God wants us to believe: in Jesus. But he also wants us to belong: to a church family. The focus of this blog is on “belonging”.
Rick Warren writes: There are many analogies for a Christian disconnected from a church: a football player without a team; a soldier without a platoon; a tuba player without an orchestra; a sheep without a flock. But the most understandable (and biblical) picture is that of a child without a family. First Timothy 3:15 (NCV) refers to the church as “...the family of God. That family is the church of the living God, the support and foundation of the truth.” God does not want his children growing up in isolation from each other, so he created a spiritual family on earth for us. Paul reminded us in Ephesians 2:19 (LB): “You are members of God’s very own family...and you belong in God’s household with every other Christian.” A Christian without a church family is an orphan.
Additionally, several biblical metaphors help us to understand that God’s purpose for every believer is to belong to a church family. First, the Bible refers to a Christian as a sheep (I Peter 5:2-3). A sheep belongs to a flock. And a flock is led by a shepherd. Second, the Bible refers to a Christian as a part of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:14-21). Each part of our body is dependent on the other parts and cannot exist on their own. And the body is led by the head. Last, the Bible refers to believers as children of God (John 1:12-13). Children belong to a family. And a family is led by parents.
The point here is that just as sheep belong in a flock, just as each part of the body belongs to the whole, just as each child belongs in a family, so each Christian belongs in a church family. Just as sheep are led by a shepherd, just as the body is led by the head, just as a family is led by parents, so Christians are to be loved and led by the pastors of the church.
Imagine a charcoal fire on your grill. If you remove a single piece of charcoal and separate it from the rest of the charcoals it will soon die out. That’s how it is for a Christian who separates himself from his/her church family. He/she will soon die out.
Why does God want you to belong so badly? Because of all the benefits! Check this out:
We were created for five basic purposes and the local church helps you fulfill each of these purposes:
- Worship: describes God’s purpose that we bring him pleasure. The local church gives you a weekly opportunity to refocus on God. That’s worship.
- Fellowship: describes God’s purpose that we “belong” to a church family. The local church helps you connect with other believers. That’s fellowship.
- Discipleship: describes God’s purpose that we grow spiritually. The local church helps you cultivate your relationship with God. That’s discipleship.
- Ministry: describes God’s purpose that we use our talents in service in the context of the local church. The local church gives you an opportunity to contribute with your life. That’s ministry.
- Evangelism: describes God’s purpose that we share his good news: there is peace with God through Jesus. The local church helps you communicate God’s love to others. That’s evangelism.
I couldn’t agree more that a Christian needs to be a part of a body that encourages him to grow in his faith and to develop a deeper passion for Jesus.
ReplyDeleteWhen the first church was started in Jerusalem it was an intimate house movement that lived mainly "underground" for almost the first 100 years until it was accepted by society. When Constantine embraced Christianity we instantly went from the cloistered off religious weirdo’s to the cool kids on the block. This acceptance was our undoing.
Over the many centuries that have passed from the time of our acceptance by the world the church proper has fought a desperate battle to rise above greed, politics, in fighting, and one nasty scandal after another.
I think the church in general has lost its credibility, its honor, and its influence. We the body of Christ are responsible to be the church re-born. The scriptures say that God will build his church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. I thank God for his mercy and grace that the church, no matter how sullied it is, no matter how much it has failed, is still alive and well in the hearts of all true believers. It is our job to make connectedness with the body of Christ something that the lost want. It is our job to be the arms and feet of the gospel. It is our job to change the face of the church from another corrupt and failed institution to a living and loving organism that can heal the broken.
This lost world needs the church. Not the church of the past 2 millennia but the living and loving body of Christ that breathes the breath of life into the dying.
Good stuff Todd!
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