So what does NineSevenZero Church look like? Who is it for? These are extremely important questions for a church plant to be able to answer, but they are surprisingly difficult to succinctly express. Looking at a spectrum of church types it’s easier to say what we don’t want to be rather than what we desire to be.
On one end of the spectrum is the hyper liberal church that has abandoned the truth of the Bible and embraced cultural mores. They emphasize the love and acceptance of God and ignore God’s truth and precept. But without God’s truth (like we all are hopeless sinners) there is no Good News. We can’t say we love God and live like the devil. We don’t just need a friend, we need a Savior. We don’t just need a second chance, we need a second birth.
On the other end is the hyper conservative church that has forgotten God’s grace and has become religiously devoted to His laws. These churches are full of religious hypocrites (like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day) who are mostly known for what they are against (that list is too long for this post). They can’t extend grace to others because they can’t admit that they still need grace. They coverup their their lives and hide behind the Bible. They judge others by their selective religious standards (this is a much shorter list) even when those folks don’t share the same faith or conviction.
While it would be easy to build a totally truth focused church and even easier to build a totally grace focused church, the solution is not something in between these extremes. That perspective itself is part of the problem. Jesus didn’t say we need to somehow balance the tension between truth and grace. He showed us a different way, a better way. The Apostle John said in John 1:17 that the law was given through Moses but that “grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” Jesus’ life demonstrated that it is not “either/or” but rather “both/and.” John also said that Jesus was the embodiment of grace and truth, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) Jesus didn’t water-down the Word of God or put preconditions of works on His grace.
Jesus modeled a way of living and relating, not as the all powerful, all knowing God but rather as a human being. Jesus’ life and interactions with people were filled with both grace and truth however the accounts are hardly prescriptive. He fed thousands but he did not feed all who were hungry. He healed many but he did not heal all who were in need. He came for all but only invited twelve. He had compassion on the multitudes yet harshly judged the religious leaders of his day. One of the most vivid pictures of this is when Jesus healed the man at the pool of Bethesda (John 5:1-47). The account says that there was a “multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed” that Jesus walked past getting to this one man to whom he offered healing. Then when this man finds him later in the temple Jesus tells him, “Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.”
Jesus also told a parable (Matt 20:1-16) that reveals God’s dispensing of grace. It is not like a government entitlement program but rather is apportioned according to His purpose and glory. In the parable the land owner says to some complaining workers (he had paid the same wage for different hours of work), “Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?”
So how can we live like Jesus and not be taken advantage of? We can’t – he was. How can we love like Christ and be fair to all? We can’t – he wasn’t. How can we extend grace like Jesus and remain true to our faith convictions? It won’t be perfect and we will make mistakes. We will, by necessity, be inconsistent and at times unfair but if we are to live, minister and relate like Jesus then we must attempt full-on grace and truth. It won’t be easy and we’ve come the conclusion that if this church is filled with people that are full of grace and truth, it will be messy. Gloriously messy! So if you think you can embrace the messiness of life then maybe NineSevenZero Church is a place for you. After all, we are all either in a mess, was in a mess or is about to get into one – We’re all messy, It’s OK.
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