The Dearest Place on Earth
It seems we only hear about the church in the news when there is a scandal or moral failing. And while these are certainly problems that need to be addressed, let us not forget there is much beauty within the body of Christ that doesn’t make headlines.
“The church is a unique institution set up by God himself for his specific purposes. There is nothing else like it.”
The church is a unique institution set up by God himself for his specific purposes. There is nothing else like it. Where else do members meet together weekly for singing and teaching? Where else is there a bond based not on social status, race, or poverty levels but rather on our redemption in Christ? Where else is there an expectation of love for neighbor and self-sacrifice for the sake of others? Where else do men and women consider themselves part of an eternal family?
Charles Spurgeon states:
If I had never joined a church till I had found one that was perfect, I should never have joined one at all; and the moment I did join it, if I had found one, I should have spoiled it, for it would not have been a perfect church after I had become a member of it. Still, imperfect as it is, it is the dearest place on earth to us.
With all we’ve seen and heard, the church doesn’t always feel like the dearest place. Like an invisible virus, our depravity infects even a God-given institution, often in hurtful ways. In spite of this epidemic, the Lord continues to sanctify his bride and wash her with the Word, “that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:27). Some blemishes remain for now, but I see glimpses of the great work the Lord is doing through his bride.
Stories of Transformation
God has uniquely called and equipped the church to declare his greatness and the good news of the gospel.
I see the glory of God on display through his church when a 96-year-old tells me, with tears in her eyes, how much she’s learning from Bible study each week. She never picked up a Bible until the Lord saved her as an 80-year-old, and now she hungers for the Word. I see God’s glory on display when two people who were at odds work through their differences and forgive one another so they can take the Lord’s Supper together. When the power of the gospel changes the life of someone who had been drunk every single day for forty straight years. And when a Sunday school teacher labors over a lesson fully aware of her own inadequacies yet trusting that God can powerfully work through her.
“I’ve seen God restore marriages tarnished by betrayal and adultery when there seemed to be no hope for reconciliation. ”
And I see the glory of God on display through his church when my three-year-old randomly blurts out passages of Scripture he memorized in Sunday school that I wasn’t aware he knew. When a pastor believes in the power of God’s Word and the promise that God will use it to build his church, so he continues to preach God’s Word regardless of the consequences. When a family with young children leaves behind a well-paying job and the comfort of living in the U.S. to take the gospel to the nations. And when a group of men love their friend enough to confront him about a sin issue that has blinded him, when they are willing to risk being called judgmental or unloving for the sake of rescuing their brother from the devastating effects of sin.
Stories of Servanthood
Just before his crucifixion, Jesus assumed a position nobody else wanted: a servant. He knelt down to wash his disciples’ filthy feet. He then commanded them (and us) to go and do likewise.
The church displays the beauty of our master’s servant heart when a group of ladies crochets hats and give them to kids in our local schools in need of winter clothing. When a deacon spends his off day removing a fallen tree from a widow’s yard. When someone sacrificially plans and prepares an entire meal for a family grieving the loss of a loved one. When a senior adult spends Saturday morning attending a service for the homeless. She labors to provide enough bagged lunches so that everyone leaves with a meal. When a retired man spends over ten hours a week doing odd jobs around the church without any compensation. And when adults give up precious summer hours to dress in first-century garb and sing and dance with children at VBS.
I marvel at the church’s beauty as I play dominos with a white man in his 80s and two black ladies in their 70s. Each time we score, we slam the domino down and engage in friendly banter as if there were no such thing as racial or generational barriers. I’ve seen God restore marriages tarnished by betrayal and adultery when there seemed to be no hope for reconciliation. Time would fail me to tell of the many other wondrous ways the church shines the light of Christ and impacts the local community. I know, by God's grace, many of you have stories like this from your churches too.
Each week, God’s people gather together bloody and bruised from the difficulties of life to refocus our hearts and minds on the good news of the gospel and the hope we have in Christ. Precious saints, the Lord has blessed us with the local church, so let us rejoice and give thanks for such a sweet gift!
Are there problems in the church? Of course. Is the church always a perfect depiction of Christ? No. Just like individual Christians, that won’t happen fully in this life. Nonetheless, catching a glimpse of the beauty of the church and the many ways the Lord is at work reminds me that in spite of her imperfections, the church truly is the dearest place on earth.
James Williams serves as Associate Pastor at FBC Atlanta, Texas, and as a GCD staff writer. He and his wife, Jenny, are blessed with four children and are actively involved in foster care. He is passionate about beholding the beauty of our Lord and helping others do the same. He enjoys writing, running, and gardening. You can follow James Twitter or his blog where he writes regularly.