The next level in spiritual maturity – it’s Jesus’ church

Red Church.
Blue Church.
Purple Church.
True Church?

Ever find yourself wondering – What is the church? What is it for? What does it mean to be a true Christ-follower as part of the family of God in our world in our day? What is my part in it? Is being a Christian really about embroiling myself in politics? Engaging angry hate speech on social media toward people I disagree with?

In the swirl and vortex of cultural turmoil these days, trying to answer these questions can be hard. Confusing at the least. But has there ever been a time when it was more important for the church to remember who we truly are? We are a Jesus Church.  And the main reason is that we are Jesus’ Church!

Jesus loves us. Jesus calls us. Jesus saves us. Jesus went to the cross for us, died and rose for us, comes alive by His Spirit in us, and then reaches out through us in mission in this world. Jesus declared “Upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it!” I was taught by a spiritual mentor years ago that “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing!” Jesus is our Main Thing.

Jesus is our Message. Jesus is our Model. Jesus is our Mentor. And Jesus is still our Maker, willing and ready to transform our lives after the likeness of His own so we can join Him on mission in our world. Jesus said, “Follow me and I will make you…” Jesus shapes His followers to be “fishers of men” rescuers of people in the troubled seas of life. Toward the end of his life, John Wesley commissioned Thomas Coke to go to America and ordain leaders for ministry. As Coke boarded the ship, he is said to have asked, “Sir, What shall I offer them?” Wesley said, “Offer them Christ, Thomas. Offer them Christ.”

In a day when distrust of institutional church is rampant, when “Another one bites the dust” feels like it was written about spiritual leaders, and when the hot button issues of the day are so powerful believers can easily be sucked into vulnerable places, what’s the solution? The Apostle Paul, writing to the Ephesians says, “become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (4:13) He continues, “Then we will no longer be infants, tossed to and fro by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming” (4:14).

Grey Matter Research recently reported that the majority of Christians surveyed in America identify themselves as young in their faith development, as spiritual toddlers. Toddling can be cute and fun as a time in physical development, but no one is meant to stay there. Healthy growth toward full potential is the goal. And so also in spiritual development. Being a child is a healthy part of growing up in the Lord, but no one is meant to get stuck there! Everyone is meant to grow to full potential in Christ, as Paul says to “become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” Jesus’ Church is to be a maternity ward for spiritual newborns, but it must ever be a maturity journey calling each to their next level in Christ.

That same study by Grey Matter Research also showed that some of the helpful habits for moving us forward in spiritual maturity were missing in the majority of those surveyed. Some of these simple practices – such as Bible reading, prayer, and church attendance – are outlined in my book Mature-ish: Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept It, upon which the study was based. As Jesus’ Church, we know these are the steps we must follow, and I pray that as we start to incorporate them into our lives – one baby step at a time – we’ll see ourselves reaching new levels in our relationship with Christ. And just as importantly, if not more so, we’ll start reflecting Jesus to the culture around us.