Jesus Loves the Church - Can We?

by. Chris Horton

Jesus loves the church and yet so many people don’t for all sorts of reasons.  Some are disillusioned with pastors or hurt by others in church. Some see church as just a money-making or power-grabbing institution that even abuses people. There are so many different reasons that many people fall out of church or even hate the church.

Some have faithfully served in church for many years and then been hurt too many times by others to stand it any longer. Others found that actually following Jesus caused conflict; they didn't quite fit in the context they were in maybe because the pastor was nervous of people not thinking exactly the same - what a tragedy!

So, I want to ask the question, what do we mean by church? Maybe we have a wrong picture of church if what we see is an organisation or a context for a large number of people to be told what to think by a few, dogmatic ‘experts.’ What did Jesus mean by church?

He only used the word twice recorded in the Gospels. First in Matthew 16 after Peter's revelation declaration, “You're the Christ!” Jesus responds with, in my paraphrase, “You've got it. Now, on the basis of you receiving that revelation, I can start building church. And the church that I'm building will overcome the kingdom of darkness. The gates of hell are going to be kicked down by the church.” What a tremendous vision.

The second time he uses it is in Matthew 18 where I believe he actually gives us a definition. They have been discussing how we sort out relationship issues … and there are plenty of those in churches! “How many times do I have to forgive?” So, Jesus teaches clearly we should talk to the people involved direct: try and win your brother or sister over. If that fails, take a friend along with you who can help you listen to one another well, without taking sides. And if all else fails, take it to the church. What did he mean?

Jesus was talking to a disparate group of people whose only connection with each other was that they were connected with Jesus: that gives us a clue. We are not talking about an institution, or an organisation. We're talking about people joined by the Holy Spirit.

Then Jesus says something really interesting. Wherever two or three ‘are being gathered into my name, there I AM.’  That does not flow well in English, but it is a literal translation of how it is expressed in Greek. Where two or three are being gathered: it is the Holy Spirit doing the gathering and drawing us closer towards Jesus. Where two or three are being gathered into my name: not just in but into, because there is a dynamic movement or a process happening. It is not once and for all. It is a process that as we follow Jesus and we become more like Him, we find that we are joined more closely with those that He's planted us with.

So, church might look like a group of four or five people gathering for a meal, but gathering with Jesus at the centre.  It might look like a larger group. It might have some planning and structures to it, but what matters is “Where a few people are being gathered into my name, there I am in the midst.”  It is the presence of the living God that defines church, not what it looks like, not its structure, not the organisation, not the charity or non-profit status, not the money, not anything external. It is only genuinely church if people are being gathered together into Jesus' name and his presence is there with us. You know it not by what it looks like but what it feels like - is there peace and joy? What a fantastic definition! Can we really keep church that simple?

But let’s think what should the church be like, the church that Jesus is really seeking to build and to grow? It has to be a church that looks like him.

A great number of people today say they love Jesus but hate the church. They’re disillusioned; they've been hurt. Certainly, hurtful things happen in any community, but especially in communities that prize relationship, or prize truth. And sadly, many in our churches are quite doctrinaire: people will fall out over doctrine rather than gathering around Jesus. It's not that anything goes, of course.  There is truth or better and worse interpretations of scripture, but what really matters is that we gather around Jesus. And as we do that, we start to look like him.

Jesus said the new commandment is to love one another. Jesus came to show us what God looks like. Love is his nature. We might think our response is to love God, but Jesus said our response is to love one another. If we love one another, preferring one another, then we display the characteristics of Jesus, who did not hold on to his position and power but emptied himself, became a servant and died a slave's death. Therefore, God raised him up and exalted him above all authority.

If we want to fulfil our purpose as church, we have to look like Jesus. That's why he makes such a big deal of knowing the Father and becoming one (John 14-17).

So, it is not surprising that, as an undergraduate student, I found a spiritual home among some people who were part of the House Church movement. We wanted to keep it simple and without structure, to be open to the Spirit and free of religion. It was exciting!  And it went well … for a few years. Then it became unhealthy, probably more unhealthy than most of the institutional churches I had been part of or visited! There was no structure to ensure no one person exerted undue influence and we became an isolated small group, declining in number.

We had reacted against some of the bad things we saw in institutional churches only to discover that attitudes in ourselves created the same problems! Just changing the style and pattern does not change hearts.

Does it always have to be messy? Maybe it does.  But the New Testament writers seem to have a vision of church that is glorious while dealing with messy churches of messed up people.

In Revelation 7 we have a wonderful picture of the church made up of people from every tribe and language - every people group. There will be some surprising people and some surprising expressions of church there, I am sure!

It takes supernatural love to become the church as God intends it to be and Paul’s prayer in Eph 3:14-19 is both wonderful and revealing. In v 18 he emphasises that all this is only possible “with all the saints.” We cannot hide away in our hurt, separate from others, trying to avoid being hurt again as Simon and Garfunkel proclaimed in their classic song “I am a rock.”  Hiding from pain does not heal it.

If we want to experience the fulness of God’s love and be healed, we have to take the risk of being vulnerable, building relationships that are mutual and based on grace not compulsion. We have to keep it simple, but keep it real and open to others.  The voice of the Holy Spirit in our inner being, our conscience, becomes louder when we listen to those with whom we are building community.  After 45 years of knocks and bruises, I am still experimenting with this, still persevering!

As we develop loving relationships, we are becoming a place where God loves to be.  And one day He will come in all His fulness. Let’s be ready to welcome Him!

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Chris Horton is a JFI alum and holds Masters degrees in Law and Theology, but is now also studying with SSU (MA in Peace and Justice: Palestinian Context). Chris has 35 years’ experience as a General Counsel in several businesses and charities.  He has also served in local church leadership teams for many years, now focused on leadership training. His first book, ‘Belong,’ was published in May 2024.

We will be engaging his book this summer in our Alumni Book Club so please join us! https://www.amazon.co.uk/Belong-Living-Family-Chris-Horton/dp/1739098668