The Church: Let's Start Here

In chapter 1 of “The Church Awakening,” Swindoll starts off saying that our churches today are starting to erode. And the 3 simple truths about erosion are: it’s always slow, always silent and always subtle. And the effects of erosion is not only a concern to us physically, it’s an even greater concern spiritually. I do feel this is what is actually happening in many churches today where everything seems relatively healthy, but the roots of the church is not firmly embedded in the gospel. A church does not suddenly dissolve in one day; it takes time as Swindoll quotes CS Lewis, “Instead the safest road to Hell is the gradual one – the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.”  So Swindoll is contending that we need milestones to keep us focused and on target with what the original intent of the Bible was with the church, and the original intent of what the vision and goals were for our church.

Before we look into what scriptures really say about the church, I couldn’t help to stop and relate with Swindoll when he says, “Admittedly, like a mother with too many kids, I was a pastor with too many people…so I delegated too many of the responsibilities to others. They were good individuals, but I discovered some of them did not share my heart or vision for ministry. I realized I had delegated without mentoring, training, or shaping the thinking of those leaders…when I finally realized all of this, the erosion was well under way.” Although I may not be in the same position as Swindoll, this resonated with me. Especially, “without mentoring, training, or shaping the thinking of those leaders.” I’m very convicted by this statement but before I get into what that looks like I want to delve into what scripture says about the church.

In Matthew 16:13-18, Jesus declares that, “and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.” Swindoll says, “Jesus made it clear from the beginning that the church as God intended it would have Christ as the Architect. Make no mistake about it – He is the Originator of the church. It was His idea. He protects it. He leads it. He alone is the Head.” This is the most infallible truth that we have about the church today. Jesus is the Head, the senior pastor, the boss, etc. This truth alone could have squelched many squabbles, divisions, in-fighting’s if it was truly applied.

In Acts 2:42, “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostle’s teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Swindoll says, “In this one verse we have the lowest common denominator or a church. This is ground zero…When the first body of believers gathered together, they devoted themselves to four essentials…teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer. This verse is not only descriptive of what the early church did; it is also prescriptive of what all churches must do.” These are the exact four essential elements of a church that needs to be foundational or it will cease to be a church. Teaching – “Today the church has the apostles’ teaching represented in the complete Word of God – the Bible.” Fellowship – “The Word of God is not only learned through teaching…it is lived through fellowship.” Breaking of Bread – “refers to the Lord’s Table, which was observed when the church gathered…we understand that the early church devoted themselves to the two ordinances commanded by Jesus: baptism and the Lord’s Table. The first represents our conversion to Christ, and the second our lifelong communion with Him. An acceptable, all-inclusive term would be worship.” Prayer – “They spent time as a body of believers adoring their Lord, confessing their sins, interceding for others, petitioning God to provide, and thanking Him for His blessings…For a church to be the kind of church Jesus promised to build, there must be prayer.”

When I look at these four essential pillars for the church I can’t help to ponder why do we need to add more. I really believe if we applied these principles to heart and action, we couldn’t keep the doors of our churches closed. People would want to break in because they want to experience Christ in that place. What if God’s word was really taught that people would walk out thinking knowing they heard God’s voice and didn’t have any other choice but to repent and change? What if fellowship was not about eating after church but about doing life together through Scripture. By encouraging one another, lovingly rebuking one another, admonishing one another... What if worship really occurred and people saw the majesty of Jesus Christ through our worship? What if prayer really occurred to the point where people were healed, prayers were answered, chains were broken and experienced freedom?

Lastly, Swindoll, from the study of scripture realized 3 principles and 3 imperatives that all churches should examine and apply. 1. Clear, biblical thinking must override secular planning and corporate mentality. Imperative: Think spiritually. 2. Studied, accurate decisions must originate from God’s word, not human opinions.  Imperative: Stay biblical. 3. Wise, essential changes must occur to counteract any sign of erosion. Imperative: Be flexible.

These principles are a great challenge to me. I pray that God will give me the strength and courage to really meditate, pray and then apply these principles and truths that I have gained from this chapter. I really believe God wants His church to be awakened and experience His joy and grace. I want to be in a place where the church comes in our broken state experiences true revival and healing; but I know it can’t come without biblical teaching, true fellowship, worship and prayer. This is not a sprint but a marathon that is worth running…

For the glory of our King!