Here is the tenth and final consideration that I will give as to why we should love the church. To recap, we have seen that...
1. Loving the church brings glory to God
2. Loving the church demonstrates faithfulness to the Word of God
3. Loving the church is one of our greatest witnesses to the world
4. Loving the church unity in the body of Christ
5. Loving the church stimulates meaningful and vibrant corporate worship of God
6. Loving the church generates solid and biblical edification
7. Loving the church brings about a genuine caring and sharing in the body of Christ
8. Loving the church creates and environment for church growth
9. Loving the church creates a godly excitement in the fellowship
And now, number ten...
10. Loving the church keeps the focus on Jesus!
As Colossians 1:18 clearly states, Jesus is to come to have first place in everything. And being the Head and Lord of the Church means that the focus of the church is to be upon Jesus; upon knowing Him as well as serving Him.
Churches that get caught up in divisions and struggles can trace the origin of such things to one thing...selfishness. As with a marriage where the husband and wife are to look to serve one another rather than simply their own needs and wants, so too, in the church, believers are to put the Lord and His desires first. How many heartaches would be avoided if we would put the attention on the Lord's will. Then things like personal preferences, self-seeking agendas, even our prideful egos would be forgotten.
As a church learns to love biblically, then the focus will be on Jesus. As Paul said in Philippians 2:3-4...
Why are we to have this outlook? How is this keeping the focus on the Lord? Because of what Paul wrote next in verse 5...
Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,
This was the attitude of Christ! This was the focus of Christ! This was and is the will of Christ! Without a doubt, the church is to be a place that this characterized by grace and truth; a place where people are accepted as they are, but also told like it is! The love we are to have for the Church is not some sappy human sentiment; nor is it some fluctuating emotionalism. Love is rooted and grounded in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Let me remind you once again of my working definition of love....
Love is a one-way, unconditional act of the will that seeks the highest good of another, regardless of the cost and all for the glory of God.
Love for the Church is a decision you must made. This love will involve sacrifice (love without sacrifice is no love at all). This love for the Church is only possible by the grace of God and must be steeped in the truth of God. Love for the Church is nothing short of love for Jesus. You CANNOT love Jesus and not love His Church!
May our prayer be that of Paul's for the Church at Thessalonica and recorded in 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10...
Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more...
May it be our ambition to excel still more in the love of Christ so that we might, as the Church, be everything God intends for us to be to His glory!
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