HEALTHY CHURCH: Church On The Move

         Movement is “the act or process of moving, especially a change of place or posture. It is a tactical or strategic shifting of a military unit, a maneuver.” Movement involves action and activity with a series of organized activities working toward an objective. Pardon the simplicity, but movement implies you are moving. At its inception in the Scriptures, the church was essentially a movement built upon a conviction. Jesus said, “I have come to seek and to save that which is lost.” The first word of the Great Commission — go — is a word of movement and conveys the truth of “as you are going.” It speaks of advancement.

      J.D. Greear stated, “The danger of the church in every age is to cease being a movement and become, instead, a ministry that provides service to people, or, even worse, a place people simply attend. Movements move, and if you’re part of the movement, you’re moving.” This can be seen in the evangelistic movement, or lack of, and passion of churches. Churches under three years old reach one new convert for every three members. On average, churches that are three to seven years old reach one new convert per seven members. Churches over 10 years old reach 1 new convert for every 89 members. Entropy just sets in naturally.

      BMA Global President Dr. John David Smith wrote this in his document, Mature Church Model, on the theological view of a church: “The Old Testament precedent for the church is found in the word ‘qahal.’ This literally means, ‘those who have heard the call and are following it.’ In the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures), ‘qahal’ is translated ‘ekklesia.’ This word is formed from two words: ek (out) and kaleo (called). Ekklesia literally means the called-out ones. The word ekklesia is used 114 times in the New Testament. It can mean a secular gathering or an assembly, but it is used 90 times in reference to a local church.”

      Dr. Smith continued, “About 300 AD, the German word Kirche (Lord’s house), where we get the English word church, was introduced into Christianity. There is no etymological connection between ekklesia and kirche. From this point in Christian history, the church became a location centered around monolithic buildings, cathedrals, structures and institutions instead of the gatherings that drove the movement of Christ.” By definition, a church is not a place. It’s a movement. But over the years, that has been lost. Church has become a place we go to, an event we attend. The original church was a movement gathered around a mission.

      This movement is not just frenetic activity but an intentional focus and systematic approach to the mission of God. Your church does not have a mission as much as God’s mission has a church to carry out His mission. Your church is to be a movement revolving around His mission. John 15:4 (HCSB) clearly states this principle: “What man among you, who has 100 sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the 99 in the open fieldand go after the lost one until he finds it?” There is a big difference between aspirationalvalues (what you know you should be doing) and actual values (what you are actually doing). Are you actually pursuing the lost?

      Dr. Smith continued, “The mission of the church is to give continuation to the mission of Christ. Missions is not a line item in a church budget. It is the purpose for its existence. The multiplication of disciples, leaders and churches must be at the forefront of local church ministry. We must guard against the means to the mission becoming the mission. Our great theological truths were not hammered out in an ancient academic setting; they were formed on the mission field. Almost every book of the New Testament was written to someone starting a new church, or the book was written to a new church.”

      The mission of God is why we exist, and you are either actively striving to carry it out, which requires movement, or you are disobeying His command. Acts 2:32 reminds us, “God has resurrected this Jesus. We are all witnesses of this.” Witnesses are meant to testify of the truths they have seen and know. Think of the healed lame man in Acts 3:8, “So he jumped up, stood and started to walk, and he entered the temple complex with them — walking, leaping and praising God.” This man was a living, breathing, visible testimony of the power of God — are you?

      The first part of God’s plan to save mankind was to send His Son to provide redemption for us through His death, burial and resurrection. In Uncommon Life, Tony Dungy stated, “When Jesus returned to the Father, the next part of the plan was launched — the expansion of God’s kingdom through the spreading of the good news of the risen Christ. How was that going to happen? Through the disciples He had selected to train, equip and encourage, sent throughout the world with the message of God’s love for each of us through His Son, Jesus Christ.” You are a part of God’s plan A, and there is no plan B.

      Are you telling others what Jesus did for you? Are you moving the message of His grace forward by actively sharing it at every opportunity you have? In Made for More, the authors stated, “The role of the local church is to be the mobilizing home base. This empowers all disciples to discover their personal calling, then deploy them to express the fullness of Jesus into every corner of culture and into every sphere of society.” If Jesus is Lord of your life, you are living on mission. The local church is a missionary movement of the people of God, saved by the power of God, for the purposes of God.

      Are you actively moving toward people who are far from God in order to build relationships with them so you can display the love of God in practical ways? Are you testifying to others about His redeeming grace? Are you surrendered to the mission of God and moving forward on it?