In Matthew 16:18 Jesus promised to build His church.  We find this promise coming to fruition on the first Pentecost after the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, as recorded for us in Acts 2.  This church is made up of all the saved who have obeyed, not the commandments of men, but the Word of God, by repenting and being baptized into Christ (Acts 2:38; Galatians 3:27).

If you are a Christian, you are a member of this church and a part of the family of God.  The church should be near and dear to your heart.  You should deeply love the church, and this should be demonstrated by your actions and your words.

When you speak of the church of Christ, what do you say?  Are your words negative or positive?  When others hear you speak about the church, what message do they receive?  Remember, the church is the bride of Christ, and He cares about how you speak about her.  Furthermore, you should live your life in such a way that others will speak well about the church, not run her down.

If we love the church, we will defend her against all false accusations that are made.  Some, instead of defending the church, take measures to blend in with man-made, denominational churches.  There are local churches that do not want others to associate them with the church, so they remove the name “Church of Christ” from their signs in front of their buildings.  They claim that when people think of the church of Christ, they think of negative things; thus, when they see a sign with “Church of Christ” they are immediately filled with negative feelings.

What is it about the church that would make us be ashamed of it?  Should we be ashamed of the doctrine of Christ that the church preaches?  I think not!  Our job is to contend for the faith (Jude 1:3).  Should we be ashamed that we do not use musical instruments?  Of course not! The church of Christ, going back to the first century, never used a musical instrument with which to praise God.  Instead, the church has always sung praises to God without the accompaniment of musical instruments (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:17).   Should we be ashamed of teaching God’s perfect plan of salvation, including the necessity of being baptized for the forgiveness of sins?  Absolutely not!  Christ told us to teach people to be baptized (Matthew 28:19-20).  There is no doctrine taught or practiced of which we, as members of the Lord’s church, should be ashamed.  Instead, let us be the pillar and ground of truth (1 Timothy 3:15).

What about the people in the church?  Remember, the church is made up of people, people who are your brothers and sisters in Christ, and who make up your spiritual family (Ephesians 3:15).  We should love and respect each other in Christ.  All other Christians should be objects of our affection.  Any problems that arise among us (like they always do with family), should be nipped in the bud (Acts 6:1-7).  Having a loving attitude toward brethren is not optional, it is commanded.

John 15:12 (KJV)
¹²  This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.