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This week, we are reflecting on the theme "Christ at the Center". Today, let's consider how Christ is the center of the Church. Paul writes in Colossians:
"And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent. For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross." (Colossians 1:17-20)
Christ is the head of the church and the One who holds all things together, including the Church.
What effect does this have on the local church?
When Christ is recognized as the center of the church, worship becomes genuine.
When worship becomes about entertaining people, emotional moments, and building a platform, the object of that worship is not the Lord. When we keep our focus solely on the Lord God as the subject and center of our worship, then our worship is genuine. If anything or anyone else takes the place of Christ at the center of our worship, then we are simply no longer worshipping Christ. When the church keeps Christ at the center, it helps protect its members from focusing on anything else in worship. Genuine worship has Jesus at the center.
When Christ is recognized as the center of the church, leaders lead by serving.
We live in a culture that honors the charismatic, dynamic leader. We as humans are quick to lift another person up to positions they weren't intended to fill, like Israel calling out for a king. The human heart finds it easy to idolize leaders and to make the church revolve around them. Being a church leader is difficult work for many reasons, but one less recognized challenge can be to resist the attempts of others to platform a leader to a place that only Christ ought to fill. When Christ is not recognized as the center of the church, mere men can become idols with the focus resting on them. When Christ is recognized as the center of the church, however, leaders don't lead from a place of power but from a servant's heart. They lead by serving, just as the Lord Jesus did, washing the feet of His disciples.
When Christ is recognized as the center of the church, the church is the brightest light it can be to the lost.
The brightest light in the night sky is the moon, because it is reflecting the sun. Likewise, the church shines the brightest when it is reflecting the Son. With Christ at the center, the church is focused on that which is central: Christ and Him crucified. This testimony is what shines the brightest light to those who are lost.
When Christ is recognized as the center of the church, the church grows.
The early church did not grow because of clever strategies. When the central focus becomes human wisdom and strategy, the church might see numerical growth, but true growth of depth and love for the Lord only happens when Christ is the center. Human wisdom can only get you so far. Unless the Spirit moves, all movement is in vain.
The Lord God is at the center of the Church, and may we always recognize Him as such and enjoy the benefits of keeping our focus on the One who is rightfully the focal point of our worship and the worldwide Church.
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