Endings (Part 5): The Essential Church

As those close to me should know by now, I have recently resigned from my position at Victory Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky. This post is not about that. Rather, this post is about what I want my legacy to be at VBC (or really, anywhere else that I ever teach and minister).

I finished my time there by teaching through a series called "Endings." These six messages attempted to drive home the six main things I have tried to teach them over the past fifteen months that I have spent as their student minister, and would be the six things that I would focus on more than anything if I were to remain there indefinitely. Thus, I taught six statements that sum up everything I am about. This blog series will communicate that to whomever else would like to know my heart.

Here's the fifth statement: The church is the Body of Christ living united, loving, and doing life together as a family.

That's the church of Jesus Christ in a sentence, but what does that all mean? Why do exchanged people that are following Jesus in love during a war need the church? Let's break this sentence down:

1. The Body of Christ: The church functions like a body. A glance over at 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 says as much:

For as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body—so also is Christ.  For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 

-1 Corinthians 12:12-13 (HCSB)

We're a unit. Every part of the body, every person, has their own unique roles and parts to play. We have the same Spirit and the same Jesus and the same gospel; this should lead us to act together in support of those things we have in common. Ephesians 4 takes it a bit further:

But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into Him who is the head—Christ. From Him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building up itself in love by the proper working of each individual part.

 -Ephesians 4:15-16 (HCSB)

We are fitted together so that we can grow together, building each other up so that we can all be the follower of Jesus that we are made to be.

2. Living United and Loving: As we move as a body, leaning on one another to be able to live this Christian life, we do so as a united and loving body. A body cannot function properly unless it is in agreement. 

One time, I was playing basketball with my brother, and I decided to drive to the basket. My head, arms, torso and right leg were in agreement on how that should happen; my left ankle was not. The result was that all of my body later agreed that my ankle should not be that swollen and painful. This is the kind of damage that can happen when a body part isn't in agreement with the rest of the body: pain and a loss of progression. It's hard to drive on the basketball court with a rogue ankle, and it is hard to fight the war with three fronts as a body with rogue parts.

This is why Jesus prayed this for the church:

I pray not only for these,

but also for those who believe in Me

through their message.

May they all be one,
as You, Father, are in Me and I am in You.
May they also be one in Us,
so the world may believe You sent Me.

I have given them the glory You have given Me.
May they be one as We are one.

I am in them and You are in Me.
May they be made completely one,
so the world may know You have sent Me
and have loved them as You have loved Me.

Father,
I desire those You have given Me
to be with Me where I am.
Then they will see My glory,
which You have given Me
because You loved Me before the world’s foundation.

Righteous Father!
The world has not known You.
However, I have known You,
and these have known that You sent Me.

I made Your name known to them
and will make it known,
so the love You have loved Me with
may be in them and I may be in them. 

-John 17:20-26 (HCSB)

He prayed for us to love each other and be so in sync with each other that we are as united as He is with the Father. A Trinitarian-level of unity is pretty united, if I must say so myself. That's how He says that the world will know that we are His and that the Gospel is for real! Hebrews 10:24-25 goes on to say that we must encourage each other in this, "more and more as the day draws near." We must pursue an other-worldly unity that shows the gospel to the lost, and we do it together.

3. Doing Life Together: There are so many passages that could explain how the church lives united and loving as a body. Galatians 6:1-5 shows how to bear each others burdens, while Matthew 5:14-16 tells us to "shine before men." The best passage, though, to look at is Acts 2:42-47:

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to the prayers.

Then fear came over everyone, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles. Now all the believers were together and held all things in common. They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as anyone had a need. Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple complex, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with a joyful and humble attitude, praising God and having favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to them those who were being saved. 

-Acts 2:42-47 (HCSB)

This is how we live life together: learning about God, talking about God, praying to God and breaking bread in the name of God. That's what the church does: follow Jesus together. They generous give to each other. They care and love for each other. And did you happen to read the last part? "And every day the Lord added to them those who were being saved." They were being united, showing the gospel by living life together, and that brings more people to Jesus.

4. As a Family: The Church is a body that lives life together in unity and love, yes, but there is a deepness to it that I believe one more passage helps with, and that is Ephesians 2:19:

So then you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household, 

-Ephesians 2:19 (HCSB)

We're a family, members of one household. Yes, we're exchanged. Yes, we are following Jesus. We love God and neighbor. We fight a war on those three fronts. However, as we do all of that, we're not alone. We have a home base, a group of people that care and keep up with us. That hold us accountable. That play games and laugh and cry and scream with us because they are family.

The church must maintain all of this to be successful at supporting one another on the mission we are all on. We have to be there for each other. We have to support and rebuke and encourage and disciple and coach another. After all, that's how we will all make it to the end.

Endings (Part 4): War on Three Fronts

As those close to me should know by now, I have recently resigned from my position at Victory Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky. This post is not about that. Rather, this post is about what I want my legacy to be at VBC (or really, anywhere else that I ever teach and minister).

I finished my time there by teaching through a series called "Endings." These six messages attempted to drive home the six main things I have tried to teach them over the past fifteen months that I have spent as their student minister, and would be the six things that I would focus on more than anything if I were to remain there indefinitely. Thus, I taught six statements that sum up everything I am about. This blog series will communicate that to whomever else would like to know my heart.

Here's the fourth statement: We're in a war on three fronts.

You see, we're exchanged people who follow Christ in loving God and people, but any Christian that has been at this for a while knows that it isn't easy to live the Christian life. Why is that? Quite simply: we are at war, and little at war is easy.

Ephesians 2:1-3 is a crucial passage for this topic. These little verses contain three fronts in which our war is waged. Let's see if you can find them:

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler who exercises authority over the lower heavens, the spirit now working in the disobedient. We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also. -Ephesians 2:1-3 (HCSB)

Did you see the fronts? Let's explore them a little:

1. The Ways of the World (v.2): our first problem is that we are in a fallen, sinful world full of fallen, sinful people. The people around us are not pursuing God, and therefore are not pursuing a loving, righteous life. They have no desire for their own holiness, and have less desire for yours. They will long for you to sin alongside them, pulling you off the road to glory and into the murky waters of worldliness. We must stay on guard against this, remembering that sinners sin and want others to sin with them. But it isn't just other people that lead us to sin and turn from God.

2. The Ruler Who Exercises Authority over the Lower Heavens (v.2): There is an influencer of souls in this world, and his name is Satan. He and his armies of darkness are our adversary, and they have been given a certain amount of authority and reign on this planet for this time. These dark forces are active and evil, moving on the hearts of people all across the globe to turn from God and fall like themselves. They influence those of "the world" and those of us who are exchanged and following Jesus. However, one more front exists in this war.

3. Our Fleshly Desires (v.3): Not only does the world and our enemy want us to sin, but we ourselves want to sin. Our flesh is broken and sinful just like the flesh of every other person on Earth. We are no better than any other; v.1 of this passages states that "we were dead in our sins" just like all humans. That is why the exchange had to happen: we were sinners following the ways of the world and the adversary, all while loving sin ourselves. We must never forget that our flesh longs for sin, and this is why we must be made holy by Him who can do so.

Our growth in holiness happens as we follow Jesus, but it isn't overnight. We must work and scrap and fight, relying on the Spirit to help us. That is why Ephesians 6:10-18 is in the same book as verses 2:1-3. This passage tells about spiritual warfare and the "armor of God" that allows us to fight the good fight. I urge you to look it up. Read it. Study it. Put the armor on.

Our flesh is yearning to throw us off a cliff, into sinfulness. The world is pulling us towards the same cliff, begging us to join them. And the adversary is behind us, waiting to kick us off the edge when we hesitate. We're in a war on three fronts, and in order to follow Jesus, we must fight. We must strive for truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation and prayer in the power of the Spirit and the Word of God. That's our fight; that's our war.

Will you take up arms? Will you fight?