Session 6: What Is Church and Why Does It Matter?
Notes
Transcript
Alright guys, welcome back!
I don’t want these sessions to just be something we go through — my hope is that you’re growing through them.
Each week, we open God’s Word because we believe that truth isn’t found in social media, school, or culture — it’s found in the Bible, and that truth always points us back to Jesus.
Last week we talked about sin and temptation — that every one of us struggles with sin, but through Jesus, we can find forgiveness and freedom.
Today, we’re talking about something that’s easy to misunderstand: The Church.
Let’s be honest — when you hear the word “church,” what comes to mind?
(“building,” “Sunday service,” “worship,” etc.)
Most people think of a building with a steeple or a place where people sing songs and listen to sermons.
But here’s the truth — and it’s key
“The Church isn’t a building you go to; it’s a people you belong to.”
1. What Does the Word “Church” Mean?
1. What Does the Word “Church” Mean?
The word “church” comes from the Greek word ekklesia (say it: ek-klay-SEE-ah).
It comes from two parts:
Ek — “out of”
Kaleo — “to call”
So, ekklesia literally means “the called-out ones.”
In the New Testament, it didn’t mean a place — it meant a gathering of people called out for a purpose.
The early Christians took that word and gave it a new meaning.
“The ekklesia of God is the community of people who have been called out of darkness into God’s light through faith in Jesus Christ.”
1 Peter 2:9 says:
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
So the Church isn’t a building — it’s the people who belong to Jesus.
My favorite auther A.W. Tozer once said:
“One hundred religious persons knit into a unity by careful organization do not constitute a church any more than eleven dead men make a football team. The first requisite is life — always.”
That “life” comes from Jesus.
2. The Church Belongs to Jesus =
2. The Church Belongs to Jesus =
Let’s get this straight from the start —
The Church isn’t man-made. It belongs to Jesus.
Matthew 16:18— Jesus says:
And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
Notice:
Jesus says “My church” — it belongs to Him.
He says “I will build it” — not us.
The Church is God’s idea, not ours, Not Peters.
Humans did not make the church.
It’s not a club, a business, or a brand
The Church is the living Body of Christ on earth.
Charles Spurgeon wrote:
“If I had never joined a church till I had found one that was perfect, I should never have joined one at all. And the moment I did join it, it would have ceased to be perfect.”
The Church exists because of Jesus, for Jesus, and through Jesus.
Spurgeon is saying that if we wait to find a perfect church — one without mistakes, hurt feelings, boring Sundays, or imperfect people — we’ll never find it.
Why? Because the moment we walk in, it’s imperfect again.
Every church is made up of people …and people are broken and sinful.
But here’s the beauty: God’s grace brings broken people together to make something beautiful.
The Church isn’t a place for perfect people, Thats why Jesus says in
Mark 2:17
On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Church is a place for forgiven people learning to love and worship God together.
3. The Church Isn’t About Feeling Good — It’s About Worshiping God
3. The Church Isn’t About Feeling Good — It’s About Worshiping God
Sometimes we think church is supposed to make us feel good — the music, the message, the atmosphere.
But the main purpose of church isn’t about how we feel — it’s about honoring the One who is worthy.
A.W. Tozer said:
“Worship is no longer worship when it reflects the culture around us more than the Christ within us.”
The goal of the Church is not comfort — it’s Christ. It is for the Gospel of Christ to be preached in evry sermon, and evry song.
but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness,
we do not gather at church because everything in our week is perfect, but because God is perfect, and He deserves our worship even when our feelings are low.
3. The Church Is the People of God
3. The Church Is the People of God
The Bible gives us three major pictures of what the Church is — and each one tells us something powerful about how God relates to His people.
a) The Church Is God’s Family
a) The Church Is God’s Family
Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household,
When you put your faith in Jesus, you’re adopted into God’s family.
You are no longer an enemy of God, but it is when you belive in him that you belong to Him as His son or daughter.
In ancient times, family meant everything — identity, security, and inheritance. So when Paul says, “You’re part of God’s household,” he’s saying,
“You’re home.”
You might come from a broken home, a distant home, or a home that doesn’t talk about God, you may not even feel wanted at home..
but in God’s family, you are wanted, loved, and chosen.
The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”
That’s why church isn’t just an event you attend — it’s a family you belong to.
We care for each other, forgive each other, and grow together — like siblings learning to live under one loving Father.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said:
“The Church is the Church only when it exists for others.”
In other words, family isn’t just about being together — it’s about serving one another in love.
b) The Church Is the Body of Christ
b) The Church Is the Body of Christ
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
Every believer has a unique purpose — just like every body part has a function.
The eye can’t say to the hand, “I don’t need you.”
The same goes for the church — we need each other.
Some people are gifted to teach, others to encourage, to serve, to lead, to give, to pray.
When one person in the body suffers, the whole body feels it. When one person grows or rejoices, we all benefit.
Think of a sports team — if one player doesn’t play their position, the team struggles.
That’s how the body of Christ works: every person matters.
Romans 12:4–5 says:
For 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, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
The Church isn’t about competition — it’s about cooperation.
Jesus is the Head, and we are His hands and feet in the world. When we serve, forgive, and love others, we’re showing what Jesus is like.
c) The Church Is the Temple of God
c) The Church Is the Temple of God
In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.
And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
This is one of the most beautiful pictures in the Bible — but to really understand it, we need to go back to the Old Testament.
In the book of Exodus, God told Moses to build a tabernacle which was basically a temporray tent where His presence would dwell among His people (Exodus 25–40).
Later, Solomon built the Temple in Jerusalem and it was beatiful!!
a beautiful, gold-covered house of worship.
Inside the Temple was the Most Holy Place, where God’s presence literally dwelt above the Ark of the Covenant. But when Israel rebelled and worshiped idols, God’s glory — His presence — departed from the Temple.
The prophet Ezekiel describes this heartbreaking moment:
Then the glory of the Lord departed from over the threshold of the temple and stopped above the cherubim.
Later King Nebuchadnezzr and the Babolonians would tear down and destroy the temple, and soon the people.
However if you read the books of Ezra- and Nehemiah you see that the people of Israel make another temple.
Howevwer God’s glory, or God’s prescence never returns to the temple..
Altogether this It was a symbol that sin had separated God from His people.
And so For centuries, Israel longed for God’s presence to return.
And it never did..
Then — in the New Testament — Jesus came.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
(The word “dwelling” literally means tabernacled — God’s presence that was long gone… had returned!
After Jesus died and rose again, He sent His Spirit to live inside every believer.
Now, instead of God’s presence being locked inside a temple, His presence lives inside us. As belivers in Jesus We carry the very prescence of God inside us.
There is a Jeramy Camp song that explains this so well..But anyways
That’s why Paul writes in-
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
So today; the Church is the Temple. Not the church itself..
Not a building made of stone, but a people filled with God’s Spirit.
When we gather, we’re like living stones being built together into something sacred (1 Peter 2:5).
you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
That means:
God’s presence is in you.
God’s Spirit is working through you.
Wherever God’s people are — there is His temple.
So whether we meet in a gym, a classroom, or under a tree ; God is right there among us.
A.W. Tozer said it best:
“The presence of God is the central fact of Christianity.”
What Does the Church Do?
What Does the Church Do?
Let’s look at the very first church in the Bible — Acts 2:42–47
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.
All the believers were together and had everything in common.
They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.
Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,
praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
This passage is like the blueprint of what a healthy church looks like.
It wasn’t flashy, complicated, or entertainment-based — it was a community centered on Jesus.
Here are the five things the early church devoted themselves to — and what the Church should still be doing today:
1. Teaching — They studied God’s Word.
1. Teaching — They studied God’s Word.
The first thing they did was devote themselves to the apostles’ teaching — which means the truth about Jesus found in Scripture.
They didn’t gather to talk about their opinions, or what the world was teaching; they came to learn what God had said through his word.
Why does this matter?
Because the Word of God shapes the people of God. We dont let the world shape the church, there are manby churches today who have let the world shape what they believe on various topics, but the church needs to stand on the truth of the bible.
2 Timothy 3:16–17 says:
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
When we open the Bible, we’re letting God’s truth form how we think, how we live, and who we become.
The church isn’t built on motivational speeches — it’s built on God’s truth.
Mark Dever (9Marks) says:
“The Word builds the Church, and the Church displays the Word.”
In other words, a healthy church listens to and lives out what God says.
That’s why every time we meet for Anchored Life or church, we open the Bible — because truth transforms.
2. Fellowship — They did life together.
2. Fellowship — They did life together.
Fellowship isn’t just hanging out or eating snacks after church.
The word “fellowship” (Greek: koinonia) means sharing life together — walking alongside each other in faith, struggles, and growth.
The early church didn’t live isolated, private Christian lives — they shared everything (Acts 2:44–45).
When one person had a need, the others stepped in to help.
That’s what real church community looks like:
Carrying each other’s burdens (Galatians 6:2).
Praying for each other.
Encouraging one another when it’s hard to keep going.
Also sharing truth in love when we see someone stumbling
You don’t grow spiritually in isolation — you grow in community.
Jonathan Leeman (9Marks) says:
“Church membership is not about names on a roll — it’s about souls committed to one another’s spiritual good.”
Church fellowship means you’re part of a spiritual family that loves you enough to challenge you, forgive you, and help you follow Jesus.
3. Worship — They praised God.
3. Worship — They praised God.
The early believers didn’t just study and serve — they worshiped.
Acts 2:47 says they were “praising God” together with glad hearts.
praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Worship isn’t just singing songs , But guys it’s centering our hearts on who God is.
It’s about giving Him glory for His greatness, not just asking for what we want.
Romans 12:1 says:
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
That means worship is a lifestyle.
It’s the way you talk, work, love, and live — doing everything for God’s glory.
A.W. Tozer wrote:
“Worship is no longer worship when it reflects the culture around us more than the Christ within us.”
Worship helps us remember who’s in charge — and it fills our hearts with joy when we see how great our God is. This will be what we talk about next weel, answewring the question, what is worship.
4. Prayer — They depended on God.
4. Prayer — They depended on God.
The early church was powerful because it was prayerful.
They didn’t just talk about God — they talked to Him.
Prayer is how we express our dependence on God.
It’s like breathing — it keeps our spiritual life alive.
Without prayer, the church becomes powerless, relying on its own strength instead of God’s.
Acts 4:31 says:
After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
The early believers didn’t just pray when things were bad — they prayed constantly, trusting God to lead, provide, and empower them.
Mark Dever reminds us:
“Prayer is not merely preparation for ministry — it is ministry.”
If the Church stops praying, it stops depending on God.
But when the Church prays, God moves. That is the pinnacle of what the church is, a body of believers all in a continual comminion witht he Lord
5. Mission — They reached others.
5. Mission — They reached others.
Acts 2:46 ends with this powerful line:
Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,
praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
The Church wasn’t just looking on what it could do inward; But it was looking on what it could accomplish outward.
Every believer saw themselves as part of God’s mission to share the gospel.
And the beaty was it was not the work of the people, just like it is not my job to save any of you, but it was God, who was saving the people and bring them to know Jesus.
Jesus said in Matthew 28:19–20:
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
This is the command to all belivers in Jesus, that we are to make disciples, and be disciples of Jesus.
A healthy church isn’t a social club, its not a place where the pastor says some jokes, and they singing some super catchy songs, the church is for equipping god’s people and for God’s people to then go out and be obedient to what God has called each of us to do.
Mark Dever writes:
“Evangelism is not just a task the church does; it’s part of who the church is.”
So every time we gather, we remind ourselves:
We are not here just to feel good — we’re here to be equipped and sent out to make a difference in the world.
Augustine said it best:
“The Church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints.”
That means we come together not because we’ve got it all figured out; but because we need Jesus and each other.
The Church Preaches truth with boldness, shares life, worships deeply, prays faithfully, and reaches boldly — all for the glory of God
Conclusion — The Church: God’s People on Purpose
Conclusion — The Church: God’s People on Purpose
When you look at the diagram — Family, Body, Temple, Mission — you see that the Church is far more than a Sunday event.
It’s a living, breathing picture of God’s plan for His people.
As Family, we belong to God and one another. You are not alone — you are loved, adopted, and part of God’s household.
As Body, we each have a role to play. You have gifts and purpose that matter to the health of the whole Church.
As Temple, we carry the presence of God. Wherever believers go, God’s Spirit goes with us.
And as Mission, we are sent into the world to share the gospel and show the love of Jesus.
The Church is not perfect — but it’s powerful because Jesus is its foundation.
He is the Head, we are His people, and through us He is still reaching the world.
Pray
