In this post we’re focusing on one of the central and most glorious visions by which we live, the reason why God brought our planet into existence: the Church. What is it? What’s it for? Where are we going together?
Our heart may sink at this! Because for some of us the whole idea of what church is has been completely twisted, ruined. Couldn’t we do Christianity better without the church? The gospel could be so simple: Jesus died for you as an individual; your sins can be forgiven; you can go to heaven.
And all that’s true and absolutely indispensable! But it’s only the start. Having our sins forgiven is a gateway through which a whole new order of things floods in. Once we’re forgiven, God pours His goodness and healing and power into and through our lives; repairing the inadequacies, the scars, the broken relationships, in time the whole broken world.
And yet even this, massive though it is, is in one sense only repair. We need God to help us catch a bigger vision still. The point of history, the point of creation, is the Church.
That idea may horrify us if we don’t understand it! The word `church` has been badly twisted. Sometimes we use it for a building; or to describe some national institution or human organization: the Church of England, the Methodist Church, and so on. And human organizations can be corrupted. Things we call churches have been; the medieval Catholic Inquisition, for example, was as bad as our atheist friends say.
The Church as it really is matters so much to God that Satan has carried out a huge propaganda exercise to attack, corrupt, and besmirch it. And it’s worked brilliantly. The whole meaning of the word church has become misunderstood. `I’m going to church`, we say, as if `church` meant a big meeting. `I work at the church in London Road`, I may say. But `Church` isn’t a building; and Church isn’t a meeting or a human organization.
What is Church? Something different, bigger, far more glorious. `Church` means the living, supernatural organism made up of every believer throughout history who loves God, who’s been forgiven and follows Jesus, from every century, nation, mentality, age-group and culture. Multifaceted, multicoloured, glorious!
When you became a Christian you received God’s Spirit, and He joined you – immersed you! – supernaturally and permanently into this Church. (See 1 Cor 12:13.) You can never `go to church`, because every second now of your life you’re `part of church`, and you will be forever! And She, this Church, is God’s delight, because He has created Her to be His companion and share all His existence and glory forever. As we catch this vision for what She is – the Church – we grasp why She matters so enormously to Jesus, and for us; and we understand more the point of history, the point of Christian faith, the point of our own lives. That’s why we’re exploring this today.
So if we turn to the end of the Bible: what’s it all been for?
Revelation 20 tells us about the end of history, the last judgment, heaven and hell. And then: what was history all for? Rev 21:2-3,9-11a show us what’s there, gloriously, when it’s all over: this community in which God lives, and that He calls His `Bride`.
And if we turn to Ephesians, we’ll see God gives us a whole range of pictures to help us grasp the vision of the Church. Again, Ephesians 5:25-28a talks about the Church as Christ’s Bride. Paul is saying here that the whole rich human experience of love, marriage and sex, that is so central to us, is also a parallel, a picture of something even richer and more alive, God’s love for His church. That’s the point of it all; this is what God wants, and gains, from history, a Bride!
Astonishingly, our loving God wants a collective companion with whom He can share everything He has and is. This is what Jesus died for, and this is what Church means: not a human organization, but a supernatural eternal community, a Bride for the Lord.
God is colossal love. From all eternity He has been a Trinity, continually active in mutual, enormous love. But because He/they are colossal love, God wants more and more people to love unreservedly, and so He created a world out of which is coming His Bride, a living organism developing and growing by the life of God within her. The Church is central to the process by which God’s purposes are fulfilled (eg John 17:24). If you’re a believer you’re part of all this!
Throughout history, since Genesis, God has been building his Bride together; most of it – Her – is in heaven already, and experiencing God’s infinite love. But she’s not yet complete. Revelation 7:9 says: `After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb.` That’s the goal! That’s why world mission matters; Jesus says that, when at last every culture and flavour is represented in His Bride, history will have achieved its purpose and will end (Matt 24:14).
But meanwhile the Church as we see Her on earth is growing and maturing; like a chrysalis from which a beautiful butterfly is coming. Sometimes She’s not beautiful at all; but out of what we see, something unimaginably glorious is coming. This is what God wants; this is what He loved passionately enough to die in agony for; this is what will share His throne forever; this is what Church means! Grasp this vision and it will shape your life…
But there’s more. Let’s go back to Ephesians 5. vv28-30 enrich our hearts with another picture: we are joined with Christ as part of His Body. Colossians 1:18 presents the Church as a Body of which Jesus is the Head. So we the Church aren’t what we appear: we’re something tightly joined together at a level far deeper than we can understand. When you and I became Christians a miracle happened, and we were joined permanently to Jesus and to every other Christian in the world. There is only one Church on earth; made up only of those who are believers and forgiven and love and follow Jesus, but also of all those who are believers and forgiven and love and follow Jesus. We are part of Her, and together we are the Body through which Jesus walks and acts on earth. Different personality types, different classes, different age-groups: in this marvellous organism every individual is crucial, because Christ expresses Himself through each of us in individual and diverse ways, and everyone has something vital to contribute (see Eph 4:4-16, especially v16).
Two more pictures from Ephesians: 1:22-23 describes the Church as Christ’s `fullness`, His overflow. The Church is Christ’s chosen means of expressing Himself, through which His personality and love and goodness flow out into the world.
Or Ephesians 2:22: together we are the place where God has chosen to dwell, as truly as when he was a foetus in Mary’s womb. Isn’t that great?
So yes, there’s still a long way to go: the Church is a hospital where imperfect and broken people (us!) get mended. But God’s Word points us beyond the brokenness to the marvellous thing He is shaping us into together. And worldwide the process is gathering pace; Church is growing massively around the world, even if here in Europe we’re slipping into spiritual numbness. Globally, more and more cultures are included, and God’s Bride is becoming more diverse and beautiful than ever before.
And we can’t imagine how glorious in the end She will be: `attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ!` (Eph 4:13, 3:17-19). It will take a lot of growth, but that’s where we’re going; that’s what ultimate unity with Jesus has to mean; because God delights to share all He has and is with His Bride.
And look at how Paul finishes this part of Ephesians in 4:16. Within that glorious cosmic purpose, each of us is a unique and crucial gift of God to His Church; and each of us has something indispensable to do, to contribute in expressing Jesus on earth, in evangelism, in worship, and in caring. So next time someone asks you, Who are the ministers in your church, who are the people who make it happen?, tell them, I am! We are a Body, and we grow through what each and every member contributes!
Practically then: Can I be a Christian without `going to church`? In one sense yes, but if we ask that question we’ve missed the point. It’s like someone who says they love playing football, out in the garden on their own, but who never plays in a team. We know Satan sometimes succeeds in messing up Church. He tempts us to say things that weren’t from God at all; he tempts church leaders into losing our grip on God so that our teaching is shallow, or our worship saccharine, or our lifestyles hypocritical. There’s a spiritual war on. But then instead of each praying and working to make it better, we can listen to a little voice saying to us: Why not be a Christian, but do it on your own? It’s March, it’s dark and cold, and you don’t want to go out and miss your favourite TV programme… But the Church, disfigured, is still Jesus’ Bride; She has a lot of growing to do, but She is still the Bride that Jesus loves so passionately He died for Her. Do you love the Church like He did? To be a disciple of Jesus means that we’ve got to be up to our eyeballs in His church, and bringing others to be part of Her. If not, we’re out of step with Him!
So discipleship finds its real meaning only as we catch God’s vision for His beloved Church… My own congregation asks anyone who is about to be baptised, `Do you promise to serve the Lord within the fellowship of your local church?` That’s why!
SO PRACTICALLY THEN…
… What does being Jesus’ disciple mean regarding church?
Life in Church can be a challenge: just like being in an earthly family can be a challenge full of tensions – “Family are the people we love the most and treat the worst!”
1. Catch the vision for being part of “Church” that is at the centre of God’s plan for the world. This needs to be deliberate. In Britain we are an individualistic culture; we are encouraged to maximise our own potential, think what’s good for Me. Most of us have to work at learning to think “team”. But you and I are shaped for God’s glorious Church, and if we’ve missed out on that, we’ve missed out on the centre of what God is doing. Catch the vision!
2 Pick a local church, because that’s the primary expression of God’s global Church on earth; catch the vision of that fellowship, become a regular member, and work to help build it.
3 Be an active part of your family! Which means: As far as possible be there each week! (See Heb 10:25!) You need the rest of the family and the rest of the family needs you. Postmodern people can be very bad at commitment; to marriage, for instance – I’ll stay with this as long as it suits me as a consumer. Do we find in our hearts this attitude to Church – when we don’t feel like consuming we just don’t turn up? Everyone loses! `The eye can’t say to the hand, “I don’t need you!”` (1 Cor 12:21)… Something good and important will not be happening if you’re not here and active!
4 “It is more blessed to give than to receive”, Jesus said (Acts 20:35). Belong to Church as a giver and not just a taker. Pray for the service you’re going to (and don’t complain if it’s poor if you didn’t!) Pray practically: Lord, please help me give to You in my worship. And after the service `ends`, make a habit of looking out for somebody you don’t know who isn’t talking to anyone; be one who makes yours a friendly church!
Jesus didn’t come to be served but to serve. If we really want to feel that it’s been a good experience meeting with his gathered people, it’s not surprising if we need to be like him; coming not to get from each other but to give to each other. When the new testament talks about Church it says lots about `each other` – forgive each other, put up with each other, honour each other, encourage each other, look after each other, carry each other’s burdens and so fulfil the law of Christ… Or 1 Peter 4:8-10: `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…`
5 So finally, let’s figure out ways to use the gifts God’s given us in service to Him and to others. God makes it very clear that each of us in his Body has been given gifts for the common good (1 Cor12:7). If you don’t know what your contribution is, then – (a) Pray! (b) Reflect on what you’re doing when you feel most fulfilled. (c) Ask around; ask your friends in homegroup what they feel you’re good at. (d) Explore the possibilities. Ask about openings for service in the church. (Recognizing that God may also be calling you to use your gifts outside it.) (e) Experiment; discover how God has made you! (f) Look at what you’re doing with God – sense your feelings; seek others’ perceptions; look out for fruitfulness. (g) Dream big dreams of how God can use you! (And ask the church leaders!)
If you’re a believer, be certain that God created you for a significant role in his Church and in 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 has given them, `Enter into the joy of your Lord!` And God is the most joyous being in the universe! More about that next time…
So let’s remember what Church means. This is the whole point of history. Let’s see our whole future in the light of this dazzling supernatural reality. If we’ve taken Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, we’re a 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 for this!
ABSORB TIME: In prayer to Jesus who is with you as you reflect… What steps forward might this mean for me?
