HOW TO BUILD THE CHURCH

It is commendable we have interest in seeing the church prosper. One of the things I've learned over time is that we don't build the church. Jesus does. He is building his church. We've always said it. I'm growing in believing it.

Experiencing Jesus in our work is a fairly new concept to me. Such isn't new in theory. It is new in actuality. Jesus lives in God's children. He reaches to and through us. Man is still God's method for reaching a depraved society.

These characteristics seem to motivate or activate His participation in us:

• HUMILITY: God is opposed to the proud. Claiming we are the only ones with the Truth is surely a bold admission of our pride. The more we yield in humility, the more He will extend His grace. He says so.
• MERCY: Mercy is the act of offering forgiveness when it has not been sought. As we extend mercy we receive it from Him. He says so.
• LOVE: We live in constant offense. We either dispense hurt or get hurt or both. We must have some divine assistance to get us through such a deep and persistent quagmire. Love covers a multitude of sins; ours and theirs. He says so.
• WORSHIP: To worship God instead of worshipping worship formation is a breakthrough. It isn't a question of doing worship right as much as it is a challenge as to whether we are really worshipping God. God inhabits praise. He says so.

The good news is Jesus is still building His church. I am most happy to encounter a growing number of believers who remain interested in doing Bible things Bible ways. One of those is learning to stay out of His way by letting Him do the building as we do the honoring of Him.