A Richly Diverse Family
By Sam Poe
The church is God’s family where we can all find belonging. As we meet both publicly and in homes, we desire to cultivate honest and close familial relationships. This family is where the rich diversity of every ethnicity, race, language, culture, generation and class can be truly reflected and celebrated as we come together as brothers and sisters in Christ. We are committed to serve one another and care for each other in ways that demonstrate the love of Jesus.
God Has Purposed for His Church to be a Richly Diverse Family
Do you tend to seek out Christian friendship primarily with those who agree with most of your cultural values and preferences in life? Do you tend not to reach out to those who come from a different culture or race who are Christians because you don’t feel you would have anything in common with them? If so, it is very possible you are missing out on some important aspects of God’s design for bringing you into spiritual maturity. The Bible presents us with a picture of God’s family, the Church, as a community of people with diverse backgrounds and cultures, where at times the only common focus they have is their relationship to Jesus Christ.
The Apostle Paul and his team played a major part in starting the church in Ephesus. We can read the account of how the church began in Acts chapter 19. A few years later while Paul was a prisoner in Rome, he wrote a letter to the church in Ephesus. In this letter Paul lays out the purpose of God for bringing into being this great family of people from many different backgrounds and nations. All who were members of this family had one thing in common, they had come to faith in Jesus Christ and had found a new identity in him. This new life was the result of hearing the Good News of Christ’s victory over the forces of darkness on the Cross and his resurrection from the dead. As those who were being saved put their trust in what Jesus had done, they were sealed with the Holy Spirit, this was God’s guarantee that they had received an everlasting inheritance as his son and daughters. (Eph. 1:12-14)
It is astounding to read what Paul says in this letter about God’s plan for his great multi-ethnic family. He tells us that everything in heaven and on earth would be brought together under the authority of Christ, and that he would be the head over all things for the benefit of this family, the Church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way! (Eph. 1:18-23) Then Paul goes on to explain that this diverse family is one ‘New Man’, or one new humanity, in Christ. The old walls of hostility and division between humanity and God and between people are broken down and together we are made members of God’s household. (Eph. 2:14-18) This is the household which God promised to Abraham that through his descendants all the families on the earth would be blessed. (Gen. 12:1-3)
Unity in diversity is more beautiful and powerful than the unity of uniformity.
As the Apostle John shares the visions he received in the book of Revelation, he tells of seeing this same beautiful family Paul spoke of in his letter to the Ephesians. John saw a vast multitude, made up of people from every nation, tribe and language group from all around the world. In his vision he saw the Church in heaven standing before the throne of God and they were worshipping with loud voices, “Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!” (Rev. 7:9-12) It is important for us to see that this vision is not just for God’s people in heaven, it is also for us here in this present world. This picture will be revealed in greater glory and fullness in the New Heaven and Earth, but it is a vital feature in our testimony today of the future we have in Christ.
The worship of God in John’s vision has a power and a beauty in its diversity that is greater than what would be possible from a group that was all culturally and socially the same. Unity in diversity is more beautiful and powerful than the unity of uniformity.
The One who is being worshipped receives greater glory in proportion to the diversity of those who worship him. For example when a work of art is admired by a very uniform, like-minded group of people only, that work is likely not truly great. But when the work wins more and more admirers, not only across cultures but across the centuries, then it becomes more apparent that it contains elements worthy of admiration*. As Jesus Christ is worshipped among many nations and cultures over the centuries this testifies of his true greatness and majesty.
Finally, each of us are led into greater Christian maturity when we are developing friendships among people who are from different racial and cultural backgrounds. If we only build friendships with people who think and act like us, we tend to become more stunted in our spiritual growth. Cultural prejudices are often not confronted and broken down in such relational contexts.
The gospel of Jesus brings down the barriers between people of different ethnicities and cultures. We are all enriched by the redemptive aspects which are to be found among diverse people-groups. God wants to show our world the power of the Gospel by helping us grow in cross-cultural and multi-racial Christian friendship!
The gospel of Jesus brings down the barriers between people of different ethnicities and cultures.
This vision for the church is not just for certain groups with a special calling to be cross-cultural. This is intended to be an actual part of every local church throughout the whole world in every generation. In every city, town or village there are varieties of people with different backgrounds, experiences and cultures. There are rich and poor, old and young, native born and immigrants. Let’s ask the Lord to give us hearts that desire friendships with people with whom we have nothing in common except a living relationship with Jesus Christ. I’m convinced that this will move us toward a greater spiritual maturity and fruitfulness than we would have known otherwise. Not only that, it will come much closer to resembling the Church we see gathered around the Throne of God and the Lamb in eternity!
*I drew this illustration from an article by John Piper titled ‘Why Christians Love Diversity’.
The Bible
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Spirit Empowerment
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Grace
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Servant Leadership
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Team Leadership
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Five-Fold Ministries
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Discipleship
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Worship & Prayer
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A Richly Diverse Family
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Together on Mission
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Justice & Mercy
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To the Ends of the Earth
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The Bible 〰️ Spirit Empowerment 〰️ Grace 〰️ Servant Leadership 〰️ Team Leadership 〰️ Five-Fold Ministries 〰️ Discipleship 〰️ Worship & Prayer 〰️ A Richly Diverse Family 〰️ Together on Mission 〰️ Justice & Mercy 〰️ To the Ends of the Earth 〰️
Curious about our values?Learn more about each of the values that shape our church family.
