Church is not for me!

“Church is NOT for me!” We hear this excuse repeatedly from the ‘unchurched’ as they explain away their absence. On the contrary, we who are the ‘churched’ boldly proclaim “church IS for me!” What a surprise to discover that nothing could be further from the truth. Church IS for the ‘unchurched’ and is NOT for the ‘churched’. Now to explain this dichotomy!

 Jesus’ entire ministry could be best summed up in one word – others! Jesus did everything for others: He was born for others, lived for others, healed others, touched others, blessed others, delivered others, taught others, suffered for others, died for others, was buried for others, rose again for others, and is coming back for others. If the church is truly the body of Christ than we must be all about others as well. It’s not all about me and it’s not all about you! It’s all about ‘them’!

Church is not about me. Rather, it’s all about them… the lost, unsaved, unbeliever, unchurched. The very reason for our existence as a church is not for our members, but for the potential members. After a person is born again into the family of God, the church, that person is now charged with reaching others. Church is no longer for that ‘born again’ person. That person is now for the church.

Contrary to popular belief the church doesn’t exist for me and it doesn’t exist for the members. It doesn’t exist for the ‘saved’ folks. Although it seems shocking to describe it this way, we exist for the church! The members exist for the church! We are for the church, we are about the church, we are the church. Obviously there is a world of difference between these two mindsets. One is inward focused, the other outward focused! Where is your focus?

Jesus said “They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:31-32). Jesus was telling his generation that church is NOT for me, but for THEM! The true church is a hospital, an emergency room, a trauma center, a place for people who have been wounded, diseased, and victimized to run to for healing. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. Church is all about the lost, not the saved. It is about the one lost sheep, not the ninety and nine that are safely in the fold.

It is a source of grave concern that many in the church today are self-conscious and self-centered, rather than soul-conscious. While focusing on their own needs, they are blinded to the needs of others. When the church focuses on the needs of others, God blesses the church. When we get interested in God’s business, God gets interested in ours as well.

The true litmus test of spiritual maturity is when we come to church for others, praise and worship God to create an atmosphere for others to be blessed, offer our finances to reach others, and pray around the altar for others. My prayer is for God to make each of us more soul conscious rather than self conscious, more selfless than selfish, more outward-looking than inward-looking, and for us to put others first and self last. Church is not for us or about us. We are for and about the church. We are the church!