It’s the easiest thing in the world to poke fun at this thing we call church. To reject it as being irrelevant, outdated. So many people though – so many people, the same people who reject church – are looking for something, hungering for something, aching for … something. Hmm.

 

The Book and Its Cover

My favourite definition of marketing is this – that it’s the ultimate triumph of style over substance. Not sure where I first heard that – but it’s stuck with me for a good many years now. Marketing – the ultimate triumph of style over substance.

And you see it all the time – big impersonal banks, where the customer is just a number and our needs and problems have to fit into their systems and products, and where increasingly the only way that we can interact with them is through disempowered and sometimes poorly trained, anonymous operators, jammed into their cubicles like battery hens in some call centre – those same banks will run adds on TV with families and happy smiling faces and friendly bank managers.

There’s a complete discontinuity between the substance of who they are and what they provide and the style that they hold out in their advertising and marketing campaigns. But that doesn’t stop them – because after all, marketing is the ultimate triumph of style over substance.

Well – perhaps that’s a little cynical, but you know what I mean. Spin doctors and advertising agencies are paid trillions of dollars each year to put a friendly face on unfriendly corporations, and to put a positive spin on the most awful of realities. And they do such a great job of it that Mr or Mrs Consumer out here in consumer–land – well we struggle to know the difference anymore between style and substance. The two have blurred – reality is a combination not only of the service provided, but of how we feel about the provider – and that latter bit was shaped by the marketing. What’s the truth, what’s reality? Who cares. Many of us have in fact, given up caring. It’s all too hard.

And so – we kind of tacitly, implicitly accept the blurring of style and substance we don’t think about it too much anymore and so we carry this blurred reality into our experience of church. Now – there are so many different forms of church. From the small group that will be meeting in my family room and backyard this coming Sunday, through to a big, traditional cathedral with a prayer–book liturgy and hymns sung to organ music, through to the contemporary mega church down the road with seven services of 5000 people each packed into every Sunday, to the community church of 80 or so people in our local suburb … and anything and everything in between.

Some seem good at developing contemporary packaging and branding and signage and websites. Others seem stuck in a time–warp. Some seem to have dynamic preachers up front – talking about things that appear relevant. Others have these men droning out a sermon that goes on interminably and doesn’t appear to have anything to say for my life and yours in the coming week.

Some churches appear to be steeped in the tradition of religion – men in gowns and set prayers and specific terminology like sanctification and propitiation. Others talk in plain language and you’d be flat out recognising the full time minister because that person looks just like all the other people.

Do you see what I’m saying? There are so many different styles of church. Some follow almost a rock concert approach or style for their weekly meetings or services, others use a liturgy that was developed in the 1600’s. The array of approaches and styles – the packaging if you like – is so incredibly diverse. Some churches are huge – some are tiny. An incredible array.

One of the questions people often ask me when they first give their lives over to Jesus – when they accept him as the one who saves them from their sin and when they accept Him as the Lord of their lives – they ask me which church should I go to?

And in one sense, that’s a bit like asking me which shirt should I buy? Which pair of shoes should I buy? Should I live in a house or an apartment? The answer is – I don’t know – because churches come in all different shapes and sizes. Different styles.

And the church that represents a good fit with who I am and where I’m at, may be entirely different to the one that’s a good fit with you, given who you are and where you’re at.

For instance – being a baby boomer, the whole idea of denominationalism doesn’t fit well with me. Nothing wrong with having denominations per se – in fact there can be some very good things that come along with that. It’s just not me. I’m concerned more with who we are as a church in the suburb where we live, and how we can be the hands and the feet and the heart and the voice of Jesus in the context of our local community.

You may have an entirely different viewpoint – and that’s just fine and dandy. So the first thing – the first thing to recognise is that books can have a similar message, even though they have quite different covers and even if the authors have different styles and different ways of telling the story. And rather than dismissing that reality – I think it’s something we should deal with – directly and openly because it’s a reality. There are quite a number of styles of church that I don’t plug into easily. The sooner I accept that reality, the sooner I’m going to discover the place that God means me to be.

But as important as it is to recognise the differences and to figure out where we’re a good fit and where we aren’t there’s something more important than the style – and that’s the substance.

I’ve seen plenty of churches that have a great contemporary style that I think I can plug into – in fact, I went to one for a while. But after a few months, I realised that there was something significant lacking there when it came to substance. The first was this:

I realised I could give up taking my Bible with me to church each Sunday – because I was never called to open it. And secondly, I realised – and this is what we were chatting about yesterday on the program – that the only way to become part of the church was to participate in programs – community was program driven, it wasn’t genuine and organic and heart felt. Now in a few weeks time, we’re going to be chatting about things to look for in a church. And we’ll be going into this in a whole lot more detail.

But I think the substance of a church – what lies at the heart of the church – is really important. And the three things that I look for when it comes to this whole thing about substance are these:

(1) First – I want to see that this is a bunch of people who are passionate about Jesus – whose trust is in Him, whose lives are bowed down to Him – and whose love flows out of them. That’s the first thing. The Apostle Paul talked about this sort of substance versus style. He said to the church in Corinth

When I came to you – I didn’t come with a bunch of fancy words and great ideas. I came imperfectly, I came to tell you about Jesus – I wanted you to know His wisdom and His power. That’s what I’m looking for first and foremost – people passionate about Jesus, people who believe that Jesus can and is and will make a real difference in their lives (1 Corinthians 2:1–5)

(2) That they actually open their Bibles. That when they gather together, not only do they worship God with their lips, but they want to hear what God has to say to them today. Gods Word is alive and active and sharper than any two edged sword. I’m looking for a bunch of people who are serious about learning from God and changing and growing to be more like Him.

(3) Finally – I’m looking for a genuine community. People who love others with the love of Christ – not just with words and with platitudes, but with their genuine actions. By inviting others to a meal, by being there when others need them.

That’s the sort of church I want to be part of. I don’t expect them to be perfect at it. But that’s the substance that I’m looking for. Style’s great. It has its place. But it’s the substance – the heartbeat of the church that really matters. And what I believe we should all hear in our churches – if we’re prepared to stop, be still and listen – I believe that what we should hear is the heartbeat of God.

And if that’s missing – the church is dead and we’re only hanging round a graveyard – however alluring the style might be.

 

The Church, Authority and Me

So many things have changed over the last 50 years. I mean – half a century ago, the church played a key role in society here in Australia where I live. A huge role. And whilst in some countries it still does – that’s not the case here.

In fact, you go back a few centuries, and they were holding inquisitions and executing people in some places. Interesting how the position and the role and the influence of this thing we call church has waxed and waned over the last couple of thousand years.

And not all of it, historically, has been good or positive. The crusades, the inquisitions – the trial and conviction of eminent scientists like Galileo and Copernicus for holding heretical views like the earth isn’t the centre of the universe and the earth isn’t flat – no not all of it’s been good.

That’s why I’m such a great fan of the separation of church and state – seems to me as I look back in history, whenever the church became too involved in the running of countries, it’s rarely been a happy outcome.

And so it’s easy – very easy – to become very suspicious and edgy and concerned about manipulation and control, when you hear someone talk about church … and authority in the one sentence.

But we can’t talk about church – without talking about this notion of authority – what it means to us, here and now.

I remember when I first gave my life to Jesus – I was very suspicious of churches. There are some pretty whacky cults out there and the last thing that I wanted to do was to end up in one of those.

And the thing about cults is that invariably they have leaders who abuse their power – leaders who insist on so many strange things being done in the name of loyalty and submission to authority.

Perhaps like me you’re old enough to remember the Jones Town massacre in South America back in 1978 –when James Jones, the leader of the People’s Temple cult convinced 909 of his followers to commit suicide by taking cyanide.

Now – that’s extreme – but it shows the sort of disastrous consequences that can happen when there’s blind allegiance to religious leaders. That’s one extreme.

And so because many of us hold deep suspicions about the authority of so–called religious leaders – the pendulum in many countries – including my own – has swung in completely the opposite direction.

These days, churches are filled with people who believe in Jesus, but who don’t accept the authority of the leaders in their church. They see themselves as members, consumers of church, people who attend to receive advice perhaps – but not as people under any kind of authority or accountability in this place called “church”.

Two extremes. Both – in my view – disastrous. The one that leads to legalism and at its worst cults. The other which means that instead of being the Body of Christ – people who work together to bring the love of Christ into a lost and hurting world, we’re just a bunch of semi–interested, variably committed volunteers who help when it suits us.

So – it’s a really, really interesting question, this whole question of authority in the church and it’s one of the things that many a person – both people who believe in Jesus and those who don’t – have against the church.

What’s the answer? Where’s the middle ground? Well – there are a couple of really interesting passages we’re going to take a look at today. Here’s the first one – it’s Jesus talking:

“If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses.

If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. (Matthew 18:15–18)

Now the church is the Body of Christ – it belongs to Jesus and what Jesus is talking about here – is authority and accountability. It begins with mutual accountability – church members are accountable to one another for their behaviour – that’s why if someone does something wrong against you, Jesus says the first thing to do is take them aside and deal with it. Don’t sweep it under the carpet – deal with the issue.

Chances are – that this should resolve the issue. But if it doesn’t it’s time to take this matter of accountability a bit wider. Get a few other people – witnesses – involved. And then if that doesn’t work – take it to the church.

And if the leaders try to deal with it but the person who did wrong in the first place still won’t listen – then … , let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. – In other words – boot them out. Why? Because Jesus has given the church the authority to do that.

Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

Delegated authority. Straight from Jesus to the leaders of His church. Most of us have never seen that happen – and it would be an extreme step to take. I was in a church once where a couple were removed because they continued to sleep together before they were married. It was done in love, but with a clear understanding that this is what Jesus told us to do. And without going into the details, this act of authority and accountability by the leadership had a really positive outcome.

The second passage I’d like to look at is the sort of leadership and authority church leaders are called to exercise. Peter the Apostle – Have a listen:

Now as an elder myself and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as one who shares in the glory to be revealed, I exhort the elders among you to tend the flock of God that is in your charge, exercising the oversight, not under compulsion but willingly, as God would have you do it—not for sordid gain but eagerly.

Do not lord it over those in your charge, but be examples to the flock. And when the chief shepherd appears, you will win the crown of glory that never fades away. In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you must clothe yourselves with humility in your dealings with one another, for “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. (1 Peter 5:1–6)

I love that – leaders are called to lead well – by example, as shepherds guiding the flock, rather than lording it over them. And the rest of us – we’re called to humble ourselves under this good leadership – because God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

So what I discover is that when it comes to leadership, authority and accountability in the Church – God isn’t interested in either of the extremes. He doesn’t want harsh, cult–like leadership any more than he wants us to imagine that church is a free–for–all where anarchy prevails and we each do as we like. That kind of volunteer mentality.

The heart of God is to see godly leadership on the one hand, and a humility amongst each of us on the other where we’re prepared to submit to godly authority. You look at it God’s way – and it sits well doesn’t it? We know it’s right. The truth, the truth inevitably rests well in our hearts – because that’s where it belongs.

 

What Are You Looking For?

So – next week on the program we’re going to start having a good look at what it means to actually flourish in the house of the Lord. To grow, to develop, to mature.

But before we can do that – we have to ask ourselves a question – and answer it honestly. Answer it with brutal honesty. And that question is this:

What are we looking for in a church? Come on – what are you looking for? What am I looking for?

Are we looking for the perfect church? Now – most people would say “No – there’s no such thing as a perfect church”. But deep down – let me ask again what are we looking for – are we looking for the perfect church? You know – one of the things I’ve noticed these days, is that the wealthier a country becomes, the more it strives for perfection. The perfect cup of coffee in the perfect café. The perfect child with the perfect education. We think that money somehow can buy perfection.

But it can’t. I enjoy going out for coffee with my wife Jacqui – and there are several good cafés within easy walking and driving distance from my place. But the one that has the best food, is crowded and noisy. There’s another café where the tables are more spaced out – and the coffee’s great, but the food and the service leave something to be desired.

And then there’s another one where the people are really friendly, but it’s small and poky and the coffee’s not that great. There’s always something, isn’t there? Something to complain about. Something that offends this idea that we have that if we’re going out for a coffee, the whole experience should be perfect – and by that we mean it should perfectly fit my needs and my wants and my desires.

To be honest – I wonder sometimes whether without even realising it – I wonder if that isn’t the way we approach this thing we call church. Hmm? I was struck by this deep truth in a rather old–fashioned, quaint little poem that I stumbled across recently. Why don’t you have a listen with me:

I think that I shall never see, a church that’s all it’s meant to be A Church whose members never stray beyond the straight and narrow way A church that has no empty pews, whose pastor never has the blues A church whose elders always speak, and none is proud and all are meek Such perfect churches there may be, but none of them are known to me But still we’ll work and pray and plan, to maker our church the best we can.

Have you ever stumbled across the absolutely perfect family, or the perfect café, or the perfect bank, or the perfect … no. Because each of those social units are made up of imperfect people like you and me.

So – seems to me – we can kid ourselves by poking fun at church – seeing its faults and problems, using those as excuses for pulling back.

Or – we can accept the reality – that we’re never going to stumble across the perfect church. Not in this life. But in that church – there’s someone who needs me, what I have to offer. And in that church – there’s someone who needs you – what you have to offer.

A word of encouragement, a friendship, a cup of coffee, a smile, a strong shoulder to lean on, some wisdom hard–learnt – whatever it is that God’s endowed us with – there’s someone in that church who needs what He’s given us.

Some people go to church as consumers, as spectators – almost as though they’re attending a concert. But I’m not sure that that’s what Jesus had in mind, when He said:

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. (John 15:12–13)

My friend – let me ask you again – what are you looking for in church?