The Church is facing some challenges.

As we step out of our pandemic wilderness, many churches face challenges. Notably, volunteerism and leadership have emerged as massive difficulties, which I discussed in my last post HERE. Another significant challenge faced by the local church is related to physical spaces and the actual church building. Trying to understand and envision what places of worship will look like and/or feel like in the future is not easy.

Congregations are still struggling to reach half of their pre-COVID numbers during a physical worship gathering. A number of people have simply remained online or continue to meet in small groups at home. Congregations are dispersed in a way that we haven’t seen in centuries…or millennia. And truth be told, we’re still not fully engaged or accepting of that fact.

Church leaders are looking for direction.

Thankfully, God can and will provide direction in His time for His purpose. He has been faithful before and He remains faithful. Jesus has been building His church for a long time and continues to do so. Granted, when the direction comes, it might take some openness and willingness on our part, letting go of traditional ideals and personal preferences. The benefit will be worth it!

When God’s direction is provided, we will, in turn, take action, stepping forward in faith. We can address the challenge of physical church, understanding that churches throughout history have faced these challenges, and God has always provided direction. In fact, God has been guiding His people toward new physical homes for millennia, beginning with the People of Israel.

Consider Israel’s challenge of crossing the Jordan River…at flood levels!

God directed the people of Israel, as they were moving toward their future physical home in the Promised Land, but they need to take action and step forward in faith. They had to cross a raging Jordan River.

14 So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, 15 and as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest), 16 the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho. 17 Now the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all Israel was passing over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan. (Joshua 3:14-17 – ESV)

For those of us who live by rivers, we know what a flood-level river looks like. We understand that stepping out into a flood-level river is almost always a death sentence.

This is Israel’s faith-in-action moment.

Notice how the waters didn’t stop until the priests stepped forward and into the river. They stepped in and the waters stopped. They had to enter into the Jordan, carrying the ark of the covenant, understanding that they could be washed away and killed. This is the action lesson that follows God’s direction.

Eventually, faith and courage must be embraced, and action must be taken. Forward motion is often initiated by faithful action. This is an essential lesson for our current moment, but maybe you’re thinking, “They’re priests! They’ve got spiritual authority and guidance above normal people!”

Let’s address that push-back.

During that time, under the Old Covenant, so priests are in fact, different. However, reread the text and notice how the passage states what they’re carrying over and over again.

17 Now the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all Israel was passing over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan. (Joshua 3:17 – ESV)

The Levites might have been a tribe set apart, and priests were given specific spiritual responsibilities, but they were still human beings. Priests were normal fallen people, like the rest of us, and a reading of the Old Testament shows that they’re not perfect. They’re definitely not super-humans!

The bottom line, if they had walked out into the river without the Ark of the Covenant, they would have been dead. God’s covenant with Israel is where the power and authority were found.

How does this apply to us?

It would be nice to have an Ark of the Covenant to walk onto our properties and into church buildings. It would be nice to miraculously have challenges and roadblocks removed, but that’s not God’s plan for us, because that’s not our covenant.

That was the Old Covenant. We are under the New Covenant, brought through God’s Son, at the Cross. And we should be thankful because it is a more fulfilled covenant with greater power and authority, given to all people who place their trust in Jesus.

Under the New Covenant, we’re all priests.

Did that statement blow your mind a bit? Allow me to explain one of the fundamental doctrines of Christianity, that we too often forget.

“The doctrine of the priesthood of all believers states that all believers in Christ share in his priestly status; therefore, there is no special class of people who mediate the knowledge, presence, and forgiveness of Christ to the rest of believers, and all believers have the right and authority to read, interpret, and apply the teachings of Scripture.” (J. V. Fesko, TheGospelCoalition.org)

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9 – ESV)

“As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:4-5 – ESV)

Jesus did the work for us. He was sacrificed on the cross for our sin, bringing us redemption. We become a holy priesthood through Jesus. We are made righteous, obtaining authority through Him, and nothing of us. Nothing of our merit or sacrifice. All of it through Him, by Him, ultimately for His glory.

We become priests through Jesus.

We no longer need a physical Ark of the Covenant, because we’re under a spiritual covenant. If you’ve given your life to Christ as your Lord and Saviour and accepted eternal salvation through Him, He has become your High Priest, and you are then a priest, made holy, given authority, being guided by Him.

We can step out into the raging river. Life will still be difficult. There will still be challenges. Our faith to step out, and step into the raging rivers of life is only possible through Jesus. Our power and authority only come from Jesus.

Coming back to our initial discussion…

Local churches and church leaders will continue to struggle with physical spaces and physical gatherings. Truth be told, we’re going to struggle with digital challenges as well. We have to remember that God has provided direction through Jesus. By faith, we can respond in action, following Him and His leading.

• What do we do in the meantime?
• What’s our first step?
• What can we do right now?
• Is there any action we can take now?

Yes, I think there is a faith-action in seeking God’s direction. We ask, and we fast, and we pray! It may feel too simple or cliche, but we cannot neglect the Scriptural and historical evidence of prayer. There is still power in prayer, as we come out of this wilderness season.

We can make a commitment today.

You can make a commitment to pray for the future of your local church, and the universal church. If you have a prayer journal or use a prayer app, drop a note to pray for the physical spaces and gatherings of the Church.

• We don’t know what a physical church will look like in the future.
• We don’t know what physical buildings will look like in the future.
• We don’t know who will plan or build new worship spaces.

Thankfully, we don’t have to worry about those details yet. God knows those details and will reveal them to each local church as they need them, and as we’re open to receiving them. He will give us the direction in His time, then we will be prayed up and prepared to take that faithful action step forward.