The Church is God’s plan to save the world! That is a grand statement, isn’t it? And better yet, it is true! The Church is entrusted with the Gospel of Christ and the gifts of the Holy Spirit so that she can go and make a difference – now and eternally.
Paul tells us that God planned the Church to demonstrate what Christ’s Gospel could do to make a new society, not built on human accomplishments or personality, but on the Spirit’s power: "this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Ephesians 3:8-12, NIV) Think about that! When the church is healthy, even the angels are impressed.
Churches come in all sizes – a dozen people gathering in a storefront chapel to thousands thronging a cathedral sized edifice. Local congregations feed the hungry, teach new disciples, provide a place of safe harbor for those who are hurting, give to support the work of spreading the Message, gather for prayer, and offer up worship. While you would not know it in some congregations, a high level battle goes on around the church all the time – evil fighting with good, light overcoming darkness, love defeating hate, death replaced with life! Those who only think of the church as a “Sunday club,” a social gathering of like-minded people, have yet to catch a glimpse of her true mission!
Perhaps my greatest privilege in life is to be part of Faith Discovery Church. She is not a large church, nor is she rich, but the breadth of her reach is amazing. On any given week, she is touching hundreds of people- feeding families, providing education to children in her Christian school, inviting people to experience the Presence of God in worship, reaching into local prisons with hope, training boys and girls in faith, and counseling the confused, holding out the Gospel of salvation to those who are lost- just to mention a few things. It is not a large professional staff that is doing this work. A volunteer network that includes dozens of faithful men and women makes this possible.
So, I am going to get personal here. Are you part of a local congregation? If not, why not? Please do not tell me about the hypocrites, the failed pastors, the misplaced priorities. All those things may be true. After all , the church is made of people, imperfect, failing people – just like you; just like me. It is a place to grow, to heal, to become. If it is doing what God intends, it will be a messy place, full of people at all stages of spiritual development, from infancy to maturity.
The church is the place where God will most effectively use you in His work, the place where the gifts of the Spirit He’s invested in you are brought to full fruitfulness and matured. "The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part, the parts we mention and the parts we don’t." (1 Corinthians 12:25, The Message) Christians cannot fully function as God intends without being ‘in the Body.’ Those Christians who dismiss the church as irrelevant or unnecessary ignore what the Bible teaches, and not without real consequence for themselves and others.
People criticize their church - sometimes reasonably, often unfairly. Some churches do ‘church’ better than others. But, a person who works towards the destruction of a church, does an awful thing. He is attacking what God loves! The Church, which includes local congregations, is His Bride. The Word says that “Christ’s love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness.” If Jesus gives His church such love, how can we so easily attack, criticize, dismiss, and destroy her?
The best church is not a “Me” church. It is “His Church” where “We” always takes priority. The moment any person – be it those in the pews or the one in the pulpit - says, “I’ll have my way here,” the Enemy of God steps in to fan the flames! Abusive shepherds who are more intent on building their kingdom than His, will destroy the people of God. How sobering! Christians who believe that their church exists to make them happy will fight, squabble, and destroy the work of God. All of us must be reminded - The Church belongs to God, to serve His purposes.
Church – let’s love her. Let’s give ourselves to make her great, for Christ’s sake. Let’s raise our level of commitment to her, allowing nothing to become more important than being part of God’s work to reach the world. Let’s pray for her success. Let’s be the place where the Light of Christ shines brightly in a very dark world.
People criticize their church - sometimes reasonably, often unfairly. Some churches do ‘church’ better than others. But, a person who works towards the destruction of a church, does an awful thing. He is attacking what God loves! The Church, which includes local congregations, is His Bride. The Word says that “Christ’s love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness.” If Jesus gives His church such love, how can we so easily attack, criticize, dismiss, and destroy her?
The best church is not a “Me” church. It is “His Church” where “We” always takes priority. The moment any person – be it those in the pews or the one in the pulpit - says, “I’ll have my way here,” the Enemy of God steps in to fan the flames! Abusive shepherds who are more intent on building their kingdom than His, will destroy the people of God. How sobering! Christians who believe that their church exists to make them happy will fight, squabble, and destroy the work of God. All of us must be reminded - The Church belongs to God, to serve His purposes.
Church – let’s love her. Let’s give ourselves to make her great, for Christ’s sake. Let’s raise our level of commitment to her, allowing nothing to become more important than being part of God’s work to reach the world. Let’s pray for her success. Let’s be the place where the Light of Christ shines brightly in a very dark world.
The word from the Word says that “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing a her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.” (Ephesians 5:25) And this, "Come to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by the people, but he is precious to God who chose him. And now God is building you, as living stones, into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are God’s holy priests, who offer the spiritual sacrifices that please him because of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 2:4-5, NLT)
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The Church's One Foundation (Aurelia)
The Church's one foundation
Is Jesus Christ her Lord.
She is His new creation,
By water and the Word.
From heav'n He came and sought her
To be His holy bride,
With His own blood He bought her
And for her life He died.
Elect from every nation
Yet one o'er all the earth.
Her charter of salvation:
One Lord - one faith - one birth.
One holy name she blesses,
Partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses
With every grace endued.
Yet she on earth hath union
With God the Three in One;
And mystic sweet communion
With those whose rest is won.
O happy ones and holy!
Lord, give us grace that we,
Like them the meek and lowly,
On high may dwell with Thee.
Though with a scornful wonder
Men see her sore oppressed,
By schisms rent asunder,
By heresies distressed.
Yet saints their watch are keeping,
Their cry goes up - how long?
And soon the night of weeping
Shall be the morn of song!
Samuel John Stone | Samuel Sebastian Wesley
© Words: Public Domain
Jerry D. Scott, Pastor
FAITH DISCOVERY CHURCH
