Let's Talk About It: What is the Church? (Part 1)

What is the church? It seems like a simple question, but there is some serious confusion about it’s answer, even among church-members. So, in order to try and establish a clear and unified understanding that we can all share, I’d like for us to consider one universal source: God’s Word. There’s no better place for us to find the answer to questions about the church God has built than the book where God has revealed His intentions for all that He has created: the Bible.

The first time we see the term “church” ever used in the Bible, Jesus is speaking to His disciples, specifically Peter, which is recorded in Matthew 16:18.

“And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Jesus tells Peter and His disciples that He is building His church and that it will withstand any opposition that may work against it even Hell itself. Now, that’s pretty cool, knowing that it’s Jesus’ church and not even the powers of hell can ever prevail against it. From this it would seem like the church is more than a building, since there’s a lot of things less powerful than the forces of Hell that can take down a building, but we still need some more references to understand what the church is at its most foundational level. Let’s look at another church-related scripture.

In Acts 8:1 which is subtitled in some Bibles as “Saul Ravages the Church” it says:

“…And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the Apostles.”

So, the Apostles at that point in church history were the “governing authority” of the Christian faith on earth. They were the ones who authoritatively acted as overseers of this new faith after Jesus ascended into heaven, which we can read about in Acts chapter one. Notice though, that when it says the church faced great persecution, “they were all scattered”.  The Church is a “they”, but not “they” meaning the Apostles, because those guys stayed put. The Church is a people, which leads me to this conclusion: the Church IS the people.  There is no separation between the Christian congregation and the Church. We don’t go to Church as Christians, we are the church.

Now, if the church is the congregation of Christ followers, than there’s two implications that must be made about the church. These are not the only two, but the ones that right now are closest to my heart and stand out in my mind.

1. A church’s identity should be as a people.  

We live in a church culture today, at least in America, where the identity of the “local church” often has little to do with its people. The focal point of a local church is typically the building, programs, the style of preaching or music and so on.  We invest the vast majority of our time, resources and talents in order to create and maintain various ministries, and to keep our buildings, websites and social media pages looking up to date. As a result, those outside the church commonly buy into the idea that a church is really just a building with a system of programs similar to a YMCA; it’s essentially a spiritual social club.  And perhaps even among church attenders, we have bought into the notion that the church is really all about the programs, and facilities while the people are in the background or simply the ones that make “the church” run.

Now, understand that I’m not against those things. Ministries are effective ways of serving the people and cultivating growth in the people. As someone who leads several ministries within my local church, I know that quite well. Buildings serve as a place for the people to gather and websites or social media pages are helpful by serving as the means for people to communicate important information. However we must remember that these things are NOT the church. With that in mind, we need to regularly evaluate our focus, priorities and the identity we are holding to as the church, because it is so easy to drift into a skewed understanding of who we are as the church. 

Just as food for thought, when we invite someone to church, do they think we’re inviting them to a building, a club, or to be part of a people? The answer to that may reveal a subconscious perspective we have about the church, which comes out in the way we explain and represent the church.

1. The health of the church is the health of its people.

A lot of times when we see or experience signs of unhealthiness in our churches we have all kinds of perspectives about what the problem is and how to fix it.  But, here’s the reality: any illness in the church is a result of the spiritual unhealthiness of its people as a whole.

But what does spiritual health and spiritual illness look like? Consider this, Christ is the ultimate example of spiritual health, so the more the people of the church conform to the image of Christ in terms of our thinking and living, the healthier it is. So if we teach according to the scriptures, which Christ and His disciples affirmed, we shape our thinking to be like Christ and therefore we think healthy. Then if we apply that healthy thinking to our lives, we live Christ-like, spiritually healthy lives. The more like Jesus we are as a people, the healthier the church is.  On the other hand if the church’s thinking and living are not in line with the example of Christ, that’s the essence of spiritual illness.  There’s a lot of depth to that concept and areas of greater specificity we could go into, but at least for now I just want to present the basic principle.  

So, we need to understand that the true signs of a healthy church aren’t the size of its congregation, how updated its facilities and website are etc. If those things stem from a healthy, Christ-like people, great, but those things and other assets aren’t the solution to spiritual illness and a lack of those things doesn’t mean the church is unhealthy.  Our ideas of what makes a church healthy or unhealthy reveal what we really think about the church, what’s most important about it, and that changes our expectations and vision for the church for better or worse.

So, what does a healthy church look like in terms of its policies and practices? What should the church be on a specific and practical level? That’s what we will talk about next time. In preparation, I’d encourage you to look up the Bible passage of Acts 2:42-47, where you see a word-snapshot of the church at the very beginning of its founding.  We’ll take a close look at that written picture of the original church and seek to glean from its example next week.

“Guarding Against Joy Thieves”

“Guarding Against Joy Thieves”

Joy (part 4)

To this point I’ve written about what joy is and how joy can be pursued.  But a necessary closing to this series of posts is to reflect on those things that threaten to steal our joy – “Joy Thieves”.  Below I have listed seven thieves with a brief explanation of each.  My hope is that you will recognize the thieves that threaten to break into your life and that you will learn to lock the spiritual windows and doors.

1 – Satan and Demons

Be mindful that joy is God’s desire for His children, and a joyful Christian brings glory to God.  Satan’s desire is to block the work of God in our lives and to deny God His glory.  We must be mindful that the pursuit of joy is done in the midst of spiritual warfare.  To think that Satan and demons won’t oppose us is to leave ourselves vulnerable and be potentially defeated by his attacks in the area of joy. 

2 – An Inadequate Understanding of God’s Sovereignty

Joy can be stolen from us when we fail to consider that God is sovereign over every aspect of our lives and is working for our good in everything. Joy is nurtured by an awareness of our all-powerful Heavenly Father.

3 – A Circumstance Orientation

Circumstances will ebb and flow in our lives.  We will have good days and bad days. When our orientation is in relation to circumstances, our joy will be attached to that orientation. If we are only “joyful” on good days, we have a problem and will most likely be robbed of joy most of the time. Only a God-focused orientation is adequate to sustain consistent joy no matter what our circumstances are.

4 - Ingratitude

Some people are seldom joyful because they are seldom grateful.  They fail to see what God has done and is doing.  Ingratitude is an enemy of joy, so a Christian should always be looking for expressions of God’s grace and then should intentionally express gratitude to God.

5 – Fear of the Future

Joy is often stolen from us when we are anxious about what might happen.  We fear that we might fail, that we might lose something or someone that we love. We fear that we might get sick or we fear death itself.  The list goes on and on, but the fact is that fear of the future stems from doubt in God’s sovereignty over the future, which steals our joy in the present.

6 – To Live by Uncontrolled Feelings

Joy requires that we get ourselves under control.  We must preach to ourselves rather than talking to ourselves. Preaching to ourselves from the text of God’s Word is a path toward joy.  Failing to preach to ourselves is a path toward emotional instability. Look at how David models this in Psalm 42:5- Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation.

7 – The Unwillingness to Accept Forgiveness (Guilt)

           

Our freedom from guilt has an objective and a subjective component.  The objective component is the declaration from God that we are forgiven.  The subjective component is the removal of our feelings of guilt before God.  When we don’t truly receive the objective forgiveness of God in our hearts we deny ourselves the subjective freedom from guilt and we have our joy stolen.

Why are we having church on Christmas Day?

Why is Journey Christian Church having church on Christmas Day?

Why is Journey Christian Church having church on Christmas?  Please note that every church had to make this decision for themselves, and I am in no way criticizing any other local church.  But please also note that our decision was made with some clear thinking and reasoning by the staff and elders.  Actually, it wasn't really much of a point of discussion, and there was no real debate.  There was more of an agreed upon foundation.  When I recently read a blog post by Kevin DeYoung (link below), I found that he had articulated well the reasoning that I held to and the reasoning that I thought might also serve you well.  I encourage you to read it and process what he says.  And whether you agree with Kevin (and with Journey), I hope you will join us on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and even invite some others to join you.

In Jesus,
Pastor Steve

https://blogs.thegospelcoalition.org/kevindeyoung/2016/12/01/a-plea-to-pastors-dont-cancel-church-on-christmas/

“Nurturing Joy”

“Nurturing Joy”

Joy (part 3)

Philippians is known as The Epistle of Joy. How extraordinary it is that this letter was written my Paul while he was in prison.  It would be easier to understand the emphasis on joy if Paul was in a wonderful environment, but the combination of “joy” and “prison” should make us take a close look at what is going on here.  How can Paul be full of joy in such a situation?  And if Paul has joy in his circumstances, what excuse do I have to not have joy in mine? Philippians has a lot to teach us about joy, but here I will just draw out five elements of Paul’s joy that we find in Philippians 1:3-8.  If you take hold of these elements, I believe you will find joy being nurtured in your own soul.

[3] I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, [4] always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, [5] because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. [6] And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. [7] It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. [8] For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:3-8)

The Elements of Paul’s Joy

•       the joy of recollection

[3] I thank my God in all my remembrance of you

There are negatives in life and we can be tempted to dwell on those things.  Some of us are really good at rehearsing the negatives. We can become so good at it that our negative experiences actually become our identity. This can feed despair and depression, and it crushes joy. But there are also positives.  Paul chose to remember what God had done, especially in relation to the Philippian church.  Joy in your life can be nurtured as you choose to remember what God has done for you, in you, through you, and around you.  Recollection can nurture joy.

•       the joy of intercession

[4] always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy…

Here we are thinking of prayer, and specifically prayer that intercedes for others.  This is praying that God would bless others.  This kind of praying moves us away from being self-absorbed, which can diminish our joy, and moves our concern toward others, nurturing our own joy in the process.

•       the joy of participation

[5] because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

The word for “partnership” here is the Greek word koinonia.  This is a loving fellowship with other believers in ways that advances the work of the gospel.  This can involve being in ministry together, giving financially to ministries, and sharing the gospel with others.  This serving alongside of others to advance the gospel has a joy nurturing effect as it focuses us on the needs of others and the work of God.

•       the joy of anticipation

[6] And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Joy can be robbed from us when we are anxious about the future.  The joy of anticipation chooses to focus on what God is doing and will do in the future.  It takes hold of the promises of God. Romans 8:31-39 is a great place to start in gaining such hopeful anticipation.

•       the joy of affection

[7] It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. [8] For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.

Here we simply have the affection that should exist among the people of God, especially within a local church. This can be the affection of words and looks and touch.  I hope you have experienced something like this.  You come into a worship gathering or a Bible study or a small group meeting, and you feel joy being nurtured in you by the affection you receive.  I believe that the Holy Spirit comes alongside of such affection to do the work of nurturing joy among the people of God.

In summary, the fellowship of God’s people should be a fellowship of joy.  We should experience the Spirit given joy which has joyous memories and joyous recollections. It rejoices in praying on the behalf of others. It rejoices over those who have come alongside of us. It also rejoices in response to what God is doing and will do in the lives of others. And last, but certainly not least, it rejoices over a shared affection.