Attending A Church or Being The Church
This morning we celebrated the 24th Anniversary of North Henry Baptist Church in our worship service, and we had a special meal afterward. Anniversaries are good. They cause us to reflect upon the past and look to the future. All anniversaries affect us differently based on what we are celebrating. Church anniversaries are no different.
If people "attend" a church, the anniversary is not very special. It is another event on the calendar. It is more work, because there is an extra meal to prepare. Yes, they get some good food, and they get to have fellowship with some friends around a table, too, which is always good. However, at the end of the day, it doesn't mean much.
However, if we realize we are the "church," we will think about church anniversaries in a much different light. The history of the church matters, because that is the development of our spiritual family. The health of the church is vital, because we are talking about our health. The future of the church is important, since the church is God's way of extending His kingdom and His salvation to a lost and dying world.
Jesus died for the church. I can't believe that just means all of the people who confess Him as Lord. Jesus died to establish His Body. He is the Head of the church. We are the members. I am a mouth. What are you? If you are a toe, and you are hurting, it effects me. If you are a liver or a kidney, and you are not healthy, it effects me. Each local Body of Christ, whether a house church or a high church in a cathedral is meant to be a unit of believers joined together to grow and serve Him, while we spread the Good News to the world. Jesus loves the church and so should we. We should do all we can to insure the health and growth of our local body. If we don't, we will be be poorer for it.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Jeremiah 3-5.
If people "attend" a church, the anniversary is not very special. It is another event on the calendar. It is more work, because there is an extra meal to prepare. Yes, they get some good food, and they get to have fellowship with some friends around a table, too, which is always good. However, at the end of the day, it doesn't mean much.
However, if we realize we are the "church," we will think about church anniversaries in a much different light. The history of the church matters, because that is the development of our spiritual family. The health of the church is vital, because we are talking about our health. The future of the church is important, since the church is God's way of extending His kingdom and His salvation to a lost and dying world.
Jesus died for the church. I can't believe that just means all of the people who confess Him as Lord. Jesus died to establish His Body. He is the Head of the church. We are the members. I am a mouth. What are you? If you are a toe, and you are hurting, it effects me. If you are a liver or a kidney, and you are not healthy, it effects me. Each local Body of Christ, whether a house church or a high church in a cathedral is meant to be a unit of believers joined together to grow and serve Him, while we spread the Good News to the world. Jesus loves the church and so should we. We should do all we can to insure the health and growth of our local body. If we don't, we will be be poorer for it.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Jeremiah 3-5.