In the Bible, remembering the past always fires our imaginations toward the future.
We give thanks for 160 years of Golden Grove Church—for the people who came to faith in Jesus and joined together in worship, service, and witness. Yet the significance of those 160 years, and of the Church’s 2,000-year history, is not simply what has happened in the past. It is being part of a larger purpose: helping all people hear and respond to the message of Jesus Christ.
Paul describes a vision in which, from the very beginning, God’s purpose has been to bring all people and all things together under the gracious rule of Jesus Christ as the true King (Ephesians 1:3–14).
This includes every family and nation on earth, and every family and culture in Australia, South Australia, Golden Grove, and the Kaurna – the original custodians of this land.
We can move forward with faith and confidence that this purpose is being accomplished, and we are called to play our part in it through every aspect of our lives and witness.
That means being willing to embrace anything that helps others hear and respond to the message of Jesus and letting go of anything that stands in the way of this.
As Paul writes elsewhere:
“I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel…” (1 Corinthians 9:22–23)
May we, and all who follow Christ in this place, do likewise for the next 160 years—and beyond.
Jonathan.