Today’s post in our Gospel Jump-Start Series is focusing on the big picture implication of the gospel. In his book, The Priority of Preaching, Christopher Ash wrote:
In the Lord Jesus Christ a broken world will be reassembled.
That reassembly began to be visible dramatically at Pentecost, when the Babel scattering of languages was vividly reversed as a signpost to what God was beginning to do in Jesus all over the world. One day that reassembly will be complete, and there will be ‘a great multitude that no-one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb; (Rev. 7:9). One day God will do through the church what multiculturalism has failed to do, what every human strategy will fail to do. He will rebuild a broken world. (pg. 88)
There is a reason we call it the gospel (good news), because only through the complete work of Christ can redemption truly come (the restoration of “a broken world” and broken humanity). Each local church is a part of Christ’s work of redemption. Ash calls local churches “scattered gatherings” or “dispersed assemblies.” He continues:
All over the world, the local church is a counter-cultural sign in a fragmented world that reassembly is taking place, but is not finished yet. (pg. 89)
The world is breaking apart at every level. Marriages and families creak under all sorts of strains; nations are riven by tribe, race, class or culture. At every level the world is characterized by fragmentation rather than integration. But the local Christian church is to be a sign that alongside this disintegration there is another and supernatural process taking place, of integration, of assembly. And this assembly happens by the preached word of his (God’s) grace. (pg. 90)
I thought these comments would be appropriate in light of yesterday’s sermon focusing on the life of the church illustrating the gospel we proclaim. In short, the life of the church should display gospel fruit.
“…making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” –Ephesians 1:9-10
Note: since writing the above cited work, Ash has written a book-length treatment of this theme entitled, Remaking a Broken World. I commend it to you.
Written by Matt Baker