Not Just a Place

Sunday is the day for church, right? We work on the weekdays, sleep in and get a few chores done around the house on Saturday, and then Sunday we get up and go to church. Isn’t that how it’s supposed to be? Well, in our culture today this is often how we treat church. We see church as simply being in a certain place at a certain time. We see church as a place we attend, whether online or in-person. Church has become a checklist item or part of our to-do list, whether we like to admit it or not. We have made church something it was not meant to be—just a place.

The Church was never meant to be just a place. Yes, we gather on Sunday in a building to collectively hear the Word, partake in communion, celebrate baptism, and sing songs to the Lord. However, once we do those things on Sunday, we sometimes have a difficult time looking like the Church the rest of our week. I think this is due, in part, to how we view the Church.

The Church was never meant to be just a place.

Ultimately, the Church was meant to be a people, and those people are called to a particular way of life. When we treat the Church as if it is Sunday only, we miss what it means to be the Church the other six days of the week. If Church is only on Sunday, do we only bear one another’s burdens on Sunday? Are we the bride of Christ only one day out of seven? Do we only make disciples on Sunday? My hope is we would all have a resounding, “no” to those questions. If the Church truly is a people who have a certain way of life, then we should ask, what does it look like to be the Church?

When we treat the Church as if it is Sunday only, we miss what it means to be the Church the other six days of the week.

While we don’t have the space here to discuss what it means to be the Church in its entirety, we can hit on a few points together. First and most important, being the Church is all about Who we belong to (Eph. 2:19, Col. 1:18, and 1 John 3:1). This is arguably the most identifying marker of the Church. Without God, we would not be the Church.

The Church must find identity in belonging to the One who made her in the first place. If we do not first understand that the Church is about Who we belong to, we risk losing sight of our purpose, which we’ll talk about below. God, as the one who called His Church into existence, has set us apart for a specific reason. As the Church, we are to live, act, and think differently in this world, and God outlines exactly how we are to do that. A Church detached from the Creator is a Church without a purpose.

Second, being the Church means we look outside of ourselves. The Church is not one person, nor is it about being a “Lone-Ranger Christian.” The Church is a collective body of believers (Eph. 2:20-22, Acts 2:42, and Eph. 4:16). Being the Church means being a community.

Together, we bear one another burdens, break bread, hear the Word, build one another up, provoke one another to love and good works, meet, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs together, serve one another, love one another, and so much more (Acts 2:42-47, Eph. 4:16, Col 3:16, and Heb.10:24-25). You cannot do those things alone, nor should you.

Scripture proves this reality to us in the Old and New Testament repeatedly. Yet, in a world where we are dividing over every little thing, it is becoming increasingly difficult for us to be this kind of community. To be the Church God desires us to be, we must be willing to move outside of our little individual bubbles and pursue unity in community. This will push us out of comfort zones and challenge our individualistic culture, but this is part of what it means to be the Church.

We must be willing to move outside of our little individual bubbles and pursue unity in community.

Third and finally, being the Church means pursuing the mission of the Church in all of life. Christ made it very clear what we are supposed to do in this life. Before He ascended, Jesus gave what many of us know as the Great Commission (Matt. 28:12-20). We are to go make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teaching them all that Jesus has commanded us. That is a tall order, yet it is the mission God gave to His people, the Church.

Now don’t forget, this is not just a mission for Sunday only. We do not just make disciples, baptize others, and teach others about what Jesus commanded us on Sunday. We live the Great Commission every day of the week because the Church is who we are, not just where we go. What if instead of seeing Sunday as the “church day,” we could see Sunday as a day when we gather as the Church and are encouraged and edified to go live out the Great Commission more effectively in our spheres of influence all week long? How different would you treat Sunday? Gathering on Sunday is a crucial time for the Church, but it is not the only time to be the Church. Our gathering should help strengthen us to continue to be the Church in a world who desperately needs Jesus.

We live the Great Commission every day because the Church is who we are, not just where we go.

I want to call you to take the journey with me. Let us go be the Church together. Are you willing? Willing to walk differently because God set you apart? Willing to look outside of yourself? Willing to pursue the mission of the Great Commission in all of life? Church is not just a place we come to and gather, but it is more importantly who we are. We are the Church and God has called us to walk a new way of life not just on Sundays, but every single day.

So, brothers and sisters, by the power of the Holy Spirit and because we have a God who has given up everything for us, let us throw off everything that hinders us, run the race, and fix our eyes on Jesus. We are the people of God, His Church, so let us go and be the Church He desires us to be.