The Church We Need

I’m going to start tonight’s lesson with some questions.

How would you describe the church you want?

How would you describe the church you need?

What can you learn about the differences between the two?

Now, I want to spend some time in thought about these questions so we can talk honestly about our answers.

What is the church you want? Daddy used to say, there’s a whole lot of difference between what you want and what you need, especially when it came to us as teenagers. When our eyes would see things glittering and glistening, and we would want it...

In all honesty, if we had the ability to create our “ideal” church, what would it look like?

Philippians 4:19 ESV

19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Now, what do we NEED from church?

In the first two examples used in the book, we find two couples with extremely different views of “CHURCH”. One who led bible studies, knew the right “talk/words”, but yet found no joy in church because they would not allow themselves to fellowship. The second was different, spending time with others in the church, learning from others, spending time with fellow Christians - and they began to love in a Christ like manner - focusing on loving and serving others.

This comment I enjoyed: “You don’t need to be an extrovert to be a faithful church member. Some people have a lot of emotional energy to spend, some only have a little. We’re just saying, spend what you have. Be faithful with whatever resources God has given you to love and be loved by your church.” Sometimes this can be hard as we may have been hurt by someone in the church, someone in another church. We may feel like we have been let down if our expectations are not met. We may even feel as though though the church checks in on us in the manner we feel they should. Yet, many times we never tell the church what we need, or what we expect from them. Is this fair?

What can we learn from the differences between the two?

Shopping List

Often, we approach church as we would buying a new car or going grocery shopping. There are things it must have or it’s a “no-deal”. I mean, we have to get something out of it for it to be worth while, right? Sadly though, this is the route many have taken with church. If I don’t get my way at one church, I’ll go find another. Here is a key point though - drifting away from the church didn’t start with the pandemic. So, what drives our loyalty to a church today?

Music - contemporary vs/ traditional

Children’s/Youth Ministry

Translation of bible

Only 20 minute sermon

Pastor doesn’t step on toes or expect work

Good choir/band

etc.......

Shopping for a church simply suggests that the church is mere preference, just like buying “your favorite brand” of paper towel, mayonnaise, trash bag, etc. It infers the “customer is always right” mentality. Unfortunately, these type church members are only loyal as long as the church continues to meet their needs.

Unfortunately, the pandemic has allowed us to “shop” online services at different churches and we might have gotten to the point that we feel like we can personalize our spiritual experience. Pull up a favorite worship song on YouTube, and watch our favorite preacher on Facebook. But this is dangerous - we take out the need for one another in worship.

Hebrews 10:25 ESV

25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

So how do we change these habits or thoughts? We literally have to get in the trenches and fight the battle. We have to plead the case of the church. The true purpose of the “CHURCH” in the believers life needs to be rediscovered.

Philippians 2:3–7 ESV

3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

Let me tell you a little secret - church isn’t about us. It’s not about our wants, our thoughts, our desires, it’s about worshiping the Son of God, the one that humbled himself to die on the cross so that we would have a way to our relationship restored with our Creator. So, we (like Christ) must humble ourselves, deny the desire of self, and must learn to love one another for unity to ever be felt in the church.

As Collin Hansen so nicely put it “I know a pastor who often says that no one gets the church they want. But everyone gets the church they need. We all need churches that call us to something greater than ourselves. We need churches that call us finally to God. When we follow the example of Jesus , we get the church we need.”

Institutional Mindset

What does “Institution” mean? Merriam Webster defines it as this:

1 a: an established organization or corporation (such as a bank or university) especially of a public character, financial institutions

b: a facility or establishment in which people (such as the sick or needy) live and receive care typically in a confined setting and often without individual consent… the testator disinherited her siblings over their efforts to have her committed to a mental institution in the wake of several suicide attempts.— William M. McGovern Jr.

c: a significant practice, relationship, or organization in a society or culture, the institution of marriage also : something or someone firmly associated with a place or thing she has become an institution in the theater

What happens when we put this type of meaning into the church or our worship? We run the risk of wanting to incorporate EVERYTHING (family, work, school, etc) into a way of achieving personal goals so that we feel accepted. Then, when we get what we want, or when we are asked to do something we don’t want to do, we quit and move on to something else. WE CHEAPEN THE PROCESS.

It would be like the teacher telling us there will be a test in our subject matter, and we don’t study, we don’t read, we don’t pay attention in class, and the when we take the test, we fail it, then we blame the teacher for our poor performance, and we demand a new teacher or a new school. Does this make sense???

It’s like meeting the prettiest person in the world, falling madly in love with them, marrying them, and then divorcing them the first time you don’t agree on something.

It’s like going to church, being asked to be more faithful in attendance, being reminded that God expects us to read our bible and pray consistently, hearing the Gospel Message and falling under conviction, and then getting mad at the preacher and changing churches.

Not only does this cheapen the process, but we do not personally grow for these actions.

We must face controversy, learn to deal with it, find compromises, and grow from our experiences! We will never agree with 100% of the people in the church 100% of the time! Here is the way I look at it, we will all make mistakes. We are all, only, forgiven sinners redeemed by grace. We won’t always see eye to eye. But when we learn to come together first as Christians and then as a church, we face those controversies with a different mindset, come to a compromise, and grow into mature Christians knowing that those around us love us no matter what, and love us enough to tell us the truth - even when we disagree. Those are the type of people we want rallied around us the book describes them this way- “They will stand behind you at our best, stand next to us at our worst, and stand in front of us at our most vulnerable”.

When we come together in fellowship, when we grow together, when we rely on one another, it is THEN that we do not only get the church we want, we get the church we never knew we NEEDED.

We need each other. So, how do we learn how to become part of the body of Christ?

Just Show Up

Just show up and ask how you can help. Pitch in, do something! Here is what we find happens when people come to church. If they consistently attend and look for ways to help others, then they get what they want out of the church. We have to WANT to find what we want in church! Not only that, but we increase in spiritual growth, our friendships deepen, we grow in biblical knowledge, and we provide others with the help they may so desperately need. And look at that…we start to look more like Christ as a result. Remember, we are the body of Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:14–27 ESV

14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. 27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

Each and every person serves an important and vital part in THEIR local church. Whatever part or appendage you are, you are essential! But preacher, I can’t do much. Oh, neither can a toe, but it’s vitally important to your body. Whether it’s unlocking the door, making sure the heat pump is set so everyone is comfortable, vacuuming up when there’s a mess, cleaning, raking leaves, making meals, serving others, witnessing to the lost, teaching others, or delivering the gospel message of Jesus Christ never underestimate just how VITALLY IMPORTANT YOU ARE TO THE BODY OF CHRIST. THE BODY JUST DOESN’T FUNCTION PROPERLY WITHOUT YOU, AND YOU WON’T FUNCTION PROPERLY WITHOUT THE REST OF THE BODY. So, show up. Ask what needs to be done. Then, we will realize just how important we are to the others in the body of Christ, and just how important they are to us.