The Church -- Part 3

I know it has been some time since I posted, but things have been a little crazy lately.  I have taken on some new challenges, and am preparing for a pretty big transition.  So, hang in there with me if you would.

In my last couple of posts, I have suggested to you that the reason we sometimes have trouble with church is because we forget the primary purpose of church -- which is to glorify God.   Honestly, I don't think we would have too many problems if every time we walked into the church building our hearts and minds were focused on praising Him, and not wondering what He might do for us.

Frankly, I think that when people say that they are not interested in "organized religion," that attitude really means one of two things: either they are really not interested in religion at all -- the bit about being fed up with organized religion is just an excuse; or they have a profound lack of understanding of what the church is all about and what their part in it looks like. 

The sad things is that when we all come to church focused on worshiping Him, amazing things really begin to happen to us.  When God stays the focus of our attention, when we remember that we are there to serve Him, and when we remember that serving Him largely means really loving other people, everything begins to change. 

When a church has some of these simple truths figured out, and when we let the Spirit of God lead us correctly, the church becomes an incredibly powerful, an incredibly loving, an incredibly encouraging, and an incredibly healing place.

So, what can and should the church look like?  I would say that a good place to start is to look at some of the "one anothers" in the Bible.  These verses tell us a good deal about what a loving church really looks like.

1.  Greet one another with a holy kiss.  Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:26; 1 Peter 5:14.  To me, this implies that we should have sincere affection for each other.

2.  Encourage one another.  Hebrews 3:13; Hebrews 10:24-25; Romans 1:11-12; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18; 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11.  We can encourage each other through the tough times, and build one another's faith.

3.  Offer hospitality to one another.  Church should be sincerely welcoming and friendly.  1 Peter 4:9-10.

4.  Serve one another.  Are you looking to serve or to be served?  Galatians 5:13.

5.  Submit to one another.  A tough one for sure!  Ephesians 5:21.

6.  Pray for on another.  Something every one of us can do.  Acts 12:1-5; James 5:14.

7.  Forgive one another.  There is freedom in forgiveness.  Colossians 3:13 .

8.  Agree with one another (to promote unity).  1 Corinthians 1:10.

9.  Learn from one another.  Everyone has something to teach, and everyone has something to learn.  Colossians 3:16.

10.  Love one another.  1 Thessalonians 4:9; 2 Thessalonians 1:3; Hebrews 13:1; Ephesians 4:1-6; 1 Peter 4:8-11; 1 Peter 1:22.