I’ve been much blessed these last weeks absorbing God’s revelation in Ephesians of what `Church` means: She is Christ’s Bride — Christ’s Body — Christ’s `fullness` or overflow — Christ’s `workmanship` and masterpiece… So today two last pictures…
First, `Church` is also Christ’s `temple‘ and `dwelling‘: `In Him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit…` (2:21-22). Built together by the Word, indwelt and irradiated by the Spirit; together we are the place where Christ has chosen to live, as truly as when He was a foetus in Mary’s womb! `God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple’, Paul wrote to Corinth (1 Cor 3:17). God is here and He loves to be here, to dwell here; isn’t that great? (But Lord, what does it mean for us together to be indwelt by You?) It’s practical, of course: if I secretly look down on a fellow-believer, I am actually despising part of the temple where Christ has chosen to live and the Spirit is skilfully building. That goes for self-dislike too. Each of us as believers is an indispensable segment of God’s holy dwelling-place; the temple that He chose, that with infinite competence He is beautifying, and that passionately He loves…
And then, very practically, 2:19, we are God’s `family`, God’s `household`. Most families don’t always get on; but when the chips are down, we’re (hopefully!) committed to each other. You can’t be rid of me nor I of you! The new testament says so much about `each other`: forgiving each other, putting up with each other, honouring each other, encouraging each other (because anyone can criticise, but it takes a bit more Christlikeness to encourage well); looking after each other, bearing each other’s burdens and so fulfilling the principle of Christ. Our calling as `Church` is to experience life together, and together to bring the gospel and goodness and healing into the world; towards the day when the Bride will be complete and ready for Jesus’ return!
Of course we’re aware that we’ve still got a long way to go; Church is also a hospital where imperfect and broken people get mended. But if we hear the Spirit speaking to us through Ephesians, we can see beyond all the brokenness to the marvellous organism God is shaping us into: `Church` meaning not a building, not an organisation, but something alive, glorious, dazzling, supernatural, the Body of Christ glorious beyond imagination, the Bride Christ is passionately in love with that will share His throne forever. Russian writer Lossky says that the whole purpose of the world and of human existence is the birth and growth of the Church. Jesus died for this, and to miss out on this vision is to miss much of the purpose of life!
And these are glorious days for the Church. Even if various parts of the world, the UK for example, have turned away and are slipping into spiritual brokenness and darkness, across the globe Church is blossoming and thriving. More and more Africans, more and more Indians, Chinese, South Americans; more and more cultures included, the Bride growing more diverse and beautiful than ever before. And being a part of God’s workmanship, helping by our prayers, giving, maybe our careers, to building up this Bride around the world and then making Her worthy of Her Bridegroom, is the greatest adventure. I trust we’ve felt a little of the thrill of this in Ephesians: it’s something so much bigger than we initially realise!
So then: Can I be a Christian without `going to Church`? In one sense, yes indeed; but if we ask this question we’ve probably missed the point. It’s like someone saying `I love playing football, I’m often out in garden playing keepyuppy on my own; but I don’t feel I need to to play with anybody else!- although I did join a football team once, but they weren’t very friendly…` Oh yes: Satan sometimes succeeds in messing up Church. Making leaders lose our grip on God, for example, so that our teaching is shallow or our worship saccharine, our leadership about our own power or our lifestyles hypocritical. We’ve seen these things (there’s a spiritual war on), even done them. But although that part of Church that’s still on earth may be disfigured, with lots of growing to do, She’s still the Bride that Jesus loves so passionately He died for her. Jim Wallis said memorably that the first question for anyone who feels like being prophetic about the Church’s inadequacies is, Do you love the Church? If not, we’re out of step with Jesus! It’s a serious thing to despise the only tangible manifestation of the Bride that Christ loves so much… Life in Church can be a challenge. Just like being in an earthly family can be a challenge with its tensions (as the saying is, `Family are often the people we love the most and treat the worst!`) But to be a disciple of Jesus means being up to our eyeballs in His Bride and bringing others to be part of Her. If we not, we’re way out of step with Him!
So what does this mean practically?
Hold on firmly to God’s vision for `Church` at the heart of His cosmic purpose. This needs to be deliberate. In Britain we are quite an individualistic culture, trained to maximise our own individual potential, to think just what’s good for me. Many of us have to learn to think “team”. Of course there are times when we do have to take an individual stand; sometimes we have to do what’s right even though the whole world is against us. But as we’ve seen in Ephesians, you and I are shaped for God’s glorious collective Church; and if we’ve missed out on that, we’ve missed out on the heart of what God is doing!
Pick your local church and stick with it, it’s the only expression of The Church you’ll find; catch the vision’s expression there and help to build it. In my own church’s baptism services we ask, “Do you promise to serve Him in fellowship with your local church?” (So: do you ever say of your church “They are like this”? Or is it “We are like this”?) Any local expression of Church will surely have its flaws; but about that God tells us, `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` (Eph 4:2-3)!
3 Be an active part of your family! That is, arrange life so that (obviously unless real illhealth prevents it) it’s a really top priority to be there each week! Once upon a time UK Christians went to church 2 or 3 times every Sunday. Today we don’t; and perhaps it’s wise, recognizing that we all need time for sabbath rest and for being with our human family. But we do need to commit to one service each week (and we almost certainly need a homegroup too, because we receive and give there in ways we can’t in a standard service). Perhaps if we look into our hearts we’ll find postmodernity there, and postmodernity is very bad at commitment (eg to marriage): we do something as long as it suits us as a consumer; but when we don’t feel we’re consuming in quite the way we want, we just don’t turn up. And then (as regards Church) everyone loses; `From [Christ] the whole Body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work` (Eph 4:16). You need the rest of the family – and the rest needs you: `The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” (1 Cor 12:21). There’s something good that will not be happening if you’re not there!
4 Following on from that: according to Jesus, `It is more blessed to give than to receive` (Acts 20:35). So our calling in church is to belong, first, as a contributor and not, first, as a consumer! We shouldn’t complain about our church experience if we’ve got this wrong! (We also shouldn’t complain about the preaching or the worship if we haven’t contributed any prayer for the preacher or the worship leader!) Jesus didn’t come to be served but to serve; and if we really want to feel we’ve had a good experience with His gathered people, then not surprisingly we need to act like Him; coming (usually – recognizing there are exceptions, times when we’re just exhausted or damaged) not to get from each other but to give to God, in worship, and to each other. `Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another… Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others faithfully` (1 Peter 4). That includes (for example) being one of those on the lookout for people who no one is talking to; being one of those who makes yours a friendly fellowship!
5 Lastly, let’s figure out ways to use the gifts God’s given us in service. God is very clear that He has given gifts to each of us in His Body, but that these are `for the common good` (1 Cor 12:7). If you don’t know what yours are, pray, reflect on when you feel most fulfilled, and ask around. If you don’t know where you can use them, ask your leaders. Experiment, and discover how God has made you! If you’re a believer, be certain that God created you for a significant role in His Church and His purposes; and He’s good at what He does! In Matthew 25 Jesus presents the Master saying to the servants who have faithfully used the talents He’s given them, and just because of that: `Enter into the joy of your Lord!`
So as we move on: Here is God’s Word to us in these early parts of Ephesians. If we forget everything else, let’s remember what Church means; She is the whole point of human history! Let’s see our whole future in the light of this dazzling supernatural reality — if we’ve taken Him as our Lord and Saviour, we’re an essential part of the eternal Bride of Christ, glorious beyond imagination, that Christ is passionately in love with. That’s why He made the planet. Let’s live joyfully and actively for this! `Let us not give up meeting together…. let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching` (Heb 10:25)… Lord, thankyou for Your love for us, and for the glory of Your Church! Please give me a deeper vision of its grandeur; may it determine how I live, and how I view the expressions of Your Church down here; so that I may be more use in it right now…!
And there are still more wondrous visions to follow in Ephesians…!
(For the rest of this series please click on https://petelowmanresources.com/category/bible-introductions-3/romans-to-philippians/ .)
