Hopefully everyone here goes to church, I assume that all of you go at least go once a year?
For a lot of us, church is a building that we walk into every Sunday morning. Repeating the same routine, go to youth service or go to service with parents, buy a soda, sit there and wait until you go home. This is the idea of church in America, a place where we go and get it over with. I hope this isn't the attitude that you take with you into church, but if it is lets take a look at who the church is and what the church was created to be.
WHO:
The church is not a building. Jesus made many statements about the church. The one that angered many Jews most was His announcement that if the Temple was destroyed, He would build a new one in three days (See John 2:19-21). Though Jesus was referring to the Temple that exised in the architectural sense, He was really speaking of His body. Jesus said that after this temple was destroyed, He would raise it up in three days. He was referring to the real temple-the church-which He raised up in himself on the third day (see Ephesians 2:6).
Since Christ has risen, we Christians have become the temple of God. At His resurrection, Christ became a "life-giving spirit" (1 Corinthians 16:45). Therefore, He could take up residence in the believers, thus making them His temple, His house. It is for this reason that the New Testament always reserves the word church (ekklesia in the greek) for the people of God. It never uses this word to refer to a building of any sorts.
WHAT:
The church was made to represent Christ on earth. Having Christ in our lives, in our hearts, and in our actions is the church being the church. The church is not about seeing how big of a building you can have and slapping the name church on it. The mission of the church is the same mission of the Gospel, to spread the news of Jesus resurrection and redeeming love. The church is not a building, but a movement of believers that share the love that has been given to them by God through Christ death and resurrection.
Questions to think about and respond:
1) Do you see yourself as "the church"
2) How has the church being inside of you and not a building changed the way you live? Has it changed the way you live? Have you ever thought about this before?
3) How can we continue to "be the church"?
Don't get me wrong here, I am not saying we should do away with church buildings. The reason for these buildings is a gathering place of believers to worship their creator. But when it gets distorted, when things get out of whack and people start to see the church as a building is when there is a problem. The church is you and me, not a building, it is our responsibility to continue to share the gospel and grow the church.
Respond
Posts
83 comments:
We need to go to church with an attitude to spread the word of Jesus Christ. Like the blog post said we sometimes go to church and buy a soda then we wait for the time to pass. We need to go to church and absorb the sermon given that day and we need to go to church and spread the word of God.
I think that i couldn't BE the church alone, well at least it would be difficult. I think that we need other believers that we can be able to fellowship with to help hold up the church. Of course it's my responsibility to bring others into the church first.
I know that it's hard sometimes to get up early and have to go to church every Sunday, and sometimes I feel like i dont want to be there. i definitely need to work on being better about that
we need to go to church and not just wish we wernt there its great if u listen u learn
I agree with cody. Ya just going is better than doing something else, but if we actually listen and try to learn it will be a lot better and we will be able to show the church(christians) better
It is definately my job to be the church and set a christlike example, and i can learn how to do that in a church building. U dount have to have an actual building, but u could draw a lot more people to God if u say come to my church instea pf saying come to some strangers house.
church is not time that you give to God its a time to grow in him and absorb his word like the Beeman said.
i agrre with Cody Beeman he could not be anymore right
I cannot really say that my body is like the church because I don't have any reasons to support either answer. I might try to treat my body better since if its representing the church I should look the part but I can have a little fun. I mean I don't want to be a stiff church. I never have thought about my body being the church. A little weird look at it. We need to make sure that we are not becoming church zombies. I myself am struggling with this. We need to find something to spice up our christian walk with God.
Church is not a building, it's a "sanctuary of Christianity". This means we can worship freely without fear and have time with God. If God isn't at a "church", it's not a church - God must be there. And when God is there, it's holy. It's not a building where we just sit, wait for the sermon to get over, and go home; it's a place where we learn about God, worship God, and read the Bible.
I agree with Sam I. We need to go to church with a happy attitude and be open to everything. God blesses us every day so is it so hard to give one day to God?
I disagree with Josh Willbrand. "It's great if you listen and you learn"? It's not great, it's expected of us. God doesn't say, "Go to church, wish you were there, and TRY to listen and learn." NO, he says to be listening. It's a gift we can go to church - we aren't be persecuted in a third-world country because we're Christian. When God gives us such a blessing, we aren't meant to just sit there and be quiet. We should be using it as well and as much as we can.
The anonymous is Andrew Kyle! Right before Michael Cuppit!
Mr. Reed made a rely good point. now that i think about it, i do usually just want to grab a soda and leave, in a way that makes me feel guilty b/c it obviosuly doesnt please God by just wanting the material rewards. it's a lot easier said than done to just go out and preach the gospel. I went to public school so i no how ppl wood respond. it wood be 50/50. some wood really aprreacitate it, butothers wood think of it as a waste of my breath. Now im not saying dont give it a try, but think of the ppl that r out there and wat their reactions will be. We are in desparate need for a christian leader, so we need to try and be God's children so the future LEADER WILL HAVE HOPE!
i don't see myself as the church, and my guess is most people don't. i really think that everybody needs to start seeing them as it. another thing is i haven't changed at all by thinking i'm the church, and again my guess is that probably it hasn't changed many of your lives either. the only thing i can think of on continuing to be the church, would be to live lives more like Christ.
COdY BEEman, U GOT IT!
cuppett, i agree with both of your coments.
it may be hard sometimes to concentrate in church for some reason. God created us, can't we spend and hour or two of listening to wat the preacher has to say? We need to grow up, and show some simple appreciation to the one who created us! it really is not that hard. it takes more than one person to make a church and an organization of people. more than one person has to take role in this as a team. it may take alot of effort, but isnt it worth it? Serriously!:-/
well depends on whta u mean by the church i mean a person could be the church, but o well lets go with my first opinion. "Do i c myself as the church?" well it depends like mr reed said im a "leader" and most people listen to me but i wouldnt say im like the church cuz i mess up more than most people..
well the church is inside us all we just need to find it, our "Godly side" people might call it, some might call it soul but it changes us all in different ways, everyone has there was to find there soul. well i dont think ive found my soul yet, it hasnt changed my life at all, im still matt the kid everyone loves ha:P i havnt really thoght about being "the church" before because it doesnt come up very much, but thats why we have mr reed to bring it up ha
we can contine bein the church by helpin eachother up at skool and all the kind of stuff, and like josh eaton in science always says "hold the line" keep everyone intune and dont let anyone fall behided
and mr reed has a good point, we got churches to help us more but the churches and God should be in our heart
i agree with MC. he makes some good points with disagreeing wit josh
Caleb Wright
i tihink we need to listen to the sermon and study it. not just keep looking your phone and seeing what time it is and asing your parnts how much longer.
Caleb Wright
i agree with cody Beeman
I think that a lot of people do go to church just because they feel it makes them look more christian. We need to go to church, actually pay attention, and then spread the word of God to others.
but ive never tought of me being a church, like a church being inside of us. itss a really cool way to grow closer to God, cody right on dude!
The ananymous was Chase Bodine sorry. and i also agree with cody
i think that we need to think of church more as a group of people than a as a building where we go 2 hang out w/ our friends. i personally dont have any friends at my church b/c there arent like any guys except 4 me so im like forced 2 go. ive been goin 2 a different church on tuesdays b/c i dont like my church.
i agree w/ mc
i agree w/ the beemer 2
i agree especially with ingrassia itd rilly hard to get up rilly erlee evree sunday bt if u do go to church u will rilly get sumthin out of it
i personally have never really thought about myself as the church. i have heard it said before, however, and i do know of the matter. unfortunatly i have lately thought of the church as a building i walk into and sit down for an hour and a half and hope i do not fall asleep or daydream. now that i have read this blog i realize that i must stop thinking about the church as a building where many people meet but think of it as a place where God dwells and that is inside me.
i totally agree with michael cuppet on how the church is not a church without God. way to say it michael!!!
america has become like that, like that the church is just a building u go to on Sunday's. i'm not saying that i always go to church with a willing attitude to worship God, but most of the time i do. we as believers of God are the church. the building is just a place we can all gather in to worship God. we should be fishers of men and bring people to christ, not because of the big shurch buildings we have and all the cool stuff in them, but because our church teaches a great, powerful lesson or because of the moving worship.
i completely agree with drew warren
most times at church i think of what im doing after, how much longer im going to be here, or why i had to come today... but i am the church its not like going to church should really change that much in my life im not saying that you dont learn at church im saying that you r the church you should be thinking every day about GOD sunday is just a say when some one else talks and you think about GOD and see if you agree and see what GOD had to say to you today
i agree with spencer
1) i dont really see myself as the church
2) the church has definetly changed the way i live, and yes i have accually thought about this before
3)the way we can continue to be the chuch is to keep showing Christ like behaviur and to keep spreading the good news of Jesus Christ
I agree with Spencer
its hard to get up and go to cy\hurch cuz its kinda borin srry.... i hate getn up for church but if it has a goood message ynot go i mean your growin as a christian.
i agree with lil sammy ingrassia
Yes i would have to say i do think ofmyself as the church. I believe in Jesus Christ and he is my one true savior.
Knowing that God is inside of me and that he is with me always, not just on Sundays has changed my life. I know someone is always there for me an that I can call on god and he will listen. Yes I have Thought of this concept before.
We can continue to be the church by sprading the word of god to others. We need to teach nonbelievers the concept of someone with them. A lot of the time when we have a problem we dont Pray first we think why does this happen to me or why would God let this happen to me. We dont think of prayer. If we as Christians tought that to others they can be the church to.
I agree with Sam I
I know that people don't want go to to church that much, especially in the morning. But what we need to do, is think about it, church is about learning about God, i mean who wouldn't want that?
I also agree with Cody, because going to church, i think helps us spread the gospel more because we are more involved.
Its definetly our responsibility to be the church. But really am not one to sit in church and listen to a guy talk for two hours. i like to be out in the world actually making a difference and witnessing to people. i know that church is a great place to learn and it will help you grow closer to God, but you can truly be what god wants us to be by going out into the world and trying to teach others. i guess im saying that church is an important part in a christians life but its not all there is to it.
i agree with cody because we can just go to church to get a free soda and wait until the service os over and then you go to lunch but that is not what church is about, church is for going and learning more about God.
I do not really see myself as the church, because,also in the Bible, i am just a piece of the whole thing.... everyone in its place to make the perfect body. Also thinking that ahving the church in me has changed me and how i live, well it has, but not to a degree that i am like " I HAVE to go preach to these people to bring guilt upon them and make them come to Christ" it is more of a ... well laid back feeling that God has a plan for me and when the time comes i HAVE to go do it.
i also agree with rickie on how go to church to be an example to the people that may not be there to be with god they are there because they have to.
I see that continuing to be the church is sort of a repetitive pattern, go out look for people to talk to them about God, go home do it latter after fun in a cycle on and on OR there are those that say well, others can go do it, i'l just sit back and do whatever i feel like... no way will i go out when there are enough doing it.. or it cost too much i'll just donate to the financial cause. Dont get me wrong here but giving donations is good and attending those is cool and all but not something that is enough much of the time. some were called to do as much as save entire villages of hundred to thousands in a year, and others to stay home and healp others in the communities. it doesnt take much to do this every day, you dont have to go to africa china , look for ways to spread it in the news, get a big thing happening to attract peope, you can go out and use manners to make people think ' hey that guy is so nice and acts good... why? ' they could come over and ask and you can simply tell them why, if they are interested they may ask more and eventually get saved. i cant go on and on forevere because there is an INFINITE amount of questions that may very well never be answered 100% correctly
i Also agree with Cody Beeman
no i dont consider myself as "the church" but i would consider myself a part of the church. The Bible defines the church as the body of fellow beleivers that each have their own duties to contribute.
"Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." - 1 Corinthians 12:27
i think we all need to go to church with a positive attitude. not just having to make your parents wake u up for it or getting dragged outtta bed. but wanting to be there. we need groups of believers to start being the church and spread the word. for me it would be hard as one person, it would make it easier to spread the word if i was with a group of friends that were doing the same.
sadly, i have to agree with spencer.
i think that we all need to go to church and actually listen to what they have to say because it is really really important and we need to talk about god even wen we r out of the church
I think Cody B. has an great point but church is not just a time for us to share the word with others, its also a time for us to worship god personally. Its just as important.
When i wake up in the morning to go to church, most of the time i would rather stay home and sleep in or what not. This is where it comes between what i want to do and what i know i need to do. But its not between going to church or not because i have to go to church. its comes down to will i do it with the right attitude.
One day i actually decided i was going to force myself to go to church with a good attitude and it made all the difference. It has been said that within the first four minuets of arriving somewhere, it will determine how you'll be the rest of the time. This is very true, i ended up talking to people i usually dont talk to, made a new friend, and didn't get sleepy/fall asleep during the sermon.
I challange everyone, whether your dog died or you didnt get to eat breakfast, to literally force yourself to walk into church with a good attitude. It makes all the difference
church is something we should ne excited about!!!! we need to pay attention and be active!!!!!
and like steven heinrich said we dont see our self as the church yet we should
I think church is something we can really get into. We shouldnt let it become just something tht we want to get over with. We can like church better. if u actually apply what the pastor says to ur life then tht can make a diffeence in ur life. if u dont even listen is church, you should.
I agree with sam i.
i agree withg rickie...its better if someone goes to church just to be with friends than to not go at all because uyou still hear the sermon and everything
i do believe that it is myu responsibility to be the church. because if a nonbeliever knows that i am a christian then i act the same as them they will think why should i be a christian when he is doing the same things that i am
I have always seen myself as the church. Er, at least, since I learned about it in school. The church has changed me a lot, being inside of me. It helps with the welcoming process every time I go to a new church, which, recently, has been quite a lot. I would feel "left out" if this wasn't here. We can continue to be the church if we just continue to think about the church as NOT a building, but a body. Like the Casting Crowns say, if we are the body. We are God's arms, legs, eyes, and everything else.
We can not be the church by ourselves. we need to spread the word of God to others and then they can help spread the word as well because i have not really thought about it all that much.
I don't really see myself as "the church". I guess that should be my goal. When I think of church I don't think about people, I think about a building. We're always taught that the church is a body of believers but we always have the idea that it's just the building. I guess we can continue to be "the church" by following the Bible and the instructions God lays out for us in his Word. I agree with Cody Beeman.
Sam Ingrassia hit it right on. We can't do it alone, fellowship is definitely necessary. The church needs all the parts of the body. Arms, legs, ya know..
i agree with sam we need to focus on being the church and not being dissappointed about going to church because God put us on His earth to love Him!!!!!!!!!
I will say it, I dont like to get up in the morning and go to a building and sit there for like an hour. But if the message is good and really meaningful, I will go with a positive attitude.
I agree with Sam I. I cant be the church alone.
yes, i think i am part of the church. i think that any person that goes =to any church is part of the church.
i agree with codey beeman i think that we can go to church with a possitive attitude and hav a positive outcome from it
i represent myself as a church. church is not just a building but really good place having relationship with Christians.church is inside my mind, i bagan to change my mind when i was 6 grade. i thing we should keep ourself as church with patience. it might be hard but i think it is good.
i agree with Cody Beeman
i think we need to think church as more of a group of people more then a building we come to hang out at or somthing
I agree Mike Cuppett we are expected to learn
I agree with cody b. we need to have a better attitude
I suppose I see myself as the church. I never really thought bout it that way I mean I knew that the people are the church and not the building but not really me personally. I think it is more a mentality of a team. Not all of us as our own churches. ya know. and being PART of the church and not a church I feel that it has changed my life a little but not nearly as much as it should. Being part of a team I need t encourage and pray for my fellow believers and use my talents the best I can to please God and help our team or church grow.
I totally agree with sam i in other words. He said what I was thinking.
i think church is a must 4 believers
without church a big chunk of my believer life would feel empty
i think that we need to go to church with a mind ready to learn about god. Church is very important in our growth with god.
i agree with cody that sometimes we just go to church to pass the time but we should not do that
I think that church is like school. You go there and learn about Christ. You also get in habits and do the same stuff over and over thats why i think churches should switch things up every now and then. But we go there and learn the stuff. But it's how we use it after we learn it. We have to be smart with what we use with our school and also along with our church. So it's how we apply it to ourselves.
I agree with Cody except that we need to spread the gospel around everywhere not just church. Because most of the people at church already know about the gospel but the people that don't go to church need to hear it also.
i feel like we need to go tos spread the gospel, we cant just goof if we all pay attention we could rele learn something, i totally agree with cody beeman
Post a Comment