Transcript
I don't know about you, but I would imagine you're like me. I miss Sunday mornings. I love Sunday mornings. I love gathering with God's people. I love the greetings. I love the pre-service conversations. I love hearing somebody next to me singing the gospel into my ears. I love the preaching of God's word as we walk our way through a portion of Scripture. I love the gospel. I love fellowshipping around the Lord's table. I love it all! And I've realized that as much as I'm thankful for the livestream of our Sunday services, it's not the same.
The Church Is Not the Building
But here's what I think is so important to remember in this weird, unusual, once-in-a-lifetime situation that we're going through. It's that the church is not the building. We call it going to church and that's probably a misnomer. If you look at the biblical view of the church, the way the New Testament talks about the church, the church is the gathered people of God; not just gathered on Sunday, but gathered together by the Lord of the church, Jesus Christ.
We are the church. And so that means that the gathering, that we can't be part of because of this virus, isn't the essence of the church. It's a very, very important part. And we should never ever replace that gathering but we need to remember that the church goes on. The church is the people of God. The church is the mutual ministry of the people of God. The church is the gifts in relationship to the people of God. The church is the love of the people of God. The church is the grace of the people of God. The church is the truth of the people of God, given one to another.
And so during this moment, we should be the church. We should ask ourselves, "How can I be an ongoing part of what the church is supposed to be?" Listen, the work of the church marches on, the work of the gospel marches on, the work of the kingdom of God marches on; nothing can stand in the way of what God has called His church to do and His church to be.
How You Can Be the Church
How can you be the church? God makes His invisible grace visible by sending people of grace to give grace to people who need grace. That's the work of the church. Who in your life would benefit from a word of grace? God makes His invisible love visible by sending people of love, to give love to people who need love. Who could benefit in your life from an act of love, even if you can't be near them? God makes His wisdom speak clearly, as people loaded with biblical wisdom bring that wisdom to people who need wisdom.
May we not be passive. May we not think that the pandemic has suspended the existence and the work of the Church of Jesus Christ. The Church lives because the people of God live. And I would say, don't settle for just surviving your way through this pandemic, be the Church of Jesus Christ, do the work of the Church of Jesus Christ, and you watch what God will do through you.
