What comes to mind when you think of the word “church�?
A building with stained glass windows?
A place your parents drag you to on Sundays?
A religious organization that has caused more wrong than
right?
Whatever it may be, I want to apologize to you if it is
negative in any shape or form. I’m truly, truly sorry.
Unfortunately, the face that the church often gives off is
one of more judgment and condemnation than of love and acceptance.
Fortunately and unfortunately it is not the way Jesus
designed the church to look like.
In Acts 2:42-47, the earliest form of the church is
discussed and I believe it is the truest and most accurate of what the church should
be.
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to
the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many
wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had
everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone
as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple
courts. They broke bread in their homes
and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the
favor of all the people. And the Lord
added to their number daily those who were being saved� Acts 2:42-47
I don’t want to discredit running churches at all because
many of them genuinely serve and further the Lord’s kingdom. I just want to call to attention our lack of
recognition of what, or rather who
makes up the church. I want to challenge
you to view the church not as a once-a-week activity, but as a way of living.
The church is not a building.
It is not a
denomination.
It is not
a religious organization.
The church that Jesus calls His bride is us.
We are the church.
WE are the church.
This past year the Lord blessed me with the opportunity to
witness and take part in a community that lived out the church. It was a
community that served and honored one another above ourselves; where love was
given freely, without expectation of return; a community that challenged and
edified each other in a way that spurred one another towards Christ.
While on the race, I have experienced this on an even deeper
level. It is so beautiful and
challenging at the same time.
I am learning what it means to die to myself.
I love each one of teammates so incredibly much. But is it easy to love them as we are
eating/sleeping/doing ministry/relaxing/doing everything together? No, not always.
I often desire to be right and my flesh naturally demands
selfishness.
But Jesus calls this out of us.
“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life
worthy of the calling you have received.
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in
love. Make every effort to keep the
unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
There is one body and one Spirit- just as you were called to one hope
when you were called- one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of
all, who is over all and through all and in all.� Ephesians 4:1-5
He has been calling
this selfishness out of me.
He has been teaching me
so much about how He views His church, His people.
He has been teaching me
to view my sisters here as He views them.
They are precious to Him. They are His daughters. This is their
identity.
Along with functioning as a living and active church, comes
finding and commanding anything not of the Lord out of my brothers and sisters. It is not
loving to ignore sin that people may be struggling with, but we are to
fully recognize that sin and call that person up out of it. It is
distinguishing the sin from the person and honoring them by calling them up to
the greatness that they truly are.
“Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak
truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body.� Ephesians 4:25
On the race, we live in a community where feedback is
given. We will take time out of each day
to provide positive and constructive feedback for It is hard and uncomfortable
at times, but it is also so vital, necessary and beautiful, if done
correctly. My teammates see me the way
Jesus does and they will challenge me every day to step into and fully embrace
that role.
“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the
Lord. Live as children of light (for the
fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find
out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing
to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.� Ephesians
5:8-11
We are Christ’s light to each other. It may mean shedding light on painful wounds
that are used to resting in the darkness, but that pain is good and needed in
order to further the process of sanctification.
I want to encourage you to be the church to the people
around you. Honor them and call them
into the greatness that their identity is placed in.
“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over
a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality
to one another without grumbling. Each
one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully
administering God’s grace in its various forms.� 1 Peter 4:8-10
People were drawn to Jesus.
They flocked to Him. The way He
lived and treated people naturally brought people to Him. This is our Savior, whom we are called to
mirror. Let’s start living in a way that
draws people closer to Christ. Let’s
start living to the potential that Christ has graced us with.
“The true church is not an organization controlled by the
rules of men but a holy collection of living stones with Jesus Christ as the
cornerstone.� Brother Yun-The Heavenly Man p. 53
