How Do We Follow Jesus - as the Risen Lord? Part 2
World We Live In: “I want Jesus, but I don’t want the Church”
In this past few decades, the humble local church has been suffering a loss of prestige. For some time now, Christians are far more inclined to be associated with Jesus than the Church. Francis Chan the author of the book “Crazy Love” is a good and recent example of a high profile leader seemingly keeping to this trend. In 2010, he shook things up when he left the Church he founded in 1994 after leading them as a senior pastor for many years. Whatever reasons he gave (if you’re interested you can read about it here and here), and whether he was right is not our concern here. What is important is that he believed he was following Jesus - he believed with all his heart, he was abiding in the True Vine.
But in last week’s pastors desk we saw that the apostle John has a different way of calling is to “follow Jesus” as risen Lord. He speaks of discipleship to Jesus with the idea of “abiding”. Jesus has called us to abide in Him. But what does that actually mean?
World of the NT: “I love the Church, the Body of Jesus on earth”
Can someone who say he’s abiding in Jesus and yet have no respect or loyalty to the local assembly that congregates in the Name of Jesus? Can someone love Jesus and have no communion with the local church? In short, the answer is no. To abide in Christ is to love His Church. And one cannot love the Church, from afar as a idea. To love is to love one another. To keep connected with one another as a kampong in Christ.
The first time we see this truth in world history is the moment of Saul’s encounter with the risen Lord. Acts 9:1-9 captures the encounter vividly. Saul falls off his horse because of a blinding light in the middle of the day, and he hears a voice speaking “Saul, Saul why are you persecuting me?”. Saul in shock and fear answers “Who are you, Lord” And he hears the reply “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting...”
Was Saul really persecuting Jesus? Wasn’t Saul just persecuting ordinary human beings who believed in Jesus? Wasn’t Saul just persecuting a religious people? How can Jesus say “Saul, you’re persecuting me…”?
Jesus can say that because anyone who repents and is baptized and lives in communion with one another by the Spirit (Acts 2:37-46). The Church might look like just another organisation governed by the laws of a nation. Our cell groups might look like just another social gathering. Our communities might look like just another kampong. But there is something extraordinary we cannot miss - the Spirit. This is a Spirit directed organization. This is a Spirit empowered cell group that celebrates the presence of Jesus. This is a Spirit infused kampong that keeps makes Jesus our Centre.
The Church that Saul was persecuting was a people birthed on the day of Pentecost - the day the Father and exalted Son gave the gift of His Spirit. The Church today shares our identity with the Church then, if we are a people who are birthed by the Spirit of Jesus and continue our existence in the flesh, no longer living according to the flesh but according the Spirit (Romans 1:3-4, 8:4-5, Gal 2:20, 5:16-26). This is why Paul can speak of the church as the Temple of the Spirit, the Body of Christ (Ephesians 2-4).
And this is why Jesus, as Risen Lord identifies Himself with the Church. To persecute the Church is to persecute Jesus. To speak badly of the Church is to speak badly of Jesus. To sorrow the Church is to sorrow Jesus. To honour the Church is to honour Christ. To lay down our lives for one another is to love Him.
This is why Paul can write -
“Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved. (Philippians 4:1)
Or
For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you?” (1 Thessalonians 2:19)
The World We Are Called to Live In: Kampong in Christ
Paul’s love for Jesus is matched with his of love for the Church of Jesus because for Paul, to love the Church is to love Jesus and the two are inseparable. The apostle John writes in this same way. His entire letter in John is marked by the theme of Love.
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:7–8)
If we love Jesus, if we say we know the God and Father of Jesus and have fellowship with Him and walk in the Light then we love one another. And our love for one another is marked not by words but by action (1 John 3:16-18). Love is marked by the action of staying. Of forgiving. Of bearing. Of give of our time to one another. Our patience for one another. Our possessions to one another. We meet each other’s needs. We stay connected. We abide. To abide with one another for the sake of Love is to abide in Christ.
”But my local church is full of sinners not saints!” How can we say to abide in Christ is to keep being with people who are not serious about God or who exhibit sinful behaviour? Because this is precisely what Jesus did and who He was in the world - He lived amongst sinners and made His dwelling with us. Or as John puts in - Anyone who says he has no sin, does not abide in Christ (1 John 1:8 - 2:6). Those who abide in Christ, can live with sinners, because only those who are in Christ know the forgiveness we have in Christ; and only those who have been forgiven in Christ, can truly forgive and forbear with one another. This is what being in Love looks like - a Spirit enabled kampong who because of their fellowship in Christ, can truly love one another, in spite of our brokenness and sin.
Or to put it more starkly - it is impossible to live with one another because we are sinners. Sin separates us not only from God, but from one another. But those who remain in Christ, can be with one another because we have discovered forgiveness, and we are learning to forgive, for the sake of Love.
Let us Abide in Christ. Let us Love One Another
This past week has been a sobering call to not forget that the Pandemic of 2020 is still with us. Let it also be a reminder that the Word of God to us in 2020 has not changed - Stay Connected to One Another for the sake of Christ. Stay Strong in Love for Christ.