Knowing God: Church Life Pt. 1

Last week, we talked about knowledge. We talked about the process of coming to “know” Christ as mature Christians. The first transformation I’d like to talk about is in the church. How might our churches be different if we come to know Christ in a progressive and surrendered way? If we are going to know him better, it will begin transforming our relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ. In order to understand how the church would be transformed, we must first ask, “What is the church actually called to do and be?” I could write an entire book on this (and many people have), but I want to highlight just a few of the callings or instructions we find in Scripture.

1. We are the Bride of Christ – Eph. 5:22-33

2. We are called to worship – Rom. 11:33-38, Acts 2:42-47, Rev. 4:9-11

3. We are called to witness to the lost – Matt. 28:19-20, Rom. 1:16, Acts 1:8

4. We are called to equip the saints – 1 Pet. 3:15, Col. 4:5-6

5. We are called to minister to the needy – 1 Tim. 5:8, Jam. 1:27

6. We should be preparing for Heaven – Rom. 14:11, Phil 2:9-10

If these are a few of the functions or callings of the church and we know that many churches struggle to carry these tasks out…could a growing intimate knowledge of Christ help? Might spiritual maturity and a surrender to our Heavenly Father transform the way we relate to one another and accomplish the tasks he has called us to? I think that would be an unequivocal yes! A deep-seated knowledge of Christ, not just facts about him and not just church traditions could be transformative to the way we relate to one another and the world around us. Jesus told his disciples that he would build his church (Matt. 16:18). If the disciples who walked with Jesus and knew him so well were insufficient for the task of building the church, why would we ever think we are equal to the calling on our own?

I believe this foundational truth is where we must begin. The Psalmist, many years ago, made the bold proclamation, “Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!” (Ps. 115:1). We must understand that we are not here to run or manage “our” church. We are not here to direct programs or control individuals in a way that draws attention or notoriety to ourselves. We are not here to accumulate followers or praise. We are here to point people to Christ. We are here to honor him and for everything that we do to be a praise that we can return to him.

It is his church and too often members get caught up in controlling the messages, the doctrines (or lack of doctrine), the people who are welcomed or excluded, the music that is sung, the appearance of the sanctuary, the political affiliations that are endorsed, the clothes that are acceptable, etc. Now, please listen to me closely – I believe Scripture has things to say about many of those issues. I believe Scripture will help us understand if the music we are singing is full of spirit and truth. I believe Scripture has things to say about modesty and honoring our bodies as the Temple of the Holy Spirit. I believe Scripture has everything to say about the doctrines we should be teaching and how to avoid heresy. However, when we replace Scripture with man’s opinion or preferences then we are ultimately saying that this preference of ours is what we believe will build the church. This is the “truth” that we believe is foundational. This is the “person” who is acceptable to God. This is the political party that is more righteous.

Again, I’m not saying the Scripture doesn’t speak to God’s heart on many of those issues – I believe it does address many of these topics. However, if we can’t back up our beliefs with Scripture, with “knowing” God and surrender to him then we are not trusting God to build his church. If we hold on with a death-grip to our favorite programs or traditions that are not founded in the truth of Scripture or that do not esteem one another as better than ourselves – that do not exalt God’s glory above all as opposed to our own control and influence, we are not trusting God to build his church. If we promote the image and the excitement without the grounding of Scriptural doctrines and the person of Christ, we are not trusting God to build his church.

We’re going to spend some additional time on this topic since I don’t think it can be adequately covered in just one post. However, I want us to think about the truth of Christ building his church – ruminate on that. He still calls us to go, to minister, to love, to serve. He isn’t going to magically do all the work while we sit in the pew. However, who are we relying on to empower us and produce the fruit? Are we assuming that the church can’t survive without us? Do we think we are the key ingredient to the church’s success? Do we think we need the glitz and the glamour to reach the lost? Do we need the recognition, or do we minister and love in obedience to what God has called us to? Do we serve out of the overflow of knowing him and trust that he will use that to accomplish his will and build his church?

Knowing the heart of God will transform the way we approach church life. Being spiritually mature and surrendered to God will enable us to affirm the truth that church (just like everything else), is not about us. It is for His glory – “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen” (Rom. 11:36).