Church? Where is Church?
Posted on June 22, 2017 by Graeme Wilson in Freedom Fighters
“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18 (NKJV)
Where is the church today? Well, there seems to be about 2,000 different professing Christian “church organizations” in buildings all across America who say they are “a church” but none dare to call themselves “the church” that Jesus declared He was building some 2,000 years ago. Now that doesn’t answer the location question, but it does speak to the volume of churches we seem to have available. So, are any of them the “wrong church” to go to? Well I bet you just answered that question faster than I just typed it. I mean just turn on the idiot box (that’s TV in English) and you can see a-many of them with the press of a button. But that’s not church, now is it?
Maybe you’re sitting there saying, “They can’t all be wrong” but then by the same token they can’t all be right either. So where is the church that Jesus Christ built? Well, it is on the Earth today, but how do we find it, what do we look for, how do we identify it, and how do we know if we see it are all questions that we must ask ourselves. And if I may be so daring, I would also say that if you look to building/organization as source to locate the church, then I may have to say you’re as lost as I am with the question of where is the church today. Going to “church” has been a part of me for a long time, both Catholic and Protestant, and I am still trying to grasp the entire concept of the church that Jesus Christ, Himself, built.
For the sake of context, open your Bibles and turn to Luke 12 and read verses 22-40…got it? Good. I would like to zone in on verse 32, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.” Now the challenge here is to figure out who is this “little flock.” Matthew Henry would say of the matter, “If we value the beauty of holiness, we shall not crave the luxuries of life. Let us then examine whether we belong to this little flock.” So, if we were to run ourselves through Luke 12:22-40, do we find ourselves caring too much for the stuff that has no eternal value? Then maybe we’re not in the little flock and if that is the case are we finding churches that would convict us if we do…hmm?
David C. Pack wrote this quote in his book, Where Is The True Church?, “The respected and accepted churches of this world are so because they teach the popular doctrines and traditions, familiar to the masses.” Then he does go on to say, “By no means could any of these well-known denominations of professing Christianity be considered a “little flock.”’ But I am still scratching my head because I don’t see anything wrong with a little flock here and a little flock there. Kinda like if I said I belong to the Church in Mays Landing NJ. It doesn’t give a denominational name, just the fact that I identify with a group of people who understand what Jesus said in the passage from Luke I mentioned earlier on in today’s Freedom Fighter.
So…I know that I don’t answer the question “Where is the church today” but I am going to start figuring out a few things that, over the next few Freedom Fighters, I will be sharing with you. The titles may different from time to time. but the subject of ‘the church’ will be the content. I may even take a daring dabble at those seven churches found in the Book of Revelation. There is something about them that seems to say so much and since they are being addressed by Jesus Christ Himself there is no better source to go with my question than to the Man Himself. Amen?
Written by Chris Hughes: Chris, a graduate of The Colony of Mercy (11-2003) is married (Kathy) with two adult children (Kevin and Karen) and has been a Freedom Fighter contributor since 2008.
The Daily Bible Reading: Proverbs 4| You can download our 2017 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here
Daily Quote: “The church has lost her testimony. She has no longer anything to say to the world. Her once robust shout of assurance has faded away to an apologetic whisper. She who one time went out to declare now goes out to inquire. Her dogmatic declaration has become a respectful suggestion, a word of religious advice, given with the understanding that it is after all only an opinion and not meant to sound bigoted.” — A.W. Tozer
This Week’s Verse to Memorize:
“Now, my God, I pray, let Your eyes be open and let Your ears be attentive to the prayer made in this place.” 2 Chronicles 6:40
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