What is the Church?

I have heard several sermons regarding the "church" lately, from both good, and well, other preachers. My pastor has been doing a series on the church and what it's purpose is, in every detail.

The church is not the building where Christians meet, nor is it any one particular congregation or denomination. The bottom line is: the church is the Body of Christ presently, globaly, currently being sanctified and cleansed, for her future role of Bride of Christ. (Eph. 5:27) Therefore we must look at what Jesus wants His church to look like, versus how the world wants the church to look.

Let me start off by telling of my experience tonight. I sometimes visit a Saturday night service at a local Church of God. Even though I am reformed and would NEVER give up my reformed theology (or Sunday morning services at my church), I have friends that I love dearly and they attend this COG. Well, they had a guest "pastor" tonight, and I use that term loosely, because I am not sure if he is a pastor or not. I can tell you though, that he read maybe one verse out of the Scriptures. On top of that, the verse had nothing to do with the purpose of the church. He goes on to tell us the church as to stop focusing so much on the inward and focus outward, to stop being in a "football huddle" and be more open to the "unchurched" that come through our doors, to make the church a more accepting, friendly atmosphere where people want to belong.

Can I tell you, I wanted so much to blurt out numerous things during that "sermon." OK, I cannot completely disagree with what he said. But I declare, he missed the boat BIG TIME! Not once during the whole message did he mention that the purpose of the church was to bring praise, honor, glory and worship to our Lord! That the purpose of the Body is to edify and encourage Believers! That the reading of the Word and the sermon are FOR THE BELIEVER! No, not one time was anything like this mentioned.

You know, we should be welcoming and loving when folks come into our midst. Jesus set that example for us in many of His encounters. But we should never forget that the Bible is for the Believer. To the mind of the unbeliever, the Bible is foolishness and irrational. In His sovereignty, God the Holy Spirit of course can and does use His Word to bring an unbeliever to belief. But we should never make ourselves look like the world in order to make the world comfortable in our midst. No, in fact, the unbeliever should feel very uncomfortable in the presence of the Triune God, and in the presense of His Word. (I know, we Believers should too feel some level of discomfort, for in our process of sanctification, we are in much need of daily repentance-but that is another topic for perhaps another time. Thankfully, as Believers, the great divide between us and our Father has already been bridged. So even our discomfort is temporary.)

Also, I know we are commanded by Jesus in the Great Commission to go out and make disciples of the nations and that is a command that every church should take very seriously. So yes, the church should have an outward approach. But again, no mention of what He is doing through His church. The message I heard tonight was all about "us", the human happenings of the body of Christ. Not even a footnote on His glory, His praise, or His worship.

When we lose our "upward" focus, our "inward" and "outward" focus become out of focus and and then all we are at best is a big motivational speaker convention.

God, please continue to cleanse and prepare Your bride, that you may present her faultless and without blemish at the wedding feast of the Lamb. Amen.