Let’s Think about Our Church

Quick Summary: In this intimate, post-vacation message, Pastor Chuck Swindoll challenges the "lifeless routine" of modern church membership. He shifts the focus from passive attendance to the active deployment of spiritual gifts, arguing that the church is most magnetic when its members express Christ’s love through their unique, God-given graces.

Speaker: Pastor Chuck Swindoll Primary Scriptures: Romans 12:6–13 Series: Loving One Another

Message Analysis

In "Let’s Think about Our Church," Chuck Swindoll invites the congregation into a candid reflection on the purpose of the local church body. Transitioning from the historical lessons of the Exodus (found in earlier messages), this sermon dives into the practical "what" of church life. Swindoll posits that the church is not a building or a social club, but a living organism designed to reshape thinking and foster authentic community. By examining Romans 12, he highlights that a healthy church is characterized by its members' eagerness to serve one another with sincerity and enthusiasm, rather than settling for a mentality of divisiveness or mere survival.

Message Key Facts:

• The Magnetism of Gifts: Swindoll asserts that a church becomes "irresistible" to the community not through programs, but when members use their varying gifts—prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation—to meet real needs.
• Active Love vs. Passive Feeling: Love in the church is defined here not as a sentiment, but as a "grace-filled desire" to take action. It is the fuel that prevents involvement from becoming a passionless routine.
• Diversity in Unity: The message emphasizes that while we have different gifts according to the grace given to us, we are one body in Christ. Our differences are strengths that allow the church to function as Christ intended.
• Challenging the Status Quo: Swindoll warns against "pretend love" (hypocrisy) and urges believers to "cling to what is good," even when it requires risking personal comfort for the sake of the body.

Message References:

Romans 12:6–8

• Focus: The diversity and exercise of spiritual gifts.
• Application: Every member has a "locus of action." Identifying and exercising your specific gift is the primary way you contribute to the health of the church.

Romans 12:9–13

• Focus: The marks of true Christian behavior.
• Application: Authenticity is the benchmark. From "devoting yourself to prayer" to "contributing to the needs of the saints," these verses provide the blueprint for a dynamic, thriving community.

Message Speaker:

Pastor Chuck Swindoll