Really, why church, anyway? Of all the ways that God could reach the world, He picks a group of mostly dysfunctional, often grumpy, imperfect, divided, self-obsessed, uptight, and otherwise messed up people!?! (Not New Day of course, we’re all perfect. I’m referring to the “other” churches ;-)
“For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. 1 Cor. 1:26-29.
Paul explains, “God's purpose in all this was to use the church to display His wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was His eternal plan, which He carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.” Eph 3:9-11
WOW. Do you see what God is telling us? We, the church, was His plan from the beginning. Some people say this isn’t talking about church as we know it, but the ideal church, or the first century church. Some think we’ve made such a mess of things, we are no longer qualified. God has given up on the church. What rubbish! The church was never perfect. Just like the Hebrew nation in the Old Testament. We are a work in progress. God designed it that way so that no one should ever be fooled into putting their faith or confidence in people. Our faith is in Jesus. But He is describes as “The head of the Church” Col 1:8. Anyone who wants Jesus without the church is worshipping a disembodied head… yuck.
It’s a package deal folks. And that means every one of us gets to be part of Jesus’ body, the church, and fulfill the mysterious plan of God by communicating the gospel through broken clay vessels.