My wife and kids love watching HGTV. I’m more of an ESPN guy myself, but there is this show that is seemingly on all the time on HGTV (when the Property Brothers get a break). It’s called “Love it or List it.” At the beginning of the show, a couple meets with a realtor and a designer with a list of “must haves.” The realtor tries to find a new home for the couple with all of their “must haves,” meanwhile earning the privilege of “listing” their previous home for sale. The designer tries to remodel the couple’s current home according to their “must haves” so they will “love it” instead of selling it.
Over the past few blogs, we’ve talked about how all of us have a list of “must haves” when it comes to church. Some are good, some are reasonable, and some are a bit over the top. But the question most of us never ask is “What would Jesus’ list of ‘must haves’ look like?”
In the last blog, we discussed that the original intent of the church was to fulfill the great commission – to go into all the world and make disciples. Not BE a disciple. Not make CONVERTS. But to MAKE DISCIPLES.
The way the first church did this was to do three things: Meet in large groups with non-Christians present. Meet in small groups to build community. And finally, serve in the community to share the love of Jesus.
So with that in mind, it’s clear there are three things on Jesus’ must have list – and these three things are the best questions we should use to find the perfect church:
- Does this church have a weekend service that I would feel comfortable bringing a lost friend to?
For the last 2000 years, the weekend service has served as the most likely first step for all non-churched people. So my question is, if someone who was far from God came into this church, would they feel welcomed? Would it make sense to them? Would they be invited to take next steps? Would you feel comfortable bringing an unchurched friend with you? If not, how do you plan on making disciples? On your own? How’s that working for you? The best way to reach lost people is invest in them and invite them to your local church. - Does this church provide a place where I can build self-sacrificing community?
Whether it is a Sunday School class, a small group, a care group, a home group, a Celebrate Recovery group, we all need a place to be real… and a place to put others needs above our own. Does this church provide opportunities for me to grow WITH other people? As the saying goes, we learn in rows, but we grow in circles. When a group of fellow Christ followers circle up and do life together, they grow. - Does this church provide a place for me to serve?
Jesus set the pace for us by picking up a towel and serving his disciples. He healed the sick, cared for the lost, reached out to the poor. If all we do is show up to church and expect to be fed and have our needs met, we are missing the point. Does this church have mission projects I can join? Do they have opportunities for me to serve on the weekends? What are they doing in the community to be the hands and feet of Jesus? If we are not servants, we are not like our Lord.
Jesus’ “must have” church
Jesus would never have defined the church as a building, a service, or a program. He saw it as the means to fulfill his last words, the Great Commission. Maybe it’s time for all of us who call ourselves followers of Jesus to do more than just GO to church. It’s time for us to BE the church. To rescue the lost, to grow together, and serve the world. And when we do, the church will no longer be known merely for the list of things we are against. The church will stop being referred to as a bunch of hypocrites. We’ll actually look like Jesus. We’ll actually make disciples. And that would be Jesus’ idea of the perfect church!