CWW Week 26 - Day 2 - What Is Church?
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Ephesians 2:19-22
“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow
citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built
on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus
himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being
joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him, you
also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the
Spirit.”
Here, the Church is described as a spiritual house, built upon the
teachings of the apostles and Christ as the cornerstone.
The Church as the Household of God
So many of us see church as a corporate denominational, or
physical structure or building.
Jesus does not see it that way. Clearly we are, in our physical and
spiritual state, the temple of God.
We are also a temple when two our more are gathered in His name.
This can be in a mighty cathedral on in a shed or even under a tree.
The possibilities are endless.
Jesus made it plane where He saw the church. Yes he visited the
temples and synagogues but his greatest ministry work was
conducted on hill sides and in town squares or water holes.
He went to minister where the people were. Where you and I might
be. Those who flocked to see Him could not always be housed in
great temples as these structure were by no means big enough to
handle the crowd.
Church is where ever He is and He is everywhere. Church can be in
the thousands and it can be in a pair driving in a car.
Home churches are springing up all over the land as more people
embrace the notion of relationship over ritual and orthodoxy.
Homes are ideal as a church model as the apostles taught in the
book of Acts chapter 2.
They moved from house to house eating with families and
establishing a strong gospel message as they planted the seed for
the families to cultivate.
In so doing the message soon spread exponentially across Asia
and Europe.
As the Christian faith comes under great scrutiny and persecution
this will be the norm for those who wish to fellowship in the body of
Christ.
While we see the church rightly as a gathering of people it is also
so much more than that. It becomes in fact the household of God.
God’s family in action.
As God’s household it is alive with those who seek to live with the
attributes of it’s master and as such actively grows.
1 Timothy 3:15
“If I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the
household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar
and buttress of the truth.”
The Church is meant to be upholding the truth in all aspects of it’s
existence.
Can truth be purchased at a price? Can ideologies and beliefs be
swayed by money?
Of course we know the answer to those questions. The side effects
however is the undermining and denigration of the truth which is
what it says it is and not a malleable set of facts that can be re
arranged to support an agenda.
In todays world the corporate church seems to sway with the
narrative as it appears to march in lock step with the state on
which it relies for corporate funding. What can possibly go wrong
when the church relies more on the government of the land rather
than the government of God?
This comes about when the model for church becomes so
complicated in it’s structures that it relies on vast armies of
administration.
Corporate entities are required to administer large payrolls and
corporate governance structures and property portfolios that
require legal and accounting teams to manage insurance
compliance issues and audit responsibilities. Policy manuals
become more important than the Bible and this requires multiple
committees and boards that are fertilised grounds to nourish those
who seek to be in control and establish hierarchies to support their
own personal lust for power.
Was this Jesus idea for church? Was this what the apostles
envisaged when they set out across the globe in order to expand
the family of God?
Clearly as the battle between good and evil approaches it’s
inevitable climax, the family of God will be scattered and meeting in
the quiet places and perhaps in small groups of Gospel believing
Christians who are sustained by the faith that brought them
together in the first place.
Church as we have always known it still flourishes in many areas
but what is it that sees one church flourish in one location and
another struggle somewhere else?
It can only be the people dynamic and the strength of the body of
Christ that binds it together. It’s the Holy Spirit alive in the members
of that body.
But even those churches that flourish with large active
congregations need to prepare to break into smaller groups to
carry the message even further as life becomes more difficult for
the faithful.
We must seek the wisdom of the Holy Spirit as we navigate the
pathway to sustainable faith and church that will stand in truth as
the society around it collapses.
Questions.
1. Have you been wanting to be a part of God’s household?
2. Are there some people in your circle who may also be wanting
the same thing?
3. Is there a church waiting to happen if you take the first big step
and ask some questions?
Prayer.
Dear Lord, Papa God.
To be in Your household is such a joy. To be among people of like
mind is so reassuring. Papa help me to grow the household and
nourish those around me as the family expands. Lord give me the
courage to ask the question of those around me who may be
looking for something more meaningful in their lives as well.
When two or more are gathered in Your name we know that You are
there and that a church is formed on the spot. Strengthen us to
grow is our prayer today in the precious name of Jesus. Amen.
Have a great day today with Jesus.
Graham Hood.
