I started this post about two months ago, and it was a lot more negative than it should have been. After some time to think reflect, and begin looking at the Bible I'm finally diving into this. My goal was to look at this during my time in Israel. While I did get to look at some of the passages, the trip ended up being a lot more busy than I expected. While my study is not done it's time to begin sharing what I've found. I believe this message is crucial for today.
In the Bible the word "Church" appears 112 times (NASB), only two of them come from the mouth of Jesus. Several references talk about a group of believers in a specific location but don't give us any instruction on what the Church is to be, in these next few blogs I won't be looking at these. However, these stories do tell us about God doing great things in the lives of the believers who made up the first century church. Things we haven't seen in hundreds, maybe thousands, of years. Some don't believe it's possible for those things to happen today, that God has changed, or that the people then were "Better" followers of Jesus than we could ever be. But God doesn't change, and those early believers were just people like us. So the problem must be with us.
Today the Church would rather be comfortable than consecrated, tradition than transformed, secure than serving, and right than righteous. We've made church too much about US and not anywhere near about God. Today I saw on Facebook a status from someone talking about how they have their dreams and they won't stop until they achieve them because that is what life's about. I believe they are preparing for ministry, which gives me pause. This isn't about us, it's not about you or me, it's about God. And I believe the reason we don't see the things that the early church did because we are too focused on us. We've made this about us. In 2013 is Church really about God? We say it is, we put on a good show, but at the end of the day is it really? From what I've seen I don't think so.
Part of me wonders how it happened. How did something that Jesus Himself prepared and the Holy Spirit began get so far from what God intended it to be? It's because we've lost sight of who Jesus really is, what He really said, and we've denied the power of the Holy Spirit to help us live as He did. Because of that His Church looks very little, if anything, like He originally intended it to. And so with that let's look at what the Bible says about the Church.
Again, the word "Church" appears only in the New Testament and then only 112 times. The first time we see it is in Matthew 16.18, and it comes from the mouth of Jesus, "I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it." Right away we see something crucial, Jesus claims ownership of the Church. He says quite clearly, "I will build My church;". One of my biggest pet peeves is when I listen to pastors talk about "My church". Pay attention the next time and you'll hear it.
It's human nature to take ownership of things we do and accomplish. It's probably something that's said without even thinking twice about it. I know I've said it just out of habit. But it's not my church, it's the church I have the opportunity to serve at. The Church belongs to Christ, and as His possession I think it should look like how He intended for it to look. (Let me clarify, I've heard several pastors, whom I love, respect, and trust use the phrase "my church" in the context of "this is where God has placed me to serve". They in no way claim ownership over it, but others, ministers and laity, use it in the possessive sense believing it is their's and they have the final say in what it does and looks like.) The Church belongs to Christ, it is His Church. He is the head, and all who make it up will be held accountable to Him for the part they play in it.
A few weeks ago I was in Caesarea Philippi, Jesus was in the area when he said this, possibly in the very spot where I was. That night we talked about this verse. My professor pointed something out that I hadn't thought of before. In Matthew 16 Jesus says "the gates of Hades will not overpower it." My professor said how he used to think of the church as being stationary and surviving an attack from the gates of hell, the same image I had. But then he pointed out how gates don't move, they are stationary. Actually the gate post is the strongest part of a fence or wall. The gates of hell are not on the attack but on the defensive.
The Church is to storm the gates of hell, and destroy them. Casting Crowns has a song that says,
What if the armies of the Lord
Picked up and dusted off their swords
Vowed to set the captives free
And not let Satan have one more
What if the church for heaven's sake
Finally stepped up to the plate
Took and stand upon God's promise
And stormed hell's rusty gates
That is what we are supposed to be, an army that is equipped and on the move against Satan and hell. We aren't to wait passively by and sit comfortably in our pews, but to be preparing and working to rescue souls. A church the is rooted in Christ will be victorious, hell itself will not overpower it.
The Church is to be an army that is constantly before God. Those lyrics come from a song entitled, "What if His People Prayed?" The early Church believed that we had to be an army that would constantly besiege God's throne in prayer. It realized that without Him they could do nothing, that they were nothing. And somehow we've lost that. Somewhere along the way we become focused on us, we took ownership of a building, built a fortress, and have just tried to survive. And you know what? We are wrong.
It's time for the Church to pick up and sharpen our swords. It's time for us to get back in shape and ready for battle. It is time for us move up to the front lines and storm the gates of hell. It is time for the Church to be the Church of Christ.
This is the first thing the Bible tells us about the Church. This is our primary instruction. The Church is Christ's, and we are to be on the move.
"I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread."
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
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