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Jews demand signs\xa0and Greeks look for wisdom,\xa0but we preach Christ crucified:\xa0a stumbling block\xa0to Jews and foolishness\xa0to Gentiles,\xa0but to those whom God has called,\xa0both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God\xa0and the wisdom of God. (1 Corinthians 1:22-24)

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While church shopping, Jews demanded signs: what (miraculous) sign will you give us to prove that you are the Messiah?\xa0 Greeks looked for wisdom: proofs, arguments, and apologetics.\xa0 Air-tight defenses of the faith.\xa0

In our church shopping today, we look for all sorts of other things too. \xa0

We look for purity of doctrine and practice: where does a church stand on issues and ethics, like human sexuality or loving their neighbours through action?\xa0 \xa0

We look for relevance: what kind of music and ministries does this church have for me and my children, and do I feel \u201cfed\u201d (whatever that means) by this particular pastor\u2019s preaching?\xa0

Jesus didn\u2019t give signs to the Jews who asked.\xa0 Jesus\u2019 crucifixion and resurrection was foolishness to the Gentiles.\xa0 Jesus has never been particularly relevant to those seeking relevance, and the people he calls his own are those he died for while they were still impure, self-interested sinners.\xa0

What the church is firstly about at its most fundamental level then, is not any of these things.\xa0 Not signs, wisdom, relevance, purity of ethics or practice.\xa0 No, the church\u2019s one foundation is Jesus Christ its Lord: crucified and risen.\xa0

Without relevance: the church is still the church.\xa0 Without purity: the church is still the church.\xa0 Without practice: the church is still the church.\xa0 It may not be much of a church without these things, but it\u2019s still a church.\xa0 Without Christ however?\xa0 There is no church.\xa0

In times of deep division we can get caught up and distracted by many secondary things within the church.\xa0 Important things to be sure, but secondary.\xa0 And as we do, the rumblings of churches splitting or of members splitting away from churches to go \u201cchurch shopping\u201d can grow.\xa0

At times like that.\xa0 Times like this: we do well to hear the simple, unvarnished call of the Gospel once again.\xa0 It\u2019s nothing more nor less than Christ crucified.\xa0 There lies all the power and wisdom of God.\xa0 And starting there, there is much else to work out in how we live our lives, meet our culture, and disciple one another. \xa0But it has to start there.\xa0 With Christ.\xa0 Always.\xa0

It is in him, and him alone, that our hope is found.

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