THE CHURCH THAT DIES LIVES
I saw this once on a church marquee:
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DIE?
COME TO OUR CHURCH AND FIND OUT!
Whether intentional humor or ironic oversight on the part of the sign-maker, this expresses a crucial truth about the purpose of the church.
Following Jesus is about dying to self and about learning to die to self, and that can only be done in the context of interaction with other selves. The flip side of “die to self” is “love God with all your heart and soul and love your neighbor as you love yourself”. A church is a group of people, each called to follow Jesus and knit together by the Spirit, learning together to die to self and to love God and their neighbors.
When we think of the mission of the church, we usually think of what the organization sets out to accomplish in the world – measurable tasks. Maybe we teach what the Bible says or rebuild buildings demolished in hurricanes or raise money for good causes or establish counseling centers to help troubled people or run kids’ camps in the summertime.
We can do any of these (and more!), but none of these is THE mission or THE purpose of the church. Beneficial projects should be attempted, but THE mission of the church isn’t any of the projects themselves. THE purpose of the church isn’t about the organization’s tasks in the world.
THE MISSION is what God accomplishes in the souls who are working together on any project. The mission is the formation of Christ in and among those souls, the body of Christ living as a people in real life.
No matter what the project, did those executing it demonstrate the ability to die to self and love their fellow-workers?
Were they able to speak their minds kindly and hear each other out patiently? Were they able to address and resolve differences and conflicts peacefully and without malice as they planned and executed the project?
Did they exude joy? gentleness? patience? humility? self-control? kindness? Toward one another? Toward those outside? Toward their leadership? Did the leaders demonstrate these qualities as they led others in the project?
I can multiply the questions, but you get the idea.
If these things are being molded in us as a body, as individual souls bonded together, then any project or event we take on for good becomes a platform for God’s molding of our souls to take place.
If unbelieving people see us following Jesus – dying to self and genuinely loving God and loving one another – not gossiping or slandering each other, not envying or hating, not insisting on our own way or lording things over others or putting others down but weeping with those that weep and rejoicing with those that rejoice, speaking encouraging words, instructing and taking instruction, offering gentle correction and showing willingness to hear correction, controlling our anger and our tongues – if people can see these things in us as we do the things we do – might that not be the spark that lights the fire in a heart to start following Jesus?
Might our lives not provide a tangible way for people to taste and see that the Lord is good (1 Peter 2.1-3)?
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DIE?
COME TO OUR CHURCH AND FIND OUT!
Whether intentional humor or ironic oversight on the part of the sign-maker, this expresses a crucial truth about the purpose of the church.
Following Jesus is about dying to self and about learning to die to self, and that can only be done in the context of interaction with other selves. The flip side of “die to self” is “love God with all your heart and soul and love your neighbor as you love yourself”. A church is a group of people, each called to follow Jesus and knit together by the Spirit, learning together to die to self and to love God and their neighbors.
When we think of the mission of the church, we usually think of what the organization sets out to accomplish in the world – measurable tasks. Maybe we teach what the Bible says or rebuild buildings demolished in hurricanes or raise money for good causes or establish counseling centers to help troubled people or run kids’ camps in the summertime.
We can do any of these (and more!), but none of these is THE mission or THE purpose of the church. Beneficial projects should be attempted, but THE mission of the church isn’t any of the projects themselves. THE purpose of the church isn’t about the organization’s tasks in the world.
THE MISSION is what God accomplishes in the souls who are working together on any project. The mission is the formation of Christ in and among those souls, the body of Christ living as a people in real life.
No matter what the project, did those executing it demonstrate the ability to die to self and love their fellow-workers?
Were they able to speak their minds kindly and hear each other out patiently? Were they able to address and resolve differences and conflicts peacefully and without malice as they planned and executed the project?
Did they exude joy? gentleness? patience? humility? self-control? kindness? Toward one another? Toward those outside? Toward their leadership? Did the leaders demonstrate these qualities as they led others in the project?
I can multiply the questions, but you get the idea.
If these things are being molded in us as a body, as individual souls bonded together, then any project or event we take on for good becomes a platform for God’s molding of our souls to take place.
If unbelieving people see us following Jesus – dying to self and genuinely loving God and loving one another – not gossiping or slandering each other, not envying or hating, not insisting on our own way or lording things over others or putting others down but weeping with those that weep and rejoicing with those that rejoice, speaking encouraging words, instructing and taking instruction, offering gentle correction and showing willingness to hear correction, controlling our anger and our tongues – if people can see these things in us as we do the things we do – might that not be the spark that lights the fire in a heart to start following Jesus?
Might our lives not provide a tangible way for people to taste and see that the Lord is good (1 Peter 2.1-3)?