The Birth Of The Church

When you were a kid and you were meeting someone new, particularly an adult, the first thing they probably asked you what was your name. After you told them, usually one of two things happened; either they recognized your last name and said they knew your parents, or they asked who your parents were.

As children, everyone seems to want to know who our parents are. We do not even have to be doing anything wrong. It is just acknowledging who it is you belong to. Revelation 12:1-2 tells of a woman who is clothed with the sun and has the moon under her feet. There are a lot of people who argue this “woman” is the church. However, the verse says that the woman is pregnant, and thus symbolizes she is giving birth.

This tells us that instead of the church, the woman is Israel. We know this because Jesus was the Son of Israel. It was from Israel that Jesus was birthed, and Jesus birthed the church. Not the other way around. This is important for us because as the church, and as followers of Christ, this passage of Scripture shows who we belong to. Just as a child belongs to his or her parents, we belong to Jesus Christ.

We live in a world with many communities. The gaming industry continues to grow because of the communities within the games. The sports world and fandom is all based upon the community of a particular team. We associate ourselves with certain communities, but let us not get it confused. We do not belong to these worldly communities, but God’s community.

The same loyalty you give to the community of your favorite sports team, or workplace, or games you play, is the same loyalty you should be giving to Jesus. He has a greater plan and purpose for you than any community you will ever find yourself in. Jesus is the Father of the church. And we are His children. Do not forget to whom you belong and where your loyalty lies!