We are the CHURCH!

Recently we attended our daughter-in-law’s baptism during the services of a fairly large Baptist Church in our area. They have three Sunday morning services attended by more than 3,000 people. To coordinate and accomplish the turnover involved in these three services requires a large number of people dealing with everything from traffic control and parking to getting first timers to the right place. Here’s the thing that was most impressive: The folks involved in serving were all over the place and they were literally running with a smile and a hearty welcome to assist any and all who needed help. We were thrilled just to be there for the baptism, but I left realizing the powerful testimony being heralded by those who reflected a willingness to cheerfully serve somewhere, wherever, or anywhere, and in so doing they were demonstrating exactly what God intended when He established His Church. This got me to thinking.

Many talk about going to Church, attending Church, and many times we think about the buildings, grounds, and facilities when we use the word Church. Looking at it from a biblical perspective tells us the Greek word translated Church is Ecclesia which simply means a called out assembly of people. That’s right. A Church is not the building, that’s only where the Church (called out assembly of folks) meet! The New Testament does give a sense of the institution of The Church that Christ established, but that institutional Church is always demonstrated in the Scriptures as being in real towns and cities, made up of real people working together to use their differing callings, gifts, talents, and abilities to pursue the work given to them by the Church’s founder, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Why is this distinction important? I believe it to be crucial because of how easy it is for us to dodge personal responsibility in serving God in His designed way, that being taking our place as a member of a local congregation and joining with others to fulfill our purpose. It’s much easier to go to a service than to be a serving member in a local Church. It’s much easier to attend Church than it is to commit to fulfilling a role in God’s local body of believers. Statistics over time consistently show that on average only 20% of those identified with a local fellowship ever give themselves totally to serving through their Church.

You do not have to be a theologian to know that this sad statistic is not what God intended for His very own when He sent His Son who died and resurrected to bring us life. According to New Testament teachings, we find His plan is for us to develop and grow in and through our connection to, and participation in the work and ministry of a sound, bible teaching, actively working Church. When we really get a handle on this truth we begin to appreciate the meaning behind the Church signs that read, What’s Missing: C H _ _ CH. We may chuckle when we fill in the blanks with U R, but the truth is often right there in front of our eyes.

Whenever we begin to grasp the significance of our responsibility as it relates to this truth, it changes our focus and attitude about the Church. We begin to know that when we complain about how the Church is not doing this, that, or the other, it’s no longer a “them” but it really is a “we” issue. You want your local Church to do more in a particular area then perhaps your concern over this matter is God’s way of telling you to get involved in becoming a part of the solution instead of complaining about it. I know it’s much more convenient to be an observer rather than one involved in the doing part of ministry, but this is what we are called to do. The good news is that He gives us exactly what we need to accomplish exactly what He would have us to do. Wow! What a great God we serve! More later…………