St Ebbe's Church

When I was at a theological college in Oxford, I walked into the church.

I attended St. Ebbs one Sunday morning and I was looking and feeling miserable.

And the vicar there saw me and he said, Rico, are you still going to heaven? Yes, I said.

He said, oh, that's all right.

There's no place for prejudice.

No one should turn up at St. Ebbs and think, I could never truly belong here.

Never truly be accepted here.

Because everyone needs the gospel.

But Paul's measure here is what he calls your work of faith.

And we thank God for evidence of that here at St. Ebbs.

That as our small groups restart, as we welcome people into church, we are working out our faith in Jesus.

But it's not limited to in here.

Here was the Holy Spirit, powerfully at work.

And he reassured them that they were real Christians, a real church.

And that second mark, spiritual power, whether we're going to all saints or we're here at St. Ebbs, by God's grace, We have his spirit and we need his power.

We must rely on his power to share the gospel, for the Holy Spirit to energize our words and lives, and for him to work in us as we receive the message.