Phil delivered a great message to us at LifePoint Sunday… it was all about defining the church, and what it really is to us as Christians. He started off with a great illustration, one which I will attempt to duplicate for you here! ; )

This is not a trick question… please name the image you see below:

Yep, it’s a cat… what about this next one?

Correct, a dog. And the last one?

It’s a church, right? If you said it’s a “church” you would be incorrect ; ) Let me explain…

Is a church just someplace you go to on Sunday’s or is it something more? Is a church a building, with bricks and mortar and a steeple on top? As Phil shared with us from Acts 2, the church is not a place we go, but is who we are, as followers of Christ.

One of my earliest memories as a child is learning the finger game for describing a church… goes a little something like this (in case you’ve never heard it or have forgotten):

Here’s the church, (interlock your fingers and stick your thumb up for the steeple)

Here’s the steeple,

Open the door, (Pull palms apart leaving fingers intertwined for the roof)

Where’s all the people?

Here’s the church (interlock your fingers so the tips of fingers point down)

Here’s the steeple (stick up thumbs together)

Open the doors

There’s all the people!

Sure, it’s just a fun little kids rhyme, but even as harmless as it is, it’s teaching kids the incorrect definition of what “church” really is! Since we’ve been at LifePoint, this is one of the key lesson’s I’ve learned… that we don’t “go to church” but that we “are the church”. Consequently, we now refer to churches as “church buildings”. Semantics? Maybe so… but it always serves as a great reminder to me of what the church really is. And when you really let that sink in, it’ll change your whole perspective and help you understand the definition that Jesus really had in mind for his followers.

Man, how far we’ve strayed from this way of thinking! For as long as I can remember, I’ve wondered why churches are always trying to out-do one another and why more don’t partner together to reach those who need the love of Jesus. We’re not in a competition – we’re all striving for the same thing… or are we?! It seems churches today are more concerned with creating social clubs and activities for their members than reaching beyond the walls of their “church”. Where did we go wrong?

If you read the book of Acts, it’s pretty obvious what the church was intended to be and how it was to be operated, yet we’ve got all of these preconceived notions in our head of what church is, what it’s supposed to look like and sound like and act like. I think we need to take a good, hard look at the modern day church, take out a blank sheet of paper and start from scratch, using the book of Acts as our template.

I could keep rambling all day, but if you’re reading this and it’s sparked an interest in you, I’d encourage you to tune into this week’s Podcast, What Are You Devoted To – it really will open your eyes to what the church really is, and what our responsibilities are as a result.