Toby Had It Right

The title speaks for itself. I never attended the church where Toby pastored and I wasn't exploring the blogshpere when he was writing about his sermons and vision for the church so the old posts on his blog were a new read for me. I am posting an excerpt from one of his posts. It really made me think. If you want to read the rest of the post or the others that were recently re-posted just hit the link titled "Toby" in the Virtual Hangouts section.



"A great group of Christians isn’t a church, though.

A church is a group of Christians who, together, have submitted themselves to the Lord whom they have returned to because of the forgiveness and salvation they have been given by him.

They are a body.

Our church isn’t. Great group of Christians. Not a body, though.

This is why people have left. Perhaps they should not have been there. What I mean by that is, some Christians do not want to be apart of a body of believers who are collectively fleshing out the Lordship of their Master. They want to be apart of a group of Christians. If we were what we were supposed to be there would be no room for those who want to “play” Christianity.

So some have come and joined and have left, because we aren’t a body. Some have come and gone because they wanted to be apart of a body, but we were just a group of good Christians.

In my opinion, this is where divisions come into play. In a group of Christians you’re allowed to have you own view of how the Christian life is to be lived out. In a group of Christians you can even persuade others to follow your view; even if it goes against the pastors. Which, by the way, is going to happen. Most of the time the pastor is trying to lead people in his way of living the Christian life. Others disagree. Divisions come, as they must, because it’s a group, not a body. Divisions come because collectively they are not under the Lordship of Jesus.

In a group various families live their lives their way, inspite of the church. In a returned, submitted body, they together try to figure out how their Master wants them to live life. Together. Not the pastor’s agenda. Not the deacon wanting it done the way it was done in his old church. Not the big family wanting it done the way their favorite radio preacher says it should be. Not the aspiring preach wanting it to be done the way his favorite Christian influence thinks it should be done.

A body of returned submitted believers, together seeking their Master’s will in how things should be done.

After all that’s what they returned to him for. That’s why they washed away in the waters of baptism all their thinking and views. That’s why they have come together under him. He is their head. What does the head want the body to do and be? That’s what a church wants to do and be.

1 Corinthians 1:10 tells us that they were a group of Christians, but not a church. Some of them wanted it done the way Rick Warren said it should be done. Others were of the Fundamental movement. Others rang in saying they were middle-of-the-roaders, but they wouldn’t mind it if we still keep the old music. Others chimmed in, wearing tee-shirts and spiked hair saying their were of the emergent crowd. See what I mean?"