There was a man on a deserted island and he had been there for 25 years. He was absolutely on his own as the sole survivor of a ship wreck. One day, to his intense delight, he saw a ship sail into the lagoon and rushed down to the beach, ripped off his shirt, started waving it to attract the attention of the crew. The crew saw him, came ashore, and expressed amazement that he was there; they thought this was an uninhabited island. So the crew was talking to the man and asked, “You’ve really been here on your own for 25 years?!” The man said yes. The crew then asked, “What are these buildings?” The man said, “well, I built them…I’m a builder by trade. I’ve been here 25 years and there wasn’t anything to do so I’ve been doing what I do best.”
The crew then asked, “What’s that building over there?” The man answered, “That’s my house.” The crew said, “Well it’s beautiful; what a beautiful house! But, isn’t it big?” The man replied, “Well, yes, but I’ve always been a builder of big things.”
Next, the crew pointed out another building and inquired about it. The man answered, “That’s the church I attend.” The crew then responded, “My goodness! It’s huge! How many are in the congregation?” The man replied, “I’m the only one on the island! It’s only me.”
Finally, the crew asked the man what the last building was, on the other side of his house. The man replied, “Oh, that’s nothing. That’s the church I used to go to.”
Some of you may be laughing at that “joke” and I would ask you why you think it’s funny? I don’t think that it’s funny if we look at in the context of today. First, you cannot have a church of one because the whole concept of church is a community. That is the fundamental concept of church. Second, church is not somewhere we go; church is something we are. That is fundamentally true and I will attempt to prove it to you using Scriptures. The church’s location or building was foreign in Biblical times. If you read some of the letters in the New Testament, they are addressed to a church. Church buildings can’t read letters. If church is somewhere we go, it’s somewhere we can leave; however, if church is something we are, it’s something that transcends our consumables. Meaning, we’re not “shopping” for a church because we are the church.
Ephesians 1:22-23 says this: 22And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
What Paul is saying is that Jesus Christ, as the completer of all things, is himself completed by the church. Now, this isn’t to say that Jesus is lacking something as it may allude. Instead, I would ask you: is Jesus in the world today? Yes. Have you seen Him? No. Then how is He here? By His Spirit. Did you ask Jesus into your heart? Yes. Did He physically enter your heart (6 feet tall, 200 pounds)? No. How is He in your heart? By His Spirit. There is a fundamental rule that a Spirit needs a body to function in a geographical location. Jesus is present in the world by His Spirit. To function in a geographical location what does a Spirit need? A body. The church is the body that the Spirit fills. We are the vehicle of the action of the Risen Christ by His Spirit in places all over the world.
As we approach “Back to Church Sunday” (TOMORROW, September 16th), I thought this note was appropriate. More and more people, all throughout the country, are not attending church. The decline in church growth throughout the country is likely for a multitude of reasons. However, the question that we have to ask ourselves is, “What is the underlying problem?”
For many denominations, that is the million-dollar question. In 2011, the Presbyterian Church USA, lost 2.61% of its membership, a loss of over 72,000. Overall, there was a loss of 1.5 million members of all denominations from 2010 to 2011. In a recent study, up to 18% of 20 year olds that are currently in church will leave the church by the time they are 40 years of age because there is an enormous drift away. That’s HUGE! So, what are we, the body of Christ, going to do about it? Let me tell you what I commit to do to curb this epidemic. I am going to continue to learn – by staying in the Word, going to church, teaching Bible studies, and preaching when afforded the opportunity. I am also going to talk about Jesus and church to everyone I meet. I think that it’s time that we stop worrying about the outcome of what happens during these conversations. Matthew 28:19 tells us – commissioned us – to go and make disciples of all nations. That is what our job, as a Christ follower, is. Strip away the fear. Ignore the raised eyebrows. It’s time that we practice what we preach.
I feel confident in being as bold as I am in this note because I, like some of you may be, am guilty of not fulfilling the Great Commission as I should. Our country is in some extremely rough spiritual shape. By the power and grace of our Savior, Jesus Christ, filled with His Spirit, we – the body of Christ – will turn the country spiritually around.
If you haven’t gone to church in a while or if you don’t go at all, I would encourage you to start. There is no greater friend than Jesus. We all have problems and we certainly all have a past. Guess what? Jesus already knows and is ready and willing to forgive you if you ask Him! On May 14, 1994, I was freed from the burden of being without Christ when I accepted His free gift of eternal life through faith alone in Him. If I can be saved, you can be saved. I promise.
Go to church tomorrow – and bring a friend!
Yours in Christ,
Jeremy