Our Vision

• A Call To Faithful Living: Listening To the Spirit (Rev 2-3, 12)


• A Call To Profane Living: Going Outside the Camp (Heb 13:12-16)


• A Call To Strategic Living: Using But Not Loving the World (Rev 18:4-8,24; Mt 6:19-24; 1Cor 7:29-31)

We must see ourselves as citizens of Jesus’ kingdom, living as an outpost of that kingdom in enemy territory, engaged in deadly spiritual warfare, remaining faithful to Jesus even in the face of physical force to deny Him or worldly allurements to defect from Him. In the context of this life of conflict between two kingdoms, we must move from seeking our own comfort to meeting the needs of others, while bearing the shame of being criticized, scorned & even persecuted just as Jesus was. And as pilgrims in this outpost of heaven we must learn to be strategic in our use of the things that belong to this Christ-hating world (using but not loving the world).

1. "The Gospel"




1. The power of God (Col 1:5-6, not a separate message)




2. The power of God for justification (Rom 1:16; Luther vidclip, 22:27-23:12)




3. The power of God for sanctification (Titus 2:11-14)




2. “Forms a Christ-treasuring community”




1. The formation of community (Gen 1:26-27; Acts 2:37-41; 1 Cor 12:12-13, 24-27)




2. The purpose of community (Matt 13:44; Phil 3:3,7-8) — treasuring Christ; i.e., valuing and pursuing Him more than anything else in life




3. The fight of community (Phil 3:17-20; 1 Tim 4:16) — destroying idols




4. The life of community (Acts 2:42-47)




5. The journey of community — its journey (becoming a Christ-treasuring community)




3. “Sent on mission to the world”




1. The context of mission (1 Pet 2:9; Mt 5:14-16) — It is the community of believers (“a city”, “a nation”) that exists as an outpost of heaven…exhibiting the life & love of heaven and proclaiming the excellencies of the King of heaven.




2. The definition of mission (2 Cor 2:14-16) — the aroma of Christ among people (an aroma of life among those being saved, an aroma of death among those perishing)




3. The scope of mission (Jn 10:16; 20:21; Acts 1:8)




1. From the home front (Jude 22-23)




2. To the kingdom frontiers (Rom 15:18-21)




4. “Through the power of the Holy Spirit”




1. Our need of the Spirit (Lk 24:47-49; Acts 1:8; 2 Cor 3:12-18; 4:4-6)




2. Our life in the Spirit (Rom 8:5-17 [esp. vv.5-6,12-16]; Jude 20-21)




5. “For the glory of God”




1. The exaltation of God (Rom 11:33-36; Eph 1:6,12,14)




2. The happiness of God’s people (Jer 2:9-13; Ps 73:25-28; 1Pet 1:8; 4:10-11)