Devoted to God’s Church
Devoted to God’s Church
Core Values for Christian Fellowship
by Sinclair B. Ferguson
Being a Christian is not an individualistic or isolated activity. Believing also involves belonging. Being a Christian, by definition, involves belonging to the church.
This is not a book full of ideas about how your church ought to change or what it needs to do in order to grow or to be successful. Rather it is about how we fit into our own church. There are hallmarks of church life that should be stamped on all our churches because they are applicable everywhere and anywhere -- New Testament values for any size of church, in any part of the world, at any time.
Devoted to God's Church will serve to help new Christians understand what it is to be part of a church, and will also be a refreshing reminder to every Christian of what it should look like to belong to the family of God.
Compass Reviewed
A follow up to his previous book, “Devoted to God” (most focused on sanctification), “Devoted to God’s Church” explores another often neglected but biblically centred source of Christian sanctification, the church.
Being a Christian is not an individual or isolated activity. ‘Believing’ also involves wholeheartedly ‘belonging’. Being a Christian then, involves belonging to the church. To belong to Jesus is to belong to Jesus’ people.
There are hallmarks of church life that should be stamped on all of our churches because they are applicable everywhere and anywhere. They are New Testament values for any sized church, anywhere in the world, at anytime. Of these we do not deviate.
This book is not full of ideas about how your church should change or what it needs to do to grow and become successful. This is not a step by step teaching that all should follow for church growth. Instead, it is written about how we fit into our own church. Many people “go” to church. Sinclair Ferguson teaches us how to “be” the church as Christ defines it.
“Devoted to God’s Church” serves to help new Christians understand what it is to be part of a church, and is a fresh reminder to every Christian what it should look like to belong to the family of God. This is a practical tool for disciplining your church, to inject fresh zeal and joy into the membership they already possess. Ferguson desires to “recalibrate our commitment to Christ and love for the specific church to which you belong.”
Sinclair Ferguson has a captivating way of writing that makes you want to continue reading. He uses and explains scripture. He is relentlessly gospel centred as he continually points to the intended role of the local church. I greatly enjoyed this book and would give it an 8 out of 10 read.
Karen Cicansky