Why I Need the Church

Published date: 01-26-12

We’re two weeks into our new series, Why I Need The Church. I hope you’ve been thinking that one through: why it is that you need the church to live life well. But not only do us individual carbon-units need the church, but society as a whole needs the church if it is to be healthy. (Sorry about the carbon-unit thing. I saw an episode of the original ‘Star Trek’ recently. Jesus sees you as more than a carbon-unit. Now back to our originally scheduled devotional.)

The first generation of Christians saw the church as the most potent moral force ever unleashed in a society, empowered by God to change lives, heal families, promote good, stop the spread of evil, and unmask and defeat every demonic power and ideology that would destroy humanity. Ephesians 3:10 says, “God’s intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.” Just look back and poke around at the roots of every great moral, intellectual, and humanitarian advancement we carbon units have made – from shutting down the Roman coliseum, establishing colleges of higher learning, building hospitals, ending slavery, mobilizing relief to care for disaster victims, war refugees, orphans, widows, & families who have lost their jobs and their homes – what do you find at the ground floor of these movements? – the Church.

And it continues even to this day. Have you heard about the mess going on in East Haven, with several of its police being arrested for civil rights violations? Guess what brought this to light? A pastor whose heart ached as he heard story after story from his largely Latino congregation of the terrible ways in which they were being singled out and treated by those called to protect them. I applaud the courage of this pastor and his church.

God didn’t save us so that we might live happy, comfortable, little lives. David Platt in his great book “Radical” reminds us that God loved me and saved me ‘so that I might make him – his ways, his salvation, his glory, and his greatness – known among all nations.’ (p.70) And when a given church starts percolating with that thought, then God’s power and presence will be known to that congregation.

Ask yourself two questions today: How has Jesus used ‘the Church’ to make your life better than what it was? How is Jesus using you at present to ‘make his glory and greatness known’?