Up until my mid teens I was raised in the Roman Catholic church. After becoming a born again believer I spent my adult life reaching Roman Catholics with the gospel of Jesus Christ. One of the questions I would ask family members and those I was trying reach with the gospel in Latin America was "what does 'Catholic' mean?". No one could ever clearly explain what that word meant. It is interesting to go back in history to documents such as the Nicene Creed, written in 381, and see the words “holy catholic church”. This holy catholic church was not referring to the Roman Catholic church but to the UNIVERSAL or one church of Jesus Christ. The word 'catholic' refers the miraculous act of the gospel in creating a unified church of believers throughout time not limited by geographic location (The Universal Church). Paul made reference to this in the powerful result of the gospel in Galatians 3:28 "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." The power of the gospel has given us a community that spans over every border, crosses every culture and overcomes every language barrier. That is amazing!
We live in our local churches resisting this truth in so many ways. Our focus is on a large L (Local) and a small u (Universal). We forget that the power of the Universal church lies in the local. We forget the power of the Local church is realized through the Universal. Our resources, our efforts all center on striving to thrive at the Local church even at the cost of the Universal. We hear stories of the need of the Universal, local churches around the world that need our spiritual gifts, our abilities, our resources and for a moment we are moved but so quickly focus back on ourselves and the apparent difficulty in helping the Universal church. I have talked to many pastors who have told me they cannot give their time to equip and encourage the Universal church because their Local church will not permit time off, sharing of their pastors. If these local churches recognized their responsibility/great opportunity to strengthen their church universal We have done a great job disconnecting ourselves from the Universal church and its need and in doing so we have limited God's blessing on our churches. I believe that God blesses local churches that have a Universal focus.
We live in our local churches resisting this truth in so many ways. Our focus is on a large L (Local) and a small u (Universal). We forget that the power of the Universal church lies in the local. We forget the power of the Local church is realized through the Universal. Our resources, our efforts all center on striving to thrive at the Local church even at the cost of the Universal. We hear stories of the need of the Universal, local churches around the world that need our spiritual gifts, our abilities, our resources and for a moment we are moved but so quickly focus back on ourselves and the apparent difficulty in helping the Universal church. I have talked to many pastors who have told me they cannot give their time to equip and encourage the Universal church because their Local church will not permit time off, sharing of their pastors. If these local churches recognized their responsibility/great opportunity to strengthen their church universal We have done a great job disconnecting ourselves from the Universal church and its need and in doing so we have limited God's blessing on our churches. I believe that God blesses local churches that have a Universal focus.
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