The world’s view of the church today is anything but complimentary. Sure, Crane Community Chapel had some praiseworthy reports four weeks ago. Our groundbreaking ceremony was a top news-story on April 23rd. The event made each of the three local television stations and several regional newspapers and the stories were positive. But what about today? What words does the average non-churched person use to describe churchgoers? Here’s some I’ve heard (and remember, I used to work in a factory): hypocrites, religious fanatics, judgmental, out-of-touch, dull, lifeless, weird. The sad part is, most of these descriptions are true! Churches are guilty of these things. Why? Because many of us have forgotten what the Church really is!
Today, we begin a study of the Book of Acts. As we move through this study, we’re going to become eyewitnesses to the birth and growth of the Church – the way Jesus intended it. My hope is that we will recognize that the Church is not just a “body of believers,” but a body of believers with a very important mission.
The Book of Acts is the very essential sequel to Jesus’ ministry on earth. It’s very easy for us to think of the Resurrection Story as the END of His ministry. How wrong we’d be! Jesus’ life up to this point was just the foundation! I Corinthians 3:11 tells us that “…no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” Jesus could have elected to build His church some other way, but He chose instead to work THROUGH people. Specifically: His disciples. See, the work of the Church could not be done while Jesus was still in physical human form. The disciples were to operate in the flesh, while Jesus operated in the Spirit. The disciples were to effectively take His place on earth. And today – two thousand years later – it’s our job to take His place and carry on the building of His Church. We are going to understand through our study exactly what that means and exactly how we are to do it. And it has nothing to do with constructing a new building. A year from now, we will most likely worship in a brand new church facility. But our work as the Church will still be ongoing! The physical construction of a church building is short-lived. The mission of the Church is eternal!
Bible teacher Ray Stedman has called the Church the “secret government of the earth” because it “radically alters the status quo wherever it is found.” Interesting. The Apostle Paul says that the Church is “…the pillar and the ground of the truth.” (I Timothy 3:15) And Jesus said: “…upon this Rock I will build My Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Mt. 16:18) Notice that Jesus’ words convey that the Church was to be built. His words are future tense. The Church had not yet been built. That was to be the disciples’ work. And today it is our mission. I’m afraid that it cannot be accomplished by a group of lifeless, hypocritical, out-of-touch religious fanatics. Let’s get busy understanding what the Church really is.
Today, we begin a study of the Book of Acts. As we move through this study, we’re going to become eyewitnesses to the birth and growth of the Church – the way Jesus intended it. My hope is that we will recognize that the Church is not just a “body of believers,” but a body of believers with a very important mission.
The Book of Acts is the very essential sequel to Jesus’ ministry on earth. It’s very easy for us to think of the Resurrection Story as the END of His ministry. How wrong we’d be! Jesus’ life up to this point was just the foundation! I Corinthians 3:11 tells us that “…no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” Jesus could have elected to build His church some other way, but He chose instead to work THROUGH people. Specifically: His disciples. See, the work of the Church could not be done while Jesus was still in physical human form. The disciples were to operate in the flesh, while Jesus operated in the Spirit. The disciples were to effectively take His place on earth. And today – two thousand years later – it’s our job to take His place and carry on the building of His Church. We are going to understand through our study exactly what that means and exactly how we are to do it. And it has nothing to do with constructing a new building. A year from now, we will most likely worship in a brand new church facility. But our work as the Church will still be ongoing! The physical construction of a church building is short-lived. The mission of the Church is eternal!
Bible teacher Ray Stedman has called the Church the “secret government of the earth” because it “radically alters the status quo wherever it is found.” Interesting. The Apostle Paul says that the Church is “…the pillar and the ground of the truth.” (I Timothy 3:15) And Jesus said: “…upon this Rock I will build My Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Mt. 16:18) Notice that Jesus’ words convey that the Church was to be built. His words are future tense. The Church had not yet been built. That was to be the disciples’ work. And today it is our mission. I’m afraid that it cannot be accomplished by a group of lifeless, hypocritical, out-of-touch religious fanatics. Let’s get busy understanding what the Church really is.
- Pastor Mark
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