I Will Build His Church
In response to Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Messiah, Jesus said, “I will build my church”. I truly believe that Jesus has built, continues to build, and will build his church.
Wayne Jacobsen from “Lifestream” has written an excellent article called “Jesus Really Is Building His Church“. Wayne describes how Jesus builds his church beginning with a person’s relationship with God through Jesus Christ. This human-divine relationship pours over into intimate relationships with two or three others at a time. These smaller groups form “growing connections” that reach out to “the wider family” in Christ that is spread around the world. He concludes with this:
And it all begins when people simply connect with Jesus and learn to live in the reality of his love. As they give time and attention to those relationships he puts before them and the connections that follow will dazzle us all!
Please take the time to read Jacobsen’s entire article. I believe this is one of the clearest explanations of how Jesus builds the church that I have read. It is the model that I see Paul following in the Book of Acts as he moves from place to place. He begins with his own relationship with God, then he disciples others who disicple others. These interconnected groups recognize that there is something special about their relationship with one another because of their mutual relationships with Christ. This is the church – the community – of Jesus Christ.
Today, I see “church planters” starting with a leadership staff, an organizational chart, job descriptions, a five-year plan, a meeting location, a sign, marketing brochures, and demographics studies. I’m sure the focus on people and relationships and discipleship come along at some point. Sometimes I wonder: Are we seeing Jesus build his church, or, many times, are we building structures in place of his church?
If we will do our part in the church planting equation of going, making disciples, baptizing, and teaching; Jesus will do His part and “build his church.”
guymuse,
I don’t want to hijack Alan’s blog here, but could you elaborate on your statement? It sounds like you said that if we do our part then God will do His part. I hope you aren’t saying that God’s part is contigent on our obedience to His Word.
Alan,
I agree wholeheartedly that Jesus is building HIS church. It begins with the human-divine and then the first “physical realm” step is to build relationship within the community. I do however think that demographics become part of understanding the community-at-large that God is telling you to reach.
It’s not original to me, but I think what you are referring to is creating “organic” relationships/ministries.
Chad
Alan,
Good stuff!!
With the mindset of so many today, we would have to assume that Christ is the greatest failure in the last 2000 years, instead of the One whose word is utterly sure.
He does choose, and use, human
instruments but if any of those don’t heed the Holy Spirit’s voice, the Master Builder will quickly replace them.
He is the one trustworthy builder whose task will be finished on schedule.
Thankfully we don’t know when He will present the final building to His Father.
Guy,
Thank you for the comment. I have been encouraged by the posts on your blog. Jesus seems to be building the church of Guayaquil on relationships and discipleship.
Chad,
I won’t speak for Guy, but I would suggest you read some of the posts on his blog about how believers meet together and how new believers are formed into churches. “Demographics studies” may be helpful in forming a general understanding of a city. But, in forming relationships with my neighbors, those same studies can be misleading. Instead, I need to actually talk to them and listen to them.
Aussie John,
Amen! He is faithful and trustworthy! I think he can handle building the church.
-Alan
Wow! I’m going to have to visit Guy’s blog more often. I apologize, Guy, the hair on the back of my neck stands up on ends when I hear God’s faithfulness questioned. I believe I can see clearly that was not your intention.
Thanks for the link. My heart shouted YES! while reading the article.
Chad,
Sorry for the delay in getting back to answer you. We’ve just finished a great week with a volunteer team from a house church in Ft.Worth, Texas. Last night before they returned home we sat in our living room together talking about these very things. All I am trying to say is that if we will be faithful to go, make disciples, baptize, and teach them to observe the commands and teachings of Christ, Jesus will indeed build his church. Like we shared last night with the volunteers, many times we get distracted and focused onto a host of other “good things”. But as we stay focused on the GC, Christ will indeed “build His Church” in our midst.
My views on church have drastically changed over the course of one year. Sadly, I’ve grown up with the belief that I had to go to church every Sunday to be considered a Christian, that if I didn’t go on Sunday morning I felt weird or out of the loop or somehow spiritually lacking. And I won’t even begin to tell you how elite I felt.
The Church is us. The Church is a trinity of sorts: it is our relationship with God that manifests itself in our relationships with others in hopes that they begin the same relationship with God that we have. A friend of mine said that family time is ecclesia. He couldn’t be more right. Church isn’t about the building structure, great worship, or that good feeling. It’s about a relationship…an ever-growing, ever-stretching, ever-delighting relationship with our Christ who gave it all for us.
Caleb,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts here. Yes, the church is us. Amazing!
-Alan