A man was stranded on the proverbial deserted Pacific island for years. Finally one day a boat comes sailing into view, and the man frantically waves and draws the skipper’s attention. The boat comes near the island and the sailor gets out and greets the stranded man.
After a while the sailor asks, “What are those three huts you have here?”
“Well, that first one is my house there.”
“What’s that next hut?” asks the sailor.
“I built that second hut to be my church.”
“What about the last hut?”
“Oh, that’s where I used to go to church.”
“From him the whole body(CHURCH), joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” Ephesians 4:16
“By this shall all men know that you are my disciples – that you have love for one another.” John 13:35
I am not sure Jesus would recognize his church today in America with so many factions, so many choices. Do you want a church with hymns or contemporary? Long sermons about the Greek meaning of a verse or a sermon on present day politics? High tech church with videos and internet or meeting in a house with just a few friends? Today there is a smorgasbord of churches and it can lead to a Christian way of thinking that being connected to the Body of Christ is like going to Luby’s Cafeteria. This attitude has even produced a generation of “church shoppers and hoppers”.
“I like the music there, but the preaching stinks.”
Or “Really like that pastor, just can’t stand the people.”
But the church is not something you decide on like a flavor of ice cream, it is the family of God you are called to love. Because we live in a consumer mentality in America, we think of church like a commodity. But it isn’t. It is God’s own family, His sons and daughters that He allowed His Son to be sacrificed for. Don’t think lightly about God’s church. It is His.
Jesus was committed to his disciples even though they were very imperfect. Even though they were arguing on the night before his execution about “who would be the greatest,” the Bible says ,”He loved them to the end.” The proof of His commitment came down to sacrifice for them. He is the example for commitment.
Much of the time our personal commitment would be described as “Velcro” not “sacrifice”. I am glad we have a Savior who is not like that!
Treating the church with a lack of respect is just not acceptable. The scriptures say that the church is the wife of the Jesus, His bride.
Eph. 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.
Imagine that! Jesus so loved the Church that He laid down His life for her. Instead of Christians trying to do as little as possible for her, the scriptures say we should lay down our lives for her too.
1 John 3:16 We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
It is just not a smart idea to treat the wife of the Ruler of the World with anything less than respect. He loves the church like a well-loved spouse, and so should we.