Grace in the Church

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me. (Philippians 2:12-18 ESV). I have worked in many different churches. Some were small, others were large; some were formal, others informal; some were urban, others were rural; each carried their own personality and ministry focus. However, all of them had one thing in common. They each required the right kind of organizational structure. There are those who lament that the church is too much like an “organization.” Perhaps that is true. Though, as someone said, maybe the organization is to the church what the bark is to a tree. Both exist to protect the life that is inside. Of course, a church is more than its organization, just as a tree is more than its bark. Paul here addresses the church in Philippi as his beloved. This word suggests the lover in Paul. Here there are feelings of tenderness and affection that unite pastor and people in one family: Beloved. Raymond Carver wrote: “And did you get what you wanted from this life, even so? I did. And what did you want? To call myself beloved, to feel myself beloved on the earth.” Every Christian should be able to say these words. As members of the church, we can say that we’ve gotten what everyone most needs from life. We are the beloved of God and of each other. This love is the life-blood of the church. Every ministry ought to reek with this application of grace. The sermon should center around it; the ministry should abound with it; and each member should communicate it to each other. We rejoice in the love God shows us, and we seek to bless one another in love. Listen to Jesus: “But Jesus said, "Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (cf. Matthew 19:14). This is one of my favorite stories in the Gospels. In a society that, in many ways, treated children as little more than property, Jesus refused to let them be brushed aside. Rather, he spent time with them, blessed them, and make a special point to teach his followers that his Kingdom was made for “such as these.” He was outlining a clear path to bless one another in love. In short, if we truly desire to have grace in the church, we ought to lift up the broken, enlarge the small, and favor the weak. How are you doing today?