A Family, not a Business

Over the past several weeks, I have had multiple conversations with people about a recurring statement that keeps slipping out of our pastors heart as we have been digging into Ephesians on Sunday mornings. Rick continues to tell our church that we are not a business, we are a family. Though this statement has not been a major point in any message, it has been leaking from our pastor and I do think that the Lord is trying to teach us something very important. As I look at the calling and mission of our church, it is critical that we function as a family and not a business. We must do whatever we can to resist this consumer mentality that has infiltrated so many churches in America.

Don't get me wrong, every week we have guests that visit our church and we do need to do a good job of making them feel welcome. We also need to be excellent at accepting new people and bringing them into our family. I do the same thing at my own house. When a guest comes over, my wife and I make sure that our house is clean, the floor is vacummed and the meal for the guest is prepared well. We absolutely must have the same attitude when it comes to welcoming new people each week. However, when it comes to the way we interact with our church family, our church experience should go deeper than consuming and move into accomplishing a Divine mission by living life together.

I think that the Lord has been using our pastor to communicate that being a part of a local church is a bigger deal than we realize. Sometimes we get caught up in our individual wants and desires and miss our purpose to the larger body of believers. Recently, I had a conversation with a person who was considering leaving my church. This person said to me, "I didn't think that my leaving here would be that big of a deal." I have thought about this statement a lot over the past few weeks. If my daughter came up to me and told me, "Dad, I think I am going to leave our family because I think this family down the street is much better than ours." I would be devastated because she is my daughter and I love her so much. I realize that this example is extreme but I am trying to make a point that swapping churches is a very big deal. When looking at your church, it is important to take a deep look at your calling and your connection to the mission. Sometimes I think people look for a church like they are looking for a spiritual sweater. We must understand that it is so much deeper than this. I believe that all believers are called to a local church. I know that many of us have heard this statement many times but I want to challenge you to really think about it. You are called by God to a family of believers. Like our pastor said in a recent sermon, "If you go to Foley's, you are not going to sweep the floor before you leave the store because that is a business and it is not your job to take care of things like that." On the other hand, when you go to your house, it is critical for you to take care of your chores because as a member of that family you have responsibilities that fulfill your purpose in your house. I want to ask you to think about your attitude at church. Have you adopted the consumeristic mentality or do you see yourself as a part of a family with a purpose. We must work hard at growing a family at Council Road. Our job is not to build numbers in pews on 30th and Council. Our job is to make a difference in OKC. If we are going to do that, we have to build a strong family. If you are genuine follower of Christ, you are called by God to be a part of a local family. Your connection to this family is not based on how you feel, it is based on the mission that God has given to you. Your church is not a business, it is a family, I challenge you not to neglect that calling by God.