Jesus said to his disciples, “I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.” (Matt. 16:18). When Peter made his declaration, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matt. 16:17) he was declaring that Jesus was the Messiah of the Jewish people. In the book of Acts, the Church expanded quickly to include both Jews and Gentiles (people from various nations). So today, all who make the same declaration as Peter and trust Christ as Savior and follow him as Lord are included in those who make up the Church. When we talk with non-Christians, they may have a faulty view of the Church. Here are some common ones:
- The Church is not just another community group. In one sense it is an organization. But unlike every other human organization, the Church has a supernatural mission and supernatural power! Our mission is to make disciples of Jesus- to worship, to proclaim the gospel, to pray, and to administer baptism, communion, and appropriate discipline. These tasks take the power and presence of the Holy Spirit! When we gather for worship, we are not just gathering as an organization, we gather to worship God the Father through Jesus Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit.
- The Church is not a business corporation. There is nothing wrong with business methods and principles per se; every church can benefit from them. But if this kind of thinking goes too far, it can turn various aspects of worship or ministry into a product which people consume. In contrast, the Church is the body of Christ, where each member, or part, is connected and necessary. People are gifted by God to serve one another in the local church so that the body of Christ is built up in maturity. To put it bluntly, the church is not a cruise ship; It is a rescue ship as well as a battleship, and Jesus wants all hands on deck to serve!
- The Church is not a social club. To non-Christians, a church can appear similar to a country club, where people might join for status or to be part of a certain crowd. But Jesus broke down barriers of hostility and social division on the cross (Eph. 2:14-16). God places us in churches where some people are quite different from us. They may be different in ethnicity, personality, education, age, family, or any other way. Intergenerational relationships are enriching. God does this so that as we focus on Christ, we can learn from one another and grow together.
So what is the Church? It is God’s people and God’s Spirit working among them! God has called people into relationship with Himself, and He has made us for relationships with one another which reflect Christ. Consider the “One Another’s” of scripture. Ask God to empower you to live out these actions with your Christian brothers and sisters. Let’s be the church that God calls us to be!
- Love one another- John 13:34-35
- Honor one another-Romans 12:10
- Confess sins to each other- James 5:16
- Accept one another- Romans 15:7
- Pray for one another- James 5:16
- Instruct one another- Romans 15:14
- Serve one another- Galatians 5:13
- Carry each other’s burdens- Galatians 6:2
- Encourage one another- Hebrews 10:25
- Bear with one another in love- Ephesians 4:2