18
May
2010

The Heart of the Church
The Heart of the Church
Written by Pastor Eddie   
I am going to begin a blog series based on a series of messages concerning, The Heart of the Church.  What I hope to do is to to help us, the Church, see the need we each have for each other and the desire of God to cause our hearts to be turned, first to Him and then towards each other.

When you read Ephesians 1: 15-23 you see that “God gave Jesus, as head over all things, to the Church!”  The Church is His Body, the fullness of Him, Who fills all in all!  As a church body we are to the be fullness of Jesus expressed on the earth.  In His fullness.  Jesus is all and fills all, and it is done through His Body.  Just like it was when Jesus walked the earth; the Church is not here to view history, but to make history!  We can each one  of us go through the motions of "playing" Church, but here is the thing; while man looks on the outward appearance, God is looking at a man’s heart.

I believe that each of us must very soon realize that the time has come, when Jesus is speaking  to the church and saying, “The world has yet to see what I can do with a church whose heart is fully committed to me.”  Question:  Do we have the courage to dare to have our heart examined so that we can be that Church?

Colossians 3:5-15 In order to have the heart that Jesus desires, we must first put to death, the earthly in us.  We must die to self and live to  Jesus.  It is only then that we will begin to have the true Heart of the Church.  One of the ways we will begin to see our hearts changes is to "rejoice".  In the book of Philippians 4:2-8 Paul sends a letter to encourage the Philippians; he is calling for reconciliation, joyful faith, and a more disciplined thinking. My version would say, "He’s calling for a heart surgery!"  Paul encourages the Philippians to stand unified in the Lord for the sake of the gospel.

So what does Paul tell them to do?  "Rejoice in the Lord, again I will say rejoice!"  Paul calls the Philippians to attitudes of joy and reason, so that they can begin replacing anxiety and tension with expectant, and grateful prayer.  He also calls them to think upon and practice Christian virtues. The joy that Paul calls for is not a happiness that depends on circumstances.

Paul calls for a deep contentment that is in only found in and through Jesus.  It is based on trust in the sovereign, living God, and is available always, even in difficult times.  Even when we don’t agree, we can mutually submit to one another because God is still Sovereign and still seated on the throne!  We first rejoice and then we operate with a gentle spirit.  If God is sovereign and in control, than you and I can entrust all their difficulties to him, through prayer, supplication and thanksgiving.  It is God  who rules over all creation and has all wisdom and is loving in all His ways.

When we rejoice in Him and operate in a gentle spirit; when we pray to Him and entreat Him and give Him thanks in all circumstances, His peace will envelope us.  Not only will it envelope us, it will surpass all of our understanding and will guard our heart and our mind.

Philippians 4: 8 Paul then goes on to tell the Philippians, “fill your minds, your hearts, with things that will inspire worship of God and service to others.”  This is part of the criteria for what a heart that Jesus desires, looks like.  Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Think about it, speak it, live it.  That is what the world has yet to see. That is what I can do with a church whose heart is pure and fully committed to me.  As I said at the beginning of this blog, “We are to the be fullness of Jesus expressed on the earth.  In His fullness, He is all and fills all and it is done through the church”.  Just like it was when Jesus walked the earth.  The church is not here to view history, but to make history!  As we make progress in this way, I believe that we will find that it is not simply the peace of God that guards our hearts; it is the God of peace Himself who will be with us and lead us, in His heart for His Church.
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