I sure hope I’m not the only one who wonders this sometimes. I sure hope that I’m not the only one who hears the news (often by accident) or reads an article on the internet or listens to people around me talking and wonder what’s happening in the world?
Maybe you’ve heard of the fears of economic collapse? Or perhaps the weird things going on in the banking industry around the world? Maybe you’ve grown a tad weary about the lingering conflict in parts of our world? Perhaps you’re getting a tad uneasy about the partnerships being formed between nations that really don’t seem to be up to anything good?
What’s going on?
People who you thought were friends no longer want to talk to you. Institutions that once were focused on helping others have collapsed. Churches have turned inward. And the world around us seems to be spiraling into practices that have historically been deemed unethical, false and evil.
What’s going on?
If you look at sheer numbers, an easy but not effective metric to use, it appears that the church in the world is shrinking rapidly. Small churches are closing and larger ones are showing signs of decline. There are some exceptions but this seems to be more the norm across the country.
What’s going on?
A little word of hope for those of you who are feeling a bit overwhelmed. There is a section in the Bible that we often gloss over as we gravitate to the more well known portion. But it’s often in the seemingly mundane and obscure parts of the bible that we find some really great gems of truth. Take a look here.
Jesus says in the book of Matthew “I will build my church.” Now the context is why we often miss this little gem. This is the section where Peter gets it right. Jesus asks who people say he is. Then Peter without hesitation gives the proper understanding of who Jesus really is. He is the one promised. The Christ who is the Son of God. This is when Jesus replies on this rock I will build my church.
We tend to get hung up on the rock part of this phrase, but what about the promise? What about the section dealing with what God is up to? It’s in this little phrase that we find the answer to our question what’s going on.
So what is going on?
Jesus is building his church. I know that sounds a little weird but in the odd, terrible, threatening, fear-filled, terrifying, uncertain, upside down moments in the world Jesus has not lost his focus. His focus is true. He is building his church.
When the economy is in shambles, Jesus is building his church. When the towers fell in New York, Jesus was still building his church. When illness hits our home and takes our loved one, Jesus is still building his church. When the world is chaotic and just flat messed up, Jesus is still building his church.
Nothing changes the focus of God. Nothing shifts his sights even the slightest. Jesus is still building his church. And that church (the global version, not exactly the local version) will prevail as long as she stays true to his teaching.
The idea that Jesus is building his church doesn’t make the hard days come less often or the pain of the loss of a loved one any less painful. But it does help us see things a little differently. But what do we do with it?
Tomorrow we’ll deal with what the church is supposed to do with this reality. But for now find comfort knowing that the nastiness of life hasn’t changed who God is or what he’s up to. It hasn’t stopped him from doing his work. He’s still building his church and has invited you and me to be a part of this amazing work.
Knowledge is a great thing! We strive for deeper knowledge at every turn. From a very early age we seek to grow through learning. We learn from our parents as they talk us through new tasks. We learn as we watch people do things we’ve never attempted. We learn from teachers, pastors, grandparents, and so many other grown-ups in our lives. Our society is driven by the idea of gaining knowledge. We ask our young people what their plans are after high school. We apply pressure to our young adults when we ask what they want to “do with the rest of the lives.” It’s all about more and more knowledge!