What is the Church?

Introduction

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Last week, we looked at what the gospel is. Sometimes, we use words that we take for granted. We assume that everyone, including ourselves, knows what we mean when we use the word “gospel”. But, sometimes it’s hard to put into words what we mean. Confusion and a lack of confidence guarantees that people will not share the gospel with others if they do not even know what it is.

This week, I want us to look at another common “Christian” word that has a lot of assumptions. What is the church? For some, that is a building you go to sing songs and hear some one preach. To some, the church is an all day event. In parts of Africa, church can last 4 or 5 hours. Others think of the liturgy - chanting, robs, creeds, and the up, down, up, down of praying. We have a lot of assumptions based upon our experience, background, and upbringing.

Some of these things are great, some are bad, and some are indifferent. I want us to go to the Bible to give us the answer to “What is the church?”

Need

As a church, we need to know what it means to be a church. Next week, we will look at what are the expectations of a church. To know what to do we first need to know what we are.

Referent

1 Corinthians 1:1-2 and selected passages from Acts

Organization

Universal

Local

Sermon in a sentence:

The church is God’s gathered people.

Universal

1 Corinthians 1:1-2

God has gathered his people from every nation, location, and time!

“the church OF God in Corinth (local)” “called to be saints together with ALL THOSE WHO IN EVERY PLACE (universal) call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”

Faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ!

Steven Anderson - Faithful Word Baptist Church in Tempe - says you only need the Holy Spirit and your Bible. No! We need the body of Christ. We do need brothers, sisters, fathers, and mothers that have gone before us. We would not have received the gospel if we were not given the gospel in person, over the radio, on a YouTube video, or even the work of those that have translated and printed a Bible in our own language. God uses his people to bring new believers into the family of God. Therefore, do not discredit the work of the Holy Spirit in His people throughout church history.

Theologically, we should not think that we have all the answers. We shouldn’t think that no one before our time has ever fully studied God’s Word like we have. We should learn from church history.

Practically, we need humility. We should first ask why a church or group did a certain practice before making a judgement. What was the reason behind this decision? Is there biblical warrant for that practice?

I am reading “Life Together” with a group of men from our church. Its amazing to read this book because Bonhoeffer isn’t saying anything radically new. But, its awesome to hear him talk about church as living life together with all the realness and messiness of a family. He emphasizes the need for churches to actually live in community and not just say it. Bonhoeffer had never even thought about “online church”. But it is amazing that Bonhoeffer can warn about a Christianity that is so transaction that his warning also applies to us in a new day and age. We are living in a world where people talk about “their pastor” or “their church” but they live in another state.

God uses people from all different backgrounds, cultures, experiences, circumstances, and times to guide his church. Do not neglect that wisdom!

The Universal Church is God’s people! The truest sense of the word “church” refers to a people not a building!

The Bride of Christ - Ephesians 5 and Revelation 21

“Elect (chosen) exiles in the Dispersion” 1 Peter 1:1

A chosen race, a royal priesthood, and a holy nation - 1 Peter 2:9

God’s fellow workers 1 Cor 3:7*

God’s field*

God’s building*

God’s Temple 1 Cor 3:16

God’s Flock 1 Peter 5:2

I know that most evangelical churches teach this. It is in our DNA. We say this all the time. But sometimes we don’t live like that. Andy Davis is the pastor of Durham North Carolina. He has been there for decades now. But he wrote a book about his first two years as the pastor of that church. He led them through revitalization. He said those first two years were the hardest years of his life. Their constitution was outdated and unbiblical in some places. Their constitution allowed for female deacons. And these deacons served as elders that oversaw the pastor and oversaw the functions of the church.

There was a family in the church that was well liked. They had been members there for years and served faithfully. Every year their church voted on 1/3 of the deacon body. The wife chose to run for a deacon position. She was voted in as the first female deacon. Her and her husband then left the church before she even served as a deacon. They did it for a statement and as a stunt.

Let me ask you saints, did her or her husband treat the church as God’s people? They treated it like it was their house. I know we have talked about merging with Providence. I am not trying to shame or hurt anyone! I just want you to ask yourself this before God. Have I talked about this merge or Providence as if it is God’s house or mine? The universal aspect of God’s church should make us humble!

Local

God has always gathered his people from the world and to each other.

Noah

Abraham out of the land of the Chaldeans

Moses - literally his name means to draw out- brought the Israelites out of Egypt into the promised land.

After the exile, God used his prophets and leaders like Ezra and Nehemiah to gather his people back to the promise land.

During the time between the Old and New Testaments, Israel began to have synagogues. The word synagogue means to gather.

In the NT, local churches are referred to, while also recognizing the universal body of Christ and flock of God.

1 Corinthians 1:1 “the church of God in Corinth”

Galatians 1:2 “to the churches of Galatia”

Romans 16:5 “greet also the church in their (Priscilla and Aquila) house

How did the church gather?

They preached the gospel exegetically. Acts 2 - at Pentecost, Peter begins to preach exegetically about Jesus

They met regularly.

They met together where they could. (the temple, synagogues, homes)

Acts 2:42 “42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”

Brian Vickers

John–Acts 2:42–47. The First Christians

Teaching, prayer, fellowship, and the Lord’s Supper are all aspects today’s church can and should emulate.

Acts 2:46–3:1 “46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. 1 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.”

Acts 5:12 “12 Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico.” (Acts 3:11 tells us that Peter healed a man in Solomon’s Portico before they were arrested. They prayed then went back there.)

They had some structure, leadership, and servants.

Acts 6:1–7 “1 Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. 2 And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5 And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. 6 These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. 7 And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.”

They gathered on the Lord’s Day -

Acts 20:7–9 “7 On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight. 8 There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered. 9 And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer. And being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead.”

Saints, can you say that Colgate Baptist Church is still following the pattern God set for his people? Do we want to follow the pattern set by God? I want the blessing of church history and tradition to be filtered through the Bible.

Conclusion

Can you answer what is a church?

The church is God’s gathered people.

Gathered by faith in the person and work of Jesus.

Gathered out from sin and into the Lord’s service.

Gathered into fellowship and edification of one another. Next week we will look at these expectations in more depth.

Application

Repent of your sins and come into the flock of God’s fold.

Maybe, you need to join Colgate! Maybe you need to formally join the flock of God.

This week, each one of us can continue to sharpen and heighten our view of the church. I do not agree with everything that is said, but I encourage you to also watch this video from Remnant Radio. https://youtu.be/qCIqMULmsUY?si=Y-KVVTrUr9dL-zov This week, discuss in your family worship what you learned in this sermon and this video. What did you take for granted? What were you surprised about? How can Colgate be more biblical?