Do you love your Church ?

Note here that what I am asking is not whether you love the worship style, or the teaching or the dress code, atmosphere, programs or even the senior pastor. I am also not asking whether you love going to church. I am asking whether you love your Church ?

Last Sunday we dove into Ephesians 3:14-21 and read how the Spirit can strengthen our inner beings so that Christ may dwell in our hearts and that we may be filled with God’s fullness. And as we are filled with God’s fullness and have Christ dwell in our heart, we become rooted and grounded in love. And this love, this powerful work that love brings with it, is found nowhere better than in the Church.

But what is the Church ? We have seen over the last several weeks that our Church is really our new family in Christ. Our new brothers and sisters, closer to us than our family ties via blood or marriage. The Church is not a building, it is not a doctrine, it is not a concept. It is people. It’s those people we get together with to worship Him. And if that is the Church, how do we show love to the Church ?

This is the thought and burden I walked out with after last Sunday’s message. How do I show love to my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ ? So I did some digging around.

The first passage I was led to was Romans 12:9-21. There’s quite a lot in there about brotherly love.

 “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” (Rom 12:15). Rejoicing with those that are having a joyous time is easy. We all like to hang out with those where things are good. But do I weep with those that weep ? Do I comfort those that are hurting ? Do I provide a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen and a hug for encouragement ?

“If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” (Rom 12:18) Do I live in peace with those in the body, as far as I can help it ? Do I forgive those that have trespassed against me ? Just like I would like for them to forgive me as I trespass against them ? Do I gossip, complain, put myself first above them ? All things that create dissention. Not peace.

And then I remembered 1Cor 13:4-8. It teaches us that love is kind, patient, it hopes and believes, it is not arrogant, it doesn’t put my own things first. Am I kind and patient ? Do I put my own things first or do I put the Body first ?

As we heard in the testimonies during and after the service, our Body does show this kind of love of support, weeping, rejoicing, kindness and patience to our members. And especially now, in this difficult time, I am called to show this love even more. Towards all my brothers and sisters in Christ. And especially towards our staff and elders.

Will you join me in being patient with our elders and staff ? With living peaceably with all ? With rejoicing with those that rejoice and with weeping and comforting those that weep. I am convinced that if we do, this body will truly show the power of Gods love to those around us