Love the Church

July/Holiness

8 July 2010

He who lives in unity with the universal church, and reposes in the hope of heaven, and fulfills the commandments as they have been commanded, will have hundredfold rewards on earth and eternal life in heaven.

- Colman mac Beognai, Aipgitir Chrabaid (Irish, 7th century)

For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherises it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body.

- Ephesians 5.29, 30

I have to watch myself sometimes because I can be awfully critical of the state of Christianity in America today. And that means I can be awfully critical of the Church and her leaders. I love the Church, the Body of Christ. All my work is concentrated on building up her members, however I can reach them, and, as a result, strengthening the Church in unity and maturity.

I can't help but notice that there are many things going on in churches today which don't strike me as having much to do with the Gospel of the Kingdom. This bothers me, and, when I'm bothered, I speak out. But I'm not criticizing the Church - the Bride of Christ, whom He is preparing for Himself and will one day come to claim. I'm only criticizing those who believe they can improve on God's idea of how we ought to "do church," if you know what I mean.

Love for the Church requires that we understand God's design for her, and that we abide by His prescriptions for how she is to be built. We might think that the worlds of marketing, entertainment, fun and games, business and entrepreneurship, education and perhaps even the military have hit on some pretty good ways to get stuff done. And we might think that postmodern philosophy or secular psychology are obviously the sort of thing many folks are "into" these days, so why shouldn't the Church?

Well, because Jesus is building His Church (Matt. 16.18), and He is building it His way - equipping the saints for works of ministry that reach the lost, make disciples of the saved, and cause the local church to grow in unity and maturity (Eph. 4.11-16). Making disciples through a shepherding model is what Jesus did (Jn. 10) and what, presumably, we should be doing as well.

But we aren't. And that's what causes me to rev up the pen and want to poke someone in the eye with it. If we love the Church should we not want for her what Jesus wants, and not what our entertainment-crazy postmodern age desires? Where are the pastors who will stand on the Word of God alone in building their churches?

And where are the church members who will insist they do?

July Exercise: Download "Called to Be Witnesses." For the first week (July 1-11), read this little brochure over several times each day. On several days during this period, rate yourself - 1 to 10 - on the two areas, A Way of Life and Empowered for Witness. Talk with the Lord about why you rated yourself the way you did, and look for ways to improve these two aspects of your call to be holy.

Today in ReVision: Muslims in Space - Well, not really, almost.

This Week's Download: Called to Be Witnesses - Get your free download of this and join us in this month's exercise, designed to help us grow in holiness.

Again, thanks to you who send gifts to support this ministry. Pray for our Board meeting tonight, as they approve our ministry plan and budget for the coming year.

T. M. Moore, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.