What attitude should I have to the church?

People come to church for different reasons. We come to hear good teaching, to seek friendship, or to serve with our God-given gifts. We may be looking for strong leadership, good pastoral care or a mission-minded church. Unfortunately, church doesn’t always live up our expectations. We may be disappointed with the leadership or with the teaching. We may feel we won’t be missed if we didn’t turn up.

There are a whole range of reasons why we may be disappointed with church. There isn’t time to deal with all the issues here. What’s important is having the right expectations. And we need to understand the attitude God wants us to have towards his church.

After Peter’s confession of Jesus as the messiah Jesus says, ‘I will build my church’ (Mt 16:18). The ‘church’ Jesus refers to is not a building; rather it’s the community of all true believers for all time. They are those who belong to Jesus and for whom he died (Eph 1:22). The church is therefore not primarily my church or GracePoint church or Burwood church. It is first and foremost Jesus’ church.

As I belong to Jesus, I belong to his church. When Jesus brings me to God the Father he also brings me into a new community. ‘You are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household.’ (Eph 2:19). Adopted as God’s children, we now belong to his family (Rom 8:16). The church is therefore not a voluntary association, just as my membership in my natural family is not voluntary. I attend a family birthday because I belong to that family. I go to church, because I belong to this new spiritual family of God.

As a member of His church, I am called to love this community just as Jesus loves it. We are so precious to him that God bought the church ‘with his own blood’ (Acts 20:28). ‘Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy’ (Eph 5:25-26). The church has been set apart to be his bride (Rev 21:2), to be his holy temple (Eph 2:21). The church is a community of forgiven sinners whom Jesus loves. As he loves it, so must we love the church (Ps 16:3).

As members of the church, God has given each of us gifts to serve this family (Rom 12:4-8). God’s purpose is to build up the body of Christ to full maturity in Him. The church is built up not only through the pastors and teachers, but as every member uses their gifts to serve the body. ‘For in him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love as each part does it’s work’ (Eph 4:16).  Every member serves by attending, giving, encouraging others, welcoming newcomers, and praying for our ministry (Heb 10:24-25). Romans 12:4-8 lists other ways you can serve.

Lastly, God calls us to seek the unity of the body. ‘Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace’ (Eph 4:2-6). Coming from different backgrounds, it’s sometimes hard to get along with members of my spiritual family. The same can be true of our natural family relationships. But God’s will is that we work hard. That we make every effort to be united through being ‘completely humble’, gentle, patient, bearing with one another in love.’

Don’t judge church by your experience. Learn to view it from God’s perspective. Remember God’s call for you to love, serve and live out the unity we already have in Christ. It’s not always easy, but it’s everyone’s responsibility.