Love the Church
Lately, I have been really challenged to love the church. I listened to a sermon yesterday about Revelation 1:1-8 (click here to watch/read/listen), and it really humbled me and brought me to tears about how we are not loving the very thing that Jesus gave Himself up for. Note: there is something we must get rid of in our thoughts right now: Jesus didn't die for me. He didn't. He died for a community, the church. Check out Ephesians 5:25, "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her." Salvation was never meant to be a lone ranger's quest. It was meant to join us to Christ, the head, and thus become a part of His body, the Church (Ephesians 4:11-16). He didn't die for me, He died for us. For too long, I have been very selfish, pouring myself into building up my relationship with Jesus, when I should be pouring myself into the church. And I've been really, really selfish about my attitudes toward the Church, asking what does it offer me? Does it suit my needs? Is the music/preaching/etc to my liking? So, yesterday I spent a lot of timing thinking and praying about this, and God brought me to 1 Corinthians 13.
In this section, Paul is writing to the Corinthians about their Church issues. They too were being rather selfish, focusing on building up their own spiritual gifts, thus not focusing on how the church might be built up by their individual gifts crossing into corporate use. And Paul ends that chapter (12) by telling them that he will show them "a still more excellent way." Higher than any gift we could use is for us to simply love the Church. How? Look at the attributes and apply them to the corporate setting of the church. You'll see what I mean.
Love is patient. I should not rush nor grow weary of God's timetable with the Church.
Love is kind. I should not be nit-picky with those in the Church. Ever.
Love does not envy or boast. I should not be jealous of others in the Church nor try and lift myself above others.
It is not arrogant. I should not think highly of myself, but see all as equal in God's eyes in the Church-we are all covered by Christ's blood.
Or rude. I should never speak harshly to another, but only use my tongue to uplift & build the Church.
It does not insist on its own way. "In humility, count others more significant than yourself...look not only to your own interests, but to the interests of others." Phil. 2:3-4.
It is not irritable. I should shift my gaze to this truth: The Church does not revolve around me. It doesn't even revolve around us. It should resolve around Jesus. I should not get upset about it unless it upsets Jesus.
Or resentful. I should not hold grudges against other in the church, but freely, fully forgive, as Christ forgives us.
It does not rejoice at wrongdoing. I should not be happy at others falling, but stoop in humility to uplift them, as Christ stooped in flesh to uplift us.
But rejoices with the truth. I should be happiest when the truth is fully proclaimed to the Church, that we all may live lives of truth for the world to see & glorify God.
Love bears all things. I should be willing to bear burdens with others in the Church as they go through life, just as Jesus bore our burdens on the cross.
Believes all things. I should give others in the Church the benefit of the doubt, unless the Spirit instructs otherwise.
Hopes all things. When times get hard in the Church, I should hope unwaveringly that God is not finished and will carry out the good work that Christ has begun in us (Phil 1:6).
Endures all things. I should endure. The biggest message to the 7 churches in Revelation was to patiently endure. Things are not going to be easy, Jesus didn't promise us easy, He promised us His presence.
Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. for we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three, but the greatest of these is love.
Everything individual in life will pass away when the perfect comes. But Christ's bride, the Church, will remain forever, united with Christ at the onset of eternity. So let us love the Church.
In this section, Paul is writing to the Corinthians about their Church issues. They too were being rather selfish, focusing on building up their own spiritual gifts, thus not focusing on how the church might be built up by their individual gifts crossing into corporate use. And Paul ends that chapter (12) by telling them that he will show them "a still more excellent way." Higher than any gift we could use is for us to simply love the Church. How? Look at the attributes and apply them to the corporate setting of the church. You'll see what I mean.
Love is patient. I should not rush nor grow weary of God's timetable with the Church.
Love is kind. I should not be nit-picky with those in the Church. Ever.
Love does not envy or boast. I should not be jealous of others in the Church nor try and lift myself above others.
It is not arrogant. I should not think highly of myself, but see all as equal in God's eyes in the Church-we are all covered by Christ's blood.
Or rude. I should never speak harshly to another, but only use my tongue to uplift & build the Church.
It does not insist on its own way. "In humility, count others more significant than yourself...look not only to your own interests, but to the interests of others." Phil. 2:3-4.
It is not irritable. I should shift my gaze to this truth: The Church does not revolve around me. It doesn't even revolve around us. It should resolve around Jesus. I should not get upset about it unless it upsets Jesus.
Or resentful. I should not hold grudges against other in the church, but freely, fully forgive, as Christ forgives us.
It does not rejoice at wrongdoing. I should not be happy at others falling, but stoop in humility to uplift them, as Christ stooped in flesh to uplift us.
But rejoices with the truth. I should be happiest when the truth is fully proclaimed to the Church, that we all may live lives of truth for the world to see & glorify God.
Love bears all things. I should be willing to bear burdens with others in the Church as they go through life, just as Jesus bore our burdens on the cross.
Believes all things. I should give others in the Church the benefit of the doubt, unless the Spirit instructs otherwise.
Hopes all things. When times get hard in the Church, I should hope unwaveringly that God is not finished and will carry out the good work that Christ has begun in us (Phil 1:6).
Endures all things. I should endure. The biggest message to the 7 churches in Revelation was to patiently endure. Things are not going to be easy, Jesus didn't promise us easy, He promised us His presence.
Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. for we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three, but the greatest of these is love.
Everything individual in life will pass away when the perfect comes. But Christ's bride, the Church, will remain forever, united with Christ at the onset of eternity. So let us love the Church.
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