One preacher said, “When you were born, your mother brought you to church. When you were married, your wife brought you to church. When you die, your friends will bring you to church. Why not try coming to church on your own sometime?”
Funny, but that is really correct. There are still people, I believe, who think that the church is a building. We see a structure where Christians gather and call that the church. But it is not. The literal translation of “church” from the Greek (New Testament language) is ecclesia, meaning “the called out ones.” This thing that we call the church is, in fact, the people of God, the people for whom God the Father gave His Son. Our culture puts very little value on the Church, but God says it is highly valuable. It has value because of its price. Just like we evaluate things by how much they cost, the church has great value because it was paid for by the sacrifice of the Creator God’s Son.
Acts 20:28 (NASB) Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.
I am not sure men and women grasp the importance of that statement. The Creator of the universe bought this thing called the church by allowing men to torture and kill His ONLY Son. That is a fearful truth. God gave what was most precious to Him to buy the Church.
1 Peter 1:18-20 (NASB …knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers,but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.
And not only has He purchased it with His own blood, but it is that same Son who is building it. It is Jesus Christ who is making sure it is successful. The Church would not only outlast the war against it, but the very “gates of hell” would not be able to stop her advance.
Matthew 16:18 (NKJV) … I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
I hate it when I see how much our culture attacks the church. There is a war against His Church in our media. Almost all Christians are depicted bigots, liars, hateful, greedy, or stupid. It makes me sad to see this. However, Jesus said it is His Church, and Hell will not be able to stop her advance. I also think you have to be out of your mind to be mocking the thing that God gave his Son for. To stand before the Holy God on the day of judgment after you have spent your life mocking what His Son gave his life for will be SERIOUS trouble.
God has invested much into His people, the Church. He has redeemed her, cleansed her, empowered her, made her a joint heir with His Son, and placed her on earth to be His representative. What an awesome thing it is to be a part of His Church! That is why we as Christians should stop being shy about our faith. If there is anyone who should be proud (I mean that in a good sense) of their heritage, it should be us. When our culture mocks us for being Christ-followers, we should be those who stand tall, shoulders back, honored to be called Christians.
I challenge you today to value being a part of His church to the same degree the Father values His Church.