Church: as an Institution (Part 1)

[ Preached by Pastor Kenneth Chin at Acts Church Camp on 1 September 2018 ]

John 2:17 says that Jesus’ zeal for the house consumed Him, so much so that He made His own whip to drive away the people who were selling cattle, sheep and doves within the temple courts.

If Jesus did not treat the temple courts as His own house, He probably would not have reacted the way He did.

Do we have the same passion as Jesus did for our church?

Like any other worldly institution such as a school, an office or even a government, the church is governed by laws, order and most of all, leaders. 

Take dressing up for church service as an example. The church as an institute encourages our congregation and most importantly our leaders, to dress our best for God during weekly church services.

Being in Malaysia with her hot and humid weather all year round, it is not easy to put on a full suit every Sunday. But when the thoughts of ‘Never mind’ and ‘What for?’ comes into play, the more we have to just do it anyway. 

Inconvenience is the window to our convictions.

When we go out of our way to do something for God, we may experience discomfort and displeasure, but ultimately, we will also experience God.

Just like how a shepherd presents an unblemished lamb to God as a sign of worship, we too should give our unblemished best to God. 

We may feel that our current circumstances are hindering us from giving our best to God. Perhaps we may even have thoughts that now is not the best time to serve the Lord.

But what we fail to see here is that if we cannot cultivate a good culture locally within our own church, chances are we might not be able to do it anywhere else in the world.

If we cannot observe what we can see,
how can we observe what we cannot see?

The church is like the anchor for many of us
– whether we are struggling or successful.

The church is the best agent for change and transformation.

Church keeps us grounded when we go astray in confusion on how to live a meaningful life that is pleasing to God. 

Align your worship to God while honouring the church as an institution, and slowly, you will begin to notice a difference in your life and in those around you. 

Written By: Le Ann Choe
Edited by: Ivy Wambaa & Hailey Chung