The simple answer on which we all can agree is that they are believers. Their forefathers were great believers. Do you remember Abel, the son of Adam and Eve ... the brother of Cain? Abel was a believer ... he lived by faith. “Believer” means more than just acknowledging that there is a God; it means that Abel trusted God. Both he and his brother, Cain, were worshipers of God; but unlike Cain, Abel offered worship as directed by God. Cain offered worship in such a way as to please Cain. Abel worshiped to please God. There is a difference, and the difference is determined by whether or not one truly believes in God. Be careful how you worship, because how you worship demonstrates whether or not you truly believe in God. Oh, Cain believed ... but his faith did not determine his actions; his feelings did. The church in this world are people who allow God to direct their lives and worship. Because Abel’s faith was demonstrated by faithful obedience, he was accounted as righteous by God (Hebrews 11:4).
 
Then there is Enoch. Remember him? He is found only a few times in the Bible, but he is always spoken of well. Enoch’s “claim to fame” is that he walked with God. Because he believed in (trusted) God he was able to, in the midst of an evil generation, faithfully walk with God. Claiming to believe in God while walking in the ways of the world is a shallow claim. James teaches that “proclaiming faith” and “living faith” are two vastly different things (James 2:14-26). Enoch’s legacy is that he walked with God. That requires true faith. Many people claim to believe in God, yet at the same time they walk according to the ways of the world. Their faith in God is not strong enough to show the world that they are “walkers with God.” In this kind of people we can see, as our brother James taught us, that faith by itself is not sufficient (James 2:14-26). Enoch believed in God. His kind of faith is to be demonstrated in the lives of the church of Christ in this world.
 
And then there’s Noah. What a man of faith. But I’m out of space. Given opportunity, we’ll come back and talk about how the church of Christ in this world must have the faith of Noah. Thank you for “tuning in” this month and I hope to “see” you again soon.
 
Mike Underwood is Pulpit Minister of Blue Ridge Church of Christ 

This question “Who in the world are the church of Christ?” is not intended to determine which denomination is the best. To be quite frank, with no intent to be unkind to anyone, the sectarian denominations of the world are not of God. Before you get mad at me, think about how strong the New Testament teaching is that God does not have a denominated or divided body. His body is one! Unity is of God, not division (1 Corinthians 1:10, Ephesians 4:1-6). The divisions that exist among what we call Christianity bring no glory to God and only shame. It is not a question of which denomination is superior. It is a question of why does any denomination exist at all?
 
The church, i.e., the people who belong to Jesus our Savior and Lord, are neither a building nor a denomination. The church are a people, a “peculiar” or “special” people of the Lord (1 Peter 2:9). The church are the people who have answered the call of the gospel of our Lord to be saved from sin. The church are the people who have been called by Him to live a life directed by Him rather than by the lusts and spirit of the world. The church are, in fact, in the world, but not of the world? (John 17:11- 16).
 
Quite simply, the “who” of “Who in the world are the church of Christ?” can be you. If you will but answer the call of His gospel message to come in repentance to the resurrected Son of God, Jesus who is God’s Christ, be cleansed by His blood in baptism, and be faithful to Him as your Lord and Master, the who is you. The Bible clearly says that God Himself will add you to His church (Acts 2:38-47).
 
When given the privilege and opportunity of The News Observer, I will endeavor to present you the church, or the people in this world who belong to Christ, by using descriptions of them provided in the Bible. Tune in next week to see where the pages of the Bible lead us in answering and defining, “Who In The World Are The Church of Christ?”
 
Mike Underwood Pulpit Minister of Blue Ridge Church of Christ

Welcome back. Last week I posed the question, “Who in the world are the church of Christ?” Trying to crunch the answer to that question to a few articles in the newspaper is really hard to do. I don’t know about you, but when I think of the church, my thought is not of religion. Religion without the Spirit of Christ is empty and powerless, except that it is too often used to manipulate people. Nor is my thought about the cults and denominations that claim Christ but then choose to function according to their own way rather than according to the way of Christ. History is replete with examples of “Christianity gone wrong.” You’ve read about the Crusades, for example, that killed people “in the name of Christ.” The Spirit of Christ had no part in that! And those lust-filled, greedy, and power-hungry men and organizations operating under the guise of Christianity for centuries? Christ has no part in that either; that is not the church of Christ!
 
That aside, the church of Christ is a real, powerful and divine force in this world — when they are animated by the Spirit of Christ. If you think the world is a bad place today, think what it would be like if the influence of God through Christ and His church had not been a part of the world for these thousands of years. Paul says to the church, “Christ in you is the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). If there is no church of Christ — no church in whom the Spirit of Christ lives — there is no hope of His glory being seen in this dark world; no one will have the hope of seeing God (Matthew 5:16).
 
When I say “church of Christ,” you might think of that little church up on the hill that has a sign outside that says, “Church of Christ.” Well, you should think that. That is what we want to be: the church that belongs to Christ. But what if we teach differently than did Christ and His apostles? What if we live differently than the way Christ and the apostles taught us to live? What if our purpose is not one with the purpose of God? Call ourselves “church of Christ” if we want, but that doesn’t make it so.
 
There are many metaphors used by God to refer to those who are the church of Christ. He calls them “the bride of Christ.” They are also called “the holy city.” Another reference calls them “the heavenly Jerusalem.” There are many more, but just think of the picture presented by these three. A bride is someone we think of as beautiful “Holy” and “heavenly” both present pictures of beauty and purity. So, who are these beautiful and pure people? Who exactly are the church of Christ in this world? It’s a fair question. Maybe you’ll give me a chance to continue to unravel this mystery? Oh, by the way, the church of Christ is also called “the mystery of God” (Ephesians 3:1-10). See you next week.
 
Mike Underwood Pulpit Minister of Blue Ridge Church of Christ

As we continue to probe the question, “Who in the world are the church of Christ?,” you might think it would be obvious, and it is ... if we read our Bibles.
 
The question is not about a church building. I have been in many spectacular church buildings in several countries. The architecture, the paintings, the carved works, the furniture, etc., are all very beautiful and impressive to the eyes of onlookers. While these serve to give glory to the men who created and purchased them, the church of which we speak — the new creation of God — serves to give glory only to God and that is not accomplished by mere bricks and mortar, gold and silver, no matter how much or how extravagant.
 
The most impressive church building in which I have ever been was on top of a mountain somewhere outside of Port Antonio, Jamaica. It was a little bamboo hut. It had a window — actually, just an opening with no glass, on either side of it. There was a doorway, but no door that I recall. Inside were several crudely made benches on a hard dirt floor. A cardboard box of some sort with a hand-worked cloth draped over it served as a stand on which were placed the emblems of the Lord’s supper. No great statues, no beautiful paintings, no expensive carpet or light fixtures, no spectacular architecture. Just a simple place for worshipers of God to join together and praise God, exhort one another, and provoke one another unto love and good works.
 
Think of all the multi billions of dollars that have been spent over the centuries on church buildings that might have been used, rather, to accomplish God’s purpose in this world. God wants men to come to repentance—not to fancy church buildings. How can we look at ourselves in the mirror when hunger and poverty ravage the world while we spend 10 million dollars on a church building? Does that picture represent God? Is God not compassionate? Is He not full of mercy and grace? Where is the compassion and grace in what we call church? The Scriptures teach that God’s glory is seen in the spiritual stones of living souls that are brought to Him and brought to life by the message of the gospel. Those “living stones” (1Peter 2:5) are transformed by the power of God to “prove what is the good, acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2). God’s church (people) need to seriously think about why we are here? While church buildings might be a necessary convenience, the church of Christ is so much more than a building. Come back next week as we continue to see just how much more.
 
Mike Underwood Pulpit Minister of Blue Ridge Church of Christ

A big thank you to The News Observer for the privilege of writing a few words here and to you for your reading. My wife, Janine, and I are new to the area of Blue Ridge and are truly happy to be here. Our work in the Lord’s vineyard over the past 30 years has taken us to Russia, Ukraine, Africa and Atlanta. Currently I am blessed to work with the Blue Ridge Church of Christ helping people of this gorgeous mountain community grow in the knowledge of and the Spirit of Christ.
 
Fun Fact: Did you know that the church of Christ has been around for some 1989 years? That’s with the starting date of AD 33. If you count the time the Lord’s church has been in the mind of God, then the best we can do is agree with Paul and say it has existed since before the foundations of the earth were laid.
 
I am sure you know the story of when and how the church began here in this world. The gospel accounts tell us that, by the power of God demonstrated in the virgin birth of Jesus of Nazareth, the Eternal Word became flesh. That same Jesus, some 30 years later, was crucified on a Roman cross outside the city of Jerusalem. Three days later, by the power of God, that same Jesus was resurrected and then taken into the heavens and enthroned at the right hand of God where He now reigns as King of kings and Lord of lords.

Maybe you know this, too: by the power of God, that same Jesus has now taken on another “fleshly form.” His Spirit, the Bible teaches, now lives within that body of people the Bible calls “the church.” For 21 centuries the world in which we live has been, and will continue to be, truly blessed by the presence of the Lord’s church within it until our Lord comes to claim His own and take them home to heaven with Him. I’m no world traveler, but I’ve been a few places. In this country and abroad I’ve seen places where the influence of the Lord’s church is not felt. The dark streets of metropolitan areas ruled by drugs, violence and prostitution — they are without the influence of the spirit of Christ that God intends to live within His church. Places and people that have no respect for the value of human life — they, too, are without the influence of the Light of the world which God intends should live in His church.
 
All of this begs the questions: what is “church,” what is “the church,” what is “the church of Christ?” There are a lot of confusing ideas about this, all of which can be cleared up if we let God speak from His word. If you will allow me your time this month, I will do what I can to show God’s answer from the Bible to the question “Who In The World Are The Church of Christ?” Maybe it is what you think, maybe it is not. Let’s see.
 
Mike Underwood Pulpit Minister of Blue Ridge Church of Christ