“The Church: A Guide to the People of God"
Published by Lexham Press, 2024.
On page 1, Brad East lays out the aim of the book. He writes, “The Bible tells the story of God and His people. This book is a very small window into that story. By the time you finish it, I want you to know this story inside and out.”
An ambitious plan, especially for only 156 pages worth of space. And yet, as I reflect back after completing the book, I have got to say, I really think East accomplishes what he sets out to do. Whether people “know the story inside and out” after their reading is out of East’s hands. But the part that is his, the laying out of the story of God and His people, he does, and he does with excellence.
In tracing the story of God’s people through the Bible, East lets Scripture itself define the Church, the marks of the Church, the mission and ministry of the Church, the unity of the church and so much more. He does not include many if any illustrations or quotations. He just lets Scripture speak. The result is a feeling of being saturated with God’s Word, and a clear realization of just how fiery and incandescently God loves His church.
For anyone unfamiliar with or needing a refresher on the central place of the Church in God’s redemptive story, this is an essential book. And not surprisingly, since it is apart of the Christian Essentials series.
With ascetically pleasing packaging, as well as and more importantly, biblically rich content that is easy enough to follow for even the newest believer, I am sure this will be a book that I hand out again and again.
