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What Is the Church?
Max Andrews writes the following story: I was born in the little village
of Inwood, Indiana. It is about a half hour south of the University of
Notre Dame, but you'll be lucky if you find it on a map. There were only
about thirty homes, sheltering perhaps one hundred people, with a gas
station, a small grocery store, a post office, a grain elevator, an
elementary school, and one church. We lived just a block from the
church, which was a large, stone-block building with stained-glass
windows, solid mahogany pews and altar, and many friendly people, all of
whom lived within walking distance or a short drive from the church.
Sunday school began at 9:00 A.M., and at 8:55 A.M. a bell in the steeple
began ringing, calling all the townspeople. Our family emerged from our
house like little ducks headed toward the pond, and a few minutes later;
we were in our place in church.
My family was there––not just immediate family, but aunts, uncles,
cousins, and grandmother. I remember all these and other people singing
songs that everyone knew by heart, and before long, even I knew some of
them. Occasionally the hymns would have an echo as part of the song.
Sopranos, tenors, and basses would sing the stanza, and then the melody
line would be echoed by the altos. Most of the altos were timid souls,
but not my grandmother, she belted out the echo as though the songwriter
had written it especially for her.
I became a Christian in college, then got married, and entered the
ministry. I have only been back a few times since then, but my memories
of the big stone church are good ones.
Today, the church looks largely unchanged. They built it well. The stone
blocks haven't aged. The stained-glass windows are as colorful as ever.
The wooden pews are as beautiful and uncomfortable as ever. And friendly
folk who have known each other for a lifetime still find their way into
the pews each Sunday.
From my earliest days, if you were to ask me what the church is, a
large, gray stone-block building would flash into my mind. That image
would be followed by memories of red and blue light from the
stained-glass windows falling across the hardwood floors, giving a soft
glow to the interior. The rich wood tones of the pews, pulpit, and altar
rail finish the timeless look of it all. That was the church, in my
mind.
It came, as a bit of a surprise to me when I learned that was not the
church. The church was not a building. The church was people. We don't
go to church. We are the church. In fact, there are Christian groups who
don't call their building a church. They call the building a “meeting
house.” They call the people the church. In the truest sense, they are
right.
There are many people in our community today who believe like Max
Andrews believed, that the church is this building or an organization.
But that is not what the Bible has to say.
In the New Testament the Greek word for “church” is Ekklesia. Like all
Greek words you have to look at the root words to find your translation:
Ek means “out from” (like exit), and kaleo means, “called.”
Together, the two words mean “called out” and assembled together. The
same word would be used whether or not the meeting was a religious one.
For instance, in Acts 19, the town clerk of the city of Ephesus was
concerned that a riot was going to break out over the apostle Paul's
preaching. He urged his fellow citizens, who had gathered to discuss the
matter, to remain calm and file legal charges against Paul, rather than
resort to violence. “And when he had said these things, he dismissed the
assembly” (v. 41). The word “assembly” is ekklesia.
The word later came to be used of Christians, people who had been called
together spiritually to follow Jesus. In the Bible, the church never
means a building where people meet, but rather refers to the people
themselves.
Last week we looked at the founder of the Kingdom and why it is that God
is worthy of our praise and adoration. Tonight we will continue to look
at the kingdom and we will try to see the Church as it was intended in
the scriptures.
First the Church Is People.
The people who are part of the church are those who have responded to
the Good News, by being added to the church, clothed with Christ,
Received remission of their sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit. (all
Biblical reasons for baptism.)
Membership in a local congregation does not mean that you are a member
of the body. Someone has said that going into a church building doesn't
make you a Christian any more than going into a garage makes you a car,
or going into a barn makes you a cow. It is not what happens on the
outside that matters, but what happens on the inside.
Second the church is a Body
Doctors tell us that, because of the continuous dying and replacing of
cells in our body, we get a new body every seven years. If that is the
case, in my first three bodies, each new one was better than the last.
However, the last one I got left me feeling pretty gypped, and this next
one isn’t looking to good either.
Even with the limitations of our earthly body, however, we can imagine a
heavenly body—a body without defect—and this helps us to understand more
fully what the church is.
The apostle Paul's favorite picture for the church was the body. It is a
word picture communicating the fact that Christians on earth are the
hands, feet, and tongue of Christ. We are to labor, travel, and speak
what Christ would if He were in our shoes.
Jesus is the head of the body, and each of us makes up our part of His
spiritual body on earth. We each have different functions, different
abilities, different callings, and different locations.
Read Romans 12:4–5:
“Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do
not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one
body, and each member belongs to all the others”.
We do not become the body when we agree to work together in harmony. We
are automatically the body, regardless of whether or not we decide to
work together in harmony. The question is only whether we will be a
healthy body or an unhealthy one.
We are not a member of the body when we decide to place membership. If
we are Christians, we are already members of the body. If we belong to
Christ, we are members, and we belong to each other because we are all
in Christ.
If Christians ever came to understand and appreciate that truth, it
would make us more tolerant of those who are different and more aware of
our need for others with diverse abilities. Just as a human body could
not function if all its members were the same, so the body of Christ
could not function if we were all the same.
The Church is A Spiritual Building
The next picture of the church is that of a spiritual building, not a
physical facility.
Read what the apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 2:19-22:
“You are … of the household of God, having been built on the foundation
of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief
cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows
into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built
together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit” (2:19–22).
We can imagine, in our mind's eye, that huge cathedral having a name on
each of the stones. Figuratively speaking, one of those stones is Bill,
one is Susan, one is James, one is Katherine, and—glory to God—one is
Jeremy!
There are three truths about the church that are presented in this
passage, as well as a companion passage in 1 Corinthians 3:10–17.
First, the church has an eternal foundation the cornerstone of which is
Jesus Christ. The foundation is secure. It cannot be removed or
replaced. It ensures that the building that rests on it will be secure.
Second, the building is always growing, always being added to. There is
a master plan. All the stones that will eventually make up this great
human superstructure were planned before the building was ever begun.
And, if you are a Christian, you are one of the stones.
Third, the building is the dwelling place of God. He fills the building
with His presence and conveys on it infinite value with His blessing.
The Church is the Bride of Christ
Next we see the church being compared to a bride.
We have all been to weddings, and what has been the focal point of every
one of them? The bride. Everything in the entire service centers around
the bride, highlights the bride, honors the bride. The minister is in
place, the groom and his attendants stand at the front, ladies come down
the aisle, flower girls drop rose petals, heightening the anticipation
for the crowning moment: the appearance of the bride.
The music swells, everyone's head turns, and the bride, beaming, appears
at the back. All stand. She walks down on the arm of her father and the
entire gathering turns slowly with her passing.
Grandmothers weep quietly, mothers blubber openly, fathers bite lips—all
for the bride.
Then the vows are given, and the bride is united to the groom. The two
become one.
That is the destiny of Christians. Someday in heaven we will be honored
as no bride on earth has ever been honored. To think that Jesus would
honor us! It is we who should honor Him.
Read Revelation 19:6-7 9
“Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. Let us rejoice
and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has
come and His bride has made herself ready.… Blessed are those who are
invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:6, 7, 9 NASB).
Are these not amazing pictures? You are the body of Christ. You are the
temple of God in the Spirit. You are the bride of Christ.
As the body, you have a task, you are gifted.
As a building, you belong, you are possessed and indwelt by the living
God, you reflect His glory.
As a bride, you are honored, you are owned, you are glorified. By Jesus!
It is Cinderella, all over again. A handsome prince sees a peasant girl
who is in bondage to evil. The prince subdues the power of evil, marries
Cinderella, and takes her to his castle to live happily ever after. We
are all Cinderella. No matter how hard this life on earth might be for
you, take hope. One day, you will live in a palace with the King of
heaven.
The Church Has Life.
These different word pictures of the church reveal a life held in common
and continue to expand the idea that the emphasis of Scripture regarding
the church is on “people.”
Each person in the church is given a spiritual gift. He or she is to use
that gift in serving the other people in the church, and to build one
another up. As the members of the church each use their spiritual gift
for the benefit of the other Christians.
In addition to this, a number of passages in Scripture encourage us to
live in harmony and unity with one another. The list of “one anothers”
is impressive when we consider what it would really be like to live
among people who did these things for one another:
• Be kindly affectionate to one another, giving preference to one
another, Romans 12:10.
• Be of the same mind toward one another, Romans 12:16.
• Let us not judge one another, Romans 14:13.
• Build up one another, Romans 14:19
• Be of the same mind with one another, Romans 15:5
• Accept one another, Romans 15:7
• Admonish one another, Romans 15:14.
• Have the same care for one another, 1 Corinthians 12:25.
• Serve one another, Galatians 5:13.
• Show forbearance to one another in love, Ephesians 4:2
• Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another,
Ephesians 4:32.
• Be subject to one another, Ephesians 5:21
• Regard one another as more important, Philippians 2:3
• Bear with one another, and forgive one another, Colossians 3:13.
• Comfort one another, 1 Thessalonians 4:18.
• Encourage one another, and build up one another, 1 Thessalonians 5:11
• Live in peace with one another, 1 Thessalonians 5:13.
• Seek after that which is good for one another, 1 Thessalonians 5:15
• But encourage one another, Hebrews 3:13
• Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, James 5:16
• Be hospitable to one another, 1 Peter 4:9.
• Serve one another, 1 Peter 4:10
• Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, 1 Peter 5:5
• Love one another, 1 John 3:11.
These are some of the ideals of the church. What a bit of heaven on
earth would be created if we were to be part of a local congregation
such as this? What a testimony it would be to a watching world. What a
glory it would be to God. We cannot control how others act, but as much
as it lies within us, we can try to do our part.
While the global church is clearly presented in Scripture, the most
frequent use of the word “church” refers to specific local congregations
who have agreed to pursue the ideals of the church. To do that, the
people must fulfill several functions and responsibilities. We see in
the New Testament several things that must happen for the body to
thrive.
A Local Church Meets Regularly.
The Body must gather regularly for worship and edification.
Read Hebrews 10:24–25 says, “And let us consider one another in order to
stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves
together, as is the manner of some.”
Assembling together is certainly the central priority of any local
church, but to many people gather only to fulfill the five acts of
corporate worship: preaching of the word, prayer, music, the giving of
offerings, and communion. But maybe we overlook what the passage is
discussing.
According to this passage when are we to assemble?
How long are we to assemble?
What is supposed to happen during our assembly? (We meet to stir up love
and good works. This cannot happen if the only fellowship you have is
staring at the back of someone’s head for an hour at a time.)
A Local Church Has Qualified Leaders.
In Ephesians 4:11-12 the apostle Paul made it clear that evangelist,
pastors, and teachers, were key in the life of a church, necessary to
equip the saints for the work of ministry and the spiritual growth of
the congregation.
But there are not the leaders of the church. Since we are autonomous we
must find leadership somewhere and I believe that God has given us a
blue print for the leadership of the local body.
Elders are to be selected by the members to give spiritual oversight to
the congregation and to shepherd them (1 Timothy 3:1–7).
Deacons are to do the work and look after the physical needs of the
congregation (Acts 6:1–6; 1 Timothy 3:8–13).
All these people must meet the qualifications set down in these
passages. We will discuss these roles in depth in the coming weeks.
A Local Church Is Organized.
As soon as a church was formed in the Bible, it got organized (Acts
14:21–23; Titus 1:5) so that it could fulfill the responsibilities of a
church.
Read Acts 2:42–47:
In this passage we see the church worshiping, we see it growing in
knowledge of Scripture, we see it fellowshipping and providing mutual
encouragement, and we see it having an impact on those around it. These
are the tasks of a church, and we see the church organizing, with
spiritual leaders, so that the proper functioning of the local church
can take place.
A Local Church Is a Covenant Community.
A covenant community is a group of people who have entered into a
serious agreement with each other. When we become followers of Christ,
we become members of His larger body, and we cannot be fully committed
to Christ without also being committed to His local body.
The church is not a country club, but Christianity is corporate. Many
parts make up a whole. We belong to each other; we need each other. We
are the community of the redeemed. No church is a social center, or a
civic center or an encounter group. It is a living breathing body of
Christ.
Unfortunately, it is common today for Christians to drift from church to
church, or to attend for a while, then stop, depending on how busy they
are otherwise, and how good the show is on Sunday morning. Many have no
sense of roots or responsibility. Yet, belonging to a church is
fundamental to the faithful Christian life.
When someone is first converted to Christ and comes into the larger
Body, the first step is commitment to a local body. It is true that the
local body will not be perfect but that the church is like Noah's ark.
The stench on the inside would be unbearable if it weren't for the storm
outside. However, imperfect as the local body is, it is still the
vehicle God has chosen to be the primary manifestation of His universal
church.
Conclusion
We began this study by saying that the church is a big deal to God, and
our task is to expand our understanding until it becomes a big deal to
us. I want to end this thought by encouraging that goal.
Too many of us have too small a picture of the church. I believe this
because most church leadership got out of touch with its membership, and
many earnest and zealous Christians left the church, believing that it
had become irrelevant.
Too many of us see the church as some puny organization that pesters us
for money while giving us inferior performances in return. It has been
so long since we have seen the church act like what it is, that we have
lost our collective memory of how we should act.
We all belong to the church if we belong to Jesus. But we belong by
virtue of who we are in Christ. If our membership were dependent on the
value of our personal involvement, many of us would be disfellowshiped.
It was the church that bled and died to keep the message of salvation
alive. From the time of Jesus until the present, God's children have
been tortured, beaten, imprisoned, stoned, sawn in two, slain with the
sword, fed to lions, and forced to live as fugitives, all because they
would not renounce their belief in Christ, or because they would not
stop preaching the word and sharing their faith.
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