A serious-minded believer in Jesus, one who desires to be a disciple, ought to honestly ask themselves, “Why would I want to be a part of this community that God calls the church?”
Then, they ought to patiently listen for the answer.
S. Michael Craven, in his Truth In Culture weekly commentaries describes the church’s “assignment” as the ambassador for the Kingdom of Heaven as threefold:
– One, the church demonstrates what life looks like under the reign of God within a distinct community.
– Two, the church serves the world by making disciples, doing justice, and meeting human needs through compassion and mercy, thereby setting right what sin has set wrong.
– Finally, the church proclaims the message of the risen Christ as the only means by which one may enter the kingdom of God.
Those are lofty but important tasks. Demonstrating what life looks like for those residents of the Kingdom of God is part and parcel to making disciples, and discipleship is as much knowing our King as doing what He did when he was here – doing justice, meeting the never-ending needs of everyone suffering under this fallen world, showing mercy where cruelty has taken up residence, and basically destroying the effects of sin. If we are successful in demonstrating and serving (which we have great difficulty with in Western societies), then proclaiming the message Jesus brought and gave to us is much easier.
Why is it so hard to effectively demonstrate and serve like we are actually residents of the Kingdom? Why do only 9 percent of self-proclaimed believers in Jesus operate within a biblical worldview? I believe it’s due to our failure to selflessly relate to virtually everyone around us – we can’t stop fretting about us. Unbelievers aren’t part of a faith family, so they are excused, but disciples of Jesus have no excuse. Again, S. Michael Craven has the key – relationships:
Jesus’ invitation is to enter the kingdom of God. Practically, this means we are saved out of our alienation from God and others and into the community of God’s people. Recall that the Great Commission given by Jesus was to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit …” (Matt. 28:19 ESV). Jesus is stressing the conversion of individuals through relationships (i.e., make disciples) . . . There is a profoundly corporate sense to the gospel of the kingdom.
This community is not merely the social gathering of a people with common beliefs and values, but rather a people who display proof of God’s redemptive work in the world through obedience to Christ’s commands. This proof flows forth from converted individuals whose transformation is authenticated through their interaction with each other. This community, the church, is intended to bear testimony to the restoration of fellowship with God and each other—a community of self-sacrificing love and support that stands in stark contrast to the fallen world. Jesus himself established this as the authenticating fact of our faith when he said, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35 ESV).
As Americans, we enter the church with nearly overpowering individualistic inclinations. We come with and cling to expectations and demands that are centered on ourselves. We want people to talk to us but we are unwilling to talk to strangers. We have a myriad of personal preferences that we impose on the church about worship styles, music, and the like. We grade the pastor on whether or not he has met our needs through his sermon. And we certainly aren’t interested in anyone getting in our business! We don’t humbly submit to one another. We argue and divide over inconsequential issues. We attack those outside our theological framework and we rarely listen to those with whom we disagree. Often our attitudes and actions toward each other are shameful and bring disgrace on the name of Christ.
“We want people to talk to us but we are unwilling to talk to strangers.” That one sentence is chilling to me. If a first-time visitor or a long-time attendee in a church experiences that, and I have seen both happen – too frequently, we have failed to be Jesus’ disciples, and the question we must ask ourselves that I opened this post with now seems acute:
“Why would I want to be a part of this community that God calls the church?”
Good question. Ask it of yourself, then consider how others would answer.
Copyright © 2011 Andy Madonio – Patriarchs, Philosophers, & Phlip Phlops
Patriarchs, Philosophers, & Phlip Phlops 