Gateway Family,

I have been greatly enjoying our study of the Gospel of Luke on Sunday mornings, and pray that this part of God’s Word has been helpful for you as well!   To get through the 24 chapters is obviously going to take us some time, but we do not want to miss the depths of the wonders of what God has for us in it!   Because of the length of this study, we will pause it briefly at times to look at other topics that will help us grow.  The time has come for that first brief pause.  Over the next six Sundays (March 9 to April 13), we are going to pause our study of Luke to look at the question, “What is the church?” 

Why a study on the church now?  There are two main reasons:

First, understanding the church is critical for us to understand God’s work in the world.  John Stott says it well when he writes, “The church lies at the very center of the eternal purpose of God. It is not a divine afterthought. It is not an accident of history."  As we continue to strive to grow in how God wants to use Gateway, it is imperative that we understand God’s unchanging plans for His church.  We also recognize that we come from many different backgrounds, so we believe it will benefit us to take time together as a church family to study what God’s Word says about His church.  Our new members have begun to think about this topic since we added the Foundations membership class last year, but we believe it will help all of us to consider it now together.

Second, as Gateway has grown, the elders have been praying that God would raise up men to serve as additional elders and deacons as we work to shepherd and serve this body well.   As we go through that process of choosing qualified men, we want everyone to understand the qualifications and responsibilities of those who will serve in those important roles.

So what can you expect from this study?  Each week we will look primarily at one passage of Scripture, unpacking it verse by verse as we always do, to see what God has revealed about the church.  Each week we will let that passage answer important questions that address the reason/basis for the church, the purpose of the church, how the church carries out its purpose, the structure that enables it to happen, how we protect the purity of the church, and how the church grows. 

I am looking forward to digging into God’s Word with you on this topic!  This Sunday we will begin by looking at the question “What is the foundation of the church?”  To answer it, we will go to Matthew 16:15-19, to see the first time Jesus references the church in Scripture.  We will continue each week, wrapping up the week before Easter.  On Easter Sunday we will think about the resurrection together, then, Lord willing, return to Luke’s Gospel on April 27.

~ Pastor Grady