Build up the church -- and the kingdom

One of my deep concerns is the lack of New Testament perspective so many Christians seem to display regarding the church. Much of that can probably be attributed to a lack of biblical teaching, and that should remind me to make certain I am doing my part to make clear what the New Testament says about the church.

We live in a day when we can easily drift toward non-involvement with or non-commitment to a local church. As 21st Century Christians, we can often seem to treat a church as if it is a low priority that calls for no more than an hour or two in a 168-hour week. Or our level of commitment can appear to indicate we want to avoid the sacrifice, vulnerability and hard work -- and it can be both spiritual and physical -- required for disciples to grow together as the family of God.

This affliction of non-involvement or non-commitment is demonstrated in a variety of ways. In our day, it is easy to do -- what with all the books, radio and TV teaching, and online sermons, blogs, videos and other resources. I understand some people think the Bible's expectation of a believer's participation in a church body can be satisfied on the Internet. Those online disciples don't realize the magnitude of the fellowship with Jesus and His body they are missing.

How things have changed since the First Century. This kind of non-accountability, failure to serve other believers and avoidance of spending time in worship and ministry with fellow Christians would have been foreign to the disciples we read about in the New Testament. I long for all of us to experience the grace and glory of God manifested in walking together with other believers as we follow Jesus. It won't truly happen outside a church in which we have covenanted to do just that and more.

I could write more about this, but I won't -- at least for now. Instead, I include below an item posted by Ray Ortlund of Immanuel Church in Nashville, Tenn., that I think will help us in thinking clearly about the church:

“My passion isn’t to build up my church. My passion is for God’s Kingdom.”

Ever heard someone say that? I have. It sounds noble, but it’s unbiblical and wrong. It can even be destructive.

Suppose I said, “My passion isn’t to build up my marriage. My passion is for Marriage. I want the institution of Marriage to be revered again. I’ll work for that. I’ll pray for that. I’ll sacrifice for that. But don’t expect me to hunker down in the humble daily realities of building a great marriage with my wife Jani. I’m aiming at something grander.”

If I said that, would you think, “Wow, Ray is so committed”? Or would you wonder if I had lost my mind?

If you care about the Kingdom, good. Now be the kind of person who can be counted on in your own church. Join your church, pray for your church, tithe to your church, throw yourself into the life of your church with wholehearted passion.

We build great churches the same way we build great marriages — real commitment that makes a positive difference in practical ways. And thus we build the Kingdom.