See the clip from our service last week where Chris shared about being a Christ-Centred Church:
https://youtu.be/N0UlvdZaMEY
The LRBC leadership team has been discussing what our values are: the things that define who we are as a church and what we hope to be.
The first of our four proposed values is “Christ Centred”. We as a church want to ensure Christ remains at the centre of who we are and everything we do.
As a Christ-centred church, we recognise that Jesus is the most important person in this church. When we gather together each week, it is because of him. When we consider what we believe, we listen to him. When we are faced with choices on how we should live, we look to him for example and instruction.
The danger that Christians and churches must guard against is to never ever lose focus on Jesus. The risk is that Jesus will not be rejected, but that he would be quietly sidelined by something else.
It might be the good community life a church might have.
It could be the value they put on sound doctrine and robust biblical teaching.
Or perhaps the passion and concern for worship that pleases God.
It might be simply the busyness of doing the different things of Christian ministry.
These things are good and vital things, but they are not the central thing. The central thing we are about Jesus. These other things are really important and really should be non-negotiable, but they can’t take the place of Jesus.
Jesus is central to the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation.
Jesus is central to God’s plans and purposes in the world.
Jesus is central to the message and mission of the church.
Keeping Jesus as the central thing and person of what we are about as a church is something we want to always remember.
Chris Northcott