By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. (John 13:35; NIV)
- Jesus Christ
Community
Not a church member, but believer?
No problem. For what ecclesiastical institution did Jesus found? If He had wanted to reform the Jewish church of the time, it would have been a small matter for Him. But he did not. Rather, it was the Jewish Pharisees and religious hypocrites who condemned Him to death for fear of losing power (cf. Mt 5:20). Note that Jesus called a movement of followers into being and did not found a world religion. Judaism contained a multitude of rules, all of which pointed prophetically to Christ (cf. Lk 24:27). When the perfectly righteous and sinless Jew Jesus fulfilled these for the first time, Judaism became obsolete, “close to disappearing”, as the Bible explains (Heb 8:13; ELB). There was therefore no need for another religion, as the New Testament teaches (cf. Heb 10:8-16). He prophesied to the hypocritical leaders that not one stone would be left upon another in the centerpiece of their religion, the temple, which actually came to pass. What a brilliant illustration of this truth! In its place, he would build another temple: the “temple of his body” (John 2:21; SCH). No one at the time understood what he meant by this. It only dawned on his disciples after his resurrection. It became clearer to them during the celebration of the Lord's Supper. From then on, they called this joyful fellowship with one another “God's temple” (1 Cor 3:16; 10:16; SCH) - regardless of any place, church building or organization (see my booklet “Living with Purpose”: Appendix A).
What does today’s “consumer church” look like?
In many churches today we see a desire to become more and more professional. Even prayer houses that actually want to emphasize the simplicity of prayer are increasingly valuing their professional musicians. It is striking how they are making their range of services more and more extensive and how their advertising is becoming more expensive. That takes money, a lot of money. They are invoking a rule that was abolished long ago and which was intended to secure the social system of the Hebrew people by requiring ten percent of income in almost all self-financed churches. This could raise the question: does it really make sense to offer a suitable program for every need? Haven't today's churches long since developed into religious service companies? But the most important question is probably: is someone who attends as many of these events as possible a good Christian? Hardly.
Article/ Paper
Church between Familiy and Service Organization
What could our religious community look like?
If we ask Jesus himself, he prophesied: "By your love for one another, everyone will know that you are my disciples" (John 13:35). Then he declared: "I will build my church!" (Matthew 16:18). Because it is his own plan, he will not fail, because he had a very clear idea of what the community of his followers should look like. It is a network of confidants. There is no utilitarian thinking in it. Competition or comparison of charisms is pointless. The child is just as loved and valued as the experienced leaders who have been with Jesus for longer. In this type of family community, there is also no clergy or success-oriented annual goals. Here, one person shares the burdens of the other because love reigns. That is why Jesus promised: "The kingdom of the dead with all its power will not be able to prevail against the church." (Matthew 16:18) The strongest force in this universe is that of love. Jesus himself therefore watches over this community, over people whom he has called out of a “meaningless and aimless life” (1 Peter 1:18). This is the exact meaning of the Greek word ekklesia, which is translated as “church” or “community”: ekklesia = those called out. They are already called “citizens of heaven” (Philippians 3:20; NIV).
What can we do?
This time on earth can be compared to a warm-up phase that was supposed to make us fit for heaven. What did the first Christians do when they lived together like a "family" (Eph 2:19)? Four things: "This is how they organized their everyday lives (Acts 2:42)... - They took the teaching of the authorized Jesus ambassadors as a standard for their lives - They shared their lives with one another - They solemnly broke bread and - They devoted themselves to prayer." It was striking that everyone made a contribution when they came together (1 Cor 14:26).
Where can you find this kind of community?
It emerged from my parents' home: something like a community of several families and singles - people who shared their faith with each other. I was later allowed to continue and lead it. On my many business trips, I got to know other groups - here is an example (Link)
CONNECT NOW!
Now it is being created in the greater Reutlingen area! If this is your heart's desire, just send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you and wish you God's blessing!
Pfullingen
Andreas Pohlmann