Category: Church

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WHAT IS CHURCH?

Read: Acts 2:42-47

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about that word “church”. It is both a broad and personal term. What does it mean when people talk about “my church”? Are their lives tied to a location? And then some people talk about church as a place that messed up their early childhood and scarred them forever. So, many associations can be made with the church. Which is it? Is it a good place where memories are plentiful, and families continue to grow? Or is it the place where nightmares are born and continue to thrive? “Church” is wrapped with all kinds of nuances.

WHEN A CHURCH IS JUST A CLUB

First, let’s begin by understanding which church we are talking about. Many groups call themselves a church when they actually are “wolves in sheep’s clothing” (Matthew 7:15). Thousands of churches do not preach the gospel. Without the Gospel, a church is not the church laid out by Jesus Christ. It is a club.

DISTINCTIONS OF THE FIRST CHURCH

What was distinctive in the early churches? According to Acts 2:42-47, they loved being taught, they existed in community, prayer was foundational, and they shared in celebrating communion. Also, they took care of one another, praised God, and prioritized sharing the Gospel. Churches today may call themselves evangelical, but they don’t preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This makes them a community, but not the church laid out by Jesus Christ.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT CHURCH?

When asked, “How do you feel about the church?”, I simply mean the church you grew up in or were taken to as a child. Again, many things caused you to form an opinion about those early years, but I would like to offer some things that should have happened.

MORE THAN A STAINED GLASS WINDOW

Was Jesus the major focus of your time in church? Did you learn all about Him? I know that sounds rather trite, but He must be the central Person in our churches, in decision making, in building relationships, and in our worship. Sometimes, we assume Christ is the center of a church, yet we relegate Him to window dressing. He makes a nice stained glass window, but does not reside in the community of believers.

THE ONE WHO ISN’T HERE

A genuine church loves every child as if he/she were its own. As a Pastor of Christian Education, I hung a sign in my office. It read: “The child who most needs today’s lesson may be the one who isn’t here.”  Jesus wanted all the little children to come to Him. The disciples rebuked the parents who were trying to see Jesus, but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Mark 10:13-14).  I know how easy it is to overlook that one child, but each needs our love. This is Jesus’ plan for the church.

Maybe you had a bad experience in a local church. Let me ask you a question. Did your church present Jesus as the Savior? The only Someone who loves you and will never leave you? Did you know a believer who reached out to you even when no one else would? I know we can’t change the past, but we can introduce these two items: Jesus’ love and our genuine love for the next person. That’s when one enters the wonderful place laid out by Jesus, called “The Church.”

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NOT A SOLITARY SPORT

IMAGE OF LONELY RUNNER

Read: Titus 2 (AMP, NIV, NLT)

Ever drive by athletes training for long distance running? They often run in packs, however, rarely are they laughing or interacting. Their feet steadily pound the pavement, one grueling mile after another. It is an agonizing solitary sport.

CHURCH IS “ALL PLAY”

A healthy church is not a solitary sport. Andrew McClure describes the church body as “All Play”.  He recounts his days of playing basketball: “It was our responsibility as a team to put into practice the things we learned. One week we drilled a zone defense. To learn the concept our coach tied one big rope around all of our waists. If the ball moved to the left wing, everyone in unison would shift left. If the ball moved to the corner, everyone would shift to their places. The rope taught us to move in unison. To move with synergy.” We learned the duty of each individual impacts the strength and effectiveness of the whole.

The Cretins said they believed, but there was a disconnect in how they interacted as a team. They professed to know God but didn’t “make the teaching about God our Savior attractive in every way.”

INTER-GENERATIONAL TEAMWORK

Paul gives guidelines to the Cretin church, regardless of age, gender, or profession. No believer is exempt. Older men are to exercise self-control, be respectable, live wisely, know God well and be filled with love and patience. They are to teach this to the younger men. Older women are to honor God, not speak badly of others. They are to teach others, especially the younger women, what is good. This is inter-generational living and teaching in the church. It is expected teamwork; not a solitary sport.

The life of a woman in the pagan Roman world was challenging. Marriages were often arranged and loving both husbands and children was not the norm. Making it a priority to live wisely, purely, and to keep one’s home running smoothly was a Christian concept. Being respectful of their husbands and not bringing shame on the Word of God separated the Christian women from the pagans.

In the Cretin culture, how were the slaves or the bond servants to live? Counterculturally: to obey their bosses, behave as employees of Christ, not talk back or steal, and be entirely trustworthy and good. This behavior was nonconformist because the Holy Spirit empowered and drove it.

LIVES PROPELLED BY GRACE

All these behaviors bloom out of lives propelled by grace.  For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, … He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, … and to purify for Himself a chosen and very special people to be His own possession, who are enthusiastic for doing what is good.  (Titus 2:11-14) True Christian living (especially when no one is looking) shows all the world what you truly believe about God. We are His team; we are not solitary players.

Another person who knew something about living out truth was William Wilberforce. He spent his life ending slavery in Britain. A body of believers, especially John Newton (former slave trader and writer of “Amazing Grace”), nurtured him in the Gospel. Do you realize you are God’s possession? Are you enthusiastic for doing good? Your lifestyle impacts the strength and effectiveness of the entire body of believers.

Click to read the story of John Newton