What is CHURCH? Ask the average professing Christian this vague, open-ended question and you are bound to get an amazing variety of responses. Before I proceed, take a moment and formulate your own answer. If you're like most, your search for an answer is likely to be based partially, if not fully on your own understanding and experience. When it comes to the subject of Church, believers tend to ask all the wrong questions; What Church do you go to? How big is your Church, Where is your Church? What denomination is your Church? Who is the Pastor of your Church? What kind of music do you have at your Church? Much easier questions to deal with aren't they?
For the better part of a year now, some friends of mine and myself have been following a clear calling from the Lord to break free from our established church homes, that we dearly love, and take the message of the Kingdom of God directly into the community in which we live. I hate being tagged with labels, they usually do more harm than good, but for the purpose of giving you a clearer mental picture.....we are moving towards a "missional community work", or a "House Church Ministry", or an "Incarnate Church" or "Organic Church." See..........that's what I mean, the minute you use a label people's minds are distracted away from the point. Let's just say that we are earnestly trying to follow Christ by the guiding presense and power of the Holy Spirit, as a spiritual family, to zealously pursue in loving obedience His mission on this earth for the Glory of God. And herein, is a pretty good answer to my original question.....What is Church? Our small group has been struggling with the same question now for months, mainly because we have spent far too much time reflecting on our previous knowledge and experience. We find ourselves distracted by what it should look like, what time of the day it should be, what the program will consist of, do we have music, how should we pray, and a multitude of other distracting questions. In a nutshell, we find ourselves drawn to the same question that most established churches are similarly distracted to, namely, What can we do to make our "church" more appealing to the people in our community? And as harmless as that may sound....it is not the question that our group, or any other church organization for that matter, should be focused on. What we need to be asking ourselves, and asking it every day is this: Is Jesus here, in total control, and at work in our midst?
Not too long ago a Korean pastor who made a tour of Churches in the United States summarized his observations by saying, "It's amazing what you people can do without the Holy Spirit." A sobering reflection on the plight of many of our organized churches today. We have the beautiful buildings, the dynamic preacher, the best music, the creative programs......and most importantly of all, the rich cushioned seats. But do we have Jesus in our midst? Is the Holy Spirit in charge of programming? Tozer once announced that if the Holy Spirit were removed from all churches in America on Saturday, most would go on the next day as if nothing had changed.
I pray earnestly that as our group continues to follow the Lord's leading, that our questions will never be distracted with the Hows, Whats, Whens and Whys.....................but will always begin and end with the question WHO. Church always begins and ends with the Person of Jesus Christ.
(this piece is taken in part from Neil Cole's book, "Organic Church." I recommend it highly)
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