So often, when we think about the church, we immediately think about a geographic location. Chan would say that when Jesus thinks about church that He refers to those who:
1) Fear God
2) Follow Him
3) Filled with His Spirit
4) Fellowship with One Another
It's not a bad way to think about the church. That we would be a people who walk in relationship with the Father, Son, Holy Spirit, and One Another. That we are more than just a group of people who have decided to attend some meetings or join a particular church. That there is something much deeper to who we are together.
Although he never used the word, you could tell that Chan was very familiar with the word "koinonia." The word that is often translated as fellowship. He made sure to point out that this word means more than gathering in a building/room called a fellowship hall to eat a fellowship meal. It's more than just hanging out or joining together in a fellowship softball game. That "fellowship" is much deeper and denotes a shared life together.
It's this type of fellowship that he spent a lot of time breaking down to its most basic understanding. This type of fellowship that was meant to characterize the church more than anything else. And the unity that would come out of this way of life. Chan believes that it is this unity that was meant to get to the world's attention, and to make the Gospel even more believable. That when the world saw our shared life together, this Jesus thing would make more sense. That through us, Jesus would be seen.
This is one of the reasons that I spend so much time talking about koinonia. Why I believe that the church needs to focus on strengthening its quality among us. To make sure that it goes deeper than just each of us deciding to worship together at a specific address or in a particular building. That the church would be known for her quality of life together. It really is a big deal.
In 1 Corinthians 1:9, Paul doesn't tell the church that they were called to be a part of the First Apostolic Church of Corinth. He makes a much bolder statement: "God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." Notice the difference? It goes much deeper than church membership. We are to understand that our fellowship is with the Lord. And that fellowship is seen in one another.
I realize that this can be difficult for someone to grasp. But we must try. We must understand that our fellowship with Bob is fellowship with Jesus. That the way we share life with Sandy is the way in which we share life with Jesus. You can insert any name into the sentence, but the reality is that when we join ourselves to a particular group of people, we are joining in the fellowship of Jesus. Those who have a deep reverence for the Father, who have chosen to follow the Son, are filled with His Holy Spirit, and are learning to do life together. With that being said, when we walk away from these people we are also walking away from Jesus.
I get it. Some people will take offense at that last statement. However, it doesn't make it any less true. That's why leaving a particular fellowship should be difficult. We should really consider who we are walking away from. A difficult concept to grasp in America. Simply because church is more of a consumer product in the states. We tend to look for groups who carry our ideals, our values, our style of worship and ministry. In other words, we look for people who are just like us in what they believe, think, and how they communicate those things. Don't believe me? Think about this statement that I heard the other day: "Christianity started with the Jews where it was a lifestyle. Then it move to Greece where it became philosophy. From there to Rome it became an institution. Onward to Europe it became culture, and then to America where it has become a commodity." When our faith becomes a commodity, it doesn't matter where we practice it or who we practice with. Such is the devaluing of this thing called church.
This way of doing church is foreign to the Bible. The early believers knew nothing like this. There was no driving 30-45 minutes to join a particular fellowship while we passed by 30 others along the way. The church was the group of people who met in their community. This was their lifeline. Their expression of the nature of Christ. These people lived together, worked together, knew each other intimately, and were learning how to do life together. They also didn't have hundreds of thousands of preachers waiting in the wings to come pastor them. They had the apostles, the ones that were being discipled by the apostles, and each other. Radically different. Which is one of the reasons that many of the letters to the early church dealt with discipline issues. These people had to learn how to share life in the Christian sense: forgiving, encouraging, admonishing, teaching, etc. There was nowhere else to go, and no one else to go to.
Our Heavenly Father has called us into the fellowship of His Son. We call it church. This group of people was meant to be more than just a group that we gather with one day a week. They are the visible representation of Jesus to the world and one another. Each of them carrying an aspect of His nature that is incomplete without the other. Learning how to share life together meant that we could function as a Body. And when the Body is fully functioning, that is when the Head (Jesus) is clearly seen.
Please understand that I know it's not always possible to stay connected to the same church. I realize that people move, go through different seasons of life, etc. What I'm trying to point out is that this church shopping plague that has infiltrated the church needs to be remedied. In America we trade church members like little kids used to trade baseball cards. Everybody is looking for a better fit. Trying to find something that works for everybody in the family. Some families go to one church for preaching, another one for youth ministry, and another for something else. We do this rather than investing ourselves into the very fabric of the church. We have become consumers. And the church has to sell a good product.
I could go on and on about this subject. I've seen this way of doing church play out over 20+ years of ministry. In fact, 15 years of doing ministry in the same place with the same people has taught me a lot. There are very few people who are in it for the long haul. Yet the church was meant for so much more. It should be a place where we are challenged in our faith, encouraged to go deeper, and admonished to share our own insights about the life of Christ. Where we can think differently, express different ideas, and genuinely share love for one another. It is a place of learning, of stretching, and following the examples set by those who have been at this way of life much longer than we have. We often forget that the early church was learning so much. They didn't have a Bible. All they had was the witness and guidance of the Apostles along with the Holy Spirit. They were learning what it meant to hear from the Lord and to give expression to it. They were growing by leaps and bounds, and evangelizing the known world. Each group had their own expression. Unique in their culture. Diverse in their gifts. All a part of something so much greater than themselves.
The church. It's not perfect. We have mishandled a lot of things over the past 2,000 years. At times we have forgotten our identity. Allowed ourselves to be used by the world's systems. Turned on ourselves. And been a part of many injustices through the years. But the reality is that we were meant for more. Created to be the visible re-presentation of Jesus to the world. Designed to carry His image and likeness. Brought together to provide a safe haven for those seeking to know the Lord in a real and genuine way. We still have a lot to learn. However, we cannot do the Christian life properly without it. We need other believers. We need relationship with Spirit filled followers of Jesus. We need koinonia.
WHAT IF...
We stopped trying to control everything?
We allowed the Holy Spirit to work freely among us?
We made Jesus the center of attention?
We were less concerned with denomination and more concerned with knowing Him?
We were willing to give ourselves completely to the fellowship?
We loved the church the same way Jesus loved the church?
We humbled ourselves and were willing to be teachable?
We gave space for people to express their faith?
We learned to honor the very life of Jesus in our brothers?
We determined that there was so much more than just "going to church"?
We decided to BE the church?
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