Cornerstone (building a Church)

He is "the stone that you builders rejected who has become the very stone that holds together the entire foundation" on which a new temple is being built. There is no one else who can rescue us, and there is no other name under heaven given to any human by whom we may be rescued.  Acts 4:11-12 (VOICE)

I've been reading the Book of Acts lately in an attempt of getting a glimpse of what Church is actually supposed to be about. I'm only in the 4th chapter, and already my world has been rocked, and my views of church are being shaped and cemented. So when I read verses 11 and 12, I knew I had to blog about it.

Jesus is, and has to be, the Cornerstone of everything.

You want a church of significance and influence? Build it on Him. Stop pursuing those things. Stop trying to make everything so professional and attractive, and just let the Spirit move. Building a Church on Him means wholeheartedly pursuing Him, not how many people you can get to one service. Matthew 6:33 puts it beautifully: Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and then all these things will be given to you too. I believe this is the way to build a Church.

I believe that every Church should live in a 'clear the stage' season. If the Church is the people then what I'm really saying is that we, as the Church, need to pursue Him first. We need to rid ourselves of our pride and our strengths, our ideas and plan and concepts, and arm ourselves with our weakness and His Grace. It's only when we're weak that He can be strong through us.

And yes, I realize the extent of what I'm asking, I know what it takes to do what I'm asking, but if He is to be the Foundation and the Cornerstone, then there is no other way. Go back to the beginning. Strip yourself of everything you've built and planned. Then, let Him rebuild from Himself up. Because if Church isn't built on Him, then it's broken. If Church isn't built on Him, then it is not constant.

He is the only One able to hold us together. When Church is built on Him, it's whole. It's steady. It cannot be destroyed or torn apart. When Church is built on Him, it's unified. It doesn't matter who is from what Church or if you're best friends with someone from another denomination, all that matters is worshiping Him.

Can you imagine it? The whole earth together, lives stripped of themselves and built entirely on Him, singing a song of praise to Him. People from all walks of life joining together in a pursuit of Him, practically being His Hands and Feet. It's not impossible.

Clear the stage friends. Rid yourselves of your plans and hopes and pride. Strip it all down to the core, and let Him do what He needs to. It won't look pretty. Worship wont look and sound professional. But it will be real. He'll be present and able to move.

Christ alone, Cornerstone

Weak made strong in the Saviors Love

Through the storm, He is Lord

Lord of all