When will we ask the right question about church?

Are we asking the wrong questions when it comes to the church? What church do you go to? How big is your church? What style or music do you have? Where is your church located? What is your denomination? How many services? What ministries do your offer (us)? Who is your pastor?

What is the church? Neil Cole says that in seminary he was taught that the church is: 1. a Group of believers gathered together regularly... 2. That considers itself a church... 3. That has qualified elders... 4.That regularly practices the ordinances of baptism and communion as well as church discipline... 5. And that has an agreed-on set of doctrinal beliefs." Funny or sad, that's what I was taught.

Neil continues, "When looking at the list above, what's missing?" Are you thinking?????? Come on consider this? "Jesus is missing. Why would you assume Jesus' presence but make sure that a qualified elder is present? This assumption betrays a problem in our churches, a serious one. The church is often more about what we bring to the table than what God does." OUCH!

Neil continues to hit the bullseye when he says: "A better question is, where is Jesus at work in our midst?" And please don't tell me He is blessing us -He wants to do so much more. "Where do we see lives changing, and communities transforming simply by the power of the Gospel? Where do we see fathers restored to a life of holiness and responsibility? Where do we see daughters reconciling with their fathers? Where do we see addicts who no longer live under the bondage of chemical dependancy? Where are we seeing wealthy businessmen making restitution for past crimes that were unnoticed."

Let's come to grips with this! Neil says it better than I can, "The church is the presence of Jesus among His people called out as a spiritual family to pursue His mission on this planet." Matthew 28:19,20

Jesus rarely speaks to the church as a corporate entity in fact there are only two references where Jesus (however subtly) refers to His church (perhaps as a corporate entity) -only two that I see (Matthew 18:20 & Revelations 2:1). The rest of the time He is directly speaking to us, individually, personally, and prophetically.

When will we realize that the church of Jesus Christ is meant to be organic? When will we stop using methods of addition by believers (shifting of the saints) moving from church (place) to church (place) and begin a multiplying movement where disciples are making other disciples and where God is birthing new churches all around us.

There is great latitude in Sctipture to gather as the church (family) in whatever wineskin, however there is no latitude in the supremacy of the Great Commission and her fulfillment through us out to others. "Go" still means go my friends.