Your Mission Pt. 6
Let’s see how many times have I heard it and I’m sure you have too. The argument goes something like this: the church is irrelevant, impotent, outdated and ineffective in reaching our world today. One of the latest attacks on the church comes from George Barna in his book ‘Revolution’. According to Mr. Barna ‘For thousands of years, Christians have been inventing church, but neglecting to be the church Christ commissioned.
Droves of committed believers are foregoing Sunday mornings to live a 24/7 faith unfettered by the clutter and bureaucracy within the church walls.’ Mr. Barna further asserts that in this book he will give us a daring redefinition of the church as we know it. Mr. Barna’s claims are based on research that in his opinion shows that committed, born-again Christians are exiting the established church in massive numbers. Apparently according to Mr. Barna these ‘revolutionaries’ as he calls them yearn for something more and different than their staid, stuffy church experience.
The second mark or distinctive characteristic of the church listed in Acts 2:42 is devotion to the fellowship. Here Luke declares that the individual members of the infant church were dedicated to official and organized body of believers led by the apostles. He’s not stating that the new believers were merely dedicated to hanging out, eating together and enjoying one another’s company (although he does says so in vs. 46), but that they were devoted to the calling, unity, mission and ministry of the church. That is a truth that can’t be lost on anyone wishing to make a revolutionary impact on our culture and society today. Those who will be used of God will do so in direct connection and submission to their local church. For it is the church that is God’s primary instrument to evangelize and disciple people and cultures.
But along with that the church is the body of Jesus Christ, that is the ones He uses to extend His gospel, agenda and influence into the world. The church is the building of God. We are His temple, the place where He lives by His Spirit. Do we want those in our community to see and experience the presence of God? Then invite them to the corporate public worship of the church. The church remains the expression of God’s wisdom and the vehicle through which He’s chosen to get glory through Jesus Christ. Do you want to observe and consider the holiness, sovereignty, goodness, mercy, compassion, beauty, rightness, wisdom, wrath, justice and salvation of God? Then make it a point to join and actively participate in the life of your local fellowship.
The church is the high and worthy calling that God has summoned all of His people to participate in. Do you want to grow in holiness as you grow closer to our Lord? Then attach yourself to a local body of believers and begin to grow in the virtues of humility, gentleness, patience and godly tolerance. Cultivate the grace of working through issues with people who may not think like you all the time as together you strain to maintain the unity of the Spirit. Do you want to get involved in your community and use your gifts to do good, spread Christ’s love and build bridges to share the gospel? Excellent, but first spend time under the leadership and teaching of your local elders. God has gifted the church with them for the purpose of preparing you to engage your community with the gospel.
The church is the bride of our Lord Jesus Christ, the one He loves, nourishes, cherishes and gave His life for. It is this body, temple and bride that Jesus Christ is eternally devoted to. He has not cast off, left, rejected or abandoned His church and neither therefore can we.
For Christ, the Church and the Truth
LL