The Church Without a Body

As a pastor, the theology behind what makes a church is often on my mind. I see people disembodied from a local church and lacking in attendance for months, and even years, yet still claiming allegiance to a local body of believers. This always strikes me as odd. Christ compares the members of the church to a human body (1 Corinthians 12:12). If that is true, how long would an appendage or organ have to be missing from a body before the body no longer considered the missing piece part of it any more? 

Christ compares the relationship of the church to Christ to that of a husband and wife. (Ephesians 5:22-32) if that is true, how long would a spouse need to live separated from his spouse before the other stopped considering them their spouse?  

In Total Church. Tim Chester says it this way: 

“By becoming a Christian, I belong to God and I belong to my brothers and sisters. It is not that I belong to God and then make a decision to join a local church. My being in Christ means being in Christ with those others who are in Christ. This is my identity. This is our identity. If the church is the body of Christ, then we should not live as disembodied Christians.” 

Why is it so hard for us to commit to the relationships, discipleship, service, and worship that takes place within the local church? I think it comes down to the same reason that we have difficulties with our bodies and within our marriages and it is summed up in one word: work. it takes hard work to maintain a healthy marriage and it takes a lot of work to maintain a healthy body. On top of all of the work is the outside influences of a sinful world and our own sinful hearts. 

Most people are willing to make a one-time commitment to exercise or eat healthy, however, it's workouts after tiring days and healthy eating in the face of tasty food that shows the commitment. Most people are willing to say a string of vows and swear to love someone else on a special day, however, it is the daily service and dying to self that adds up to years of true love that frames those vows into a place where a loving home is built.

Laying our lives down for Christ rarely happens in a singular moment of sacrifice. It's infinite moments of small sacrifices and daily choosing to surrender and submit to Christ. To read more on the concept of dying to self daily, Paul Tripp handles this with more experience and grace than I will here.

Most believers are willing to join a local body, however, the real place where feet are put to faith is in the dying to self, the daily picking up of our cross and following Christ. What does this look like? It's the tired 80+ year old cancer survivor who still faithfully attends Bible study when she could easily teach it, yet also faithfully prepares food for the youth group. It's the young man who attends church alone, week after week, because he's the only believer in his family, worshiping gladly. It's the family who attends, week after week, though there isn't much in the way of children's activities and often there aren't more than a handful of people their own age.

What makes us a church? Jesus. We believe, plain and simple, that what Jesus has done in and for us, has changed us forever and we have to worship him in the study of His word and the songs lifted from our souls and invite others to do the same. If you, like me, attend a small church in a dark place, don't give up. The small light of Christ you give off may be the only thing guiding that community towards a home they have never known. Be the church, by attending and serving in your local church.