“As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ . . . But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:5–9).
Christians are a group of sinners who have been saved by grace. Through the salvation of the Lord Jesus, we have escaped the eternal state of perishing in hell and can enjoy heavenly peace and joy. However, after believing in Christ, Christians should not simply treat their faith as a ticket to heaven, relax, indulge in the world, and live a self-centered life. A serious Christian desires instead to live in a way worthy of the Lord Jesus’ calling by responding to His grace through obedience to God’s call. The apostle Peter teaches that God calls every believer in Jesus to be a royal priest, proclaiming the grace of the Lord Jesus’ salvation. In the Old Testament, the responsibility of priests was to offer sacrifices so that sinful Israelites could be reconciled to God. But now, as priests, we no longer need to slaughter animals for sacrifice, because the Lord Jesus, as the greatest atoning sacrifice, has already accomplished a redemption sufficient to forgive the sins of people throughout all generations. What we are called to do now is to bring sinners back to God through the testimony of our lives, through holy living, and through sharing the truth of the gospel found in Scripture. Since God has entrusted us with such an enormous task, He has also provided the necessary means for us to accomplish it.
First, when God entrusts us with this responsibility, He entrusts it not only to individual Christians but also to a community. This community is a holy nation and a people belonging to God. It is the church, made up of individual believers. God has given us the church to help us fulfil His calling. Brothers and sisters cannot accomplish God’s calling on their own individually. We need to use the different gifts that God has given to each of us to build up the church. In this way, the church will be able to help every believer respond to God’s calling, and together the church can fulfil God’s calling. “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 4:10–11a). When the apostle Peter describes Christians in 1 Peter 2:5 as “living stones” and a “spiritual house,” he highlights the relationship between individual believers and the Christian community—the church. The church is the house in which the Holy Spirit dwells, and individual believers are the bricks and stones that build this house. The foundation of this house is the Lord Jesus Christ. If some bricks or tiles are missing, the house may not be an effective shelter against wind and rain. If, however, there are many bricks and tiles without being built into a house, they have little value on their own. In the Tree of Life Christian Church, every brother and sister is a living stone in this spiritual house, and none is dispensable. Regardless of age, background, or status, each of us has a place in the church where the Lord can use us to build up the church, and we all share the responsibility of building her.
On March 22, we will hold our church’s Annual Congregational Meeting. We thank the Lord that attendance at past meetings has been very high, and we pray that this year will be the same. The presence of our brothers and sisters reflects everyone’s concern for and participation in the ministry of the church. Before that, the ministry report and financial report for 2025 will also be distributed to members. We thank the brothers and sisters who prepared and compiled these reports. Thank you for your careful preparation and for your leadership in the various ministries throughout 2025. May the Lord reward your labour. We hope these reports will help all of us in Tree of Life Christian Church better understand the operations and situation of the church. Therefore, please make sure to read them before the meeting, and feel free to raise questions during the meeting. This year’s ACM will also include the triennial election of Church Committee members and deacons. According to the church constitution, the term of office for Church Committee members and deacons is three years, and the last election was held in 2023. Church Committee members represent the church in fulfilling various legal responsibilities and must be elders or deacons. Each term must be appointed through a vote at the ACM. The candidates for this term are the same as the previous terms, but they still need to be reappointed by the members at the ACM. Please pray for the smooth conduct of the ACM, and also pray that the Lord will raise up more brothers and sisters who are willing to step forward to serve the church, including in leadership roles.
Having said that, the church does not organise activities merely for the sake of having activities. Whether it is the ACM, the church camp in June, or our regular fellowship and small group meetings, we have only one purpose: as the apostle Peter said, to save souls, build lives, and glorify God. We need every brother and sister to join in building this spiritual house—our spiritual family together. “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:8–10).