“I just don’t think about church; it isn’t really relevant to my life,” That’s a common sentiment today. “The church isn’t going to get me a job, cure cancer, or improve the economy. It isn’t going to find my car keys or fill out my income tax, so it isn’t relevant to me.” Well of course not, if you think of it that way!
But would you turn down a dinner at a great restaurant because they don’t change the oil in your car? Would you buy a car you don’t really like because they dealer offers very good coffee and free massages? Don’t doubt the relevance of Christ’s church just because it does what He created it to do.
The first thing to look at when deciding whether a church is relevant is what the church is, and what it is for. The church isn’t just a social accident, like the Rotary Club, or a mere manifestation of the human spiritual impulse, like man-made religions. The church consists of all those down through the ages from all the families of humankind who have been called by grace to faith in Christ. “The Church” is the gathering of all believers in Christ from all ages of the world
The purpose of the church is connected to the resurrection itself, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and remission of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:46-47, ESV) The history of the world is in fact guided by Christ to pre-serve and extend His church.1
Individual churches, like St. Timothy or any other congregation thus have a character and purpose drawn from “the church,” the Holy Christian Church, for it is here that we actually come into contact with the great and eternal institution that otherwise is visible and known only to Christ. To be relevant, individual churches need to BE and DO what Christ intends for his church.
REALLY RELEVANT CHURCHES – – –
… are what Christ called them to be. Really Relevant churches proclaim repentance and remis-sion of sin. In practical terms, this means that we grapple with the brokenness of humanity and acknowledge the reality of guilt and death. As Christians true to Christ’s word we acknowledge that we deserve the troubles, tragedies, and disappointments of life. Instead of crying that “we deserve better,” we admit our sinfulness. We understand that sin is the source of so many of life’s ills. On the other hand there are positive virtues of moderation, self-restraint, selflessness, diligence, indutry, chastity, respect, speaking well of others, reverence, devotion, faithfulness, honesty, patience, gentleness, and so on that are a real blessing to individuals and society.
REALLY RELEVANT CHURCHES- – –
… are rooted in doctrinal truth, with a practical side. This means that we help our neighbor clear out his flooded basement, we visit the elderly and the sick, provide food for the hungry, shelter the orphan, the widow, and the deserted spouse. It means we have a worldview that will bear the weight of reality in parenting, in marriage, in vocation, in education, in history, science and in other aspects of life. I think that is Really Relevant!
At the same time we proclaim the real hope of the world – the remission of sins through Jesus Christ, who entered into sin to atone for our sins and was raised again to give His righteousness to all who believe in Him. We can be honest about sin in the world, including our own, because our hope is not in being good enough, but in being forgiven. So we accept the fallen, the wayward, the flawed and the broken who put their trust in Christ who never fell to temptation, wandered from what is right, or suffered because He sinned. The gospel tells us that every human soul has been purchased by the suffering and death of Christ, so we teach and confess that every person in our lives is valua-ble—and an object of God’s love. That’s relevant!
A Really Relevant church is one that is true to the Word of God, the Bible. If the message of the church is repentance and remission of sins, the church must deal truthfully with both. The church mustn’t convict with rules created by man and ignore the commandments of God. The church must proclaim the clear and unconditional promise of forgiveness as Christ Himself freely gives it. If God’s word is proclaimed faithfully, then there is where God is found in the world.
2 Timothy 4:3 (ESV) 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions.
St. Timothy doesn’t change your oil, doesn’t roast its own premium coffee, and doesn’t provide plans for getting rich quickly. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t relevant. For here and in other faithful churches God Himself releases you from guilt and reconciles you to Himself, giving you what you most need, and what is most relevant to every human being: Eternal life – eternal life that begins already now and transcends all aspects of our daily lives. Now that’s relevant!
1 Ephesians 1:20–22 (ESV) 20 …that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church