We live in a high-tech community where the Church has embraced much of the media but suffer from Biblical ignorance. If we offer something the world can’t provide then why would we copy the world? When the Church is different from the world it attracts it. Are we playing the world’s game almost as well as the world? We are to turn the world upside down with the message of the Gospel. There is so much Church in the world and so much world in the Church it can be impossible to tell them apart. Why do we have Church?

1. Discussing the reality of the Church

The universal Church is not the same as the local Church. Those who accept Jesus as their Saviour immediately become part of the universal Church of Jesus Christ. It is called universal because it does not concern itself with the boundaries of nations. It is the Universal Church who fills the local Churches. The local church is a calling together of God’s people for fellowship and worship. It is not a building. The buildings can become the Church in the eyes of some people. When God’s people leave it is just a building. It is the building where the church congregates. The building itself is not a church.

2. Determining the relevancy of the Church

Why should people go to Church? There are people who like Christ but not the Church! The Church will not be popular with everyone if it follows the teachings of Christ and the Bible. The early Church made a difference to civilisation. It was salt and light. It happens in some today in cultures that don’t have the Bible. The Church of Jesus Christ makes a difference in Russia, Albania, etc. It is supposed to make a change wherever it goes. It transforms for good, not evil. It brings peace, respect, equality and godly lives. Too many Churches in the Western world are losing their spiritual way. If the Churches lose their way then society will follow.

3. Defining the role of the Church

It is relatively simple.

• The purpose – To glory God. We rarely hear that! The Church is supposed to point the way to Heaven like a steeple on the building. See Revelation 4:11.
• The priority – The great commission. The church has been left a message, that message is the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the best news for this lost world. The message is supposed to be spread by the church. We are to be salt and light. It is a message that might seem strange but it makes a difference. It is the way that people come to Jesus Christ and are rescued from their sins and eternal damnation from God. The Church has to be always about evangelism and outreach with the true gospel message.
• The program – The great commandment. See Matthew 22:37. We are to be a people of compassion for all those around us. It is not just Christian people! It is people of any kind and sort. We are to be the message of God’s love to this community. This shuts the mouths of critics. See 1 Peter 2:12. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care! We have an opportunity to reach out with acts of compassion and kindness.

The commandment has to come before the commission. It gives us the right to witness to others. When done in the right order, people can see God in you when the times are dark and hopefully come to know God as well.

Categories: Acts