Jesus liked to use common scenes, items, experiences of people in His day. One of the items very prevalent in Jesus' earthly days were rocks. Rocks are everywhere in Israel. I thought Missouri had a lot of rocks, but it was nothing compared to the Holy Land. At the end of the movie, Schindler's List, people are seen putting rocks on a grave. I thought that was weird until I got to Jerusalem and saw all the rocks stacked on graves around the city in honor of loved ones.
Rocks, stones were a common building block in the period that Jesus walked the earth. The Wailing Wall, in the Jewish sector of the Temple Mount, is constructed with huge stones perfectly hewn and fitted in place. Rock is placed upon rock is placed upon rock in a similar pattern to brick laying today. The foundational stones on the bottom, smaller stones make up the structure.
If Jesus is building the church, why are so many people running from it or staying away from it or leaving it? People think the church is unnecessary, irrelevant, a waste of time, archaic, etc. I don't how many times I've heard people tell me that they don't need the church to have a relationship with God. That's like saying I don't need a family to be birthed and grow up. Okay, now that I've been born just dump me on the street, I can take care of myself.
Here's the issue. The church isn't built or based on doctrine or rituals or traditions. Some have tried to make it built on those things. But the church is built on Jesus. The problem for many, including leaders, is that they have lost sight of that principle. The foundation stones are Jesus, The Christ, The Messiah, The Deliverer, Him crucified and resurrected. But the church is also people like Peter, James, John, Paul, Barnabas, Billy Graham, you and me. In fact Peter refers to us as living stones. Jesus is the foundation, but he stacks carefully hewn rock upon rock to build His church.
Who needs the church? I do. You do. The world does. It's not irrelevant. It's not inconsequential. It's not archaic. It's necessary. It's foundational. The church is vital not because of its doctrines, rituals, traditions, etc., but because it is the embodiment of Jesus gathered and scattered, pulsing and breathing, reaching and caring, serving and sharing, inviting and glorifying, experiencing and watching lives changed, sustaining and pursuing, growing and seeking, salting and lighting, extending and influencing. The church is alive and vibrant.
To hate the church is to hate Jesus. To ignore the church is to ignore Jesus. To dismiss the church is to dismiss Jesus. To abandon the church is to abandon Jesus. To force rules on the church is to force rules on Jesus. To restrict the church is to restrict Jesus. To re-engineer the church your own image is usurping Jesus.
God, I'm glad the church, your church is based on Jesus and not me or my will or my agenda. That would be a disaster. I love you, Lord. I love Jesus. I love His church. Help me keep my hands off your church. I just want to be your servant. I want others to experience you, recognize you, see you, hear you, be drawn to you as they join our celebration of you each Lord's Day. I want people to have the same experience as they encounter your saints, your church scattered throughout the community.
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