Sunday, August 10, 2025

Being Christ- Like In His Church

                                                            

                                        Being Christ-like in His Church


On a Sunday morning, an old cowboy entered a church just before services were to begin. Although the old man and his clothes were spotlessly clean, he wore jeans, a denim shirt, and boots that were very worn and ragged. In his hand, he carried a worn-out old hat and an equally worn-out Bible. The Church he entered was in a very upscale and exclusive part of the city.

It was the largest and most beautiful Church the old cowboy had ever seen. The people of the congregation were all dressed in expensive clothes and accessories. As the cowboy took a seat, the others moved away from him. No one greeted, spoke to, or welcomed him. They were all appalled by his appearance and did not attempt to hide it.

As the old cowboy was leaving the Church, the preacher approached him and asked the cowboy to do him a favor. "Before you come back in here again, have a talk with God and ask him what he thinks would be appropriate attire for worship." The old cowboy assured the preacher he would. The next Sunday, he showed back up for the services wearing the same ragged jeans, shirt, boots, and hat. Once again, he was completely shunned and ignored.

The preacher approached the man and said, "I thought I asked you to speak to God before you came back to our church." "I did," replied the old cowboy. "If you spoke to God, what did he tell you the proper attire should be for worshiping in here?" asked the preacher. "Well, sir, God told me that He didn't have a clue what I should wear. He said He'd never been in this Church."[1]

            This joke illustrates several points: It exposes our wrong view of the Church and the hypocrisy of our hearts. It teaches us that what you wear to Church doesn't matter, but whether you show up, more importantly, whether God shows up. Today, we will explore the Biblical theology of the Church and how Christians can be Christ-like in His Church. Col 3:12-17.

I. The State of the Western Church.

Before we address what a church is, we will look at the state of the Church in the West. In the World, Christianity is growing faster than the population. If this trend continues, it could reach "3 billion by 2050." That is the Good News! In the USA, according to a new Gallup report, more than half of Americans (56%) say they seldom or never attend religious services. Less than a third (30%) say they attend on a weekly or almost weekly basis."[2]

However, each Sunday, many Christians still gather in local churches. Here is Eugene Peterson's take on the local Church: "St. Paul discussed the foolishness of preaching; I would like to explore the foolishness of congregations, God's chosen venue. Of all the ways in which to carry out the enterprise of Church, this has to be the most absurd—a haphazard collection of people who assembles into pews on Sundays, half-heartedly sing a few songs most of them don't like and tune in and out of a sermon according to the state of their digestion and preacher's decibels awkward in their commitments and jerky in their patterns.

But people in those pews are also people who suffer deeply and find God in their suffering. They make love commitments, are faithful to them through trial and temptation, and bear fruits of righteousness, Spirit-fruits that bless the people around them. Babies, surrounded by hopeful and rejoicing parents and friends, are dedicated in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost. The dead are offered up to God in funerals amid tears and grief. Sinners repent and take the body and blood of Jesus and receive new life.

And these two realities are mixed, impossible to separate."[3] This is the typical picture of a local Church. Let's look at what the Bible says about the Church and its mission in the World.

II. The Biblical View of the Church.  

            Sometimes we have a mistaken notion of a local church because we may have started it, and have been a founder and president of it, so we think it is our Church. In reality, the Church never belongs to us; instead, we belong to the Church, or more accurately, we are the Church.

Here are the words of the initial founder, the only rightful owner, and the sustainer of the Church worldwide. Matthew 16:18, "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it." "You are Peter, a stone; and upon this rock I will build my church; and all the powers of hell shall not prevail against it." (TLB)

Contrary to our popular understanding, the Church is not a building. Jesus did not lay a foundation stone for a structural building; instead, he started a worldwide movement of people and inaugurated the Kingdom of God that would endure forever. The word "church" is a translation of the Greek word ekklesia, which is defined as "an assembly" or "called-out ones."

The first Church consisted of twelve called-out ones. It grew and became a Universal Church from all nations, tribes, and languages. The apostle Paul refers to that universality and multicultural, multiethnic, and racial Church when he said, "Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all." Col 3:11. Christ is the foundation, and all those who believe in Him belong to that Church.

There is no one set place or building for Christ's Church. It meets in huge stadiums and small rooms, it meets in prisons, nightclubs, on mountain tops, and in the valleys. The smallest form of the Church is two or three people. Whenever they meet together in His name,  that is where Jesus promised to show up. This universal Church is expressed locally, like in Hope Church in Sharon. A Toyota car that may come in different shapes, sizes, and colors is still a Toyota. Similarly, every local Church must reflect the nature and character of Jesus Christ.

III. Being Christ-Like In His Church

            Can you be a Christian without going to a Church? Yes, you can! But why do you want to miss out on all the blessings of being committed to a local Church? Just as a balanced diet is essential for our physical health, being part of a Church is vital for balancing our Spiritual life.

Whether a mega or small Church, every local Church that honors Jesus must work towards being Christ-like. It doesn't mean we are looking for perfectness but wholeness. A local Church is a better place where we can develop Christ-like rhythms, as Paul noted in this passage.

Being Christ-like in His Church means walking in forgiveness like Christ did. In a small church like ours, as human beings, we are bound to hurt one another either intentionally or unintentionally. But as Christ forgave us, we must also forgive those who have hurt us. The longer we remain unforgiving and harbor bitterness, the longer we stay sick and miserable.

Being Christ-like in His Church means we must walk in love, as Eugene Peterson says, "regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It is your basic all-purpose garment. Never be without it." (Col 3:14, The Message). Those who follow Christ are to be the people of love. It is not our passion that would win people to Christ, but God's compassion and His love through us. Christ loved us enough to die for us. How about us? Can we love people as Christ loved us?

 

Being Christ-like in His Church means developing Christ-like rhythms in our lives. What are the rhythms of Christ? Jesus prayed regularly, read the Holy scriptures, attended Sabbath services, fellowshipped with sinners, served, healed the sick, fed the hungry, preached the Good News, and taught His disciples. The early Church followed the same pattern as Christ did.

Acts 2:42-47, "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, and fellowship, to the breaking of bread, to prayer, and meeting one another's needs. Hope Church is a safe environment to cultivate and grow in these rhythms, and in doing so, we will become Christ-like.

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Sunday, August 3, 2025

Being Christ-Like

                                                                BEING CHRIST-LIKE

In a world where you can be anything, an advertisement for Pandora Jewelry suggests what one can be: "Be the one thing that can change everything, be bold, be authentic, be brilliant, be the unexpected, be the beauty, be an open heart a first step, a comfort, a force, be true, be nurturing, be open-minded, be understanding, be connected to what matters, selfless, be Limitless, be the laughter. In a world where you can be anything, Be Love, Be Love![1]

This advertisement has a subtle message: If you buy and own Pandora Jewelry, you can embody all that, and in doing so, fulfill the longing to love and be loved. How deceptive it can be? It made me think! How about you, as a follower of Christ in a world where you can be anything, what would you like to be? In our In Him series, we will explore what the Apostle Paul wanted the Colossian believers to be and how that impacts us today. Colossians 3:10-17

I. Christ is The Firm foundation For New Life

The scriptures repeatedly express that when a sinner surrenders their life to Jesus, something new happens within them. The old is gone, and the new has come. They become a new Creation in Christ. Our old sinful life has been replaced with a new life. We are to move away from the way we used to live and rebuild our lives anew on Christ, our firm foundation.

To convey this new and transformed life, Paul uses several metaphors in his letters to various churches. To the Church in Ephesus, he uses the metaphor of clothing. Ephesians 4:22-24, "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." Why must we put off our old life? Because it is corrupted like a computer infected with malicious software.

Writing to the Corinthian Church, he uses a metaphor of a foundation. I Cor 3:11, "For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. Writing to the Colossian Church, he uses a metaphor of a building. Col 2:6-7, "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness."

Our old life before giving our lives to Jesus was built on a shaky foundation of our family traditions, religious beliefs, and cultural norms and values. We thought those were the right ways of living. When we come to Jesus, we must recognize that ungodly systems of the World need to be torn down, and we start rebuilding our lives anew, having Jesus as our firm foundation. In our passage, the Apostle Paul breaks down how to live this New Life in Him into three categories. 

II. We Are Saved and Changed To Be A Blessing

In the scriptures, we often see God saving and changing individuals and giving them a mission to become a blessing to others. We see this in the lives of Abraham, the prophets, kings, the early disciples, and later on Saul, who became the Apostle Paul after God changed his life.

After a divine encounter on the Road to Damascus, the persecutor of the Church, Saul, 's life dramatically changed. God testified of Saul, saying, "This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name." Acts 9:15.

Being faithful to that calling, Paul became a blessing to thousands of people, planted several churches, wrote thirteen letters to the Churches, and one of them was the letter to the believers in Colossae. God changed your life so that you can be a blessing. Christ would say to each of us, "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear Fruit—Fruit that will last. Jn 15:16. Paul affirmed that high calling in Col 3:12.

III. Being Christ-Like In This World.

Colossians 3:9-12, "Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here, there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience."

Coming back to my initial question in the introduction, as a follower of Christ in a world where you can be anything, what would you like to be? I don't know about you, but I want to be Christ-like in this World. In Christ, there is no differentiation and discrimination; we are all equal. In our New Life, Christ is all that matters, and Christ is the one who lives in all of us.

For that reason, Paul addresses all of us as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved. Then he commands us to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience." In other words, "Be Christ Like! The Bible contains various types of teachings: advice, promises, clauses, doctrines, judgments, challenges, and negotiations.

What Paul urges believers to consider falls into the category of commands from God. Before we become anything for Christ, we must consider who we are in Christ. Because God chose us, made us holy, and we are dearly loved, we are to become compassionate, kind, humble, gentle, and patient. Generally, people lack compassion, are unkind, proud, harsh, and impatient. We, too, were like that once, but as Paul commands, we must exhibit Christ-like virtues.

In a world marked by so much hurt and brokenness, it is a breath of fresh air to meet people who embody these five Christ-like virtues: Compassion, Kindness, Humility, Gentleness, and Patience. Out of five virtues, three of them: Kindness, Gentleness, and Patience, are part of the fruit that the Holy Spirit produces in the life of a believer. Let's look at the other two virtues.

IV. Compassion and Humility.

As we yield ourselves and are led by the Holy Spirit, we become kind, gentle, and patient people. The other two virtues of Compassion and Humility are what we need to work on, as we strive to be more Christ-like. Over the years, I have met some wonderful people both in and outside the Church who exhibit these qualities of compassion and humility. I also met people who call themselves Christians but lack compassion and are very proud.

How can you find out whether you may be lacking in compassion and moving in pride? According to a web article, People who lack compassion often display these 10 behaviors (without realizing it): You struggle to feel others' pain. 2. You find it hard to show sympathy. 3. You tend to judge others. 4. You struggle to express affection. 5) You often neglect emotional needs – yours and others' 6. You find it hard to forgive and let go. 7. You struggle with patience. 8. You are often focused on the practical. 9. You struggle with vulnerability. 10. You often neglect self-compassion."[2] If you identify with these behaviors, you are lacking in compassion.

Remember, compassion is not something we are born with. It is a skill that must be cultivated. We grow in compassion by studying the life of Jesus, who moved out of compassion for others. By doing so slowly, we can start expressing care for others, showing interest in what they are going through, and stop being judgmental. We will also see people as precious souls rather than objects to achieve our selfish goals. We become humble by imitating Jesus, the Son of God, who humbled himself by taking the very nature of a servant (Phil 2:1-11). When all Christian aspire to be more Christ-like, the World will be a better place to live.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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