There are some beautiful pictures in the Psalms of what it means to just love God and build a home around serving Him as a family.
Psalm 127 opens with 'Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it'. We do spend most of our lives creating our own home and family, but we have to recognise that everything we have comes from God. Our children are 'a heritage of the Lord' (v3), not one of our achievements. The question the Psalms often seem to ask is: what are you doing with the gifts God has given you?
Psalm 128 gives a picture of gospel prosperity (not prosperity gospel!!). 'Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to him. You will eat the fruit of your labour; blessings and prosperity will be yours.' (v1-2) It's a principle, rather than a promise, that those who love God will live a life of blessing, though not one free of suffering. It's interesting that the picture of the godly family and their blessing is not one of isolation, but one that is part of the community of God's people: 'May the Lord bless you from Zion; may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life.' (v5) We're not meant to hide away trying to create the perfect home and family; we're meant to live out the gospel in community together, teaching our children by practical example of what it means to love God and others.
Psalm 1 is often described as the key to the Psalms, and the message is clear: following the Lord brings true joy and prosperity, whereas wickedness leads to judgement and destruction. I love the picture in verse 3 that the righteous person is 'like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither'. I've planted some trees in my garden recently and I was told that the main reason young trees die is lack of water. I am constantly amazed that I can pour basinfuls of washing up water on those trees and they soak it all up and seem thirsty for more! Good job I live in Wales where it rains all the time. But it made the picture in the Psalms more real to me, that if a tree is planted by streams of water, it never dies, because it always has replenishment. If we are truly going to live righteous lives and build godly families, we will constantly need refreshing from the Lord to do that. We will be constantly giving to others, so we need to be finding our nourishment in God. We can't follow God's ways and be good parents without completely relying on His strength and power. Ask God to bless your home and family, and then be prepared to obey Him.
Showing posts with label community. Show all posts
Showing posts with label community. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Corporate Redemption: Ephesians and the Church
Imagine it's 1945. A man escapes from Auschwitz concentration camp and runs off into the woods. How does he feel? Glad to be free, but constantly in fear of capture.
Now imagine being in Auschwitz when the Allied forces arrive. They proclaim their victory over the Nazi regime and set you all free. Together, you walk out under the sign 'Arbeit macht frei' (work sets you free). The truth sinks in: the war is over, and Auschwitz is now closing down. You are free, and looking at your fellow sufferers reminds you that this is not a dream. You are all leaving together.
Often we emphasise the personal and individual nature of our salvation as Christians. We testify to our conversion- the moment where "my chains fell off, my heart was free" because we understood that Christ died for us. But when our experience of redemption remains individual, we are like that one man who escaped from Auschwitz. We are glad to be free, but we are vulnerable to fear and doubt. When sin rears its ugly head in our lives, we think 'am I really forgiven? am I really a Christian?'
The New Testament constantly emphasises the corporate nature of redemption. Just as the Israelites were brought miraculously through the Red Sea together, in one great act of redemption, so we as Christians are part of a corporate redemption, based on Jesus' death and resurrection. Whilst these events occurred historically in the relative obscurity of Palestine, they contained an eternal significance for all those past, present and future who trust in God's promises.
The book of Ephesians is addressed to 'the saints in Ephesus'- they are a diverse group of people, bound together by their corporate experience of salvation and being sanctified. As a collective body, Christians are 'blessed... in the heavenly realms', chosen in Him 'before the creation of the world', predestined to be adopted as God's sons through Jesus Christ.
This common experience of redemption has no hierarchy or differentiation. In chapter 2, Paul is keen to highlight that every human is dead in transgressions before they are made alive in Christ. In being saved through faith, we are all equal in God's sight- equally blessed with the privilege of sonship. There is no longer any difference between Jew and Gentile; all who trust in Christ become 'members of God's household' (2:19).
There is, then, one church, made up of all believers from all backgrounds, times, nations and languages. And we are all united in Christ, and in the peace we have with God through Him (2:16-18)
The Church is built on 'the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone' (2:20. There is no diversity of faiths in the church- there is one gospel and one Saviour who unites us all (4:4-6). This is why the corporate nature of our redemption is so important. When we feel doubt, when we struggle with sin, we need to look around at our brothers and sisters in Christ and find assurance in our shared redemption. None of us are perfect this side of eternity, but we can encourage each other to approach God boldly, if we approach Him through the blood of His Son.
Together we share in the promise of Christ Jesus (3:6). We all have the same inheritance, for it is Christ's inheritance. God had this 'eternal purpose' (3:11) and now reveals HIs 'manifold wisdom' through the church (3:10).
Therefore, we can't view it as optional to belong to the Church. If we're saved, we are part of it, and it is part of our identity to be part of a local expression of this heavenly reality. How can we take lightly what God has taken so seriously? You only have to look at Paul's teaching in chapter 5, where he speaks of the intimacy of husbands and wives as being a mirror of that between Christ and the church. We are the Bride for whom He died, shedding His precious blood to make us holy and blameless in God's sight (5:25-27).
Living a corporate life of faith is vitally important, not only for our personal assurance of salvation, but for the service of others and the fullness of your local church's ministry.
Our church leaders are there to equip us to do 'works of service'- we can't just sit back and say "it's the pastor's job to visit the sick/disciple a new believer/welcome a visitor", nor can we say "it's the evangelist's job to do door to door/speak to non Christians in the village/run outreach events." It's the job of the pastor and the evangelist to equip US, the congregation, to do these things. Nowhere in the New Testament is ministry a one-man show. Even Jesus, the ultimate pastor/teacher/evangelist, spent most of His time training and equipping the Twelve disciples, so that they could then go forth and train and equip others, and thus the church would continually be built up. If you're dependent on one man, what happens when he leaves? does the entire church fall apart? It shouldn't, because every member has a vital role to play.
This is the way the New Testament teaches us we can avoid false teaching (4:14) and 'grow up' in Christ (4:15). A Christian who tries to live their faith as a solitary individual is never going to reach maturity. Only as we support and encourage and disciple each other will we really mature in faith and grow to know Christ better.
Now imagine being in Auschwitz when the Allied forces arrive. They proclaim their victory over the Nazi regime and set you all free. Together, you walk out under the sign 'Arbeit macht frei' (work sets you free). The truth sinks in: the war is over, and Auschwitz is now closing down. You are free, and looking at your fellow sufferers reminds you that this is not a dream. You are all leaving together.
Often we emphasise the personal and individual nature of our salvation as Christians. We testify to our conversion- the moment where "my chains fell off, my heart was free" because we understood that Christ died for us. But when our experience of redemption remains individual, we are like that one man who escaped from Auschwitz. We are glad to be free, but we are vulnerable to fear and doubt. When sin rears its ugly head in our lives, we think 'am I really forgiven? am I really a Christian?'
The New Testament constantly emphasises the corporate nature of redemption. Just as the Israelites were brought miraculously through the Red Sea together, in one great act of redemption, so we as Christians are part of a corporate redemption, based on Jesus' death and resurrection. Whilst these events occurred historically in the relative obscurity of Palestine, they contained an eternal significance for all those past, present and future who trust in God's promises.
The book of Ephesians is addressed to 'the saints in Ephesus'- they are a diverse group of people, bound together by their corporate experience of salvation and being sanctified. As a collective body, Christians are 'blessed... in the heavenly realms', chosen in Him 'before the creation of the world', predestined to be adopted as God's sons through Jesus Christ.
'In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.' (1:7)We have been marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit, and we can all approach God with 'freedom and confidence' because of our status before Him in Christ.
This common experience of redemption has no hierarchy or differentiation. In chapter 2, Paul is keen to highlight that every human is dead in transgressions before they are made alive in Christ. In being saved through faith, we are all equal in God's sight- equally blessed with the privilege of sonship. There is no longer any difference between Jew and Gentile; all who trust in Christ become 'members of God's household' (2:19).
This is what the Church is: Christ's body, the fulness of Him who fills everything in every way (1:23). We are not saved to enjoy a desert island paradise of solitude, but to be part of a great multitude beyond number (Rev 7:9). God promised Abraham that his descendants would be more than stars in the sky or grains of sand, and this is fulfilled in the Church, the huge body of believers who are all redeemed by Jesus Christ.
There is, then, one church, made up of all believers from all backgrounds, times, nations and languages. And we are all united in Christ, and in the peace we have with God through Him (2:16-18)
The Church is built on 'the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone' (2:20. There is no diversity of faiths in the church- there is one gospel and one Saviour who unites us all (4:4-6). This is why the corporate nature of our redemption is so important. When we feel doubt, when we struggle with sin, we need to look around at our brothers and sisters in Christ and find assurance in our shared redemption. None of us are perfect this side of eternity, but we can encourage each other to approach God boldly, if we approach Him through the blood of His Son.
Together we share in the promise of Christ Jesus (3:6). We all have the same inheritance, for it is Christ's inheritance. God had this 'eternal purpose' (3:11) and now reveals HIs 'manifold wisdom' through the church (3:10).
Therefore, we can't view it as optional to belong to the Church. If we're saved, we are part of it, and it is part of our identity to be part of a local expression of this heavenly reality. How can we take lightly what God has taken so seriously? You only have to look at Paul's teaching in chapter 5, where he speaks of the intimacy of husbands and wives as being a mirror of that between Christ and the church. We are the Bride for whom He died, shedding His precious blood to make us holy and blameless in God's sight (5:25-27).
Living a corporate life of faith is vitally important, not only for our personal assurance of salvation, but for the service of others and the fullness of your local church's ministry.
Christ 'gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fulness of Christ.' (4:11-13)
Our church leaders are there to equip us to do 'works of service'- we can't just sit back and say "it's the pastor's job to visit the sick/disciple a new believer/welcome a visitor", nor can we say "it's the evangelist's job to do door to door/speak to non Christians in the village/run outreach events." It's the job of the pastor and the evangelist to equip US, the congregation, to do these things. Nowhere in the New Testament is ministry a one-man show. Even Jesus, the ultimate pastor/teacher/evangelist, spent most of His time training and equipping the Twelve disciples, so that they could then go forth and train and equip others, and thus the church would continually be built up. If you're dependent on one man, what happens when he leaves? does the entire church fall apart? It shouldn't, because every member has a vital role to play.
This is the way the New Testament teaches us we can avoid false teaching (4:14) and 'grow up' in Christ (4:15). A Christian who tries to live their faith as a solitary individual is never going to reach maturity. Only as we support and encourage and disciple each other will we really mature in faith and grow to know Christ better.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Unashamed- the London Women's Convention
Yesterday I went to the London Women's Convention at ExCel in the Docklands. The theme of the day was 'Unashamed'- how we, as Christians, can overcome our fear of sharing the gospel with others.
Di Warren spoke very engagingly on why we can sometimes feel ashamed of the gospel. Showing the famous X-Factor clip of Susan Boyle, she drew the lesson that looks can be deceiving! The gospel looks powerless to the world. It looks irrelevant- God seems a million miles away. It looks weird- Jesus is not the modern idea of a hero. It's offensive- the gospel tells us we are wrong. It doesn't make people feel good about themselves. And the gospel is intolerant- it says boldly that only Jesus can make us right with God.
However, Di then encouraged us wonderfully that the gospel is dynamite! (This is the Greek word for 'power' used in Romans 1:16 when Paul describes the gospel as the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes). The gospel, simply put, is that Jesus died for you so that God would not be ashamed of you. It's not irrelevant- it shows us God's purpose throughout history- to redeem men and women- and it opens our eyes to the perspective of eternity. It's not weird- Jesus is a shameful hero because He takes OUR shame upon Himself. It's not offensive, it gives a message of hope. It's not intolerant, because there is no discrimination: the gospel is relevant for everyone.
As Christians, we are like the manager of Susan Boyle: we need to create opportunities for the gospel to sing! We mustn't lose our nerve, thinking that our friend is a 'lost cause' or that the message needs to be made more palatable. The problem is not with the message, but with people's hearts.
Di reminded us that the gospel will be rejected. WE will be rejected. This makes evangelism the hardest task in the world. And yet the gospel will be ACCEPTED, too. Not who we choose, not in our timing, but God is at work all around us.
The third session at the conference showed inspiring testimonies from women who had taken the initiative to start up a discussion group with their friends, and seen them come to Christ. Then finally, Rico Tice addressed us with Colossians 4 and told us to devote ourselves to prayer, serve others, and cross the 'pain line'- in other words, get out there and do it! He challenged us to carry around a short passage (eg. Psalm 103) and ask people 'Would you like to look at the Bible with me?'
The conference was very well run with long breaks to chat and look at the bookstore. I was particularly chuffed with buying 'A Taste for Life'- an evangelistic recipe book with gorgeous pictures and very well presented- for a dear friend of mine. They were selling like hotcakes!
If there's one thing that I felt the day missed, it was an emphasis upon community. I don't think the New Testament gives us any warrant for church being a once/twice-a-week meeting, and then we all disperse and live out our lives individually or as families doing our evangelism separately. The picture of the early church is one of community (Acts 4:32). We don't have to live in a commune, but there is a sense of the church being local. Christians who live in the same area, coming together regularly- not just for a formal Sunday service, but in and out of each other's lives. In 1 Thessalonians 2:8 Paul writes:
'We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.'
If we as Christians live as a community, transformed by the Holy Spirit, then our 'evangelism' simply becomes introducing outsiders into that community. It is less about setting up a formal course (which is quite middle-class), and more about integrating the different spheres of our life: work, church, family etc. Evangelism wasn't really meant to be a solo pursuit- Jesus sent out His disciples in pairs in Luke 10, and that was for a special mission. Most of the time Jesus and His followers lived in community, eating together with outsiders (often the outcasts of their society like the tax collectors and prostitutes), and those outsiders were drawn in because they saw Jesus, they heard the gospel, and they saw it lived out in all its power and attraction.
There is nothing more attractive to people today than the idea of a community where they can be accepted whoever they are. Why do you think people are drawn to the local pub? Or the golf club? Or the boules network? Yes, they may enjoy drinking, golfing, etc, but it offers them community. It is unfortunate that church today makes many outsiders think of judgmental people, cold people, unwelcoming people, rather than a warm community infused with the love of Jesus.
So what can we do? Well, there's one simple suggestion that isn't a very popular one:
Move to live in the surrounding area of your church!
So many people 'commute' to church, which is incredibly destructive to the outreach of that church into the local community. If the Christians are not naturally a part of that local community, why should the people pay any attention to leaflets or posters or even those who come door-to-door? Having recently moved into the estate of our local church, my husband and I can testify of the incredible difference it has made to live in the community which, as a church, we are trying to reach. People know us. People trust us. We are able to show that we care for people on a daily basis, and we are able to live out our Christian lives in front of them.
It involves sacrifice. It involves being ready to have an open door and for people to see you when you're not on top form. But it involves the amazing privilege of sharing the gospel with people- through words and actions as well.
I'm not promoting a social gospel- that we should just love people and not bother with speaking the gospel to them- because Romans 10 makes it clear that people aren't saved by simply seeing actions. They need to hear the gospel and understand it! But as James argues, if we do not accompany our gospel-sharing with gospel-living, then our witness is often weakened if not totally ineffective. You could be a very sincere Christian in all aspects of your life, but if Mrs X never sees you in any other context than when you are witnessing to her door-to-door, she has no reason to believe in what you tell her.
I want to recommend Joshua Harris' 'Stop Dating the Church'. In it, he points out that we are so often willing to move house for a new job, or for a new school for our children. Why are we not willing to move for our church, which is so much more important in terms of eternity???
Di Warren spoke very engagingly on why we can sometimes feel ashamed of the gospel. Showing the famous X-Factor clip of Susan Boyle, she drew the lesson that looks can be deceiving! The gospel looks powerless to the world. It looks irrelevant- God seems a million miles away. It looks weird- Jesus is not the modern idea of a hero. It's offensive- the gospel tells us we are wrong. It doesn't make people feel good about themselves. And the gospel is intolerant- it says boldly that only Jesus can make us right with God.
However, Di then encouraged us wonderfully that the gospel is dynamite! (This is the Greek word for 'power' used in Romans 1:16 when Paul describes the gospel as the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes). The gospel, simply put, is that Jesus died for you so that God would not be ashamed of you. It's not irrelevant- it shows us God's purpose throughout history- to redeem men and women- and it opens our eyes to the perspective of eternity. It's not weird- Jesus is a shameful hero because He takes OUR shame upon Himself. It's not offensive, it gives a message of hope. It's not intolerant, because there is no discrimination: the gospel is relevant for everyone.
As Christians, we are like the manager of Susan Boyle: we need to create opportunities for the gospel to sing! We mustn't lose our nerve, thinking that our friend is a 'lost cause' or that the message needs to be made more palatable. The problem is not with the message, but with people's hearts.
Di reminded us that the gospel will be rejected. WE will be rejected. This makes evangelism the hardest task in the world. And yet the gospel will be ACCEPTED, too. Not who we choose, not in our timing, but God is at work all around us.
The third session at the conference showed inspiring testimonies from women who had taken the initiative to start up a discussion group with their friends, and seen them come to Christ. Then finally, Rico Tice addressed us with Colossians 4 and told us to devote ourselves to prayer, serve others, and cross the 'pain line'- in other words, get out there and do it! He challenged us to carry around a short passage (eg. Psalm 103) and ask people 'Would you like to look at the Bible with me?'
The conference was very well run with long breaks to chat and look at the bookstore. I was particularly chuffed with buying 'A Taste for Life'- an evangelistic recipe book with gorgeous pictures and very well presented- for a dear friend of mine. They were selling like hotcakes!
If there's one thing that I felt the day missed, it was an emphasis upon community. I don't think the New Testament gives us any warrant for church being a once/twice-a-week meeting, and then we all disperse and live out our lives individually or as families doing our evangelism separately. The picture of the early church is one of community (Acts 4:32). We don't have to live in a commune, but there is a sense of the church being local. Christians who live in the same area, coming together regularly- not just for a formal Sunday service, but in and out of each other's lives. In 1 Thessalonians 2:8 Paul writes:
'We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.'
If we as Christians live as a community, transformed by the Holy Spirit, then our 'evangelism' simply becomes introducing outsiders into that community. It is less about setting up a formal course (which is quite middle-class), and more about integrating the different spheres of our life: work, church, family etc. Evangelism wasn't really meant to be a solo pursuit- Jesus sent out His disciples in pairs in Luke 10, and that was for a special mission. Most of the time Jesus and His followers lived in community, eating together with outsiders (often the outcasts of their society like the tax collectors and prostitutes), and those outsiders were drawn in because they saw Jesus, they heard the gospel, and they saw it lived out in all its power and attraction.
There is nothing more attractive to people today than the idea of a community where they can be accepted whoever they are. Why do you think people are drawn to the local pub? Or the golf club? Or the boules network? Yes, they may enjoy drinking, golfing, etc, but it offers them community. It is unfortunate that church today makes many outsiders think of judgmental people, cold people, unwelcoming people, rather than a warm community infused with the love of Jesus.
So what can we do? Well, there's one simple suggestion that isn't a very popular one:
Move to live in the surrounding area of your church!
So many people 'commute' to church, which is incredibly destructive to the outreach of that church into the local community. If the Christians are not naturally a part of that local community, why should the people pay any attention to leaflets or posters or even those who come door-to-door? Having recently moved into the estate of our local church, my husband and I can testify of the incredible difference it has made to live in the community which, as a church, we are trying to reach. People know us. People trust us. We are able to show that we care for people on a daily basis, and we are able to live out our Christian lives in front of them.
It involves sacrifice. It involves being ready to have an open door and for people to see you when you're not on top form. But it involves the amazing privilege of sharing the gospel with people- through words and actions as well.
I'm not promoting a social gospel- that we should just love people and not bother with speaking the gospel to them- because Romans 10 makes it clear that people aren't saved by simply seeing actions. They need to hear the gospel and understand it! But as James argues, if we do not accompany our gospel-sharing with gospel-living, then our witness is often weakened if not totally ineffective. You could be a very sincere Christian in all aspects of your life, but if Mrs X never sees you in any other context than when you are witnessing to her door-to-door, she has no reason to believe in what you tell her.
I want to recommend Joshua Harris' 'Stop Dating the Church'. In it, he points out that we are so often willing to move house for a new job, or for a new school for our children. Why are we not willing to move for our church, which is so much more important in terms of eternity???
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Worship #4
Why do you think the writers of the New Testament generally avoid using the terminology of worship to describe what Christians do when they gather together?
At the heart of the matter, the New Testament writers want to show that worship is all of life, not just in one place or at one time. It is no longer something connected with set feasts or set places or set priests. It is for all the people of God at all times and places (Carson).
Mark Strom writes: 'The temple, priesthood, sacrifices and kingship could no longer serve as Israel's focal point. At best, they had been symbols of great truths about the Lord and His ways; at worst, they had distracted the people's attention from the One who stood behind the symbols. But now, in Jesus, the perfection, reality and person behind the symbols had appeared'.
Jesus replaced the set place (the temple) and the set priests with Himself- He became the sacrifice and the sacrifice-offerer. He became the way which humans can approach God. And after His ascension He sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in all those who call on His Name. In this way all Christians become a temple (1 Cor 3:16).
Therefore, for the NT writers to refer to Christian gatherings as worship would perhaps mislead people, particularly those of a Jewish background, to believe that the way we approach God is through ritual and only in a certain place at a certain time. In another sense, that approach to worship fails to recognise that true worship manifests itself in all of our living, 24/7. As Carson points out, we worship in both adoration and action.
'Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise- the fruit of lips that confess His Name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.' Heb 13:15-16
Therefore, the NT writers use the word 'ekklesia' for church, which 'inherited the meaning of Israel's great assemblies without any of the "religious" connotations of worship, priests or rituals. The churches were simply God's people meeting together in homes to encourage each other in the gospel... Thus the word was tailor-made for conveying the simplicity and people-centredness which the New Testament wanted to emphasise.' (Strom)
'Ekklesia' could be translated as 'a regular assembly of citizens' (Banks) and in this way, Paul looked forward to a great assembly at the Lord's return (1 Thess 4:15-17) and wrote that all Christians are citizens of heaven (Phil 3:19-20).
Banks writes that 'each of the various local churches are tangible expressions of the heavenly church, manifestations in time and space of that which is essentially eternal and infinite in character.'
'Ekklesia' comprehensively encapsulates several key concepts about the Christian church:
1. It is a universal fraterntiy (voluntary association)
2. It is a place like a household unit where personal identity and intimacy can be found
3. It provides both community and immortality (Strom)
This is why the images for the church used in the New Testament (Body, Household, Building) moved away from traditional terminology (which had strong cultic connotations) and emphasised the church as God's people meeting together as a family, united in Christ.
At the heart of the matter, the New Testament writers want to show that worship is all of life, not just in one place or at one time. It is no longer something connected with set feasts or set places or set priests. It is for all the people of God at all times and places (Carson).
Mark Strom writes: 'The temple, priesthood, sacrifices and kingship could no longer serve as Israel's focal point. At best, they had been symbols of great truths about the Lord and His ways; at worst, they had distracted the people's attention from the One who stood behind the symbols. But now, in Jesus, the perfection, reality and person behind the symbols had appeared'.
Jesus replaced the set place (the temple) and the set priests with Himself- He became the sacrifice and the sacrifice-offerer. He became the way which humans can approach God. And after His ascension He sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in all those who call on His Name. In this way all Christians become a temple (1 Cor 3:16).
Therefore, for the NT writers to refer to Christian gatherings as worship would perhaps mislead people, particularly those of a Jewish background, to believe that the way we approach God is through ritual and only in a certain place at a certain time. In another sense, that approach to worship fails to recognise that true worship manifests itself in all of our living, 24/7. As Carson points out, we worship in both adoration and action.
'Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise- the fruit of lips that confess His Name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.' Heb 13:15-16
Therefore, the NT writers use the word 'ekklesia' for church, which 'inherited the meaning of Israel's great assemblies without any of the "religious" connotations of worship, priests or rituals. The churches were simply God's people meeting together in homes to encourage each other in the gospel... Thus the word was tailor-made for conveying the simplicity and people-centredness which the New Testament wanted to emphasise.' (Strom)
'Ekklesia' could be translated as 'a regular assembly of citizens' (Banks) and in this way, Paul looked forward to a great assembly at the Lord's return (1 Thess 4:15-17) and wrote that all Christians are citizens of heaven (Phil 3:19-20).
Banks writes that 'each of the various local churches are tangible expressions of the heavenly church, manifestations in time and space of that which is essentially eternal and infinite in character.'
'Ekklesia' comprehensively encapsulates several key concepts about the Christian church:
1. It is a universal fraterntiy (voluntary association)
2. It is a place like a household unit where personal identity and intimacy can be found
3. It provides both community and immortality (Strom)
This is why the images for the church used in the New Testament (Body, Household, Building) moved away from traditional terminology (which had strong cultic connotations) and emphasised the church as God's people meeting together as a family, united in Christ.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Ephesians: God's big purpose for Christians
This week I've been reading Ephesians, and it's been amazing to see God's cosmic plan for the universe unfold: 'to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ' (1.10).
God is saving people from every tribe, tongue and nation so that there will be a new community of people in heaven, who worship Him (Revelation 5:9). We aren't saved merely on an individual basis, but to be part of the corporate body of the Church. Paul calls the universal Church the Body of Christ, and in Ephesians 4 talks in detail about what it means to be a Christian.
Being a Christian means being part of the Church
God saved us for a reason: so that in eternity, we could be part of His holy city. Becoming a Christian means that we gain citizenship to heaven (Eph 2:19). The local church on earth is a reflection of the huge universal church in heaven that awaits us when we die, or when Jesus returns. Therefore every Christian should make every effort to be a committed member of a local church. Otherwise it's like you have rejected your heavenly destiny.
Being part of a local church helps you to be who God wants you to be
Paul gives many instructions about how we should live to please God -'Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.' (Eph 4:2-3) It's clear that the local church is crucial in us being able to practise these virtues. Sure, we can aim to be humble and patient in our workplace with non-believers, and we can even cultivate this in our friendships with Christians, but it is only in the context of the local church that we can genuinely be tested in 'bearing with one another in love' and keeping the 'unity of the Spirit'. Churches are full of all kinds of people and can be very trying! But it's God's will that we belong to a church and work through the difficulties which this involves, rather than try and live the Christian life alone.
Churches all over the world are united in sound doctrine
There is 'one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all' (Eph 4:5). There may be many "churches" out there, but the true churches are those which stand upon Christ and what God has revealed to us through Scripture. It's no use getting involved with a church that tolerates false teaching. It's not a true church.
God has made us to serve the church, and be served by it
God gives some to be 'evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers' (Eph 4:11) -perhaps you are one of them! In the church, those God has given to preach do so for the benefit of those who hear (and that means by default there must be people for them to preach to). Ministers are there to serve their congregations, and to be served by them too. What is the goal?
'to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature' (Eph 4:12-13).
God doesn't just want people to pray a prayer accepting His salvation. God wants His people to grow in faith, to become mature. This can only happen when we meet together as a community and disciple one another; when we share our lives together, pray for each other, read God's word together and encourage each other. This is hard- it involves time, commitment, and even saying things which are difficult. We have to speak the truth 'in love' (Eph 4:15), which means telling a fellow Christian when they are going astray. But ultimately, when we help others in the church to grow and flourish, we are helping ourselves. Our identity in Christ is corporate- we are one Body. If one part suffers, all of us suffer (1 Cor 12:26). Our goal is heaven, where there will be no more pain and no more suffering (Rev 21:4). It is worth all the trials we may face now!
God is saving people from every tribe, tongue and nation so that there will be a new community of people in heaven, who worship Him (Revelation 5:9). We aren't saved merely on an individual basis, but to be part of the corporate body of the Church. Paul calls the universal Church the Body of Christ, and in Ephesians 4 talks in detail about what it means to be a Christian.
Being a Christian means being part of the Church
God saved us for a reason: so that in eternity, we could be part of His holy city. Becoming a Christian means that we gain citizenship to heaven (Eph 2:19). The local church on earth is a reflection of the huge universal church in heaven that awaits us when we die, or when Jesus returns. Therefore every Christian should make every effort to be a committed member of a local church. Otherwise it's like you have rejected your heavenly destiny.
Being part of a local church helps you to be who God wants you to be
Paul gives many instructions about how we should live to please God -'Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.' (Eph 4:2-3) It's clear that the local church is crucial in us being able to practise these virtues. Sure, we can aim to be humble and patient in our workplace with non-believers, and we can even cultivate this in our friendships with Christians, but it is only in the context of the local church that we can genuinely be tested in 'bearing with one another in love' and keeping the 'unity of the Spirit'. Churches are full of all kinds of people and can be very trying! But it's God's will that we belong to a church and work through the difficulties which this involves, rather than try and live the Christian life alone.
Churches all over the world are united in sound doctrine
There is 'one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all' (Eph 4:5). There may be many "churches" out there, but the true churches are those which stand upon Christ and what God has revealed to us through Scripture. It's no use getting involved with a church that tolerates false teaching. It's not a true church.
God has made us to serve the church, and be served by it
God gives some to be 'evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers' (Eph 4:11) -perhaps you are one of them! In the church, those God has given to preach do so for the benefit of those who hear (and that means by default there must be people for them to preach to). Ministers are there to serve their congregations, and to be served by them too. What is the goal?
'to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature' (Eph 4:12-13).
God doesn't just want people to pray a prayer accepting His salvation. God wants His people to grow in faith, to become mature. This can only happen when we meet together as a community and disciple one another; when we share our lives together, pray for each other, read God's word together and encourage each other. This is hard- it involves time, commitment, and even saying things which are difficult. We have to speak the truth 'in love' (Eph 4:15), which means telling a fellow Christian when they are going astray. But ultimately, when we help others in the church to grow and flourish, we are helping ourselves. Our identity in Christ is corporate- we are one Body. If one part suffers, all of us suffer (1 Cor 12:26). Our goal is heaven, where there will be no more pain and no more suffering (Rev 21:4). It is worth all the trials we may face now!
Monday, May 25, 2009
Why is church important? #2
'Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body. "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.' Ephesians 5:25-32
Jesus and the church
So the church as a concept is made up of all Christians... but then there's also church in a local context, a specific body of members and a real and tangible community. This is where we see the concept lived out and made reality for us to understand and participate in.
Joshua Harris writes:
'[Jesus] calls and expects us to be part of [the church]... because we are part of it!
If Jesus loves the church, you and I should, too. We can't use the excuse that the church has messed up too many times or that we're disillusioned. Jesus is the only person who has the right to disown and give up on the church. But He never has. And He never will.' Stop Dating the Church, p40
Being a Christian who doesn't go to church is like being a brick lying on the ground (an analogy from Spurgeon which Harris quotes). It's useless and even trips people up! It's not what we're made for. We are made to be the people of God, living under His rule: that's what heaven is all about. Heaven is not going to be full of isolated individuals. No way! It's going to be people from every tribe, tongue and nation worshipping God together (Revelation 7:9).
The Christian life is hard. We find many struggles: against the world of people who have rejected God, against the devil who loves to trip us up, and against our own sinful nature which battles for supremacy within our hearts against God's Spirit. We need other Christians to keep us on the right track, to challenge us when we have compromised, to encourage us when we're down and ready to give up. To 'go solo' in the Christian life is to go against everything Jesus taught us about being humble and serving one another. It also buys into the lie that the less we give of ourselves and our time and money, the happier we will be. That's just not true! There is far more blessing in giving all of ourselves to the church, because it is an eternal investment.
Jesus and the church
- He loves us
- He gave himself up for us, by dying on the cross
- He cleanses us so that in God's sight we are holy
- He cares for us
- We become united with Him
So the church as a concept is made up of all Christians... but then there's also church in a local context, a specific body of members and a real and tangible community. This is where we see the concept lived out and made reality for us to understand and participate in.
Joshua Harris writes:
'[Jesus] calls and expects us to be part of [the church]... because we are part of it!
If Jesus loves the church, you and I should, too. We can't use the excuse that the church has messed up too many times or that we're disillusioned. Jesus is the only person who has the right to disown and give up on the church. But He never has. And He never will.' Stop Dating the Church, p40
Being a Christian who doesn't go to church is like being a brick lying on the ground (an analogy from Spurgeon which Harris quotes). It's useless and even trips people up! It's not what we're made for. We are made to be the people of God, living under His rule: that's what heaven is all about. Heaven is not going to be full of isolated individuals. No way! It's going to be people from every tribe, tongue and nation worshipping God together (Revelation 7:9).
The Christian life is hard. We find many struggles: against the world of people who have rejected God, against the devil who loves to trip us up, and against our own sinful nature which battles for supremacy within our hearts against God's Spirit. We need other Christians to keep us on the right track, to challenge us when we have compromised, to encourage us when we're down and ready to give up. To 'go solo' in the Christian life is to go against everything Jesus taught us about being humble and serving one another. It also buys into the lie that the less we give of ourselves and our time and money, the happier we will be. That's just not true! There is far more blessing in giving all of ourselves to the church, because it is an eternal investment.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Why is church important? #1
I'm reading Joshua Harris' book 'Stop Dating the Church' at the moment and it is incredibly helpful at explaining why it is so important for Christians to be committed members of a local church. These blog posts are really a collection of what Harris argues and my own thinking about it.
How is church like marriage?
This is one of the big questions Harris seeks to answer. In the Bible, Paul famously compares the relationship of a married couple to the relationship of Christ and the church (Ephesians 5). So what is the link between the church and marriage? Well, most Christians would agree that marriage is all about loving, faithful commitment. That's exactly the way Jesus treats the church... and therefore the way that we should treat it, too.
Harris says:
'The plain fact is, when we resist passion and commitment in our relationship with the church, everyone gets cheated out of God's best.
And again:
'The church is the vehicle that Jesus chose to take the message of the gospel to every generation and people.' p20
If we want to follow Jesus' command to go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28), we will struggle unless we are part of a church community. It's what the church is for: bringing together saved sinners to reach out to lost people. We're so much more effective together than individually. Just think about it: imagine you have one non-Christian friend called James. Now if you are the only Christian James knows, that means a lot of pressure on you to keep witnessing to him! And if you move away, he then knows no Christians in his area. But if you introduce James to some of your Christian friends from church, he can build relationships with them too, you can all witness and pray for him together, and if you move away, he still has links with a church and the people of God.
Church isn't an easy place. It is a place where sinners -saved and unsaved- gather together, and that's always going to be tough. But it is an ideal place for Christians to grow in godliness, as they hear the Bible faithfully taught... and as they are thrown into situations where they need to put into practice Jesus' teachings about loving your enemies, forgiving those who hurt you, and being humble and serving to one another. You see, every Christian could make three Christian friends and simply meet up with those friends regularly and get their spiritual 'fix' to keep them going... But in doing so, they would miss out hugely on the 'family factor' of church- being put into a room with loads of different people of all ages and backgrounds, where you don't have anything in common except Jesus, and you have to get along!
So to summarise:
How is church like marriage?
This is one of the big questions Harris seeks to answer. In the Bible, Paul famously compares the relationship of a married couple to the relationship of Christ and the church (Ephesians 5). So what is the link between the church and marriage? Well, most Christians would agree that marriage is all about loving, faithful commitment. That's exactly the way Jesus treats the church... and therefore the way that we should treat it, too.
Harris says:
'The plain fact is, when we resist passion and commitment in our relationship with the church, everyone gets cheated out of God's best.
- You cheat yourself.
- You cheat a church community.
- You cheat your world.' p18
And again:
'The church is the vehicle that Jesus chose to take the message of the gospel to every generation and people.' p20
If we want to follow Jesus' command to go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28), we will struggle unless we are part of a church community. It's what the church is for: bringing together saved sinners to reach out to lost people. We're so much more effective together than individually. Just think about it: imagine you have one non-Christian friend called James. Now if you are the only Christian James knows, that means a lot of pressure on you to keep witnessing to him! And if you move away, he then knows no Christians in his area. But if you introduce James to some of your Christian friends from church, he can build relationships with them too, you can all witness and pray for him together, and if you move away, he still has links with a church and the people of God.
Church isn't an easy place. It is a place where sinners -saved and unsaved- gather together, and that's always going to be tough. But it is an ideal place for Christians to grow in godliness, as they hear the Bible faithfully taught... and as they are thrown into situations where they need to put into practice Jesus' teachings about loving your enemies, forgiving those who hurt you, and being humble and serving to one another. You see, every Christian could make three Christian friends and simply meet up with those friends regularly and get their spiritual 'fix' to keep them going... But in doing so, they would miss out hugely on the 'family factor' of church- being put into a room with loads of different people of all ages and backgrounds, where you don't have anything in common except Jesus, and you have to get along!
So to summarise:
- Church is like marriage- it demands commitment
- Church is a locus point for evangelism- in both training up and reaching out
- Church is tough- and so it refines us
Saturday, April 18, 2009
What's wrong with the Church? Organic Church reviewed
Neil Cole's 'Organic Church' asks crucial questions of the Church in today's society.
Bluntly, he writes that to most non-Christians, church is where you get married and are buried, and people are desperate to avoid both. He also points out that an incredible amount of effort and resources are expended for one hour a week. Jesus commissioned us to go into all the world and make disciples (Matthew 28), and we've turned it round, expecting the world to come to us.
Cole points out that the Church belongs to Jesus, and He is our key team player! We need to trust Him more and be prepared to go into scary places to find the 'good soil' of people waiting to hear and believe the good news. The Gospels make it clear where the most receptive people are: they are the outcasts of society, the prostitutes and low-lifes, they are in the places no one respectable wants to go to. If we want to see the church grow, we need to get out of our comfort zone and into the tough places!
Cole also argues that we need to stop allowing people within the church to be passive. New converts do not need to be 'trained' to reach others- look at how Jesus sent out Legion straight after healing him! Ultimately, instead of drawing people out of community, Jesus' plan is to inject the Gospel into existing communities... so that the members become a church themselves.
In short, we need to strip down all our requirements for church that aren't biblical- such as owning a building, running large services and organising rotas - and focus upon what really matters: close relationships that reach out to include anyone, no matter what their past or present situation is. Above all, as Christians we need to show others how Jesus has changed our lives... and show others how He can change their lives too.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
