You Are The Church

How often I see the body of Christ sitting idle when God has sent forth the call for movement. All the more often I see frustrated congregants full of ideas and vision, coupled with frustrated overwhelmed pastors who are slap out of stamina. I find this to be the result of one main issue. The Church has forgotten who they are.

“He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar–jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” – Matthew‬ ‭16:15-19‬ ‭

Here we see Jesus asking a common man, a fisherman, that famous question; “who do you say that I Am“. Peter was not a priest, he was not a Levite, a rabbi, or a man of any title for that matter, yet in that moment God moved upon his heart with revelation. God used a common man to profess this God given revelation that Jesus was the Christ, the savior of the world, the son of the living God! Then Jesus pleasingly professes that upon this, the revelation of God and the proclaiming of the deity of Christ being given to, and boldly professed by common men, (whomever would believe as Peter had believed) would the foundation upon which the Church of Jesus Christ be built!

Brother, sister, the church is not a building, the church is not a pastor, a worship team, or the staff, the church is you. If you have received the revelation from God that Jesus is the Christ, the chosen and anointed one that came to take away the sins of the world, the Son of the living God, and are willing to boldly profess that revelation, then you are the church!

“But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.” – Romans‬ ‭10:8-12‬ ‭

Therefor, is every person who has been saved called to preach, maybe not to pastor for Paul said that to some was the call to pastor, to some to teach, to some to evangelize, to some to prophesy, and to some to Apostle (Ephesians 11:4), yet to all is the call to preach. If you have received the revelation of who Jesus is and what He did for you, then you have also been called to confess it, or speak about it to others. On this is not only salvation founded but the true church of Christ as a whole.

So here in lies the disconnect. Many today believe that it is their job to believe but the pastors job to speak and to do. Therefor, every time the Lord puts something on their heart they go to the pastor and tell him to do it. Multiply that by the number of people in a church and you can begin to see the problem. Frustrated congregants not seeing what God has ignited in their hearts being done, led by frustrated pastors so overwhelmed by demands to do what God is telling everyone else to do that they can’t do what God is telling them to do. All because many have lost sight of the reality that your pastor is not the church, you are. If God put it in your heart then it’s for you to do, go do it. If God lays a person on your heart, go visit them. If He lays a charity or mission on your heart, go do it. You are the church. The pastors job is to seek the Lord for a word that will confirm what God is speaking to you so that you can better do what God is telling you to do. God did not call you out of darkness to be a pew warmer, He called you out of darkness to be the church. Not to be in a church, to be the church. Now go shine your light before men. Ask yourself what you would like to see your church doing, and go do it. Your pastor, and more importantly your God will thank you for it.

“Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” – Matthew‬ ‭5:15-16‬ ‭