In starting to work towards church planting, I have been seeking God on where He is sending me. Albeit, I know that I have at least five to seven years before I can set out to plant, I still want to seek God. So, while looking at different urban cities, (here’s a great video from Tim Keller on why it’s best to plant churches in urban cities: http://www.vergenetwork.org/2010/11/17/tim-keller-what-is-gods-global-urban-mission/) I was just taking a look at New York City for grins and giggles. NYC boasts 8,175,133 people in a 468.9 square mile area, which equates to 27,532 people per square mile. Those statistics are staggering.
Coupling those thoughts with the thoughts I came across in Justin Holcomb’s blog entry, “Save Jesus? Ignore Easter?” (http://theresurgence.com/2011/04/20/save-jesus-ignore-easter). What I took away from the entry for this blog, wasn’t exactly pertaining to the subject Holcomb was aiming to get across. “This is what billions of Christians have always believed and what over 1 billion Christians will celebrate this Easter.” One billion Christians in a world of 6.8 billion people, compared to the population of NYC, a billion people is a lot, but compared to the world, 1 billion is not even a dent. At the same time when I think of there being a billion Christians in the word, the picture of Matthew 5:14 comes to mind, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill that cannot be hidden.” When Jesus spoke of a city on a hill it harkens images of Revelation 21:2, “And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” All of this to say we are an invisible city and we have a mission.
New York City may boast over eight million people, but the city of Heaven, God’s kingdom, boasts a billion people at this time and we should be about proclaiming His gospel even more, so that He might increase and build His city larger. As Tim Keller speaks of God’s creation, we start to realize that God in fact loves humanity more than the rest of creation. We know this because of the most well-known (and for good reason) verse John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” He gave his only son, so that we may be reconciled to him; that is HUGE! And that is why we serve an awesome God and serve Him by mirroring His son in proclaiming and displaying the Gospel. The best way to do this is to be this “invisible” city of Heaven in the cities of this world. Cities are where the image bearers of God are. Cities are where the poor are. Cities are even where the “rich-young man” from the pararble of, “The Rich Man Lazarus, are. Cities are eclectic, diverse, and the culture centers of the world. And how do we reach people, by redeeming culture with the truth of the Gospel.
I urge you brothers and sisters, be about the city God has placed you in. Work your butt of for your city. Be Jesus to your city, you may be the only image of Him they ever get the chance to see.
In the words of the Apostle Paul: “Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the father and the Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.” (Ephesians 6:23-24)
Benjamin Walter Titsworth, Gospel Storyteller
planting the Gospel. one seed at a time. 
Amen!