Think Again About The Church

What do you think the church is? And what do you think our attitude should be towards the church? Let's think again about these things.

The Bible says:

Ephesians 1v22-23
... God placed all things under his [Jesus's] feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fulness of him who fills everything in every way.

Ephesians 3v10-11
His [God's] intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 Timothy 3v14-15
...I am writing you these instructions so that, if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.

As we re-read these scriptures, I hope we remember how important the church is. We've just read that the church is Christ's body. It's His fulness. It's the medium through which God is manifesting His wisdom. The church is God's household. It's the pillar and the ground of truth.

Further, the book of Revelation calls the church the Bride of Christ (Revelation 19v7, 21v2, 21v9, 22v17).

1 Corinthians 3v16-17 calls the church God's temple. 2 Corinthians 6v16 calls the church the temple of the living God. Ephesians 2v21 calls the church a holy temple.

It can be hard to look at a gathering of God's people and see those truths manifest among them. nevertheless, those truths are TRUE. The church is of vast importance.

Think again.

The church is God's household - God's family. Galatians 6v10 calls the church "the family of believers" and Hebrews 2v11 says:

Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.

Paul wrote:

Ephesians 1v5
he [God] predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will

So, if you are a Christian, the church is your family. Individual Christians are your brothers and sisters. We've each been adopted into this wonderful - though flawed - family of God.

And you are called to be part of a local church. To love them and serve them and be patient with them.

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In our part of the world, in our generation, going shopping means choosing between a huge number of options. We have more food, more clothes, more TVs, computers, cookers, washing machines... to choose from than our grandparents would have imagined possible. This is, of course, great.

But this amount of choice, this "consumerism", can affect our attitudes to other things. We can go to church the way we go to Sainsbury's - we take what we want, when we want, where we want, and we put a few pounds in the offering as if we're paying for what we're taking.

But the church is not a supermarket. It's your family.

We should not go from church to church, taking what we want and moving on. We should not go to church just to take ministry, but to give ministry, not just expecting love and commitment but giving love and commitment.

Think again about the church.

It's God's temple. It's Christ's body. And it's your family.

Look after it.