Commitment To Church

Concerned that they would become established and grow in Christ, Billy Graham would always give his new coverts four directives. He noted that, as he shared the first three, the new converts would nod their heads and smile in agreement: 1. Read your Bible. 2. Pray. 3. Share with others your witness of what Jesus has done in your life . But, as he shared the fourth, he observed, the smiles disappeared, the nodding stopped, and he could feel the pull back. What was the fourth? 4. Find a local church and faithfully attend. Why the loss of smiles? It is inherently understood that being involved in a local church requires faithful commitment. It is a commitment to a way of life. It is commitment that requires giving of oneself, sacrifice. (There goes doing what I wish on Sundays, for example). Today, beyond that individual, inherent resistance to commitment to church, there is an all-out attack against the church. When the Church is not openly maligned, it’s importance is minimized and belittled. Some of this comes from disgruntled former members. Some comes from the narcissists of the millennial mindset (One will never appreciate the Church if he thinks only of himself). Quite a lot comes from church leaders who have built their megachurch/ministry, sold a lot of books, made a lot of money off the church but now preach that one can be spiritual without attending church. All of it comes from the “Gates of Hell,” Satan. None hates the church as he does. Why? Not just because he knows the “Church” is the one entity on earth that does the most to help humanity. No, it is because Satan, hating Jesus, knows that the church is Jesus’ Church. Jesus claimed ownership: “I will build MY church.” The Church isn’t Jesus’ just because He built it. It is His because, Apostle Paul says, Jesus bought the church with His own blood. There is another thing Paul stresses: Jesus loves His church. He built it. He bought it. He loves it. Think of that. Then think how people malign, criticize, disdain, avoid, and devalue the Church. The brains will insist that what Jesus built, bought, loves, is the universal, invisible, global, ageless Church one is automatically inducted into upon his being born-again, converted, regenerated. Oh, that is exactly right. But, Scripture is clear that the universal, invisible, global, ageless Church is locally made manifest, visible, and tangible . The Bible is clear: There is The one and only Church of Jesus Christ. But, the Bible also clearly notes that The Church is made manifest as the Church at Corinth, the Church at Ephesus, The Church at Philippi, The Church at Philadelphia, and even the Church at Laodicea. Despite all their faults, failures, and foibles, these were still the local manifestations of the invisible, universal Church. My bank is a corporation that exists on paper. But, less than a mile away, there is a local branch. The corporation, regardless of however many states it extends, would be meaningless, purposeless, without local branches. I cannot cash a check without a visit to the local branch. The Church is universal and invisible. But, The Universal Church does not lay hands on the sick, counsel the distressed, cook meals for the grieving, mow the widow’s lawn, give an invitation to a sinner, exercise the edifying gifts of the Spirit, hold a prayer meeting, and on and on. All of that is done by the local church. So enough of this, “I love Jesus, but hate the Church.” There is so much to be said about that, but suffice it to be said that in the end, I love Jesus only as much as I love His Church. And, I love His Church only as much as I am involved in its local expression. My commitment to Christ will reveal itself in my commitment to His Church.

Commitment To Church

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