As goes the church, so goes the culture.  For this reason, it is essential that we who constitute the church understand who we are and what we are supposed to do. To the degree we do this, our city and nation will flourish; to the degree we don’t, our society will continue to languish.

One myth that must be dispelled is that the church is a building or a place.  This is not a biblical idea.  The church is not a building or a place.  She is not even an institution, an organization or a religion.  She is not a pastor, denomination, or a para-church group.  The Bible presents the church as a people, the very people of God.  That is why you can’t go to church; you are the church!  The church is people, not buildings.

But that is only the beginning.  The Scriptures go far beyond this in their description of the church.  There we see the church as the “body of Christ,” the “bride of Christ,” and a “holy nation.”  It speaks of her as being “radiant” and “without fault or blemish.”  Jesus calls the church “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world,” signifying it’s preserving and enlightening characteristics.

Not only is the church’s identity disclosed in the Bible, but the nature of its work as well.

Referred to as the “foundation of the truth,” the church holds the primary responsibility for disseminating God’s word to the public.  In short, it is the harbinger of truth.  Its constituents are to teach people everywhere to observe all that Christ commanded.

To be honest, we fall way short of the biblical ideal.  Yet, in the words of Paul Billheimer, author of Destined for the Throne, “In spite of all her lamentable weaknesses, appalling failures, and indefensible shortcomings, the church is the mightiest force for civilization in the world today.”

Through her faith and prayers she “holds in this present throbbing moment the balance of power in world affairs.”

Though we are not all we should be, the truth is that without the positive influence of the church upon history, life as we know it today would not exist.  Virtually all of the social institutions and services we value most – marriage and family, health care and hospice, education and the arts – have been inspired or at least significantly influenced by the church. Truly, western civilization itself is largely the result of the outgrowth and impact of the Christian church.

Not only has the past been positively influenced, but the future resides with the church as well.  Upon her shoulders rests the well-being of every man, woman, and child in America and abroad.  Scriptures indicate that governments will rise and fall depending on their support of or opposition to this sacred body. Businesses will prosper when they apply its teaching. Families will thrive in the context of the life and encouragement of its members.

Indeed, the destiny of Lansing – and America – is in the hands of the church.  In a post-modern age where tolerance rules the day and material pursuits subjugate the spiritual, it is time we who are the church recapture our identity and the reason we are here.  We must return to our roots as the people of God, a vibrant, beautiful, and powerful entity called by God to represent Him on earth and show the way to those seeking a better and more meaningful life.

Apart from this, there is no ground for our continued existence.