Are you Late For Church?

2Co 13:14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.

There absolutely is no early church, no later cburch. There is no primitive church. The Church in Acts 2 is the same Church that Christ said He would build (Mat 16). He began building it in Acts 2, and He is still building it today. It is all the same building.

Why in the world (that’s a loaded phrase) do we insist on thinking that what we have today is so superior, so much more modern, so more refined than what we see in Acts?

The fact is, what we see in Acts 2, Ephesians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, and many other places, is the exact, precise Church we must have today. It matters not at all that it was 2000 years ago. The true Church, the Body of Christ, is eternal, not made with hands. It is made with gold, silver, precious stones. All that we see today, in the structure, organization, outlook, education, calling, hierarchy, authority, finances, is all wood, hay, and stubble.

I don't mean to be too hard on today's church. Well, it's hard not to be too hard; there are so many things that are wrong with the Church. Even 100 years ago there were those who felt the Church was in ruins. It has not improved any since then. In fact, it is much worse now. Still, many people have great complaints to make about the Church. Any idea which complaints are valid, and which are based on whims? A liberal, post-modern will complain that the church is too dead and unresponsive to the community. A conservative, evangelical might bemoan the lack of evangelism. An youngish, urban or suburban believer might want more programs and bigger parking lots, with a pizza bar and coffee lounge outside the main auditorium. We all have something to find fault with in the Church.

Where does the Lord find fault? What does He fault? If anything, it would be our turning away from Him, and not being totally devoted to Him. That is it. Not having that first love that we once had. Perhaps it is thinking we are rich, and in need of nothing. Perhaps it is letting go of things we once had and can't hang on to.

The Church that Christ is building is alive, living, growing, filled with the Spirit, led by the Spirit, under the headship of Christ. It’s all so simple.