How Christ Continues to Build His Church
As we approach the upcoming Holy Day of Pentecost, the day that Jesus Christ began to build His Church (Matthew 16:18, Acts 2), we should consider the incredible way Christ utilizes and works with the members of the Body to build His Church.
Let’s first review the word "Church," which refers to those called out of and into; in other words, the Church of God is an assembly of individuals whom God has called out from the self-oriented direction of this world into a church that is collectively developing God's very character, which can be summarized as love.
Let’s first understand an amazing scripture that I hope we don’t minimize or overlook. We read it in 1 Corinthians 12:18, where Paul describes the church in terms how the human body grows and explains how each part of the body provides vital service to the entire body. In this verse, we see a remarkable truth and God’s involvement in the Church.
18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased (1 Cor 12:18, NKJV)
Consider this statement: it is almost too unbelievable to comprehend that God, for some unexplainable reason, placed you in this body for a purpose. What is that purpose? We begin to see more of this amazing truth in Ephesians 4:12. In this section, Paul explains a vital aspect of how Christ is building his Church.
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, (Ephesians 4:11, NKJV)
Christ himself has given the church those who can equip the saints for works of ministry or service to build up the body of Christ. Did we notice that it is to edify or build up the body of Christ? Each member contributes to how Christ continues to build His Church.
15 But practicing the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ, who is the head. 16 From him the whole body grows, fitted and held together through every supporting ligament. As each one does its part, the body builds itself up in love. (Ephesians 4:15-16, NET)
From Christ, we all grow spiritually and do our part to build up the body in love. Each member placed in the body by God has a role to build up the body but it has to be done in love. Each of us in body has a role or we might say a God given responsibility in building and edifying the other members in the body through works of service to other parts of the body. This is all done in love. Paul describes this type of love in the body that builds up in Phil 2:2-5.
2 complete my joy and be of the same mind, by having the same love, being united in spirit, and having one purpose. 3 Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself. 4 Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well. 5 You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had, (Phil 2:2-5, NET)
In this passage, we see the key attributes describing love, the love that builds up the body of Christ, that is the measure and maturity of Christ, the same attitude or mind of Christ. I share this with you as we approach Pentecost to appreciate that God himself has set you in the body for an amazing purpose of being a part of what Christ proclaimed almost 2,000 years ago when he said he would build His Church. Let’s all do our part to help build up the Church in Love. We will continue more in next week’s message as we focus on God's incredible purpose for the Church of God.
I hope all have a wonderful Sabbath. As we assemble, let’s consider and pray how we can build up other members in love.
