I want to invite you to learn about the ‘behind the scenes’ at freshchurch. But I don’t mean all that great work that happens by countless people an hour before church to get everything ready. And I also don’t mean all that quiet selfless service that people put in during the week to care for others, like cook a meal, or mow a lawn or just catch up over coffee to chat about life.

I actually mean the behind behind behind scenes! The deep deep deep really behind the scenes of freshchurch! What I mean is, the behind the scenes of Christian relationships and ministry that we see in the New Testament book of Ephesians, chapter 6, verses 10-18.

This is a very strange and confronting part of the New Testament but when you read it – it unambigiously says that reality doesn’t consist of just what we see, touch and taste, but there is also a behind the scenes ‘unsensed’ spiritual realm as well. More precisely, it makes clear that in the area of gospel ministry and growing followers of Jesus there is a spiritual battle going on. Have a read yourself. Freaky stuff I know!

But as we think about our church at freshchurch, it’s very important that we don’t lose this behind the scenes perspective. If we don’t incorporate Ephesians 6:10-20 into our thinking, we won’t have the full picture. And if we don’t incorporate Ephesians 6:10-20 into our thinking, we’ll lose the seriousness and urgency of what we’re about as a church. Our church motto is ‘growing followers of Jesus’. But this isn’t so that we can develop people so that they can reach their full potential (though I reckon being a Christian should make you a better person). And it isn’t so that we can numericially grow our church so that we can think – wow – aren’t we a big growing church! Taking the perspective of Ephesians 6 – as we do what we should as a church – teach about Jesus and see people more and more live out their life like Jesus is their Lord – “our strugge is not against flesh and blood’ – but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” As I said – freaky. But this passage makes clear – there is a serious spiritual battle going on. Satan wants people. POW’s for Satan! And as a church we enter that battle with all seriousness and purpose

But don’t worry – if you haven’t been to freshchurch before, this doesn’t mean we do weird stuff that makes us look like we’re from another planet – sacrifice chickens, speak to angels, swap mystic medusa magic medallions. We aim to do what the rest of Ephesians 6 says. We have strong focus of everyone learning from the bible – God’s truth, God’s Word. And we alway encouage each other with the way of Salvation – which is the message about Jesus – who died on the cross so that God and Heaven, not Satan and Hell can be our lot.

As I read Ephesians 6:10-20 a great challenge for all of us at freshchurch is to continue to be prayerful. That’s what the passage says. If there is a spiritual battle happening, then it’s only God who can do the fighting. If it’s God who can bring people from darkness to light, then all we can do is ask Him to be powerfully at work.

Don’t get freaked out by it. But way behind it all, that’s the behind the scenes picture of freshchurch.