WHAT IS THE CHURCH SUPPOSED TO LOOK LIKE? No, I am not talking about the exterior
architectural design or the stately steeple pointing heavenward. It’s not about how beautiful the stained
glass windows of yesteryear were or still are; it’s not even about the color
scheme or the cushiony, padded chairs.
On the flip side, it is not about how contemporary and non-churchy
looking the building is to draw people in.
Neither is it about what the preacher looks like or how great or awful
he is at delivering the message. Nor is
it about how professional the worship team is or how off-key they are when it
comes to leading the people in those old hymns or newly written worship songs –
you take your pick, because most people surely have a strong opinion,
right? I am not even talking about how
fashionable the dress code seems to be of those attending – or how casual and
flippant the choice of attire is. Sorry,
I am not trying to be sarcastic; I am just attempting to paint a picture of how
we as the church are supposed to
look! And what I’ve just penned has nothing
at all to do with how God
wants us to look!
Here’s another statement to consider: what DOES the church look like today? Sad to say in many cases and places, the
church looks like a group of people out-of-touch with the real world. Many so-called Christians walk around looking
like they have arrived … and they wonder what anyone less than their status is
doing in their church. They are horrified that the less-than-perfect
newcomers will ruin their attempt to achieve perfection: to be right … to look right. But do they act right? You see, how we ACT is a pretty accurate indicator of WHY we look like we do. Our actions label us as “something” – whether
we like it or not. But the great thing
about that is – we get to choose
what we look like, with God’s help!
THIS is probably a more accurate description of a church that
the Lord Jesus Christ would feel welcome and comfortable in. Since the people are the church according to
the Word of God, what God looks for is in the hearts of the people. I see most of our world as filled with broken
people. The church is no exception. And it is not just the sinners on the outside
or inside who are broken; it is also all of us who call ourselves by Christ’s
Name. But, He takes one look at our
brokenness, and He reaches out His nail-scarred hands and says, “Here, let me
put all those pieces back together for you.
I want YOU to be whole again!” He
loves to see a church who looks as if they have
been broken but who do not want to stay that way and allow God to do a spiritual
surgical repair on them! You get a
church full of people who have allowed God to carve on them, removing the sins
that so easily beset us – and you will see a church full of people who can love
people right where they are at, because they themselves have been there. You get a church full of people who were
broken but who are desperate enough to cry out to God to be put back together
again – and you will see a church who is powerful and strong, yet gentle and
compassionate because they remember what the brokenness was like. You get a church full of people who have been
stubborn and judgmental and negative and they allow God to melt them into
something redeemed and new – you will see a transformed church of radical,
set-on-fire, positive people who can love others unconditionally. You get a church full of people who are
selfish and only care about their own needs being met and then God gets a grip
on them and helps them die to themselves – you will see a church full of
servants who cannot wait to give of themselves:
their time, their talents and gifts, their money, their worship, their
BEST! Are you getting the picture of the
church that God longs to see? When all
the “old is passed away and we become new creatures in Christ” – not only will
we look like Him, but we will see each other in a new way! And the world will see us, the Church, as a
powerful force to be reckoned with: blood-bought warriors armed with prayer and
the power of the Holy Spirit within us! CHURCH,
THIS is what God wants us to look
like!
So, with God’s help … what do YOU want our church to look
like? And does that desire match up with
God’s plan and longing for Elevation North, according to His Word? We challenge each of you to seek God and ask
Him what He wants YOU to look like … for YOU are His church. YOU label God’s church in this
community. How? By your words, your actions, your everyday living,
your availability, your dependability, your passion to share the God that you
desire to reflect! Dear God, please help
us get it right! We want You to LOVE
coming to our church as we lift You up and exalt You and give You first place
in our hearts and lives! Then and only
then, can we truly say, “World … look out!
We are not perfect, but we resemble the Jesus we love – and here we come
to share Him with you!”
REMEMBER . . .
“Therefore,
if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has
come!”
~ II
Corinthians 5:17
Serving Christ Joyfully . . .
Pastor Doug and Debbie
