27 September | Youth
«But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.» John 1:12, 13, NLT
“One swallow doesn’t make a summer.” If you have been taught that you are the church, be careful! It’s a dangerous half-truth. “Church” means “assembly” or “gathering”. In the New Testament, it refers to those “called out” (ekklesia, in Greek), those who go and announce the good news to others. For the mindset of the time, it was a revolutionary concept. Even today, it still is. Waiting is easier than acting; indoctrinating, easier than teaching, captivating, loving, and serving.
The West is increasingly individualistic and less “tribalistic”, hence the emphasis on the responsibility of each person to the detriment of care for the collective life of the church. “I’m tired of being part of the church, I want to be the church”, “the church is you!”: there is an emphasis on the self as the temple and home of the Spirit. The Bible says that “the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21), that we are the “apple of [His] eye” (Ps. 17:8), that the encounter with Jesus is personal, but it also says that salvation is experienced in community through baptism (Acts 2:41), evangelism (Acts 4:4), worship in the temple, and service to those in need (Acts 5:15). It says that we are “the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:12) and that we must “bear one another’s burdens” (Gal. 6:2).
A bunch of people together is far from being a team. A crowded movie theater is not a social group, despite shared experiences and goals. Therefore, a “son of God” is not someone who goes to the temple weekly and, still, refuses to be part of the “family of God”. It is only possible to stop being a church and become a church if each member meets at least three requirements. First, to receive Jesus in their heart, making Him the center of their life. Second, to believe in His name, that is, in the Master’s mission and teachings; two inseparable things. Third, be born again “from the eternal, living word of God” (1 Pet. 1:23).
Churches are crowds paying attention with one mind (Acts 8:6, NASB), but also men and women, individually, serving the Lord (v. 3). Being part of the church and being the church are not incompatible realities. If you have been taught otherwise, beware! Oratory and poetry only help when they are based on truth. Now you know. Think about it!