Believe - The Church
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If you were God, how would you rescue the world? How would you show your love, kindness, your presence? How would you communicate the message of hope, salvation, new life?
If you come up with a better solution that God, bypass me and go directly to Him.
The answer is the Church - the ekklēsia (ἐκκλησία). The Bride and Body of Christ.
The Church is Christ’s tangible representation on earth - hands, feet, voice and heart.
It is the unified assembly of all believers in Christ – past, present and future. Currently, there are 2.2 billion men, women, children around the world gathered under one faith, one Lord, one God, one truth, one salvation and one hope - the Church.
For those who have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ as their savior and forgiver of sins, they are members of this one mysterious spiritual body. With all its faults, warts and moments of shame, the Church is over 4,000 years old (if one includes its Jewish heritage) and is a glorious organization that has brought more good, more hope, more healing and more freedom to the world than any other secular or religious organization in history.
True believers in Christ are members of this body, yet, do its members understand the function and purpose of the Church? Do we truly understand the Biblical principles of that guide the Church? To be poignant, do we even care? It is evident that many in Western Christianity do not care. All too often, those within the Church search for a local church that suits their own needs, styles, theology …. They shop for the music they like, the preaching they want and the programs they can attend.
Seriously consider, do I care what the Bible says about the Church and how it is to operate? To be even more poignant – do I care what Scripture says about me, and my critical part in the Church? See, the two are linked – inseparable – because the “me” makes up the “we.” How’s that for cheesy?
Cheesy or not, it’s true. See,
The Church is a reflection of the people who attend church.
How I live my life drastically effects the Church (C and c).
If the Church is spiritually healthy, it’s because the people who attend church are spiritually healthy. If the Church is sick, it’s because the people are sick.
Like it or not, how you and I choose to live effects this church, this community, the churches down the street, the churches across town and so on.
The reality is, if I am a Christian, I cannot separate myself from the Church. If the Church is the Body of Christ, and the Body of Christ is made up of individual Christians, then Church is not something I do or attend, it’s a part of who I am.
If my identity is in Christ, then my identity is in the Church. And how I live either helps or hinders the identity of the Church.
Take a moment and think - What does that mean to you?
Now the Key Idea this week is:
I believe the church is God’s primary way to accomplish His purposes on earth today.
Let’s chat for a moment. What follows here is intended to be a comparison, not criticism. I need to compare my life and my church with the Biblical concept of Church.
What are God’s purposes on earth?
Possible answers (hope, salvation, morality, sanity, peace, unity …). If those are His purposes and if the Church is His was of accomplishing those purposes – then how are we doing? How am I doing? Can’t do everything, but we do need to do our part ….
Understand,
Whatever responsibility (i.e. Biblical mandate) the Church has, I have.
It’s not, “Oh, that’s the church’s responsibility!” That’s unbiblical thinking, because you’re trying to separate your life from the Church; you’re trying to separate something that is inseparable. There is no, “Here’s me; there’s the Church.” Whatever responsibility the Church has I have. If the Church has a responsibility to provide hope, salvation, morality, sanity, peace, unity - guess what - that’s my responsibility too as a follower of Jesus Christ.
Now, The task of accomplishing God’s purposes is too big for any one individual and any one congregation – we must accomplish this task in unity with all believers.
The days of building our own individual “castles” with our territory need to be over. We need to be willing to let go of anything that hinders us from accomplishing the purposes of God.
Every church must do its part. Just as each believer must do his or her part.
Let’s look at a few purposes of the Church. This is not an exhaustive list. The Church serves many purposes in our lives. It provides fellowship, Biblical education, and spiritual growth. The Church helps with social needs such as ministry to the poor, those in prison, the orphan, the widow etc. However, we must never forget the foundation upon which the Church is built. Doesn’t matter how much good we do, how big our attendance is, or how many programs we have - if we forsake our first love, we’ve forsaken all that matters.
Reminder, when we say the Church, we’re not talking about an organization out there somewhere, we’re talking about you and me. This is intensely personal.
1) The Church Serves as a Witness to the Resurrection
and everything that goes along with the resurrection - the life and death of Jesus, forgiveness of sin, transformation, holiness etc.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
He’s speaking to the eleven disciples, but the phrase “to ends of the earth” signifies that He’s speaking to all disciples throughout all ages. If you jump down to verse 22, the disciples are voting on who will replace Judas, and they determined that the man who replaces him
beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.”
Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.
The preached, proclaimed, talked, texted, IM … they witnessed.
The Church is the primary witness to the resurrection of Christ. If we lose that, we lose everything.
And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.
And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.
If a church houses all the homeless, feeds all the hungry, eliminates poverty, and saves all the whales but neglects the resurrection, that church has failed. In the end, it does no good to give people the world while neglecting their souls. Truthfully, we can’t have one without the other.
If the Church serves as witness to the resurrection, we have to ask ourselves some questions - Does my life witness to the resurrection? Is my life a visible testimony to the risen Christ? Does Sunnyside?
2) The Church Serves as a Conduit of Spiritual Power
The Church is a spiritual organization, and spiritual power should be evident within a spiritual organization. Power over sin. Power over darkness. Power over social norms. Power to live sanctified lives. If we do not operate under the empowerment, the infilling and the wisdom of God’s Spirit, we’re nothing more than a social club.
If lives are not being transformed, if all we do in the church can be accomplished in our own power and strength then we’re missing the Holy Spirit. We can help people all day long - help financially, help with food, provide counsel … and we should, but if that’s all we do, and there is little to no transformation, if there is no power in becoming more like Christ, if there is nothing supernatural taking place, then where is the empowerment of the Holy Spirit?
Again, not a criticism, but a comparison.
When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria.
When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit,
because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
We see this throughout the book of Acts - God pouring out His Spirit on His people, subsequent to salvation, and empowering the Church to accomplish the work He has for them. It is spiritual work, spiritual encounters, spiritual warfare, and we are to walk in the Spirit.
Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.
Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
Now, spiritual power is expressed in different ways - big, small, on stage and behind the scenes, among crowds and one on one. It can be confronting a demon or washing feet - doesn’t matter, but the Church and church should be a conduit of spiritual power.
Curious - How is the power of Christ evident in my life? In the life of this church?
3) The Church Serves to Stand and Fight against Darkness
You can read about that later … Acts 8:4-8 / Luke 10:17-19
How am I helping the church battle darkness?
4) The Church Serves as a Light to the Lost
For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “ ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”
Again, the key idea this week - I believe the church is God’s primary way to accomplish His purposes on earth today. That’s a true statement, but it still segregates me from the Church. So let’s say this, I believe I am God’s primary way to accomplish His purposes on earth today.
I am God’s primary witness to the resurrection. Spiritual power. Fighting darkness. Light to the lost.
Dialogue
Eph. 4:1 -5:20
Where is the Holy Spirit poking me?
What am I going to do about it?