New City Church

Making disciples. Period.

214 Spencer Street NE, Grand Rapids, MI  49505
Sunday mornings at 10:00
Directions

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

for the North End Community Ministry / food pantry
visit http://necmgr.org or call (616) 454-1097

  • Home
  • About Us
    • Mission
    • Beliefs
      • Historic Creeds and Confessions
    • Core Values
    • Leadership
      • Council of Elders
      • Deacons
  • Experience New City
    • Worship
    • City Groups
    • Discipleship
    • New City Sisterhood
    • Serving the Body
      • Spiritual Gifts
    • Childrens’ Ministries
    • Youth
    • Membership
  • Resources
    • Sermons
      • Miscellaneous (various topical sermons)
      • From Garden to Garden: the Story of the Bible (a topical sermon series)
      • Real Jesus. Real Followers. (a sermon series in Mark)
      • A Brief Study of Spiritual Gifts (a topical sermon series)
      • Church Calendar (an on-going topical sermon series)
      • What Is the Church? (a topical sermon series)
      • Cosmic Christ: Divine Truth For Our Earthly Reality (a sermon series in Colossians)
      • Genesis: the Origins of [Re]Creation (a sermon series in Genesis)
      • Acts of Jesus (sermon series in Acts)
      • Spiritual Disciplines (a topical sermon series)
      • Jude (a sermon series in Jude)
      • A Cruciform Life: Being Shaped by the Cross into the Shape of Jesus (a sermon series in 1 Corinthians)
      • Christian Community (a topical sermon series)
      • Let’s… (a topical sermon series)
      • A Slaughtered Lamb Reigns (a sermon series in Revelation)
      • Together (a topical sermon series)
      • YHWH: Missionary to the Nations (a sermon series in Exodus)
      • Sexual Ethics and the New City (a topical sermon series)
      • In Christ: There Is No Other Gospel (a sermon series in Galatians)
      • What On Earth Is the Church? (a topical sermon series)
      • Come and Believe: the Gospel According to John (a sermon series in John)
      • Politics and Christian Unity (a topical sermon series)
      • Life As the Body of Christ (a topical sermon series)
      • Covenant God: the Foundation of Our Faith (a sermon series in Joshua)
    • Child Protection Policy
    • The Gospel Coalition
    • Desiring God
    • Urban Transformation Ministries
    • North End Community Ministry
  • Contact us
  • Sermons
  • Upcoming Events

love does not assume the worst

January 27, 2021 by J-T

Each week I try to write an article or two about various issues as God leads. I spend time in prayer, asking God what he wants to say to his church through me and my teaching ministry. One thing that has been pressing on my mind for months has been the issue of unity within the church—this local church we call New City Church. My concern is also for the broader church which is made up of local churches, but I am called to serve this one in particular so my focus is on New City. This is what led to our series in September / October called “Politics and Christian Unity” and, as we’ve seen, this issue was a major focus in Jesus’ last supper with his disciples in John’s Gospel, chapters 13–17. If you missed these sermons, here are links them. Both video and audio options are available.

1: “True Citizenship”
2: “Sojourners & Exiles”
3: “Embassy”
4. “Walking in Love”

In the midst of great diversity, and especially in the midst of political diversity, one of the greatest causes of disunity is a lack of charity for those who disagree with you. This is seen in assuming the worst, both in intent and in scope. As the apostle Paul wrote in his first letter to the church in Corinth, “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” Love is, quite simply, the opposite of our “cancel culture”. Still further, the apostle Peter wrote in his first letter, “Love covers a multitude of sins.” When others say things we don’t like—for example, expressing a political view quite unlike our own—love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things, and if the one expressing a contrary view is actually sinful in his or her expression of it, love covers a multitude of sins.

I’ve been wanting to write about this for a while and then an article appeared this morning on the Gospel Coalition’s website (New City is a member of the Gospel Coalition). The article, written by Thaddeus Williams, is called “The False Gospel of Assuming the Worst of Others”. I urge you to read this when you are able. It is a good and timely word, written far better than I could have achieved. Praise the Lord for gifted men and women who use their gifts for the greater good! The link is below.

The False Gospel of Assuming the Worst of Others

Filed Under: Council of Elders

Give online

Search newcitychurch.org

Recent Posts

  • why do we worship together on Sundays?
  • let’s celebrate Christmas every Sunday
  • Moses and Mission BBQ and the Sabbath
  • how should we vote on Tuesday? quietly.
  • whence comes a peaceful and quiet life?

Location

Sundays at 10:00AM 214 Spencer St NE, Grand Rapids (on the corner of Plainfield Ave & Spencer St., just north of Leonard St.)

Mailing Address

214 Spencer St NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49505

Copyright © 2023 · Outreach Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in