Sunday 3 July 2011

What is Church for?

This is the question someone asked me last week. How would you set about answering it?

Here's my attempt:

It soon became clear that my companion thought that Church was the building. So I had to explain that this was wrong. Romans 16:5 says: “Greet also the church in their house . . “

Church is people, who recognise that Jesus died for them and the come together to worship God, serve others, and be the ‘body of Christ’, that is His hands and feet, the people of speak of Him to others, who come to the aid of others:

“God has placed all things under his (Jesus’) feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way.” Ephesians 1: 22 - 23

We discussed how there are other ways and places for people to do good things outside of being Church. Of how you don’t need to go to Church to do good and that being Church didn’t make you good either.

Having first agreed, I decided to explain that being a Christian isn’t about being ‘good’ but how it is about realising that ‘good’ is something we can’t manage on our own. Of how, God realising this sent His Son Jesus, the Christ, to come and break the one thing that stops us from being the way that God intended.

Of how Jesus came and died on a cross for him, and me, and each and every person that has been, is, and will be so, and rose again from the dead. And by doing this, Jesus broke death!

Now death came into the world because people broke the rules (we call this sin) and the power that sin has over us is death. But if Jesus has broken death then where is sin’s power over us?

The answer is that it is gone, broken, powerless. This is why Church comes and is and does – because Jesus is alive and sin in us is broken (Hallelujah?).

“If this is true, why are so many of the Church mean, nasty, spiteful and judgmental?” he asks.

My reply:

“Because we’re human and fallible and because we forget to look to God when the tough bits come along. Jesus came and broke to hold of sin over us, but there are times when, like all children, we go off and do it our way – and that when we’re mean, nasty and judgemental. But think what we’d have been like without Jesus!”

“So if I was a Christian would I have to change?”

What a question!

I explained that a Christian was someone who believed that Christ had died for them and having realised this had said ‘sorry’ to God for all that they had done wrong and for living outside his love and relationship. And had decided to line in a new way, for Him! Doing this and meeting with fellow strugglers against the old life made him Church too!

Have you done this?

Pax

2 comments:

Revsimmy said...

A couple of decades ago I visited a big Catholic basilica in Northern France. In one corner was where they obviously held their Sunday School (or equivalent). One of the teachers had written this sign: "La maison de priere, nous y sommes. La maison de Dieu, c'est nous." The house of prayer is where we are; the house of God, that's us. Just so.

On a second point, I think there is a conversation to be had about this "keeping the rules" stuff you keep writing about. For starters, I don't think it is anywhere near an adequate description of sin, which existed before God gave us "the rules" (as Paul tells us). Secondly we are not under "the rules" but under God's grace.

Vic Van Den Bergh said...

I think the house of prayer comment is superb - will have to assimilate this!

Conversations are always challenging because, like fishing, as you pay out the line there is always the chance that the fish will leave. Before we can get to grace, that all important issue, we need surely to address the reason Jesus needed to come and what his death and resurrection did.

From there there is the recognition (of Him and our separation from God) and the repentance and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit which enables us to live under grace and not the law. Sadly, time ran out but at lest the why and what was laid down - hopefully we'll meet again and do the 'how'.

Interestingly, one of the biggest issues I have to contend with with people when they engage me is that they go on about religion and see Christianity as merely keeping to rules and regulations (Col 2 has something to say about that of course). I usually have to point out that religion is man's ultimate rebellion against God :) . If that's the tack I get to put grace first and explain why we need it.

Same river, same fish - different response every time (phew!!)

Thanks for the comments - trust and pray all is well with you and yours,

V


And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by cancelling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.