Word of the Week - Church (body of Christ)
“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.” Ephesians 4:11-12
Is it possible to love and follow God but not be part of the body of Christ through His Church? I would suggest that we can come to know God and receive salvation through a personal relationship with Him outside of Church but we cannot grow and reach our full potential in Christ without being connected to a local Church, which is the “body of Christ” here on earth. Even though Church attendance does not gain us salvation, the Church is God’s plan and design for His followers and as believers thus we should embrace His plan and be fully engaged in our local Church.
The reality is that Church leaders and members are not God and thus not perfect, they are simply human beings that are sinful and flawed. Similar to a family, we have to understand and accept that there are no perfect parents and families just the same there are no perfect Church bodies. The key is to see ourselves as part of the family not on the outside looking in, we are members of the Church so we should see our Church as family, brothers and sisters in Christ and accept them as we accept our family members and do our best to help them grow and overcome their issues and challenges. We need to extend the same amazing grace that we have received from Christ. Seeing Church this way changes our perspective and gives us the grace and compassion to love and accept our brothers and sisters as we represent the hands and feet of Christ knowing that we are all broken sinners that have fallen short but God loved us unconditionally in spite of our sin and flaws.
Church is a gathering place for us to connect with other believers in fellowship and be spiritually fed so we can grow and develop as disciples of Christ and thus it is important for us to be part of a Church that is feeding us and allowing us to grow in our walk with Christ and other believers. So what makes a good Church? Regardless of the denomination, I would suggest a good Church would possess solid leadership and a sound biblical worldview that is based on the Gospel of Jesus Christ with a heart to shepherd its members/parishioners. It is important to remember that the heart of Christ is to love by giving and serving, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 From that perspective, good Churches have a heart for outreach and evangelism understanding that the true mission of the Church is to reach the lost and serve the least of these to include the poor, hungry, widows, prisoners and orphans. As members of our Church body we should be as focused on what we can give and contribute to our Church family as much as what we are getting from our Church “It is more blessed to give than to receive” Acts 20:35. We should understand our gifts and always look for ways that we can plug into our Church to love and serve our Church family and those in need. Be a giver not a taker always asking not what my Church can do for me but what I can do to serve God through my Church. This is the abundant life of Christ. “The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed” Proverbs 11:25
So let’s choose to not allow the sinful, broken people of the Church (those who look just like us) not to be a stumbling block that keeps us away from our sinless, perfect and loving Heavenly Father who simply wants to draw us to Himself. The Church isn’t primarily a building or a set of programs or events. It’s a family. A broken family, yes. But a family all-the-more, seeking God to love more, serve more and share God’s light in a super dark world. We see throughout the Bible that Christ Himself was part of the church. His apostles were as well. “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:24-25
I am convinced that the Church is the hope of the world through our connection to our local Church. This is God’s plan and it is good so let’s embrace it and make the most of it by being fully engaged in oue local life giving Church body.
Have a great week…
-Duane