Devotional 7-31-15

Maturing as Christians and the CHURCH

Read Ephesians 4:1-16

Paul is writing this letter to the believers in Ephesus some 60 years after Christ’s Resurrection.  In Chapter 4, he speaks of maturing as Christians. How we have been called to live as Christ lived his life? One of love, gentleness, patience and acceptance. We are of one body and one spirit.  We have all been given different gifts to use as one body. Some preach, some teach, some prophecy and some are evangelists.  We are called to use all of these for the CHURCH and to bring others into the CHURCH.  And to continue doing so until we mature as adults in the fullness of Christ.  We are to no longer be as a child who can be tricked into other beliefs.  We are to:

¹⁵Instead, by speaking the truth with love, let’s grow in every way into Christ, ¹⁶who is the head. The whole body grows from him, as it is joined and held together by all the supporting ligaments. The body makes itself grow in that it builds itself up with love as each one does its part. Ephesians 4:15-16

But what is the church?  Is it a building? A steeple? Is it a place of rest?  No “It Is THE PEOPLE”. The church Johnson Memorial UMC would not have existed if it were not for the people who started it over One Hundred and Thirty years ago.  It would not still exist today if it were not for the PEOPLE of JM.  The building is not the CHURCH, the CHURCH is wherever the PEOPLE of JM gather.  Just as the Refrain from “I am The Church” says:

I am the church! You are the church!
We are the church together!
All who follow Jesus,
all around the world!
Yes, we're the church together!

JM is not a CHURCH all alone, we are a part of the Universal Church, in every corner of this vast world of ours.  We may not always agree with each other, but the message from God is that we are to love one another, accept one another, live in one Spirit and become like Christ.  And as we bring others into our CHURCH we bring them with: Love, Gentleness, Acceptance and Patience. All of the qualities of how Christ LIVED !!!

The song “One Bread One Body” written by John Michael Talbot is one which we have sung at JM many times.  It is special to me because it sums up how I feel about the CHURCH.

Refrain
One bread, one body,
one Lord of all,
one cup of blessing which we bless.
And we, though many,
throughout the earth,
we are one body in this one Lord.

1. Gentile or Jew,
servant or free,
woman or man, no more.

2. Many the gifts,
many the works,
one in the Lord of all.

3. Grain for the fields,
scattered and grown,
gathered to one, for all.
Pray for the CHURCH………… that we will all be one in Christ and like Christ.  Amen

Have a very blest week.
Fred Herr