This was sent to me from Cathy Moncrief and is by Christopher J. Harris (Click here).

Much of our lives are built around what we want.  We drive vehicles because that’s what we wanted.  We dress in ways that makes us feel better about ourselves.  We eat custom ordered meals catering to our taste buds.  We live in houses that are complete with all of our toys and technologies that make us feel successful.  We are engaged in social media platforms in which we promote ourselves, share our opinions, and broadcast our lives.  Notice the emphasis on ‘our’.  It is mainly about us.

The Church (globally) was designed to be the total opposite.

The Church was not established for us or even centered on us.  Quite contrary, our push, toil, and sacrifices for The Church should be much larger than our own preferences, tastes, and views.

When The Church was founded we were provided with a clear understanding of Who the focus should be on.  In Matthew 16:18 Jesus announces, “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (KJV)”

Have you ever noticed that Jesus didn’t say ‘our church’?

The entire structure, approach, and focus of the church would be drastically different if He would have announced, “our church.”

We would:

A) Have people attend church for only what they can get out of it versus making personal sacrifices in order to reach up for Christ.

B) Have sermons that are self-seeking and self-serving versus sermons that highlight the character of God, the work of Christ, and the work of Christ in the life of each believer.

C) Have disciples of Christ focus all of their prayers on their own problems and predicaments and force their will on God versus praying in a way that allows God to dictate the conversation and impart His Will into them.

D) Have church attendees only give for tax purposes or to get bigger and better toys versus giving with a heart to see God’s kingdom and kingdom work expanded.

E) Church leaders would push their own agendas and preferences and ignore and demean those without titles versus Church leaders promoting unity and selflessness with a servants’ heart and Christ-mindset.

This would be the outcome if the statement was “our”.  But Jesus was the Master Teacher.  He knew what the result would be of the miscalculation of one simple word.  Instead, He said, “my”.  Quite simply, it is “His Church”.

The result then is that:

A) Every service is about Him.

B) Every program is about Him.

C) Every ministry is about Him.

D) Every worship experience is about Him.

E) The finances are about Him.

F) The vision is about Him.

G) The buildings are about Him.

H) The people are about Him.

Anything else is about us.

Scripture of the Day: “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” – 1 Corinthians 3:11