The church is not a building. 1 Timothy 5


The church is not a building.

1 Timothy 5

When the word “church” comes up in conversation, the first thing we think of is a building. We have this mindset that church is a place we go to on Sabbaths. As we get our family dressed, fight through traffic and get a good seat, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that we aren’t just going to church; we are the church.

In 1 Timothy 5, Paul describes the church as people dedicated to doing whatever it takes to reach out and help others. We have a responsibility to serve and help others in need as the church. Caring for each other as well as those outside of the church is the quickest way to see Jesus change lives. Too often, we see a need and wait for the pastor or someone on staff to take responsibility. But that’s not the way church works.

Each of us has been given skills, abilities and opportunities to serve. In Timothy’s church, for example, the women ran a widows ministry (1 Timothy 5:16), and elders directed church affairs while others were devoted just to teaching and preaching (1 Timothy 5:17).

In the Bible, church is always a reference to people, not a place. The church is a body of believers that live out the Gospel in their words and actions. The church is at its best when people inside the building take Jesus’ message outside the building and serve those they meet.

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Comments

  1. Marc BertrandMarch 1, 2020 at 5:25 AM

    WHERE ARE GOD'S PEOPLE?
    The man sitting across from me was sharing his thoughts earnestly.
    "I used to think that God's people were just scattered all through the various denominations," he exclaimed. "However, the more I read the Bible, the more I feel there must be a true Church somewhere on earth composed of people who really do what the Bible says. But how can I know? How can I be sure where God is working today?"
    Now, the big question is: How can you know? How can you be sure?
    Today, many churches call themselves Christian. Some practice baptism by immersion in water. Others just "sprinkle" or pour water on the head of baptismal candidates. Many churches keep what they call the "Lord's Supper" every Sunday morning. Others observe this custom once a month or quarterly, or only once a year.
    Most churches observe Sunday as their day of worship, while a few observe the Sabbath from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset. Others say that the day of worship does not matter at all.
    Churches are called by all kinds of names: Episcopal, Baptist, Holiness, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Catholic, Methodist, Pentecostal and others. More importantly, the various churches of this world have different concepts of God. Some feel that God is a fierce autocrat who roasts sinners in an ever-burning hellfire. Others think of God as simply the "divine spark" that somehow started all life but that has very little to do with everyday events and does not care about mankind's "lifestyle." Yet these differing churches all call themselves "Christian"—they use the name of Christ.
    Does it make any difference? Has God left it up to human beings to search out and call their churches by various names, and come up with various days upon which to worship, various modes of baptism and different doctrinal teachings?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Marc BertrandMarch 1, 2020 at 5:26 AM

    Does God have anything to say about all of this? Yes, He does!

    ReplyDelete

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