The Fossilized Church

Matthew 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”

The church in the picture above is the Densus church in Romania. Built in the 13th century, its unique construction demonstrated the need for materials at the time and so they used parts of pagan temples that previously were founded in the same spot.

Many scholars believe it was built over a 2nd-century pagan temple dedicated to the Roman god Mars or served as a mausoleum for a Roman general. Alternative legends claim it sits atop an even older pagan temple belonging to the Dacian god Zalmoxis. Most archaeologists agree that local rulers (knezes) erected the current structure between 1250 and 1400 CE. It even spent a period from 1566 to the 19th century operating as a Calvinist house of worship. 

Whatever stood before is now rubble, and the dilapidated appearance of the church speaks of its history.

There are lessons we can learn when we visit historical sites such as these, reminders that would serve us well to remember today.

Matthew 16:18 “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Nearly 1300 years prior, Jesus took His disciples to a spot of pagan worship and asked them who that men say He is? Upon Peter’s confession, Jesus proclaimed the faith and conviction that Peter spoke of was the very foundation by which He would establish His church. No darkness will overcome it, no pagan attempt to usurp God’s throne shall stand.

The church of God is the family of believers worldwide. For all who are filled with the Spirit, these are also sons and daughters of God. Many have tried to kill the church, silence the prophets and evangelists, or corrupt it from within, but the church still stands today.

How does a movement remain through generations of evil rulers who do everything they can to destroy the people of God? Sacrificing them to death in theaters, burning them at stakes, or murdering large groups of people in the name of false gods, all have tried, all have failed.

One reason: The Lord established His church and He is the One who keeps it.

For those who proclaim doom and gloom in a world growing increasingly violent and unstable, they should remember that the Earth is the Lord’s and all who dwell within it. Believers are not responsible for its keeping, but are only called to be stewards of what God has entrusted to them.

Genesis 17:7 “And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.”

The promises of God endure from generation to generation. He hates injustice and sin is an abomination before Him, but He loves mercy and grace and they are at the foundation of His throne.

The Church Alive

A second lesson we learn from ancient ruins is the reminder of all that brings life to a church.

It is not the building, that is only a symbolic representation of who dwell within. It is the people who compromise the church of the living God. He brings life, He imparts truth, and it is within His people the Spirit moves and demonstrates God’s power.

Because the church is compromised of people, it is important for the people to recognize their responsibility within the church.

1 Peter 4:8-11 “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

Have you ever walked into a dead church? It’s like unearthing a fossil, all that is evident are the bones of something that once lived.

The lack of love is apparent, the Sunday school is barely existent if at all, the worship is reduced to a ritual, and the messages are tailored toward cultural ideals and less on teaching the truth of the Bible.

“New believers are the life blood of a church.”–Chuck Swindoll

Another key ingredient of a fossilized church is the lack of evangelism. Without love there lacks a desire to reach the lost. People are content to worry about their own welfare in hopes they will get a reprieve when the judge of the Earth appears.

Evangelism like many other gifts in the church are meant to be exercised, not as a show but as an expression of all that God is doing through His people. The church is edified, the lost are found, and discipleship thrives.

Ephesians 4:4-7 “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.”

What role do you see yourself taking in your church? Do you even have a church that you attend?

These are questions that we must all ask ourselves. It’s really hard to be part of the body of Christ if you’re not spending time in the body. Each part has a function, each role is key for the edification of the saints. If you love to evangelize, find another who has the courage and bravery to speak the Truth in love.

Whatever your personality or experience, draw close to the Lord first, it is by His power that all good works flow.