One of my favorite songs and Artist is "My Jesus" by Todd
Agnew. I was listening to it at work the other day and heard how he doubted
that his church would accept Jesus if He came and it reminded me of people who say that most churches would not recognize Him if He showed up one Sunday morning. The song spoke of Jesus'
ministry to the lost and hopeless and how we should do likewise. This is great
stuff but I was troubled over the thought of not recognizing Jesus. My
first thought was, "Why would anyone be involved in a Church they felt
would not accept or recognize our Savior?" How is it possible for a Church to be in
this condition? In the Bible there are more than a few types mention that
picture the Church's relationship to Jesus.
The
first is the Shepherd and the flock. In John 10:27, Jesus is recorded as
saying, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow Me."
How is it possible for a Church or Flock not to hear the voice of the Shepherd
and to know Him"? Jesus says it is not possible. A Church dedicated to
discipleship and following Jesus will know Him. They will know His Words, and
know when He shows up, when He reveals His presence. If the Church you attend
does not fit the Sheep mode, then you might find another flock.
The next type is Bride and Bridegroom. Surely the Bride will know her
Bridegroom. The picture in scripture is of a bride who is waiting for her
groom. But while she waits, the groom is preparing her for their eternal union.
Also, Jesus states that He gave Himself for His Bride. He paid the dowry with
His blood on the cross. It does not sound as if it is possible for the Bride to
be unknown to the Groom. It sounds hard but we must decide if we are part of a
Bride or a harlot. The difference is: a harlot is only able to be intimate
physically for a price. A Bride is able to be intimate Body, Soul and Spirit
and the Bride and Groom give all.
The last, but not final type I see is the Church as the Body of Christ
to continue His work on earth. Doesn't a person know his or her own body? As we
bathe and clean it after a hard day’s work, don't we become familiar with all
of it? The Spirit and Soul has an intimate relationship with the body. Likewise
the Body of Christ knows intimately the person whom it belongs to. Do you still
believe it is possible for a Church to not recognize Jesus if He was to reveal
Himself? Of course I am not an expert on scripture or Church life and growth,
but this all seems common sense to me. Let’s quit complaining about how bad our
Churches are and get about the Master’s business. Hear the Shepherd’s voice and
obey. Let the Bridegroom prepare you for His return. And lastly, offer
ourselves to His service to reach the lost. In doing so you will recognize Him,
He is living in you. Will I quit loving Todd Agnew’s song? Not likely! We all
need help remembering who Christ died for and what we are to do about it.
(Note: Not many scripture references are given because I think you would get a lot more out of it if you researched them yourselves.)
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