In Matthew 16, Jesus asks who they think He is, and Peter responds, saying that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. Jesus affirms his response and then says that in that truth, He will establish His group of citizens on that truth. It is this truth that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God, that is at the heart of church.
Jesus calls us to believe this truth, that He is the One who saves us, and to leave our former ways and follow Him for the forgiveness of sins. The requirement for being a citizen in Jesus’ group, or church, is to follow Him, His teaching, and His way of life. This means that the church is not a location we can go to, or an action that we can perform, but rather it is what we are. This is exactly what Peter has in mind when he is talking about a temple being built with living stones (1 Peter 2).
Since being a citizen of Jesus’ group, or community, or church, is to follow Him, it is to be faithful to everything He taught and commanded. Every aspect of our lives is driven by this reality. It takes charge of our thought life, our actions, marriage, children, and how we view and treat others. The more we learn to follow Him and do things His way, the more we become like Jesus.
Church, then, is lived out moment by moment, in the thoughts, words, and actions of those who have completely committed to following Jesus. I believe this is what Jesus was talking about in John 4:23, where He says, “true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth,” as opposed to going to a location such as a holy mountain or a temple to meet God and worship there.
It is a misrepresentation to think of the typical Sunday morning service as being the church. It is a part of it. It is a vital and lifegiving part, but it is not the whole of it.
The whole of it is a life lived in complete surrender to Jesus, including the gatherings where like-minded followers come together and celebrate the Messiah, the Son of the living God. It is welcoming the Kingdom of God here and now, and participating in the grand renewal of the world where Good overcomes evil.
If we make the comparison using relationship terms, intimate relationships are built on trust, vulnerability, and intimacy. Intimacy develops after trust and vulnerability have been established. We learn to trust God and make ourselves vulnerable to Him in our everyday moments as He teaches and guides us in His way. The worship services where we gather with likeminded people provide opportunities where we often feel very intimate with God.
It is selling the Church short when we think it is only, or mostly, about the Sunday service, and that serving in the Sunday service is where we serve God. If we live our lives however we want to and then show up for a worship service, we are trying to experience intimacy with God without trust and vulnerability. Again, making the comparison using relationship terms, this is like trying to have sex without a relationship, intimacy without commitment.
– Jonas Brenneman