Making Sense of "Church"

What is the church? Just a group of people with a common interest (like a book club or bowling team or community service agency)? The Bible’s answer is emphatic: NO. As the body of Christ, the church is a living, supernatural spiritual organism—and there is nothing else like it in the entire universe. The church is a colony of heaven; it’s a fellowship of travelers on their way home. The church is the very fullness of Christ (Eph 1:22-23), exhibit “A” of God’s wisdom to angels and demons (3:10-11), the theater of his glory (3:20-21), and the beloved, radiant bride of Christ (5:25-27).

Such a stunning, lofty vision of God’s church, however, often doesn’t make it all the way from words we acknowledge to truth that soars in our hearts. Instead, we find ourselves vulnerable to a thousand pressures to devalue and “horizontalize” the church, and so we lose sight of the mind-boggling reality of the body of Christ (it’s as though a veil falls over our eyes…) and we shape our lifestyles that make the church “just one more thing to do.” Please pray with me for deliverance from this God-dishonoring, joy-draining practice!

When we stand in awe of what the Lord has done and is doing in his church, we’ll find ourselves joyfully giving the body life and mission of GBC a strong priority. I appreciate Paul Tripp’s recent comments on what hinders the cultivat­ing of community in the American church. Here are some excerpts (from a blog post at the Desiring God site):

“…we’ve bought an unbiblical definition of the good life of success. Our kids have to be skilled at three sports and play four musical instru­ments, and our house has to be lavish by whatever standard. And all of that stuff is eating time, eating energy, eating money. And it doesn't promote community.” … “I’ve talked to a lot of families who literally think it’s a victory to have 3 or 4 meals all together with one another in a week, because they’re so busy. Well, if in that family unit they’re not experiencing community, there’s no hope of them experiencing it outside of that family unit.” … “We have families that will show up at our church on Sunday morning with the boys dressed in their little league outfits, and I know what's going to happen. They're going to leave the service early. Now what a value message to that little boy! Do I think little league is bad? I don't think it’s bad at all. I think it's great. But they’re telling him what's important as they do that.” … “You can’t fit God’s dream (if I can use that language) for his church inside the American dream and have it work. It’s a radically different lifestyle. It just won’t squeeze into the available spaces of time and energy that’s left over.”

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Resident Aliens

So you’re taking the family road trip, and America’s interstate highway system is the pathway to your destination—to Niagara Falls, the Outer Banks, or Acadia National Park. After a few hours scrunched in the car, it’s time to stretch the legs at one of those wonderful Rest Areas.

Here’s what you DON’T do at the Rest Area: unload the trunk, haul in the bags, lock the car, and settle in. You DON’T unroll your sleeping bags, put on pajamas, and curl up for the night at the Rest Area. Of course not; it’s just a quick stop. The Rest Area isn’t your destination.

So too, this world is NOT our home, we’re only passing through. We’re citizens of another “country,” a heavenly kingdom. Our passport may be stamped to show we’ve visited this world, but it’s not our final destination. You could say we’re “resident aliens” here. According to the IRS, resident aliens are “non-U.S. citizens currently residing in the United States.” They live here, but they have citizenship elsewhere. So too, Christians live in this world, but our citizenship is in heaven (Phil 3:20). That’s why it’s so ridiculous when Christians unpack and settle in here at the Rest Stop—how bizarre to act as if this were our final destination!

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Why This Recession?

I appreciate John Piper's insights from Scripture about what the current economic recession, under divine sovereignty, is for. His main points, in summary, are these:

(Some of) God’s Purposes in This Recession

Now what are some of God’s purposes in this recession? I will mention five:

1. He intends for this recession to expose hidden sin and so bring us to repentance and cleansing.
   
2. He intends to wake us up to the constant and desperate condition of the developing world where there is always and only recession of the worst kind.
   
3. He intends to relocate the roots of our joy in his grace rather than in our goods, in his mercy rather than our money, in his worth rather than our wealth.
   
4. He intends to advance his saving mission in the world—the spread of the gospel and the growth of his church—precisely at a time when human resources are least able to support it. This is how he guards his glory.
   
5. He intends for the church to care for its hurting members and to grow in the gift of love.
   

For the full message, click here.

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Financial Storms

Money is in the news these days—and the news is not good. That makes this a key moment to be sure we’re seeing financial matters the way God sees them. Let’s ask some questions.

Where did you get the things you have? From God (1 Cor 4:7), the giver of every good gift (Jas 1:17). He gives us life and breath and everything (Acts 17:25). The ability to make money is also from the Lord (Deut 8:18).

“The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it” (Psalm 24:1). Do you embrace the fact that all you have is really God’s? Even you belong to God—you were bought with a price (1 Cor 6:20). So that car of yours—it’s God’s. And your clothes: God’s. And your bank accounts and investments (shriveled as they may be) are God’s. And your electronics and books and house and ipod and vacation home and …

So if it’s all from God and belongs to God, what’s our role? We’re stewards, caretakers. Before the return of Christ, our job is to use all we have (time, talents, treasure) to serve others in ways that please the Owner—so when he comes back he finds us faithful (Luke 12:41-48). Are you using all you have to honor Christ and spread his Gospel?

Where does giving to God’s grand global cause (otherwise known as the church) fit into the scheme of things? Think about how the Macedonians set the pace for God-exalting, truly amazing giving: they were severely impoverished and yet they gave gen­erously, freely, gladly, beyond their means (beyond?!) (2 Cor 8:1-5). The point? You don’t have to be wealthy to excel in giving (Luke 21:1-4). In fact, loss of wealth may be just the medicine we need so we can give with radical generosity despite our lack. Jesus meant it when he said it’s more blessed to give than receive (Acts 20:35). Yes, the conventional wisdom says stockpile wealth for self (Luke 12:16-21), but God’s wisdom says work to gain to give (Eph 4:28). Be on the lookout for neighbors to bless right now amidst this economic hurricane—God may use your Christ-like love to bring your lost friends into his forever-family!

How should we feel as we watch American economic power droop and our own finances fade? Be content with food and clothing (2 Tim 6:8); be content with plenty or want (Phil 4:11); be content with what you have (Heb 13:5)? Why? Because the Lord will never leave or forsake his children. God may blow away our creature comforts, but HE will not leave us. And if we have Christ, we have enough!

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