Christ’s letters to the seven churches still resonate today. Like those ancient churches, most churches today lie somewhere on the continuum between flourishing and withering, between faithfulness and faithlessness, between comfort and persecution. Using seven key themes, John Stott illustrates the timeless relevance of Christ’s exhortations and warnings to the universal church, while pointing to Christ, the Lamb turned Shepherd, who knows the unique opportunities and challenges that face each church. This is a helpful guide for preachers looking to feed their flock with this often visited passage from John’s vision of the apocalypse.
The church today needs to hear Christ’s message anew. What Christ Thinks of the Church embodies Uncle John Stott’s deep theological reflections and clear pastoral preaching. In teasing-out the messages to the seven churches in ancient Asia Minor, we have in our hands a living word for today, calling us to a “love for Christ and willingness to suffer for him, truth of doctrine and holiness of life, inward reality and evangelistic outreach, with an uncompromising wholeheartedness in everything.” These should characterize the church of Christ in every generation–they are timeless in their application for all.
—Chukwuemeka Egbo
The validity of the Christian faith turns for many today on whether the church lives its identity. The gap between what Christians say and do tempts many to believe that the gospel we proclaim is empty. For at least these reasons, John Stott’s What Christ Thinks of the Church could not be more timely. This careful and provocative book is a catalyst for lament and repentance while also a source of inspiration and hope.
—Mark Labberton
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