It’s not your church …

It’s not “your” church.”

It’s not “our” church.

It’s not “their” church.

It’s not your momma’s church, your cousin’s church, or Uncle LeRoy’s church.

It definitely is not the preacher’s church. It’s not even a denomination’s church.

And it’s not the neighborhood’s church. It isn’t even the town’s church.

It’s Christ’s church!

Regardless of all the claims made with our language, the church belongs solely and entirely to the Lord Jesus Christ.

He died for it, He built it, He sustains it, and it is for His church that He will some day return.

When I point out the fact that it’s His church, not ours, I always get someone who says, “Yes we know that, it’s just a matter of language to say ‘my church’ so people know what I’m talking about.”

But YOU don’t have a church (if you do, you have significant spiritual problems!).

I don’t have a church.

We don’t have a church.

They don’t have a church.

Jesus has a church, one which the children of God are privileged to be a part of.

But it’s NOT our church. It’s Christ’s church.

Maybe the church would be much better off it we actually treated it like it wasn’t ours. Because it isn.’t

Imagine what might happen if we really saw the church as not being ours, but being the Bride of Christ, a living organism that is Christ’s. Just think what might happen if preachers’ didn’t see a church as their organization to lead, but Christ’s family to serve, watch over, protect, and nurture. Think for a minute what could happen if every child of God saw the church as Christ’s body on earth and understood they were a vital part of that living body.

When something belongs to us, we tend to treat it casually. When something of someone else’s is entrusted to our care, we tend to be more careful, more respectful.

How then, shall we treat Christ’s church?

Scotty