The Emerywood Pulpit
“What Does It Mean to be Church?”
Acts 4: 32-37; I John 2: 3-11
What we are seeing, I believe, is more than a conversation about a particular theological bent or worship style. It goes far deeper, even to the core of what it means to be church. In recent years primarily our young and educated adults (millennials) are saying that, on the whole, they see no real need for the institutional church in their lives, regardless of theology or worship style. They believe that they can worship God, do good works, and provide spiritual and moral education for their children, i.e., live good moral and productive lives, apart from the framework of church. Rather than see the church as the primary place (or even a partner) for their spiritual development and expression they see the church as unnecessary to spiritual and ethical development.
We could spend the next month asking and answering the question of Why? And, to be quite honest, we will. Over the next month we will be discussing in our sermon time exactly this question. Or, more to the point, we will be engendering conversations around these questions. Here are the sermon topics:
• What Does It Mean to be Church?
• What Does it Mean to be a Baptist Church?
• What Does It Mean to be a Baptist Church in the 21st Century? (Meg Lacy preaching!)
• What Does It Mean to be Emerywood Baptist Church in the 21st Century?
The question of what it means to be church goes to the heart of this issue of millennials and church involvement. I believe that the rejection of the church by a significant number of millennials is a sign that we, as the church, have gone “off-track.” Rather than blame the millennials, let’s take a hard look at ourselves and see what we see. Are we as missional in our faith practice as a church as we claim to be? Have we lost the New Testament sense of what it means to be church? Have we become more concerned with institutional survival than purpose?
The Centrality of Jesus Christ
In the our Acts text we find the church growing by leaps and bounds. They have come together as those who have pledged themselves to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Though they begin as a Jewish sect, this does not last long and the church undergoes vigilant persecution from both Jewish and later Roman foes. Rather than divide or destroy the church, the persecution has served to pull the church together in an incredible show of commonality and fellowship:
Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed
private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. With
great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great
grace was upon them all.1
These early followers of Christ were united around one primary belief: that the Risen Jesus Christ was the Messiah, their Lord and Savior, and that through Jesus they received forgiveness from sin and the gift of eternal life. Theologically they were focused on the resurrection of Jesus Christ and what that meant in terms of God’s presence and activity in the world. They believed that through this resurrection came God’s statement of approval of Jesus: that in Jesus Christ was the fulness of God and in his teaching was the truth of God. Salvation and eternal life, the way to God, was to be found in Jesus Christ.
Did these earlier Christians always agree on what this proposition meant? Not in the least. The church in Jerusalem wanted to impose the ethical and ritual codes of Judaism upon all believers. Paul thought this to be incompatible with a gospel which proclaimed that salvation was by grace through faith and not based on works. Did they always understand exactly who Jesus was and how he was both divine and human? No. They argued for over 300 years about this...an argument which continues to the present.
The centrality of Jesus Christ as Risen Lord and Savior is unmistakable to any reader of the New Testament. Whether in Jerusalem, Corinth, or Thessalonica, the church was comprised of those who claimed belief in and adherence to Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Whether of a pagan or Jewish background mattered little; they focused on Jesus as the center of their faith and practice. They committed their lives to worship, trust and obey Jesus. They were centered in and focused upon Jesus the Christ.
If we are to be the church today in any valid sense, then we must focus upon Christ as the center of our faith and practice as well. Our community is not to be found in political agenda or theological certainty, but in our faith and trust in Jesus Christ. When as a little boy I gave my life to Christ, the minister did not ask me my theology or if I affirmed a particular creed. What he asked me was quite simple: “Do you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior.” This is central to a church which claims the name of Christ.
A People Who
The next aspect that we notice of the early church is that it is a “people who,” and not a “place where.” If we had visited any of the early cities in Asia Minor after Paul’s visits and asked where the church was located, they would have looked at us with amazement. These early Christians met in their personal homes, on river banks, and even in the synagogues and temple porch for a while. For these church was a community, a people who were united around Christ Jesus. Christianity is a faith of holy people — those who have been cleansed and transformed by the atonement of Christ — and not a faith of holy places. Places are holy only when worship is taking place and God is there, among God’s people.
These early followers of Christ were united around one primary belief: that the Risen Jesus Christ was the Messiah, their Lord and Savior, and that through Jesus they received forgiveness from sin and the gift of eternal life. Theologically they were focused on the resurrection of Jesus Christ and what that meant in terms of God’s presence and activity in the world. They believed that through this resurrection came God’s statement of approval of Jesus: that in Jesus Christ was the fulness of God and in his teaching was the truth of God. Salvation and eternal life, the way to God, was to be found in Jesus Christ.
Did these earlier Christians always agree on what this proposition meant? Not in the least. The church in Jerusalem wanted to impose the ethical and ritual codes of Judaism upon all believers. Paul thought this to be incompatible with a gospel which proclaimed that salvation was by grace through faith and not based on works. Did they always understand exactly who Jesus was and how he was both divine and human? No. They argued for over 300 years about this...an argument which continues to the present.
The centrality of Jesus Christ as Risen Lord and Savior is unmistakable to any reader of the New Testament. Whether in Jerusalem, Corinth, or Thessalonica, the church was comprised of those who claimed belief in and adherence to Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Whether of a pagan or Jewish background mattered little; they focused on Jesus as the center of their faith and practice. They committed their lives to worship, trust and obey Jesus. They were centered in and focused upon Jesus the Christ.
If we are to be the church today in any valid sense, then we must focus upon Christ as the center of our faith and practice as well. Our community is not to be found in political agenda or theological certainty, but in our faith and trust in Jesus Christ. When as a little boy I gave my life to Christ, the minister did not ask me my theology or if I affirmed a particular creed. What he asked me was quite simple: “Do you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior.” This is central to a church which claims the name of Christ.
A People Who
The next aspect that we notice of the early church is that it is a “people who,” and not a “place where.” If we had visited any of the early cities in Asia Minor after Paul’s visits and asked where the church was located, they would have looked at us with amazement. These early Christians met in their personal homes, on river banks, and even in the synagogues and temple porch for a while. For these church was a community, a people who were united around Christ Jesus. Christianity is a faith of holy people — those who have been cleansed and transformed by the atonement of Christ — and not a faith of holy places. Places are holy only when worship is taking place and God is there, among God’s people.
In her better moments the church has always seen herself as a people who. Whether building
hospitals, feeding the poor, educating people or providing clothing, the church has always been at
its best when it is a people who. When the church saw herself as a people with a purpose, she
lifted herself above and beyond her sights. The great German theologian Emil Brunner said it well
when he stated: “The church exists by mission as a fire exists by burning.” Another has coined an
alliterative phrase to signify the task of the church: “To Worship, Work and Witness.” We gather to
do these and we scatter in doing them...but we are still the church, wherever we are.
Relationship with Jesus Christ
As a people who believe in and follow Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we claim to have experienced the new birth in Jesus Christ. Being church is about the centrality of Jesus Christ. The church is a group of people who not only affirm Jesus as Savior and Lord, but who have experienced his forgiveness and the transformation of the new birth in the depth of their souls. This experience is crucial to who we are as church — and always has been.
Too often we think that we are Christians because we grew up in a Christian home or even in what many call a “Christian nation.” In the 17th century Denmark considered herself to be a “Christian nation.” Her great theologian and philosopher, Soren Kierkegaard, lamented this fact. He noted that if you asked a Dane if they were a Christian, they would reply, “Of course...I am a Dane.” His lament revolved around the fact that they assumed the faith of others was sufficient for their own faith. The result of this was a lot of “admirers” of Jesus, but not a lot of “followers.” Kierkegaard wrote:
If you have any knowledge at all of human nature, you know that those who only admire the truth will, when danger appears, become traitors. The admirer is infatuated with the false security of greatness; but if there is any inconvenience or trouble, he pulls back. Christ, however, never asked for admirers, worshippers, or adherents. He consistently spoke of "followers" and “disciples." It's one thing to admire Christ; quite another to follow him.2
The challenge for us today is that often we find ourselves in this same boat. Yes, the church has been filled with more admirers than followers of Christ — always has been. Too often we find people who, in the life of the church, display arrogance rather than humility, somehow believing that they know best and that their way is the only way. These may deeply admire Christ, but they are missing that key relationship with Christ that transforms all that we do and are. What I hear from younger adults, millennials, is that they are tired of being in churches more filled with admirers than followers. They are tired of seeing the arrogance of small-minded people who demand their way. These younger adults are stressed by a world seemingly coming apart at the seams and they have no time or energy to be a part of such trivialization. When the cause of Christ is secondary to the institutional church and the demands of “admirers,” the church will die. Every time.
Relationship with One Another
As a “people who” we are bound together by our commonality in Christ — our experience of Christ as Lord and Savior. All racial, ethnic, socio-economic, political and other “tribal” identities
Relationship with Jesus Christ
As a people who believe in and follow Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we claim to have experienced the new birth in Jesus Christ. Being church is about the centrality of Jesus Christ. The church is a group of people who not only affirm Jesus as Savior and Lord, but who have experienced his forgiveness and the transformation of the new birth in the depth of their souls. This experience is crucial to who we are as church — and always has been.
Too often we think that we are Christians because we grew up in a Christian home or even in what many call a “Christian nation.” In the 17th century Denmark considered herself to be a “Christian nation.” Her great theologian and philosopher, Soren Kierkegaard, lamented this fact. He noted that if you asked a Dane if they were a Christian, they would reply, “Of course...I am a Dane.” His lament revolved around the fact that they assumed the faith of others was sufficient for their own faith. The result of this was a lot of “admirers” of Jesus, but not a lot of “followers.” Kierkegaard wrote:
If you have any knowledge at all of human nature, you know that those who only admire the truth will, when danger appears, become traitors. The admirer is infatuated with the false security of greatness; but if there is any inconvenience or trouble, he pulls back. Christ, however, never asked for admirers, worshippers, or adherents. He consistently spoke of "followers" and “disciples." It's one thing to admire Christ; quite another to follow him.2
The challenge for us today is that often we find ourselves in this same boat. Yes, the church has been filled with more admirers than followers of Christ — always has been. Too often we find people who, in the life of the church, display arrogance rather than humility, somehow believing that they know best and that their way is the only way. These may deeply admire Christ, but they are missing that key relationship with Christ that transforms all that we do and are. What I hear from younger adults, millennials, is that they are tired of being in churches more filled with admirers than followers. They are tired of seeing the arrogance of small-minded people who demand their way. These younger adults are stressed by a world seemingly coming apart at the seams and they have no time or energy to be a part of such trivialization. When the cause of Christ is secondary to the institutional church and the demands of “admirers,” the church will die. Every time.
Relationship with One Another
As a “people who” we are bound together by our commonality in Christ — our experience of Christ as Lord and Savior. All racial, ethnic, socio-economic, political and other “tribal” identities
are removed in Christ. When we become one with Christ we become one with all of those who
claim Jesus Christ, whether we personally like them or not. It is a great tragedy when Christianity
becomes identified with a particular political party or entity in some people’s minds. Nothing
could be further from the truth. There are Republicans who are Christian and Democrats who are
Christian — I’m sure of it for I have friends of each. There are Libertarians who are Christian and
Independents who are Christian. I am even sure that there are Tea Party Christians and Socialist
Christians.
Who is it that can reach across all these boundaries and bring unity? Nothing less than our experience of transformation and new birth in Jesus Christ. Paul put it well: “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!”3 When Jesus Christ comes alive in our hearts and life, then all of our relational identities change. No longer do we identify on the basis of our worldly tribal likenesses. Rather now we see each other as brothers and sisters in Christ.
We live in a time of increasing polarization and tribalization. Rather than technology uniting it is serving to divide us as through technology we live ever more closely and the differences/dangers are magnified. The evils of the world, once thought to be “over there” are now approaching our doorstep in all manner of ways. Particularly they come through the web, the internet, and mass media as we see the violence and fury of anger and hatred unleashed before our very eyes. The answer to these lies not in bombs, soldiers or drones — as helpful as we may think those elements to be. The answer lies in Jesus Christ and in a transformation of the human heart that leads us to see the other as our brother or sister and not as the enemy. If I love the other in Christ, then how can I possibly see them as one to be killed?
If there is any hope for the world, it lies in the gospel message of Jesus Christ. Why do I say that? Simply put, only Christianity proclaims a message of transformation, of new birth, and of a faith centered on a relationship with God in Christ Jesus. As good as Judaism and Islam are, they fall short in my opinion for they do not offer forgiveness and transformation that we have in Christ. Do they offer paths to God? Yes, but from where I stand they are paths which fall short in achieving the goal.
If we would be church, the people who call Jesus “Lord and Savior,” then we must be a community focused on Jesus Christ as the center of our faith. Christian community, i.e., the church, is a people who focus on loving Christ and serving Christ — and in so doing loving and serving the other. Recall our text from I John?
Whoever says, “I am in the light,” while hating a brother or sister, is still in the darkness. Whoever loves a brother or sister lives in the light, and in such a person there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates another believer is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, and does not know the way to go, because the darkness has brought on blindness.
Who is it that can reach across all these boundaries and bring unity? Nothing less than our experience of transformation and new birth in Jesus Christ. Paul put it well: “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!”3 When Jesus Christ comes alive in our hearts and life, then all of our relational identities change. No longer do we identify on the basis of our worldly tribal likenesses. Rather now we see each other as brothers and sisters in Christ.
We live in a time of increasing polarization and tribalization. Rather than technology uniting it is serving to divide us as through technology we live ever more closely and the differences/dangers are magnified. The evils of the world, once thought to be “over there” are now approaching our doorstep in all manner of ways. Particularly they come through the web, the internet, and mass media as we see the violence and fury of anger and hatred unleashed before our very eyes. The answer to these lies not in bombs, soldiers or drones — as helpful as we may think those elements to be. The answer lies in Jesus Christ and in a transformation of the human heart that leads us to see the other as our brother or sister and not as the enemy. If I love the other in Christ, then how can I possibly see them as one to be killed?
- Could it be that the rejection of Christianity by these newfound Islamic terrorists, some of whom are from Western countries, is due to the tired, worn out, institutionalized Christian facade which dominates our landscape?
- Could it be that the gap between our faith and practice, i.e., the reality that our actions do not match our words, has caused many to walk away from Christianity as a viable faith?
If there is any hope for the world, it lies in the gospel message of Jesus Christ. Why do I say that? Simply put, only Christianity proclaims a message of transformation, of new birth, and of a faith centered on a relationship with God in Christ Jesus. As good as Judaism and Islam are, they fall short in my opinion for they do not offer forgiveness and transformation that we have in Christ. Do they offer paths to God? Yes, but from where I stand they are paths which fall short in achieving the goal.
If we would be church, the people who call Jesus “Lord and Savior,” then we must be a community focused on Jesus Christ as the center of our faith. Christian community, i.e., the church, is a people who focus on loving Christ and serving Christ — and in so doing loving and serving the other. Recall our text from I John?
Whoever says, “I am in the light,” while hating a brother or sister, is still in the darkness. Whoever loves a brother or sister lives in the light, and in such a person there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates another believer is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, and does not know the way to go, because the darkness has brought on blindness.
In his commentary on Galatians 6:10, the church father Jerome describes how John the evangelist,
author of the gospel and book of Revelation, preached at Ephesus into his nineties...At that age,
John was so feeble that he had to be carried into the church at Ephesus on a stretcher...when he
could no longer preach a normal sermon, he would lean up on one elbow. The only thing he said
was, “Little children, love one another.” People would then carry him back out of the church.
This continued for weeks, says Jerome. And every week he repeated his one-sentence sermon: “Little children, love one another.” Weary of the repetition, the congregation finally asked, "Master, why do you always say this?"
"Because," John replied, "it is the Lord's command, and if this only is done, it is enough.”4
Another has said it well:
The reality is that it is only authentic, Christ-love which produces the genuine community of the church. Community means caring: caring for people. Dietrich Bonhoeffer says: "He who loves community destroys community; he who loves the brethren builds community.”5 It is in loving and caring for one another, in the flesh, in our likes and dislikes, our good points and our bad, that community is developed. Community comes out of Christ and Christ alone.
Thanks be to God for the church. May the church live up to her high calling in Christ Jesus.
Amen.
1 Acts 4: 33-34
2 S. Kierkegaard, "Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent and Easter"
3 II Corinthians 5: 17
4 Dan. B. Clendenin, Journey with Jesus. http://www.journeywithjesus.net/
5 -Jean Vanier, From Brokeness to Community as posted on the Edge of Enclosure: http://www.edgeofenclosure.org/ proper18a.html
This continued for weeks, says Jerome. And every week he repeated his one-sentence sermon: “Little children, love one another.” Weary of the repetition, the congregation finally asked, "Master, why do you always say this?"
"Because," John replied, "it is the Lord's command, and if this only is done, it is enough.”4
Another has said it well:
The reality is that it is only authentic, Christ-love which produces the genuine community of the church. Community means caring: caring for people. Dietrich Bonhoeffer says: "He who loves community destroys community; he who loves the brethren builds community.”5 It is in loving and caring for one another, in the flesh, in our likes and dislikes, our good points and our bad, that community is developed. Community comes out of Christ and Christ alone.
Thanks be to God for the church. May the church live up to her high calling in Christ Jesus.
Amen.
1 Acts 4: 33-34
2 S. Kierkegaard, "Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent and Easter"
3 II Corinthians 5: 17
4 Dan. B. Clendenin, Journey with Jesus. http://www.journeywithjesus.net/
5 -Jean Vanier, From Brokeness to Community as posted on the Edge of Enclosure: http://www.edgeofenclosure.org/ proper18a.html
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