Eph 4:1-16 “Who are We as the Church?”

Kenneth Carder in his book Living Our Belief writes this powerful statement: “Without a memory of what the church is called to be, the church becomes what the people want it to be.” Let me repeat that: “Without a memory of what the church is called to be, the church becomes what the people want it to be.”

While folks may claim that we need to know more about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, few would wonder think we need to discuss what it means to be the Church - who we are as the Body of Christ. Yet, as Carder points out we need to remember what it means to be the Church - remember the purpose and mission God has for us, so we do not become just another organization.

We talk about Church a lot, but how many people actually know what the Church is supposed to be? Let me ask you a question, if the Church is the tool that God uses to transform the world, how would our neighborhood be different if this church wasn’t present? Would our community even notice? Another way to phrase this question would be to ask why we need this specific Church? Adam Hamilton often speaks about the vital questions that we need to be able to answer as people of the Christian Faith. Two include - why do we need the Church universal and why do we need this specific church?

We need the Church universal because it is the way God has chosen to fulfill the mission of Christ in the World. In fact, the Church is called to be the very sign of God’s presence to the World. But sometimes we forget that. We forget that the Church, both universal and local, isn’t about us. It isn’t about what style of worship we like. Or how we prefer to spend our money. Or even about what we do or do not get out of Sunday worship. Because the Church belongs to God, not us. Its about making the mission of God visible in the world by being the light in a very dark world. 

But as a denomination the United Methodist Church takes the mission of the Church Universal one step further. We are a missional church. Which means, we exist chiefly for people who do not yet know God. We exist to do good for all people - to reach out and be an alternative community to neighbor and stranger alike. We exist to serve people in the world in order to further the mission of Christ. 

I want you to think of something this church does - anything. Do you have something in your mind? Great. Now how does that thing, be it an activity or a place we donate money to or a study we participate in, whatever it may be, serve people who do not yet know Christ or grow people who know Christ into deeper disciples. In other words how does it fulfill the mission of the United Methodist Church to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the World? Or even more locally, how does it fulfill the mission of this parish to share the power of Christ? If you can’t answer that question, we may have a problem. If you can answer that question, do you think your neighbor next to you could answer it about the same thing and give the same answer? If not, we are not on the same page with the mission and vision of God’s Kingdom that we are working towards as this local church. And that stings a little. 

In this morning’s scripture lesson we hear that the Church is the body of Christ, knitted together under the leadership of the Lord. Carder writes, “the Church is our very identify, not an organization we belong to in accordance with our preferences or connivence.” Sometimes the Church looses its way and losses it memory about who we are and whose we are. When we make it about petty things its evident that we have forgotten who we belong to.  Just whose Lordship we are under. Just who we exist for. 

But even when we remember whose we are, we may still forget what we are supposed to be doing. Paul tells the followers in Ephesus that they are to live a life worthy of their calling. Here’s the thing about calling - we all have one - we just sometimes choose to ignore it. While pastors may have a very specific calling to lead the church, everyone who calls them-self Christian are called to some time of servanthood and ministry by way of their baptism. Its just that the calling varies. But in this scripture passage we are told that we all have gifts - its just that the gifting and calls vary. 

Have you ever taken time to pray about why you are part of this local body of Christ? Because you aren’t here by accident. You are here, because Christ gives us every gifting we need in each local body to thrive, THRIVE, for the Kingdom of God. Not just get by. Not just meet the budget. But to make a difference in transforming the world.

Whenever I start to talk about the church universal, I get passionate. Because the Church universal is both visible and invisible. Is here in this place and around the globe. Its any place where the Word of God is preached, the sacraments are administered, and there is a presence of people of faith. Not just people but people of faith. People who faithfully want to be the Church. Want to be about something bigger than themselves. Want to be about the mission and work of God. Want to be about reaching new people about Jesus Christ - and move past want to action. In fact, people of faith live a life of holy, active expectancy, meaning that we are aware that God is using us to work in the world for something so much bigger than we could ever grasp.

Then when I start to talk about how local churches are living into that mission, that vision of being the Church of Jesus Christ I get really excited, and often really loud. While there are many places and organizations that do good in this world, the church is the only one that exists to transform lives both here in the present and in the life to come. Amen! That’s why we reach out beyond our walls - not make more members, but to make more disciples. To connect more people to the person and message and power of Christ! 

But the Church universal and the local church can also break my heart when we put the wrong things first. My dad was telling me when they were up to visit a few weeks ago that he teaches his Sunday School class that its not about them - there may be months when they do not get anything and thats when people sometimes give up and stop coming. But they need to be present because their neighbor may be in a fruitful season spiritually and their presence is a part of that. It breaks my heart when we forget that. When we make it all about us. When we make it about what we want instead of about the heart of God.

There is an older contemporary worship song entitled the Heart of Worship that contains powerful lyrics that I often pray for the Church universal, may we make it “all about You Jesus. I’m sorry Lord for the thing I’ve made it, but its all about You.” May we remember that we exist because of Jesus Christ. And that our mission isn’t about us, or what we get out of being the Church, but is all about furthering the mission and ministry of Jesus Christ. Our Leader, Head, and Lord. Amen.