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For any species to survive and propagate in an ecosystem, at least five characteristics need to be present: One, a balanced ecosystem; two, environmental adapting; three, reproduction; four, nurturing; five, life-cycle harmony. These same principles apply to the birth, growth, and multiplication of the church all around this globe.
When God creates, He creates with relational authenticity. Everything is connected and fits together. This is true not only in the physical realm but even more in the spiritual. The Scriptures tell and describe that when man sinned, all of creation groaned. Pulling one piece of fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was the primary influence of the violence in nature and human behavior. According to Scripture, everything is connected, and every action has at least some effect on the whole.
The church is a part of the whole; she is both influenced by the world around her and called to influence the world in which she exists. Too often the church does not see herself as a part of this spiritual ecosystem that produces health in it. The church can only thrive in the context of healthy relationships. The two most important commandments Jesus stated are, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind,” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no commandment greater than these. The mission Jesus commissions us on erupts from these two commandments. When relationships become paramount, and the community of Christ followers opens itself to the outside world, the result will be seen as a movement rather than an institution.
What makes the church an unstoppable force is when there is a balance between our relationship to God and our relationship to one another and to an unbelieving world. The measure of our spiritual health is directly examined within the context of a relationship to a lost and broken world. The church becomes unstoppable when ordinary, everyday Christians are inviting their friends and bringing them to experience the Good News.
This week’s workout looks at the Scriptures that challenge us to see the reason for the church, and how God wants us actively involved in the local church as it fulfills God’s objective in reconciling humanity.
Make sure you journal your observations as you read. Use the SOAP journal guide to help you. Please feel free to email any questions you may have to celebrate@celebratechurch.org. Have fun as you continue to grow healthy in this exciting personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
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