of this world that God knits together into the kingdom of God.

I’ve had an amazing week traveling through Mozambique and northeastern South Africa. I had the privilege of spending one day in Kruger national park; a park the size of the state of New Jersey. As we drove through and spotted the different creatures I was in awe of God’s beauty. It’s beautiful because it is so diverse. The impala are everywhere, but soon you see the wildebeest, the zebra, elephants, giraffe, buffalo, and a little hare crossing the road. The birds are multicolored and radiant in the sun. The chameleon takes his time traipsing in front of automobiles, in no hurry. I was struck by the variety present, the creative ability of God to invest in such detail. It felt a bit like paradise.

Paradise was lost by humanity’s fall into sin, but in God’s creative power, the plot continues and a new scene unfolds in the life of the church. Just as I was in awe of creation within a park, so the powers of this world are to be in awe of Jesus’ work in the church. The church is Jesus’ creation, and is to reflect the holy love of God found in the relationship between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 

What does this look like in the practical sense? We are to be a people, brought together from every nation, tribe, color, and gender and united together in Christ. The church should be able to accomplish that which cannot be done by government authorities. Negotiations for peace, and a mutuality that leads to worship of God should be highlights of the scenes played out in the theater of the church. 

May the church be a place of holy boldness, where we embrace one another in the love of God. The scenes played out will not be in harmony with those of the world, but may they leave the spectators in awe of the church of Jesus Christ!

Prayer:

Lord, use us as faithful vessels to live out the plot prepared before time. Amen.