Because all things find their source and sustenance in Christ, He is the authority over all things. This especially includes the church. Over the centuries, churches have fought and even split because individuals believed that they were the power in the church. Some were well meaning, others were vindictive. However, in each case, they failed to submit themselves to the true head of the Church. The church belongs to Christ.

And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent (Colossians 1:18). The Church is Christ’s body. We have been chosen and fashioned into the image of Christ. For the world to see Christ, they must look to the church. Yet not only is the church Christ’s body, Christ is the head of his body. As we consider the operation of the head, we recognize that this means that life, instruction, guidance, and authority come from Christ.  

The ramifications of this concept are vast. First, this means that we cannot operate the body (the church) any way that we want. We must subject all operations to the will and desires of Christ. We are not free to change and tinker with worship. We are not free to make our corporate worship whatever we want it to be. As the head, Christ dictates what we do. Thankfully, He has revealed these desires in His Word. In His Word, we discover that we are commanded to sing the Word, read the Word, pray the Word, preach the Word, and picture the Word through the ordinances. Everything centers on the Word (written and Incarnate). Every decision we make must be founded in the Word. The question is not, “What do we think should happen?” But “What does God’s Word say on this subject?”

Second, this means that we must interact with one another as one body. We are not a collection of individuals gathered together, but members of one body. For the body to be healthy, we must function in unity with one another as we follow the commands of the Head. This means that you have a vital role to play for the health of the body.

Third, this means that in any conflict, we seek Christ overall. We submit to the commands of Christ in His Word. We seek to glorify God in the way that we resolve the conflict. Our desires don’t matter. Only the desires of Christ. So, we bath each situation in prayer and the Word. We interact with humility. We are swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger. We think the best of one another. While we exhort one another, we do not do so as the judge, but as the brother and sister in Christ. We love one another.

Finally, it means that church is not about you. Today’s entertainment culture has made church about the emotional stimulation of the individual. We come to church and determine the success of the service based on the feelings it produced. The songs must be emotionally manipulative, the sermon must be short and uplifting, The pews must be soft, the air-conditioning must be on, and comfort is king. However, this is not the way that we learned Christ. Church is all about Him. There will be times that the singing and preaching do not uplift, but convict and cause unease. But, as we draw close to Christ, we begin to love the Word. As a result, we love Word centered singing, praying, preaching, and reading. The church is about Christ, not about you or me! He is the head, not you or me! And that is a good thing.