Renewal Will Frustrate You If...You Have Given Up On The Church

We live in a day where “churchless Christianity” has become fashionable.  111 million Christians profess to know and love Jesus and yet are not integrated into a local church and it seems like every other person you meet profess to love Jesus but not like the church. 

 
The reasons for this are myriad.  Some are fed up with the institutional church and desire something more progressive.  Some have been burned by a church and don’t want to be hurt again.  Some feel that the church has lost its missionary identity and desire to do the work of the gospel apart from the church.   Some don’t like structures, systems, and leadership and desire their own individualism. 
 
Certainly, I understand these reasons and am sympathetic with those who have found the church difficult to love at times.  But,  I must confess that I love the church.  I love it for a number of reasons.
  • The church is that for which Jesus died.  If he cared enough to give his life for the church, so should I (Eph. 5:25-33).
  • The church is the body of Christ, with Jesus as the head.  If I love the head, I must love the body (Eph. 1:23; 5:23).
  • The local church was the consistent tool in the New Testament for the accomplishment of the mission of God.  If Jesus began it with the church and gave us no thought it would one day be obsolete, I must believe that the church is still the best tool to accomplish His mission (Titus 1:5).
  • The church allows me to understand that through the cross I am both reconciled to God and to my brother and sister in Christ.  If I believe this is true in principle then I must attempt to work it out in practice (Acts 2:36-47, Eph. 5:22-25, 1 Cor. 12:13, Eph. 1:20).
  • The church provides me a context to learn to love my fellow Christians, submit to Godly leadership, and be exhorted by the Word.  If I desire sanctification, then I must allow the Spirit to do its work through the church (Eph. 4:11-16).
  • The church, in its current state, does not have to be its permanent state.  If I believe that God changes things, I must believe that He has the power to empower the church to embody its created design (2 Cor. 5:17).
  • The church is filled with sinners redeemed by Jesus.  If I believe in the brokenness of sin and contamination from the fall, I should expect that the church would be difficult and challenging at times (Genesis 3).
  • The church is a context for me to utilize the gifts of the Spirit, which God has given me.  If I believe that the Spirit gives gifts to each individual for the mutual benefit of the body, then I must allow Him to use me in this way (1 Cor. 12:12-27). 
  • The church provides a centralized way in which I can cooperate with other Christians for the advancement of the mission of God worldwide.  If I believe that we can do more together than what I can do separately, I will look to partner with other Christians to take the gospel to the nations. (Acts 1:8)
 
Giving up on the church is simply not an option.  You may not agree with the reasons that I love the church, but I am thankful that there are many, regardless of age, denomination, or style that still love the church and desire to see it radiate as the bride of Christ.  I am thankful to count myself in that number.
 
For some great reading on the local church I would recommend that you check out Why We Love The Church: In Defense of Institutions and Organized Religion by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck.