The constant refrain from the children in the backseat, “Are we there yet?”, has become a punchline in numerous comedic sketches. The phrase represents the kids’ impatience, the annoyance, the lack of temporal understanding and the frustration often experienced by parents. Knowing that we are going somewhere, when do we arrive?
Over the past months we have been articulating a biblical vision of what describes us as a church. We’ve used the following phrase:
Hebron is a biblically-based, Christ-centered community of disciples, a Reformed, (classically) evangelical church in the Presbyterian tradition, worshipping, growing, and serving Christ in the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh and beyond.
One point we have frequently made is that this phrase both describes what we currently are (to some extent) and what we are striving to become. We realize that we do not fully reflect all that these words encompass, but we are aspiring to do so. And, thus the question, “Are we there yet?” How are we doing in pursuing these goals? How do we know when we are getting there?
Of course, there could be many measuring sticks—how well do we reflect God’s love? How effective is our service to the community? Are we growing in and demonstrating faith? Do our elders and leaders take seriously their responsibilities? Do we show our reliance upon God and His Word? But I’d like to think a lot of them boil down to the basic question, are we becoming more and more Christ-like (see 2 Corinthians 3:18)?
OK, if Hebron is indeed a biblically-based, Christ-centered, Reformed, classically evangelical, Presbyterian church, our congregation would look more and more Christ-like. Well, how can we measure that?
It would be hard to imagine a more defining, and revealing, trait than grace. Unmerited favor, blessings unearned, freely, joyously given. An attitude of love, compassion, mercy and forgiveness, all wrapped up in a desire for the holy… Grace. Are we the kind of church the Bible calls us to be? Well, are we becoming more and more grace-filled? Are we demonstrating that grace more and more willingly, more and more unconsciously, as that grace works itself out in our own lives?
The logic is straightforward. If we are the church (or are becoming the church) that God wants us to be, we will become more and more Christ-like. To be more Christ-like is to embody in our relationships what He embodies in His… Grace. Having received it from Him, we cannot but share it with others.
And so, the challenge: are we becoming more grace-filled? Do we embody grace in our attitudes, our thoughts and our actions with one another as well as those outside our community?
This challenge leads us well into our study this week in two parables: the unforgiving servant (Matthew 18:21-35) and the laborers in the vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16). Question: Are we grace-filled?
- Why is it so easy to be disgusted with the unforgiving servant (Matthew Chapter 18)?
- Jesus clearly warns us against being unforgiving like this character. How can we avoid such? How does the parable itself provide insight into how we keep from falling into that trap?
- What do you think is the most common objection to the story of the vineyard workers? There appears an inherent unfairness here. How does the Gospel speak into that perception?
- The parable ends with the line, “the last shall be first, and the first shall be last” (verse 16)? How does this speak to the parables’ point?
- How do these two parables measure our own “progress” in grace? How do you feel having read them?
By Henry Knapp