The Church belongs to Jesus Christ. It
is not mine; it is not yours; it is not even ours. The
Church is the Body of Jesus Christ. He purchased it with his own blood (Acts
20:28). He rules it (1Cor. 14:37), protects it (Rom. 16:20), provides for it (Eph.
4:11-12), guides it (Heb. 12:1-2), and will one day return to be reunited it (1Thess.
4:13-18). The Church is both visible (1Cor. 1:2) and invisible (Heb. 12:22-24).
It is organically related by brotherhood (Eph. 2:19-22) and institutionally
connected by its doctrine and officers (Acts 15:1-32). The one Church holds in
common a confession of faith, sacraments of grace, and hope in the Lord’s
return (Eph. 4:4-6).
Sadly today many churches and
Christians seem more interested in building castles than the Lord’s kingdom.
There is a sense, of course, in which we cannot build the Lord’s
kingdom. That is God’s work, not ours. We are looking for a city whose builder
and maker is God (Heb. 11:10). We are not constructing the eschatological city
or ushering it in with the works of our own hands. But we are called to
proclaim Christ’s kingdom, that he is Lord of all (Acts 2:36; 17:30-31). The
Church is commissioned to preach the Gospel under the authority and direction
of Christ (Matt. 28:18-20), and the Gospel is God’s means of regenerating
hearts (1Pet. 1:23), imparting faith (Rom. 10:17), and transferring men from
the power of Satan to the kingdom of Christ (Col. 1:13).
In a culture full of mega-churches, church
growth strategies, and celebrity-driven ministries, the confessing Church must
think seriously and biblically about our true purpose, strategic aims, and
ministry methods. Are we promoting Christ or ourselves? Are we proclaiming his
kingship or protecting our own fiefdom? Are we taking the message of our King’s
victory into enemy territory, seeking to free captive souls held under the
power of the Devil, or are we enlarging towers, digging deeper moats, and
contenting ourselves with merely beautifying and maintaining our own castle?
Brothers and sisters, we need a larger vision for Christ’s Church and not only
our own local congregation. We need think in terms of the kingdom and not only
in terms of our own castle. We need to see ourselves in terms of the larger
mission and not simply pass the time. We are waiting, praying, and longing for
the return of the King. There is work to be done in the meantime. –JME
