Rarely do we anticipate the profound. Rarely do we know where to find it, rather it finds us. Indeed, if we knew where it was to look we wouldn't be so consumed by matters so small, which is really what we continually find ourselves preoccupied with. But there is a grander purpose for which we have been designed, of which we above all creation have the bandwidth and capacity for, namely the GLORY OF CHRIST. I wasn't anticipating this years ago, but I was awakened to something profound and life-changing. Let me explain.
I have for years found the writers from years past have a certain ability to delve into matters seemingly much deeper than many of our contemporary age. And such was the case when I picked up a book by the Puritan, John Owen - read a bit on him at http://www.johnowen.org/ . As I ventured into the opening pages my heart and mind were captivated in a glimpse of what he knew of Christ. And then he unpacked a thought that some seven years later is still every bit my hearts desire, passion, and pursuit. He spoke of how throughout the endless ages of eternity we who are there with Christ in heaven would ever be satisfied and delighted in the GLORIES OF CHRIST. For then we will see no longer through the eye of faith, but face-to-face. And His exceedingly great glories are infinite such that even the endlessness of eternity could not exhaust the continuous unveiling of Christ's radiant glory. He then argues in this manner: If throughout the endless ages of eternity in a perfected existence it will be the glory of Christ that satisfies us, why do we think anything less than that should satisfy us now in our current existence?
That statement has continued to move me to this day. I wake up often thinking upon the glory of Christ and how to be satisfied in Him even now. It is possible, though it is painfully difficult some days. Why? For now I only see Christ through the eye of faith. And I am here in a corrupted, fallen state, fallen world. But one day I shall see HIM face-to-face...(Come LORD JESUS!)
And so my wheels started turning, even seven years ago as I was processing this massive work of immeasurable theological and pragmatic depths. I started to process not only my life through the lens of Christ's glory, but also the world of our current church culture. I noticed something quickly. We do a lot of things in church in hopes of connecting to people. And in our hope to connect to people we ultimately have a hope that they might see Christ through this eye of faith and see His glory. We have no doubt, nor should we, after all, Paul says it, "We all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another" (2 Cor. 3:18). And we know there is a powerful implication and affect seeing the glory of Christ has upon people since Satan himself is said to be ever at work in "[blinding] the minds of unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ" (2 Cor. 4:4).
So then in so much of church culture we endeavor to get people to that place where they might see the glory of Christ. And so we try to build bridges to this glory. We use a great band to try to draw the masses of music lovers in, because if we get them in through music they might eventually see Christ in His glory and be changed. For others, who may not be so inclined to come because of our music, we set up groups for them to connect with based on their age or pursuits. Still for others we have set up and established other bridges for youth, or with a style of preaching, or a certain aesthetic appeal to our building. And undoubtedly God has worked in and through all of this.
But really it is miraculous that anyone has been changed. I have begun to think that maybe we have had much wrong in our approach. Rather than creating all these proverbial bridges to get people across in hope that they might eventually see Christ's glory, we have created bridges that people just want to stand upon and move no further. That is, so many come because of our music, our programs, our preaching, but never get a glimpse of Christ and His glory in the process. And they are not to blame for this, instead WE ARE. And it is because we have become so delighted and satisfied in our bridges, because we have hardly seen or been preoccupied with beholding His Glory. They have followed us to this place and nobody has moved any further.
I am not against music, nor programs, nor aesthetics, I am just so convinced that rather than building systems that lead up to Christ we need to think entirely differently. Rather than think things should build up to unveiling Christ, we need to put Christ front and center so there is no bridge to cross such that people "might" see Him. That is we don't have to merely hope people eventually see Jesus. We need not wonder what people think of Jesus, which is where we are left if they only have a bridge upon which to journey toward Him, if we have put Him before them by proclaiming His excellencies. Of course, this probably isn't a great way to or the fastest way to grow a church. No, we know it isn't. But last I checked that isn't our aim. And if that is all we are preoccupied with, we have again missed it. Jesus didn't commission anyone to grow the local church, He commands us to "make disciples."
And so I ask - Do you and I find our satisfaction in the GLORY OF CHRIST now? And do we put the GLORY OF CHRIST on display to a world that is so searching for satisfaction and joy in anything and everything out there, but has yet to find Him. Let us not be content to look for our joy in anything but Christ and His glory, nor should we put anything less than Christ on display, "For God who said, 'Let light shine our of darkness,' has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Cor. 4:6).
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