Whose Church?

I have given a great deal of thought, prayer, and study lately to this question: Whose church are we? I have come to a new, deeper appreciation of how we each tend to understand the church we attend, the fellowship of faith with whom we participate, as “our” church. For many of us, in fact, I fear “our” church or “my” church sometimes obscures our view of God’s church. First Baptist Church, South Lyon, must daily determine, member by member, ever and always to be His church. If we are not His church, we are no church at all worth mentioning.

Why is it so important that we be His church? You have heard me talk before about Brad Powell, the lead pastor of the dynamic NorthRidge Church in Plymouth. Brad maintains, “The church is the hope of the world – when it is working right.” The trouble is most churches do not appear to be working right. Today, 92-94 percent churches are plateaued or dying. Where’s the hope in that? If we are not His church, we have no real hope to offer.

The current state of the church is all the more befuddling when we consider what Jesus says about His church: “… I will build My church, and the forces of Hades will not overpower it” (Matthew 16:18). Any honest churchman must at least try to reconcile Jesus’ claim with contemporary evidence. Did Jesus really mean what He said? Was He mistaken?

For my part, I choose to believe Jesus knew full well what He said and implied. Moreover, I am convinced Jesus continues to build His church today and the defenses of darkness continue to crumble before the advance of His church. The issue is not whether or not He will build His church but whether or not what we call church actually represents His church. The question is “Whose church are we talking about – His or ours?”

Here are four descriptions Jesus gives of His church:

1. We are the people of His purpose. Jesus says of His church “all who know Me will be among My ‘called out ones.’” He calls us His ekklesia, His church. To be called out implies purpose. Our purpose originates from the One Who called for the assembly.

2. We are the people of His promise. We expect Jesus to do what He promises to do. He guarantees He will build His church. Most church-goers grant mental assent to this notion but act as if we are responsible to build His church.

3. We are the people of His priority. For our part, Jesus expects us, His church, to use the keys of the kingdom – the Gospel witness. The living church must tell people Who Jesus Christ is and why it matters.

4. Finally, we are the people of His power. Jesus’ church does not merely endure storms and siege. His church is not under attack but on the attack. We who live for His purpose, rely on His promise, and maintain His priority can be confident – we are the people of His power.

Whose church? Jesus’ church, and His alone! That anyone would think that I as pastor would even imagine trying to make His church “Rob’s” church horrifies me. Two statements from this week’s unit of Experiencing God brought my study of Jesus’ church to bear on my personal life and call to ministry.

1. On page 35, Henry Blackaby observed: “We cause some of the wreck and ruin in our churches because we have a plan. We implement the plan and accomplish only what we can do. We ask God to bless our plans, and then we promise to give Him the glory when He does. Yet God is not glorified by making our plans succeed. He receives glory when His will is done in His way.”

I reword this statement in a prayer like this:

Lord God, I love Your church! I am so honored to be a part of the beautiful body of Christ, and I am thrilled to serve and shepherd this precious flock. But, my Lord, I know I can “cause some of the wreck and ruin in” Your church precisely because I have a plan, my plan, and I work to implement that plan. Father, I will not ask you to bless my plans. You are not glorified by making my plans succeed. Keep me ever from being such a sad hindrance to Your church and Your glory. Manifest the truth about Yourself, King Jesus, by doing Your will Your way.

2. “Understanding what God is about to do where you are is more important than telling God what you want to do for Him” (p 37).

My prayer:

Lord, I know it is more important for me to know what You are about to do and for me to adjust to Your activity than for me to tell You my plans. Please illumine me. Illumine us, Your people, Your church. Show us Your plan.

Repeatedly, my thoughts turn to the attitude of John the Baptist.

No one can receive a single thing unless its given to him from heaven. … He who has the bride is the groom. But the groom’s friend, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly at the groom’s voice. So this joy of mine is complete. He must increase, but I must decrease (John 3:27-30).

Whose church? His church!

Pastor Rob