The church, by definition, is not a temple or structure of brick and mortar of any kind.  The church is not a shade tree by the river.  The church is not even a thatched roof over the heads of gatherers in a hot climate.  The church is not the home of a person who hosts a meeting or an abandoned store front where people meet to worship. 

The “church” as Jesus defines church are people who meet in His Name.  I know we have heard this concept and definition many times if we grew up living a “church life” but are we really listening and internalizing Jesus’ definition of church?  There are many scriptural references to help us understand.  I feel the need to go over this again as I watch leaders of congregation be driven by competition and manipulation for their fair “market share” of attenders who will come to their place of worship to support their programs of ministry. 

John, the Baptist, took more joy in seeing the One coming after him do even greater things than what he was doing himself.  All glory to God!  We can learn so much from John, the Baptist that is applicable to the church.  Jesus is the Head of His Body called church. if we really lean into to what God is saying through John to all of us who believe—really believe and call ourselves church we might be led to repent.

John 3, The Message

The Bridegroom’s Friend

^22-26 After this conversation, Jesus went on with his disciples into the Judean countryside and relaxed with them there. He was also baptizing. At the same time, John was baptizing over at Aenon near Salim, where water was abundant. This was before John was thrown into jail. John’s disciples got into an argument with the establishment Jews over the nature of baptism. They came to John and said, “Rabbi, you know the one who was with you on the other side of the Jordan? The one you authorized with your witness? Well, he’s now competing with us. He’s baptizing, too, and everyone’s going to him instead of us.”

^27-29 John answered, “It’s not possible for a person to succeed—I’m talking about eternal success—without heaven’s help. You yourselves were there when I made it public that I was not the Messiah but simply the one sent ahead of him to get things ready. The one who gets the bride is, by definition, the bridegroom. And the bridegroom’s friend, his ‘best man’—that’s me—in place at his side where he can hear every word, is genuinely happy. How could he be jealous when he knows that the wedding is finished and the marriage is off to a good start?

^29-30 “That’s why my cup is running over. This is the assigned moment for him to move into the center, while I slip off to the sidelines.

^31-33 “The One who comes from above is head and shoulders over other messengers from God. The earthborn is earthbound and speaks earth language; the heavenborn is in a league of his own. He sets out the evidence of what he saw and heard in heaven. No one wants to deal with these facts. But anyone who examines this evidence will come to stake his life on this: that God himself is the truth.

^34-36 “The One that God sent speaks God’s words. And don’t think he rations out the Spirit in bits and pieces. The Father loves the Son extravagantly. He turned everything over to him so he could give it away—a lavish distribution of gifts. That is why whoever accepts and trusts the Son gets in on everything, life complete and forever! And that is also why the person who avoids and distrusts the Son is in the dark and doesn’t see life. All he experiences of God is darkness, and an angry darkness at that.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Over the centuries, temple worship became big business.  It still included religious leaders assigned to go behind a curtain to ceremoniously ask God to cover the sins of the people but this behavior meant to honor God became tainted as unholy leaders tried to become gods and lord it over the people seeking God.  These leaders used religious ceremonies as a way to line their pockets with the sacrifices of the poor who came in obedience to The Law of God. 

The religious had little to no relationship with God as they were more concerned with gaining more power as they competed piously within the ranks for the attention from all who saw them and bowed down to them in fear.  These leaders, teachers, and scribes wanted everyone to know that the only way to be holy was to do what they said.  The leaders would meet to discuss The Law which became nothing more than heated debates over who was right and who was wrong, completely missing the point of God’s longing to love and bless His people in relationship.  The leaders even dared to create new additions to The Law to suit their fancy and bring in more funds from people disobeying their addendums. God’s leaders, who knew Him not, became manipulators of justice and mutilators of mercy to the lowly who must obey at all costs.  God came in last to the self-appointed humans in first place and who thought they were in charge.  God was not pleased.  This gives us greater understanding of Jesus’ trip to the Temple that day to “clean house”!

NEW PLAN—

God sent His Son to earth to seek and to save the lost caught up in this manmade unholy system as well their own sins.  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  Belief in Jesus as God’s Son drew new believers to gather to learn from Jesus as they followed Him.  A new connection to God was found by listening to a new message of Truth.  They leaned into what Jesus told them about His Father, who was their God above all!  God loves you, cares for you, and wants you to love Him back in a relationship that leads to eternal life with Him. This is different.  This is Jesus telling the world who God really is and what He expects from the people He loves and what they can expect from Him!

The new believers (and nearly believers) gathered to simply hear what Jesus had to say next.  “We’ve never heard anyone speak this way” was said often by the hearers as God spoke to them through Jesus, His Son.  Jesus came to set the world right side up by turning the religious and political systems upside down.  He taught Kingdom of God thinking with examples of holy living that pleased God.  (See Matthew 5-7).  Jesus taught us to love each other the way God loves us.  Jesus brought “all who believe”, individually, into a relationship with God by His once and for all sacrifice for our sins on the cross. Upon his death that day, the curtain to the holy of holies where leaders would meet with God was significantly torn in two pieces that had hung in the Temple for centuries.  The Way to God was now open to all who believe in Jesus, His Son. 

“For God so loved…” What’s love got to do with it?  Everything.

God is Love.  To know love is to know God.  If we do not know God then we do not know love.  (See 1 John 4) God’s Love was not new but needed a new understanding of the depth of His love. Jesus provided what the world was seeking most. Love is a relationship with God and that relationship with God was missing among His leaders.  God sent Jesus “to seek and to save the lost” who did not have this loving relationship.

Jesus provided exactly what was needed most to clarify—a demonstration of God’s love.  Jesus showed the followers how to love like the Father God loves them.  Jesus demonstrated this love by serving others, healing the sick, explain truth to the confused, with teaching and reteaching his disciples with patience and grace.  Jesus showed the “full extent of His love” by bending down to wash the dirty feet of his disciples—even the feet of the one who betrayed Him later that night.  (John 13)

The final demonstration was willingly laying down His life to redeem our lives from the punishment of our own sins.  “For God so loved…” His Son, that after the sacrifice was complete, God resurrected His Son in power, scars and all!  Jesus then appeared to all who would carry on the work in the Name of Jesus!  Hope was secured.

Authority and power was given from God through Jesus to all who believe and follow to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20. 

What kind of love is this?  Relentless, unchanging, unconditional—full of mercy and grace with a promise to be with us—always—until Jesus comes back!

NEW TEMPLE—NEW CHURCH!

Our bodies are now God’s temple in which He chooses to dwell.  We love God because He first loved us.  God’s church are His people who gather in Jesus Name in unity of purpose—to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Jesus is the Head of His church.  Jesus assigned Peter as the Rock upon He would build His church. Peter, a former fisherman, obeyed Jesus upon receiving the Holy Spirit’s power to preach the Good News to thousands.  (See Acts 1-2) The church(people), built on Jesus begins and flourishes when built on the solid foundation of the love of God expressed through His Son, Jesus. 

Peter explains church to the believers.  Jesus is the cornerstone upon which each life aligns to in the building of His church—people, not a building—but with our very lives. 

“Welcome to the living Stone, the source of life. The workmen took one look and threw it out; God set it in the place of honor. Present yourselves as building stones for the construction of a sanctuary vibrant with life, in which you’ll serve as holy priests offering Christ-approved lives up to God. The Scriptures provide precedent:

Look! I’m setting a stone in Zion,
    a cornerstone in the place of honor.
Whoever trusts in this stone as a foundation
    will never have cause to regret it.”  1 Peter 2:4-8, MSG

“Do this in remembrance of Me” –Jesus

To remember Jesus is to love like He taught us to love and serve like He taught us to serve—humbly, mercifully, graciously, without reservation.  “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25:40

God’s love is what draws us together and keeps us in unity.  When human love competes, unity is lost.

God’s love does not compete for attention, boast, manipulate, or demand its own way. (1 Corinthians 13)

Love like Jesus.  Serve like Jesus.  Be more and more like Jesus as we remember what He has done for us.

God’s Love is Life.  Loving His way is a life worth living. 

The promised bonus for doing this in remembrance of Jesus:  “And I will be with you always”—Jesus 

“And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”  Jesus died and rose again to set us free from sins and give us hope and a future of eternal life.

Simply believe with all your heart, mind and soul and be saved.

Lord,

Thank you for saving my soul and making me whole. Thank you for transforming my life by renewing my mind. Thank you for refreshing my soul each day with your new mercies. Thank you for restoring the joy of your salvation consistently at work within me. I owe you my life, so my life is yours to lead into all that you have waiting for me to be and do.

In Jesus Name, Amen