Though the first article might have seemed somewhat theologically dry (and I agree with you on that), I believe such foundational knowledge of Scripture regarding the topic of church can actually change our mindset and help breathe life and passion into knowing God’s heart for His Bride. Click here to see the last article, Church 101- The Basics.

Now that we have somewhat established a foundation from which we can work with, it would probably be best to move on to more practical matters. If church is truly about the people of Christ, obviously committed to God’s heart and kingdom purposes, then we have to ask what that means for our everyday lives, right?

To start off, as those in Cornerstone will know, one of my favourite passages concerning a description of God’s intention for church is found in Acts 2:42-47:

⁴² And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. ⁴³ And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. ⁴⁴ And all who believed were together and had all things in common. ⁴⁵ And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. ⁴⁶ And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

When we take a moment to look around, does the church today look much like this? Maybe, or maybe not? One might say, ‘Well, we live in the 21st century today. That was 2,000 years ago. We aren’t supposed to look like that.’ And granted, I understand that we do not dress like those people, we have a bit more technology, and much more opportunity for buildings.

But, ironically, this passage never mentions dress or technology, and, it is interesting to note that the main place of meeting was their homes or a temple that they did not even own. The passage seems to mainly focus on the life of the church, the life of the people – how they wanted to learn what the apostles were teaching, how they wanted to share life together, pray together, celebrate communion, share possessions as needed, go from house to house, and God was even displaying some pretty miraculous wonders in their midst.

Looks a little different from the western church today, does it not?

As a friend of mine aptly stated it once:

‘In Biblical times, the greatest institution upheld was that of the family, and therefore God’s people were referred to and functioned as a family. In 21st century America, the greatest institution of our culture is that of the business, and thus, the Church tends to function as such.’

When I heard that statement, it put into words what I had been feeling for quite some time. If we function as a business, then everything plays out in a pyramid where so and so is at the top, a few slightly lesser important people are under that leader, until we get down to the ‘regulars’ at the bottom.

Now, trust me, I believe in God-ordered leadership, and we need it. But consider the greatest leader in the history of time, that being Jesus, and we see his leadership model was a little different than what is currently expounded in most leadership books today. But I will save that subject for a later time.

When we function as a business, we have to wear our best suits rather than dress as we are. We have to shake hands and simply ask, ‘How are you?’ with the other answering, ‘I’m fine.’ We are fearful of answering much more than that because it might get in the way of business mode. And we then become the ‘Hi and fine church’.

Frank: How are you?
Ted: I’m fine. How are you?
Frank: I’m fine. How is your wife?
Ted: Oh, she’s fine.
Frank: How are your children?
Ted: Oh, they’re fine.
Frank: How’s the dog?
Ted: He’s fine.
Frank: How’s gas prices?
Ted: Oh, they’re fine.

No, wait…You see, we become the ‘Hi and fine church’. Now, of course, we cannot possibly expect to have a deep, God-initiated relationship with everyone. But we want to guard against the danger of being one of the thousands within an institution that functions like a corporate business. (Let me assure you, I have nothing against good businesses and all they provide in the world; I’m just arguing that church is not to look like such.)

Functioning as a business will ultimately see church become mainly about task and not relationship. Yes, I know we have a task to be completed. I want to see the kingdom rule of God extended in all the earth, I want to see others enter into the worship relationship we have entered into, I want God’s purpose accomplished in the earth.

But if we have task without relationship, an unhealthy church will be formed. Just ponder the Trinity – they get on nicely with the task they have committed to, but their relational love for one another is first, and actually makes the task more enjoyable. Just imagine that, if the Spirit wanted to draw someone to the Son, He first had to fill out a request form to do such, complete with insurance coverage in case things did not work out the way the one being drawn so desired.

You see, we do have a call that needs to take place – to come in line with a Biblical understanding of God’s heart for the church, His Bride, His people, His flock. It’s something that is burning in my heart, and I long for it to burn within Cornerstone and the church worldwide.

We might just need to take a little more time reading through the New Testament to discover God’s purpose for church, instead of reading the next top-selling self-help or leadership principled book on the shelf. And, as God’s Spirit breathes while we read, something will begin to happen in our hearts. A renewed passion for the church will arise.

When a minister reads out of the Bible, I am sure that at least nine times out of ten the people who happen to be listening at all hear not what is really being said but only what they expect to hear read. And I think that what most people expect to hear read from the Bible is an edifying story, an uplifting thought, a moral lesson—something elevating, obvious, and boring. So that is exactly what very often they do hear. Only that is too bad because if you really listen…there is no telling what you might hear.

I specifically looked at Abraham, and even more, the insight given to us by the writer to the Hebrews in the New Testament (Hebrews 11:8-10). I noted that, by faith, Abraham saw something quite significant of what God wanted to build. But, even upon entering the land of promise, he still felt as if he were in a foreign land. Ultimately, he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.

Abraham must have seen something, something of what God wanted to build, but he never really saw it fully come into fruition. And that’s what the author of Hebrews tells us in 11:13.

We also find Jesus giving us the hope that He would build His church (Matthew 16:18). And, of course, He has been faithfully doing such as the enthroned Lord and Messiah.

But, if we are truly honest, we can find ourselves building quite contrary to the pattern of God. Or, we could deny such and claim that what we are building in accordance with God’s design. But this will leave us in a rather bad state – deceived.

It’s all around us, for we can either add in lots of things that have nothing to do with the kingdom rule of God or we forget to include certain aspects that should be instrumental.

So, we need to be at that place of seeing what God desires to build. We cannot build based solely upon our particular cultural expression of the faith (though I am all for considering what is relevant to our culture). Nor are we called to build after the pattern of our particular denomination or church circle (although there might be some good things mixed in).

It doesn’t work that way, or it shouldn’t work that way.

We have to see like Abraham saw, participate in what Jesus really wants to build. But that’s hard, for we all have quite a few presuppositions of what we should include and exclude as we participate in the work of God. There might be significant things that are in the way and there might be a plethora of smaller things blocking our vision. But they all stand in the way of truly building after the heart of God.

So we need to take time to press into Him, see and hear what He is doing. If we do so, we will find ourselves doing what the divine Son practised Himself:

So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.” (John 5:19)

I was reading Jeremiah this week (still am, since it is quite long) and the first chapter is quite well-known. But I like these specific words God speaks to Jeremiah:

Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant. (Jeremiah 1:9-10)

What God really made clear to me from this passage is that before we can build properly (or build and plant as Jeremiah was called), at times we need to first see things plucked up and broken down, even destroyed and overthrown.

I believe Jeremiah was aware of this important aspect. He had a calling to build and plant. But, through the words of God, he knew he was going to have to get involved in plucking up and breaking down and destroying and overthrowing before he could take that all-important step to building and planting after the pattern of God.

Yeah, his people were in a mess. But, when I view the calling of the church in all of its glory, I think we are slightly off. We are not so close to the goal of maturity and unity and glory that God so designed for His bride. And that’s why I think Ephesians 4:13 is somewhat eschatalogical. It tells us where we are headed, that huge goal:

…until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

The word until says we are on our way, but we aren’t there just yet.

And sometimes it feels we are very far away.

So, let’s be real with one another – I’ve got things that need to be plucked up and broken down, even destroyed. You’ve got things that need to be plucked up and broken down, even destroyed. I can’t see a proper foundation being laid if we have things already there that need to be removed. There needs to be a healthy DNA structure from the beginning.

I have not really pointed to any particular things that I believe need to be removed before we start building properly, but I think we can think of a few. I’m not talking morality here, though right living is excellent. I’m talking about the things that become so hardened in our minds and hearts as musts as we build. Or I’m thinking of things that we keep off to the side that really need to be a part of this new creation life.

We are ok for Jesus to be in our lives….but only as long as we can stay comfortable.

Our gatherings are not what they should be. Our compassion is not what it should be. Our vision is not what it should be. Our interaction with the third person of the Trinity who resides in us is not what it should be. Our ‘fellowship’ becomes superficial rather than authentic. Our services become super-charged with electric excitement, but they miss the presence of the Spirit Himself. And, oh, we could go on and on.

God forbid He should ever speak this over our lives:

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. (Romans 1:21)

I so passionately desire to build according to the pattern of God, but before we take the steps forward for such, we need to see certain things removed. I mean completely removed and destroyed. For each person and local community, it’s different. But we just need to start realising it’s time for some things to go.

Jesus, help us see what you are building so that whatever is not according to your blueprint, we can see those things, those strongholds, torn down and plucked up. Then, and only then, can we walk out that word to Jeremiah – moving to a place of being able to plant and building correctly.

To be completely honest, I think we get caught up with building things that are not according to the pattern of God. He has a pattern, a blueprint, if you will. But we throw in all these things that either have nothing to do with the way God builds, or the thing that we have brought in is good and acceptable, but we then define it as a must. Both are not helpful.

Many, many years ago, Abraham headed to a land that he had been promised by God. He arrived in that land of promise, but it was still as if he were in a ‘foreign land’ (check out Hebrews 11:9). Something was not fully right.

Why? Because he was ultimately looking for a city whose designer and builder is God (Hebrews 11:10). Though he was looking, probably looking real hard, he never fully found that place, that city. He had seen the heavenly blueprint, but he never was able to see it become an earthly reality (Hebrews 11:13). Oh, he might have seen glimpses of what God had shown him. But he still looked around and things felt foreign.

Jesus also made an interesting statement, one we probably know quite well: ‘I will build my church’ (Matthew 16:18). And there is no doubt that He is the faithful One to build according to pattern of the Father. He has been building according to the heavenly pattern, that being the pattern of God Himself, ever since He arrived on the scene. And I’m simply amazed that He asks us to join in, to participate in what He is building.

But again, if we are honest, we can get so caught up in trying to build something that is not according to the pattern, the blueprint, of God. It’s been happening since the Fall. God has been looking to build this one city after His own pattern. But we miss it so many times. We say the church must have this, must do this, must look like this, must be built like this. Yet, such ideas remain far from the design of God.

Thus, for many, church turns into a building, all the programmes during the week, a certain time slot on Sunday, an institution with a hierarchy, another appointment on the weekly schedule, or a social club. And if we look to build as if this city, this thing known as church, were any of these things, well, we are looking at something mirroring the Tower of Babel.

But we build in such ways because we haven’t seen what Abraham saw, what God really showed him. We build with such a wrong focus because we don’t really know how Jesus wants to build. So, we then pick up so and so’s pattern from the church down the street or that mega-church that comes on television every Sunday morning, and we build according to that pattern. Or maybe we read someone’s book about church planting and we rush out the door with a capitalistic mindset to market our idea (or the author’s idea).

I can only imagine such grieves the Spirit of God.

The most interesting thing about it is that we have a high calling, I mean a HUGE calling: to display the manifold wisdom of God to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places (check out Ephesians 3:10). Read the passage! This is no patty-cake, patty-cake, baker’s man church. This is mind-boggling. An absolutely astounding call!

But most of us still wonder if we will actually get out of bed on Sunday morning to gather with the saints. It’s not as if missing our church’s gathering is some kind of sin. Goodness no! But why would we ever want to really join in on Sunday morning, or a Thursday evening for that matter, if we don’t recognise such a calling? Why wouldn’t we want to live life like we read in Acts 2:42-47 if we don’t understand such a calling?

I suppose we haven’t seen what Abraham saw. I suppose we don’t know what Jesus is building. Church continues to remain an appointment that can be cancelled, a social club that we can decide to skip this week, or reduced to one and a half hours on a Sunday morning. So, of course, we could never imagine anything like what we read in the latter verses of Acts 2.

So many times we just aren’t there. We don’t see the blueprint of God and what He meant when He meant church. We don’t understand why Jesus was really willing to get up on that cross and receive the wrath of the Father on our behalf.

Abraham and Jesus saw something, but I’m not sure we have ourselves.

We fall short of building as God builds, thus leaving us short of this magnificent calling that we read about in Ephesians.

Yet, if we could just get a glimpse and see what God really wants to build and, then, build according to that blueprint of God, the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places will look on in awe at the wisdom of God displayed in the church. They will take a step back and say, ‘Wow, God. You are truly wise.’

Sounds lofty, doesn’t it? But you know it starts in the small things – serving, reconciliation with others we’ve been estranged from, brokenness over sin, seeking God in prayer. I quote these words of Hudson Taylor a lot, but let’s hear them a gain: Little things are little things, but faithfulness in little things are big things.

It doesn’t start with the next vision for revival in Manhattan or Chicago or Los Angeles. I will greatly welcome those if they come. But it starts by simply seeing what God is building, what His blueprint is, not someone else’s. And we get this blueprint by starting in Scripture, not in the books and videos being released with the latest Christian trends. I want church as Jesus meant it, not the iPad version.

So, what are we building? Or, better yet, how are we building?

I hunger to have the vision Abraham had. I’m hungry to see the blueprint of what Jesus meant when He meant church, what Jesus gave His life for. And then I want to live it out with grace and passion and full life and compassion.

Help us, Jesus.

You can also listen to my message from this past Sunday by downloading it from Cornerstone’s podcast or from iTunes. You can also click on the icon in this blog article below.