The Benefits of an Authentic Church Community Set Apart to Jesus
We
all desire to be loved. Life is more bearable when we have a community of
friends and family that express their love and encouragement to us on a regular basis. I
know what it is like to have a Church community and what it is like to be separate from
those in the Church I used to consider friends and extended family. My desire is for the
former as it fills a great God given need to be in relationship with other believers in Jesus.
There
is also another great need beyond the love of a Church community. Only God can meet my desire to be loved
supernaturally. It’s not just enough to know Jesus went to the cross to pay for
my sin. I had to embrace the sacrificial love behind His work so it would affect
me to the point of wanting to take part in daily acknowledgement of my new identity in Christ. I needed to surrender myself to Him in order to allow for the Holy Spirit to begin a lifetime of transformation that continues to this day to set apart my heart and mind to God and His desires for my life. Through Jesus’ supernatural love I
am changed man. My true identity should be in Christ more so than anything
else I do or say that I am. Many people can acknowledge Christ in their lives but are they
really changed? Faith and works do work together so as to represent a life that
has been changed from the inside out.
In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead
(James 2 17).
I want my identity and works to represent my new self,
created to be like God in true righteousness and Holiness
(Ephesians 4:24),
which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator
(Colossians 3:10).
Does
ones attitude and reason for their work for God come out of their gratitude, obligation, or even to earn favor and salvation from God? Everyone may have a different answer but it is the churches responsibility to teach about faith and works. You see people can be
put to work for God by the Church but are they really being taught to be disciples (Students) of
Jesus? What’s the point of working for God if it is only ones desire is to earn favor
or salvation from Him? First of all, no-one can earn God’s favor or their
salvation. Only through Jesus can one be rescued for eternal separation from
God. No one can transform themselves. Only
through the work of the Holy Spirit can one be changed from the inside out. Transformation is a supernatural work of God because human nature is self-focused, sin-natured and vulnerable. Regardless of
what people say, many do good works out of self interest to make a name for themselves even though it is for the benefit of
others. Most people when they do good works in any capacity want everyone to know about it. The
Church has also taken credit for things only deserving of God’s recognition. The right attitude for ones work for God should be out of love for the one who saved them, and out of love to help others in their time of need. Love is the only right attitude and reason for doing good works.
Speaking
of the true Church of God: Only God can raise up an authentic Church community, build upon
its numbers and increase its effectiveness in the world. This is done through
the power of the Holy Spirit training leaders who train followers of Christ to
follow Christ and not the world. Following Jesus requires people to die to self-interest
and to put the interests of others and the will of God ahead of their own. God
does not call for the church to make a name for itself. Christ is the only name
that should be praised in the context of works because His works are the ones
we are given mission and privilege to support. Jesus’ Great Commission does not say, go and save the people.
Matthew 28:18-20 New International Version (NIV)
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven
and on earth has been given to me. Therefore
go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything
I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of
the age.”
Saving
people is the supernatural work of God. We
are to go and help make those saved, disciples, once they have become followers
of Jesus. Also, we are participate in their outward profession of faith through
Baptism as well as teach those new believers to be obedient to the Word of God.
People are saved through the supernatural power of God because only He is able
to reach the mind and hearts of those separated from Him. Is there a choice,
yes, I believe there is. God tried to get my attention for years before I was
willing to surrender to His will. I had to read the Old Testament on my own
terms and that is where God met me and spoke powerful testimony about Jesus
being the Messiah. It is at that point I was convinced Jesus was really the
only hope I had in order to be rescued from the sting of spiritual death brought
about by my inherited sin. I wanted to know the truth, and through God’s
amazing grace, mercy and love, He delivered it to me.
So
when I envision a community of believers I see more than just gatherings on one
or two days of the week to put on a show for God. I see authentic relationships
between people really living out what God has called them to do, treating each
other with deep love, respect and compassion day in and day out. I see the study of Gods Word and people being encouraged to apply God's principles to their lives. I see worship as a lifestyle not just singing
songs during a gathering of believers at a Worship Service. I see those people in Christ going out to those who are
lost and acting like ambassadors for Christ. I see Pastors teaching and encouraging their congregations
and not beating them up just for the sake of making some trendy changes or
trying to be like some Church that God never meant them to be. I see Churches trusting In God to meet their every
need. I see deep devotion and love for God
that is represented at the forefront of any work done in His name.
Worship
is more than music. It is the heart of gratitude where one gives their very best
in using their gifts and talents for God. It is where the Author and Perfecter of
our faith, the audience of one, is praised for His work in every area of the Church community. It is where the Church
is known for their identity in Christ over any program, worship experience, or
trend that invites stardom and the overshadowing of the Lord Himself. It is where the teaching of God's Word is Spirit inspired and minds are open to the revelation of God.
We
live in the age of the Pop culture mentality. Meaning some Churches want to look hip to the
world in order to reach the lost and attract believers. Some in the Church
believe the best strategy to attract people to Church is to provide them with
the latest trend in Church production, Worship Style, Kids programs, environment
etc. Fortunately most unbelievers and believers alike are able to see through
trendy facades if that happens to be the case. And when or if unbelievers ever do show up at Church, they
really just want to be loved and be surrounded by real authentic community. Community
authenticity is truly the work of the Holy Spirit and Authentic community is the
outpouring of the fruit of the Spirit. Un-churched people really don’t want to be part someone’s
strategic plan to get them to love God because that is what we Christians are supposed to do. They
want to find God on their own terms and need a supernatural softening of the
heart before they are even ready to move past their own walls of separation and move toward
a relationship with God. Many just want to be part of a community that will stand by, minister, and love
them while they are on their journey of faith.
Community
is important and God desires believers to be in community with other believers.
He also warns us not to be yoked with unbelievers in the same way Israel was
affected by idol worshiping pagan cultures throughout its History. But just as
Jesus went to be with sinners, so should we too reach out to the lost to deliver
the Gospel of Hope. We should be also be aware that a real problem for the
Church is the infiltration of non-biblical worldviews that forgo truth in
favor of false belief systems. These misinterpretations and watering down of
God’s Word can cause much damage to those seeking the truth. We should not
cause any one to stumble nor to be led astray by political cultural correctness.
God’s Word is truth and some people are just not going to want to agree with
it. In fact, some will reject the truth and persecute those who profess it.
I
believe a real authentic Christ–like community of people can affect the world in
a positive way. Authentic Christ-like
communities are places where people will get to see Jesus’ disciples in action.
They will see believers truly loving and caring for others in the name of Jesus.
Even
though many people will still reject God and persecute the Church, it is truly
an honor to represent God as His ambassadors and to suffer for Christ and His
Gospel. Authentic Christian communities
are at their best when they are in total need of the power of God to accomplish
their mission.
Community is a great place to cultivate and
partake in but it must be grounded in the Truth of God. Jesus said that apart
from Him we cannot do anything.
John
15:4-6 New International Version (NIV)
Remain
in me, as I also remain in you. No
branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you
remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart
from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in
me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are
picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.
I
think most people desire real Community, and there is no better
fellowship to be had this side of Heaven, than an Authentic
Christ-centered Church where love and Christ take center stage.
Just Sayin................Dave
No comments:
Post a Comment