I want you to all realize how integral you are to everything that we're doing out at Trinity Church. You, in so many ways, made it possible for Trinity Church to be able to thrive. You laid the foundation. So many of those members that went were discipled right here. They were discipled in these pews. The church is thriving because of the work that Faith Bible Church did over all those years. All glory be to God, but I also want to express our church’s gratitude for you.
I get the question, “Why should we plant churches?” because sometimes we look around and there seems to be a lot of churches. I'm passing 15 churches just to get to Faith Bible Church on Sunday morning.
So why do we need more churches? It is costly, it is a sacrifice. Is it worth it? Why should we care about this and give ourselves to this?
I think to answer that question, we've got to begin by answering another question: What is a church?
Answering that question begins with understanding God's purposes for the world. God is making a people in the name of his Son.
The writer of Hebrews says in Hebrews 12:18-21: "For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest, and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. For they could not endure the order that was given, ‘If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.’ Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, 'I tremble with fear.'"
He's painting the picture of the people of Israel at Sinai. He says, “You haven't come to that mountain. That's not the assembly you're in.”
Look at verses 22-24: "But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly (that word “assembly” is ecclesia, the same word translated “church”) of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel."
When we speak of the church, we first need to understand the identity of the church, the gathering that's still yet to come. That gathering of all of the saints for all of time—every language, every tongue, every tribe, every nation—will send representatives to this assembly, to the church of the firstborn. And you and I have come to be a member of that church. That's what we're part of. That's where we're going. When we talk about the “invisible church,” it's that gathering that we are all a part of.
How do you get into that assembly? How do you become part of that gathering? By repentance and faith in the Son of God, the Lamb, as Revelation calls Him. That's how you join that assembly.
Now that church is not yet visible for a few reasons: (1) because a lot of those people have died; (2) it’s possible many of them that will be in that assembly haven't yet been born; or, (3) they live in China or Africa or somewhere in Europe or elsewhere, and so we can't see them and be with them now, but one day we will be.
But that assembly is still invisible. We can't see it with our eyes. We see it with eyes of faith. We look forward to it.
The local church is where we make that assembly visible today. We make the assembly of the firstborn visible in the here and now, an assembly shaped by and marked by the name of the Son.
There are a lot of places that call themselves churches, but really they're just places where people have all kind of expressed a nebulous, warm feeling for Jesus. Sound doctrine is not protected. The gospel is not protected. We want churches that are displaying the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ with sound doctrine, whole doctrine, complete doctrine, healthy doctrine.
Jesus says in the Great Commission, "All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations." How? “Baptizing them” in the name of the Triune God and “teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you.” These are visible things. The Great Commission is about making that future assembly visible in the here and now, by baptism and by teaching.
When we gather on a Sunday morning, what we are doing—in every gathering where the name of Christ is protected and honored—we are displaying the rule of Christ here on earth. Christ has given his authority to his church, and we are people marked in His name. Therefore we're people marked by unity in His name, by love.
We all like the idea of love, don't we? We like the idea of being a people of love. We all like that idea in theory—until we have people around us. Love is really great in theory. Everybody wants to talk about love, but love requires people.
So the church is a people who are marked off by the triune name of God, who gather together in unity for love's sake because we are His people, to obey Him, to love others, to pursue holiness together. And in doing so, we represent our God. We represent the authority and rule of Christ. We represent to the world the society that every man and woman longs to be a part of.
Every man and woman on earth longs for that society where it will be peace and love forever. They define it their own way, but they all long for that society. Every time we get together, we are picturing that future society that everybody longs to be a part of.
We're not perfect in that. We're imperfect. We're not complete in love and holiness yet; we're pursuing it together. But we're going to get there. Isn't that exciting?
So what does this have to do with church planting? Think about what I just described. Where do we want the rule of Christ? Where do we want that rule represented? Where do we want the kingdom of Christ to be displayed? Where do you want God's glory to be uniquely displayed? Where do you want that to go?
As many places as we can get it. All over the place. Everywhere, which is why Jesus said “go.” We cannot be obedient to Him and stay. We have to go.
Practically speaking, that means the membership of the church needs to catch that vision. It can't just be the elders. The elders want to carry out this vision of church planting, but it can't just be them. It has to be the membership of the church that gets that vision.
If the elders are trying to just drag you and get you to see the vision, that gets really old and tiring, and it's not going to happen the way it needs to happen. It has to be the membership of the church that says, “Yes, that's what we want. We want to see churches started everywhere we can go.”
The membership has to be willing to dedicate substantial resources. That means money, that means people. You've got to be willing to give, and you've got to be willing to go. Are you willing to go if you're asked, or are you willing to give to make it possible for others to go?
Pastors don't plant churches. Churches plant churches. I didn't plant Trinity Church; Faith Bible Church planted Trinity Church. Trinity Church is what it is because it was planted by a church.
And you will plant what you are. The reason Trinity Church is healthy to this point is because you planted what you are. You will plant who you are if you're focused on pursuing Christ, discipling others, growing in unity and love and holiness together, and partnering with others.
The Spokane region is experiencing, I think, a unique season where we have many churches that are setting aside minor differences to come together and partner together for the sake of the gospel.
Being a part of the Inland Northwest Cooperative has been such a blessing to me. I look around the table of men that are godly men who love the Lord and who love His Word and are interested in partnering together to plant churches together. I think we'll be more effective doing it together than trying to do it separately. It may challenge us a little bit. But I think we're enjoying a unique season of unity with the church in Spokane, and we want to take advantage of that.
Thank you.
Paul is Pastor of Trinity Church in Spokane Valley, planted by Faith Bible Church in 2022. He studied at Shepherd's Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Christie, have eight children: six girls, and two boys!
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