Review: We the Church
by Donald E. Hester
on May 24
in Other Reviews
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Donald E. Hester
Husband, father, and adventurer. A computer science instructor who dabbles in t
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We the Church is a study by Bob George on what the Church is and is not. In this study he made a great point about some people who attend church on Sunday. He likened it to visiting your grandmother. People think they are going to God's house to visit with God and once they leave the building it is like they are not with God any more. As if they do not understand God does not live in a house and that He is with them wherever they go.
What is Church?
Do you every feel like you go to 'visit' God? The Church is not a building, it is not a denomination and it is not an organization. The Church is all true believers in Christ, those that have been born again.
Bob shows how people are born into 3 different groups. The groups are Jew, Gentile and the Church. (By Church we mean the Greek term Ecclesia, or the Body of Believers). You are born either a Jew or a Gentile. In order to be in the Ecclesia (Church) you must be born again and become a Child of God.
In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." - John 3:3-8 (NIV)
Church with a capital 'C' is all believers (sometimes call the Body of Christ) while church with a small 'c' is the building, denomination or organization. Notice that the Church is built by God while the various churches are made by man. Are you a part of the Church or part of the church? Do you place your hope in men or God?
Bob made a comment in the study about placing our trust in God and not the government or Wall Street. It is funny to hear as Wall Street and the government has let us down and if we have our trust in men we have nothing.
A Body
Bob also covers how the believers are all unique. Using the analogy that the Believers are the Body of Christ he points out we are not all called to be ears or toes. We as a part of the Church all have different tasks to perform. We should recognize and see the unity in the diversity of the Church. As men we tend to separate ourselves into different denominations and churches. Image if all your toes decided to go one way and your ears to go another and your fingers in yet a different direction. Nothing would get done. We need our bodies to work in harmony, all parts doing different tasks for one common goal. We cannot be all ears and see and we can't be all eyes and walk. We need all parts working together.
This is one of the reasons why on my FaceBook account under religion I put 'Child of God' and not Baptist or some other man made group. Seems to be silly to go around and tell people I am a toe and I hang out only with toes. I know it is a total cliché to say 'Can't we all just get along?', but seriously, we need to.
Clergy
Bob made a few comments about clergy. He said that it might be better to be a pastor who has not gone to seminary. (Glad God stopped me from going) He even quoted Chuck Swindol who said, "It took me four years to finish seminary and thirty years to get over it'. This sentiment is echoed by Brian Hogan in his book ‘There's a Sheep in my Bathtub’ and by Frank Viola in his series of books. This is something that is not a new idea. Going back to the 1100's Peter Waldo was put to death as a heretic for such belief.
The clergy was invented because we don't trust God to take care of it. We want to put our trust in mans institutions and not the Holy Spirit.
Summary
You don't go to church you are the Church.
You can by the 3 CD study at:
Tie In With Other Posts
Book Review: There's a Sheep in my Bathtub
Why are people avoiding church?
What is Core Christianity?
Free from Religion
Does the size of the church matter?
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