The Church Alive And Well

And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity— all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. Acts 2:44-47 (NLT)

• People filled the room as the family mourned the loss of their loved one. Each person did what they could to share love and ease the burden.

• The group met together to sort through the details of the new church plant. Every person contributed according to their gifts and together they hashed out the details, working together to sort through the different opinions to come to decisions.

• Everyone banded together and met at the widow’s house. She had recently lost her husband and her house was in desperate need of yard work, painting and repair.

• The woman noticed the family standing on the corner in the frigid weather without the proper winter gear. They didn’t have coats, hats or gloves or proper shoes for that matter. She went to the local Wal-Mart and bought them things to help keep them warm.

• The man walked by the homeless man sitting on the street. As he passed he paused, turned around and offered to buy him food.

• Her best friend’s marriage fell apart. She sat with her and listened. She offered no advice. Just a shoulder to cry on.

Each of these scenarios represents the church - alive and well. We may not be acting like the early church in the exact same way but we are still acting like a church. God’s Body sharing God’s grace and love in any way possible. How are you acting like the body of Christ today?

Good Morning Church!

All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. Acts 2:42-44 (NLT)

Good Morning Church! You know, I’ve sat in churches for years and heard those words spoken from the front. I never really stopped to think about it but lately, I’ve been thinking about this more.

When someone says “Look, a church”, we think about a building. We turn our gaze expecting to see brick and mortar of some sort. But when God talked about a church, he talked about people. All different, each one bringing different things to the table to share, each one knowing God in his own way and growing the Kingdom according to what God has given him.

How would our world change if when we heard “Look, a church” we looked for people. What would it be like if we understood the church to be us. We spend so much money and time building buildings to honor God, what would happen if we spent time building each other up instead? Would God be glorified and honored more if we treated each other as sacredly as we treated our buildings?

When I sit in church and someone from the front says “Good Morning, Church!”, I want to jump up and down and say “That’s us! That’s me! We are the church! I am the church! I want in my core to remember that it is God’s people who will make a difference for his Kingdom, not the lifeless building on the corner. What about you? Are you willing to be the church?

Your Place In The Body

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.  In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.  And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. Ephesians 2:19-22 (NIV)

Recently, I’ve been thinking more about the Church. Not my physical church or any church I pass as I drive through town but, “the Church”. You know, US. The Bible says that the body of believers is the Church. It’s not about a building or a service, it’s about people.

Also in Scripture it says that we are God’s holy temple. (1 Cor 3:16) And here is what I find amazing. God designated each one of us individually as his holy temple. A place he comes to stay when we choose Jesus. What a mind blowing thought to know that the God of the Universe is that close; that intricately involved in our lives.

To top it all off, in today’s verses it says that he then takes each one of those holy temples and builds this massive Church! It started with the apostles and the prophets as the foundation. Then, Jesus was the cornerstone (that on which everything depends). Then, each one of us is added; one by one, cherished piece upon cherished piece being joined together through Jesus making a Holy Temple.

Imagine it! Every single person joining together to make a Church that functions as Jesus would. Every single person praising God, loving each other, caring for those in need and sharing the Good News. We were all intended to be part of this plan. This is the true function of the Church.

What I am awestruck over is that God took the very thing he cared about most (us) and he used it to build something that would reach more of us. His plans always has and always will be about loving us.

If you ever have a moment where you think the church is not relevant, maybe the reason is you have the wrong definition of church. It’s not the building, the service or even the Pastor. It’s about you. How are you going to redefine that?