What is church? Part 3

In this post and in the two which will follow, I have quoted extensively from a book called Organic Church, by Neil Cole. I hate to put so much emphasis on a book, but on the other hand it puts words to what Scott and I are thinking so well. So why reinvent the wheel? We'll just use someone else's words that explains what is in our heads!


As we seek to answer "what is church", I think we need to first ask why we would even bother asking that question.

The church is dying at a faster rate than the population of the world is growing. If transformation of the heart is the product of the gospel, is the church doing its job? "It is not enough to fill our churches; we must transform our world. Society and culture should change if the church has been truly effective. Is the church reaching out and seeing lives changed by the Good News of the Kingdom of God?...The measure of the Church's influence is found in society--on the streets, not in the pews" (Organic Church). Are we seeing that kind of heart transformation in our society today?

Think about non-believers. Maybe that's you. If it's not you right now, it used to be you. Why are so many so often turned off by church? Why is it so undesirable to those outside of its circle? Why are many who get into the circle turned off or leave feeling burned? Perhaps it's because there is something very wrong.

"The Church in the West has sacrificed so much of what she is supposed to be about that her relevance is lost to the lost. Para-church organizations, such as seminaries, mission agencies, Christian counseling agencies, and evangelistic ministries, have risen to accomplish so much of what God intended the Church to do. She [the Church] expects others to do evangelism, leadership development, and social care. We send the people with serious problems to the professional counselors" (Organic Church). Now don't hear that I'm saying we should get rid of all professional counselors and do it all ourselves. But are we off in thinking that we should always leave that stuff to other people? 'I'm just not called to do that,' we say.

Well then, what are we called to do? In Matthew 28:19-20 Jesus says, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." That was the Great Commission to the then 11 disciples. But did he also mean that for us as well?

Do we think that Jesus' command to make disciples of all nations is for other people, but when he says in Matthew 11:28 that he will give rest to the weary and burdened that that verse is for us? We must be very careful not to assign the obligations of Christianity to a few while keeping the privileges for us all.

Yes, even though we are all called to make disciples, we do certainly have different gifts. We have different skills and passions. God calls us to different things. For example, I'm a former teacher but a current stay at home mom. Does that mean that because God wanted me to stay at home with my children that ALL teachers should stay at home when they have kids? Of course not. However even with our different gifts and passions, all believers have the same Spirit who gives us the same plan: make disciples of all nations.

Part 4 will be coming soon...