what is the church

God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself. (Ephesians 1:22-23)

What is the church? Talking to people, it is one of two things.

One group says that it is a bunch of whiny people who insist on having heir own way no matter what the damage to the greater body may be. In these people’s minds, they want to run things so badly that they will destroy the church if their “needs” are not met. They see the church as their church and you are not allowed to mess with it.

They get mad at the drop of a hat, are offended easily, especially by the preacher, insist that their ideas of what church or worship is supposed to be are consulted at all time.

In other words they are people who seem to care not a whit what God says, or what the Bible says, or anything else. They just want you to do what they say or they will tear that church up.

The second group see the church as a fortress, battened down and needing to be defended from those who would tear it down. They see Christian life as a constant fight, as Christianity as grimness, as a struggle, as a fight.

The third group looks at the church as the body of Christ, the sole sphere of his influence on this world. They see the church as a group of people who are taking the love and grace of God to the world, sharing his message and bringing people back to God. They show love and compassion and consideration for all.

The church is full of people. That means that it is also full of flaws, because all people are flawed.

That also means that those people mentioned in all three parts are all there in full force.

But the church is also full of people who love God. They are also there. But sometimes they cannot be in full force because the first group is killing the church.

What did Jesus see when he was thinking about his church? In Matthew 16:18, he said it was his church and it didn’t matter who came or went, who lived or died, it was not going to be stopped.

And he was right. Although no one needs to hear me say so. The church has endured. People have come and gone for almost 2000 years and the church is still here. It is the largest faith in the world, larger by far than the next ones, which would be Muslim and Hindu.

It has been here and will be here until he comes again. But you wonder if it is really healthy.

Look at the church today. Consider the people who proclaim the name of Jesus today.

There are those on the one side that think that all you have to do is call yourself a Christian and you will be fine. They believe in abortion, they are happy with homosexuality, they see the Christian’s job as fighting for energy conservation and animal rights, they are doing everything they can in the wrong direction. Yet they call themselves the church.

On the other side are a group of people who don’t like much. They hat drinking and dancing, they hate fun of just about any kind, they see their jobs as bringing a picture of the grim duties of “Christianity” to those who are lost, in other words, everybody else.

Which is it? The apostle Paul said that God was not the author of disorder but of peace (1 Corinthians 14:33).

If Christianity is that divided, how in the world can there be any real peace? How can people from so many different ideas of what God wants all call themselves Christian?

I don’t know. And it bothers me.

But I know that while Jesus was being killed, and it was by those who later became the church, he forgave them.