The Hallmarks of the Church - Part II

The church, as (1) the Body of Christ (Ephesians 1:23), (2) the family of God (Ephesians 2:19), and (3) the Temple of God (growing build, dwelling place for God) (Ephesians 2:20-22), is marked by worship to God, spiritual growth through the Word, love and communion for each other, and sharing of the Good News to the lost:
 

1. The Worshipping Church: The church ought to do everything "for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). See last week's newsletter for a larger discussion on this.
2. The Learning Church: An essential part of the Great Commission is to teach the disciple of Christ to observe all that Jesus had taught. See last week's newsletter for a larger discussion on this.
3. The Loving Church: These aspects of the church are not independent of each other. Being a worshipping church will naturally lead to a learning church. Being a worshipping and a learning church will lead to a loving church. In other words, the church cannot be loving without being a worshipping and learning church. One of the commands we are taught in the Scripture is to love one another as Christ has loved us (John 13:34). The Acts 2 Church was a loving church. They were continually devoting themselves to fellowship. The word in Greek for fellowship is "koinonia" from which we get the name of our church. It refers to Christian communion, with God and with fellow believers. It has elements of both sharing and connectedness. The Acts 2 Church held everything in common and sold their property to help those in need. This is not Marxism/Socialism/Communism. In fact, koinonia is antithetical to such ideology because while Socialism/Communism says, "what's yours is mine", koinonia says, "what's mine is yours." Communion and sharing by definition is NOT compelled nor forced. It is an expression of sacrificial love to others in the faith. The church by definition must be loving in order to reflect the nature of its Lord and to be in obedience to His new command. If the un-worshipping church is idolatrous, and the un-learning church is heretical, the un-loving church is apostate. That, ironically, is clearly demonstrated in churches who, although over-emphasize being a loving church, show a superficial love that does not stem out of an authentic worship to the Lord and genuine grounding in the Word of God. This false love will tolerate sin and accept aberrations in the lives of others as clearly seen in "affirming" churches.
4. The Evangelizing Church: If the church, the Bride of Christ, is worshipping her Lord, sitting at His feet (in a manner of speaking) to learn, and obeys Him in loving within and without, she cannot help but to obey His Great Commission in making disciples and evangelizing the lost. Lack of interest in evangelism betrays an attitude of selfishness and lack of devotion to our Lord and even an lack of gratitude for what His sacrifice. Over-emphasizing evangelism without being a worshipping, growing, loving church leads a church that is more interested in being "relevant" than in making disciples who obeys all that Christ had taught. It leads a church that preaches a kinder and softer kind-of Jesus who does not offend anyone. It leads to a church that produces false converts.

 
In response to these four aspects of the church, here are some questions to ask yourself:
1. Are you sanctifying (i.e., hallowing, worshipping, honoring, and revering) Christ as Lord in your hearts (1 Peter 3:15)?
2. Are you devoting yourself to the Apostles’ doctrine by studying the Word and living it out?
3. Are you loving those in your church as Christ loves you?
4. Do you have a heart for those who do not know the Lord and are you taking personal responsibility for the Great Commission?