The Church That Jesus Built.

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Matt. 28:19.

It was Flight 401 bound for Miami from New York City with a load of holiday passengers. As the huge aircraft approached the Miami Airport for its landing, a light that indicated proper deployment of the landing gear failed to come on. The plane flew in a large, looping circle over the swamps of the Everglades while the cockpit crew checked out the light failure. Their question was this, had the landing gear actually not deployed or was it just the light bulb that was defective? To begin with, the flight engineer fiddled with the bulb. He tried to remove it, but it wouldn’t budge. Another member of the crew tried to help out …. and then another. By and by, if you can believe it, all eyes were on the little light bulb that refused to be dislodged from its socket. No one noticed that the plane was losing altitude. Finally, it dropped right into a swamp. Many were killed in that plane crash. While an experienced crew of high-priced and seasoned pilots messed around with a seventy-five-cent light bulb, an entire airplane and many of its passengers were lost. The crew momentarily forgot the most basic of all rules of the air—“Don’t forget to fly the airplane!”

The same thing can happen to the local church. The preacher and elders can be so busy fighting petty fires and focusing so much of their attention on insignificant issues that they lose sight of what church is all about. The church can have so many activities, programs, projects, committee meetings, banquets, and community involvements—so many wheels spinning without really accomplishing anything of eternal significance—that the congregation forgets its primary objective. Let’s not be like Flight 401. The church is not just another social gathering, it exists first as a unit that enhances and promotes God's worship, which involves expressing love, reverence, and gratitude to God. It is centering one’s life around God’s presence, adoring Him for who He is, and giving Him the ultimate glory. We must never lose touch with this. The church also exists for the purpose of ministry, which focuses on demonstrating God’s love to the world by meeting spiritual, emotional, and physical needs. It involves believers using their spiritual gifts to serve both the church community and those outside it. 

For me, the most important essence of the church is evangelism. Evangelism is the mission of making disciples by spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ to the lost world. It is the act of being Christ's witnesses and telling others who have not come into the saving grace and accurate knowledge of Jesus about His saving grace. It's after this has been achieved that we start experiencing fellowship. Fellowship creates a sense of community, belonging, and connection among believers. It involves caring for one another, praying together, and sharing in each other's lives as the family of God. May we all never fall short of the essence of church like the flight we read about today. May our attention remain focused on doing the exact will and purpose of God as His church on earth. Selah!

FURTHER READING:

"Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms." 1 Peter 4:10.

"They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." Acts 2:42.

DECLARATION: 

Dear Abba Father, I thank You for the gift of life and the privilege of salvation. Lord , I ask that You pour out Your Spirit upon us afresh. Transform me  into Your living sanctuary, a beacon of Your love, truth, and grace on earth. Help me not to become distracted and carried away by activities around me such that I lose focus of the reality of Your dealings and purpose for my life. Lord  unify us as Your body on earth, empower us to serve the broken, and let Your light shine brightly through our lives. In Jesus' name, Amen.

1 YEAR BIBLE READING LAN:

Psa. 106:1-48.

Psa. 107:1-43.

Psa. 108:1-38.

Psa. 109:1-13.

QUOTE FOR THE DAY:

“If You Retain Your Essence You Will Be Celebrated. If You Lose Your Essence You Will Be Trampled Upon. Choose  Your Reality.”