Minister’s Corner: The church is invisible

By: REV. BRIAN DORE’

Member of the Ville Platte Ministerial Alliance

In Matthew 16:18 KJV, we find our Lord saying, “I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

The construction of the church is inevitable. Where Jesus is proclaimed Lord of the church, He has committed himself to its building. He has said His yoke is easy and His burden is light, yet at times, I’ve seen ministers buckle under the weight of building the church. Perhaps that is because it is easy to forget who’s supposed to build it and what power we use to get the job done. Jesus is determined to build His church. This is His plan, His desire, His longing. However, He uses us to reach out to others to establish the growth. We are His hands extended to the lost and dying of this world.

Building is costly. It eats up commitment. It devours human capital. It wearies our spiritual muscles. If it weren’t for the renewal God promises, who could do it? You might ask, to what renewal are you referring? Well, the Bible states in Isaiah 40:31 KJV, “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint.”

God is not stopping. He’s not slowing His pace. He is determined the church will be built. If God had declared His intention to build His church, how can we, who are called by His name, walk off the job? We’ve been called to help in the construction. Let us labor with zeal and determination.