DOING CHURCH, OR BEING THE CHURCH

The Upward Look, by Jon Forrest
Doing Church or Being the Church

The following story was shared with me by one of our church members, Joy Melton, a few years ago. I came across it again and felt it would fit very well with the message of this article…

A man called a pastor’s office one day inquiring about membership in the church. He explained that he would not be able to get involved, but he felt it was important to have some religious affiliation. The pastor advised him that the church he served might not be the best fit for him, but the pastor knew of a place where he would fit in quite nicely. The man asked about a phone number, but the pastor only gave him an address.

On Sunday morning, the man followed the pastor’s directions and pulled up into the yard of a dilapidated building. The roof was falling in, the doors were locked, and vines were growing into the windows. He called the pastor and told him that he had given him the wrong directions. "Oh no," the pastor replied. "Not at all; that is the place. That church has a membership roll filled with people who did not want to get involved or committed. That is what will always happen to a church whose members have the attitude about church you shared with me. They do not care about its success."

How many people across our country are more interested on “doing church” than “being the church.” A long time ago someone coined the phrase “pew potatoes.” “Pew potatoes” are the spiritual version of “couch potatoes.”Couch potatoes never get any exercise. They sit on the couch and never get out and move. They not only gain way too much weight and keep losing muscle mass, but they also drop out of life. They just sit back and watch life go by. As a result they become depressed, bored, dysfunctional and listless. Couch potatoes eventually fade out of life.

Pew potatoes do little more than warm a pew. They have no fervor for serving Jesus. They simply show up. Oh, they may complain when “the show” isn’t up to their standards, but they never step up and give their lives to the mission.

Ephesians 4 talks a great deal about what it means to be the church. The church is referred to as “the functioning Body of Christ.” It tells about how God gifts certain leaders, but not to do the work of ministry, but rather to train, equip and prepare the members of the church (the Body) for the “work of ministry.”

The church is like a car racing team. The driver of the race car is not successful without his pit crew. He is not successful without his sponsors. If it weren’t for the ones who change his tires, the ones who refill his gasoline or who take care of the many things on the car, the driver would not finish, much less win. We must understand that the church is the driver. The pastor, the elders, the deacons, the teachers, and all who have been gifted in areas of leadership are the pit crew. The Body of Christ must shine, not the leaders.

Everyone must get involved in ministry by being the church, the Body of Christ. No overgrown vines in the windows or broken down roofs or locked doors for us. Before any church building falls apart; the body of Christ stops functioning. We must determine now, not do church, but to be the church.

This Sunday morning we will continue our series The Dedicated Church Member, Becoming an Outwardly Focused Christian with a message, “I Will Avoid Churchianity Like the Plague” based on 1 Corinthians 12 and other passages. Come and share in the growth and excitement of being the church.

Being the church with you,

Jon