The Church

This Sunday night we started a new study on the church at BBC. During this study it is my goal to help us at BBC rethink what "church" is. Not that things are wrong in our understanding now but I believe it is imperative that the local churches restate and study what it is they are doing. During the summer we will look at what the church is and what the church does. After studying Acts 2 I came up with what I think is a great definition of what the church is.

The Church- A devoted body of believers that gather together in unity to grow in biblical knowledge, encouraging one another, while worshiping the risen Christ under the guidance of appointed leaders.

Lots of things can be stated about the local church, but I think this sums up what the church is.

I want to look at this word devoted. This is where lots of churches struggle, in being devoted to their local church. We know what the word devoted means and we even know how to be devoted to something, ie. facebook, TV, sports, you get the picture. But are we devoted to our local church. In other words are we in love with the church and the church people?

It is a great mystery to me that people can join into the local church and be set on fire with serving the church only to disappear after 6 months of service. Maybe as I grow as a pastor I will learn the answer to this great mystery. I am under the conviction that when you understand the gospel and what Christ has done for you that you will do nothing else but worship. Worship in the form of giving, singing, studying and of course serving. But we toss this Christian term out "burn out" which really means I've lost sight of the gospel and people are not praising my work anymore so I am gonna back out for sometime and I may or may not return. I am forever grateful for those Sunday School teachers and pastors that never "burned out" and continue to serve to this day.

To wrap this post up...a local church based on the New Testament model is a DEVOTED body of believers.....and don't forget because they were devoted "the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved." Acts 2:47