Sermon Tone Analysis

Do you guys remember the old western movie scenes, where the one guy is inside of a building and another guy who is outside and wants to fight him, yells inside and says something like, “I’m callin’ you out”?

Well what does that statement mean, “I’m calling you out”?

It’s an action statement, right?

I mean, when the one person calls out the other and the called out person answers that call, it is understood from all parties involved, that this is an action statement and that something is getting ready to go down!

By answering the call, the person going outside understands that they are being expected to do something and the person who called them out and everyone else watching, expects that something is getting ready to happen, right?

Well, this past Wednesday evening, I talked about a situation within the Bible, where there was a “calling out”, that took place.

As a matter of fact, it was the Lord Jesus, Himself, who actually did the “calling out”.

I’m not going back into all of the background detail as to the “whys” and “hows” of what I mentioned in that message, but I am going to further the thought this morning of the “calling out” that took place and what it was and why Jesus did it.

So this morning and possibly over the next week or two, we are going to be looking at a term, a word that is used, some 115 times within the New Testament and yet it is a word that you never really read or hear, or ever give any thought to.

It’s one of those things that we have just been taught and programmed to respond to within the “church” setting.

This morning, I want to begin talking with you about the “EKKLESIA” of the New Testament.

If you were here this past Wednesday evening you will remember that I talked in greater detail about the background of this word and of how it came to be known as the “CHURCH” that we recognize all over the world today.

I have mentioned in other teachings in the past, that EKKLESIA is the Greek word from which we derive our name, the “CHURCH”.

And without going back into it again, I just want to reiterate, that just because you have been told something of the Bible and that it is factual, DON’T JUST TAKE SOMEONE’S WORD FOR IT!

Read the Bible for yourself and let Holy Spirit speak to you about the living, breathing Word of God!

As I am speaking about this word today and possibly in the coming weeks and teaching about it, my intention and what I feel that I am being lead to do, is give some greater clarity as to why JESUS, used this word and what all was entailed by declaring it!

So, before I get ahead of myself, let’s turn to the passage in the Bible, that I pulled from Wednesday evening and read it together and then go from there, OK?

If you have your Bibles, turn with me please to the gospel of ,

So, in this passage, we see the very first and in fact, first of the only two times within all four gospels, that the EKKLESIA is ever mentioned.

In verse 18, Jesus says, “ And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my EKKLESIA, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

So, EKKLESIA is the Greek word that Jesus used here to denote those who His followers were and who and what they would truly become.

The word that we use today for this, is the English word “church”, as most Bibles have it translated!

Suffice it to say, that these two words are not the same thing.

As I mentioned before, the way that we derive the word “church” and the root from which some say that it comes, does not even remotely compute.

Some say that the word “church”, originally comes from the Greek word, kyrios, or kuriakos, which means, “belonging to the Lord; related to the Lord”.

Kuriakos is used ONLY twice in the NT, , where it speaks of the “Lord’s Supper”and then again in , where it is used as the “Lord’s Day”.

In NEITHER use, does it ever even remotely have the connotation, or implication of the EKKLESIA/CHURCH!

So, the Greek word, EKKLESIA, does not relate to, or lead to the Greek word, KURIAKOS.

As to how the word “church” became the English word used and the gold standard word for what Jesus said of EKKLESIA, this is an entirely different teaching and is something that I went into a little more detail about Wednesday evening.

For today however and for the next couple of lessons, I am going to looking at what is the EKKLESIA and why did Jesus use this word and what all is entailed to be a part of Jesus’ EKKLESIA!

Please understand this, for clarity's sake, whenever you change or substitute one word for another, it can have a dramatic effect.

For instance, if I am working on something in the house and text my wife and ask her to buy me and bring me a Phillips-Head screw driver and she texts me back to confirm my message, but changes the tool name to a wrench, although this pertains to a tool, it is NOT the same thing and it will not end with the same result!

Does everyone understand that?

Like I mentioned the other night, everything, every WORD that Jesus spoke and used, was for a very specific reason and they have a very specific meaning.

If you or I take the liberty to change the words, for whatever reason and to fit our own agenda’s, then the outcome is man-made message and not God inspired and thus it loses its power and authority.

Within the Word of God, we see this same concept being stressed by the Lord, Himself.

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2 You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you.

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The Lord is very clear, in stating that we are never to alter or change His words and His commands.

It is one thing to paraphrase a passage to someone, and yet capture the exact same meaning of that passage.

(i.e. - I can say to someone, that God loves you so much, that He sent His only Son to die for your sins and that if you believe in Him, then you will not perish, but you will in fact live spiritually forever!)

Most of you know the passage that I am paraphrasing and yet I have not changed the meaning of that passage in doing so.

However, if I change a word or phrase in the Bible to something totally different and it alters the meaning, then I am wrong and will face judgement for doing so.

Look here, scriptures clearly tell us that Jesus is the “Son of God”.

If I change this phrase/title, “to the son of a god”, does it have the same meaning?

Or how about this?

Hebrews tell us, “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.”

The Greek word for blood here is “haima” (hah'-ee-ma).

If I change the word to the Greek word, “ptysma”, which is saliva, have I changed the meaning of the passage?

I could argue that they both belong to, or pertain to the Lord, as the scriptures clearly show Him using both and that one is just a translation for a bodily fluid in the Greek to another.

However, this dramatically changes the meaning and outcome of the passage.

So, also does changing EKKLESIA to the Greek word KURIAKOS and from there to the English word, CHURCH.

This is not a legalistic thing that I am talking about.

I am not being dogmatic here and saying, “We must call ourselves the EKKLESIA!”

What I am saying is that there is a definitive reason that Jesus chose this word to describe His body of believers, just as there is a definitive reason why man eventually chose to change it to a different name.

I will leave it there, as

Jesus called us, exactly what He intended and for the purpose in which His Father intended.

He could have chose to just use the name SYNAGOGUE for His body.

This would have made perfect sense to us, as this was a common place of gathering for God’s people at that time.

What better way to link the new gathering of His people, than with what was already taking place and in the BUILDING that it was taking place within?!

Understand this, Jesus wasn’t setting out to build another BUILDING in the city.

Jesus was not recruiting church builders, because Jesus is the church!

He called it His EKKLESIA and He built it!

This is what man has done with the concept of the church and its buildings, as far as everything being focused the natural, physical aspect.

Jesus and His Father, were in the process of creating a living, breathing and functioning body of people, His children, who would be unique and special!

So, why did Jesus say, EKKLESIA and what does this entail for every believer?

The meaning of the Greek word EKKLESIA is, “a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place, an assembly; that is, a called-out assembly or congregation.”

Now please understand this.

This word that Jesus used to represent His body of disciples, was a very common and easily understood word of that day and time.

If you lived in that region, some 2,000 years ago and you spoke or understood Koine Greek dialect, then you would have instantly knew what an EKKLESIA was and what Jesus was talking about.

It was a called out assembly of people.

A group of like minded people who were called out to assemble, to congregate and often times to make legal or pressing decisions.

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God, throughout the scriptures, has always been CALLING out His chosen to answer and serve Him.

For instance, God called out Abraham out of the pagan nation, He then called Jacob out to become a great nation, God called out Moses from being a shepherd to being a leader, God called out Israel from being slaves to Egypt, to becoming His nation.

God called out the prophets to minister to His nation Israel, just as God called out the Judges of the nation of Israel to deliver His people.

God called out His own son and required a ransom payment be made by Him and from Him for us.

And since Jesus answered the call of His Father, He has been calling out His people ever since!

The very meaning of the word EKKLESIA, gives us a reason that Jesus chose this term to be used for His body of believers; because we are called out.

Listen to a few passages that describe the believer.

Let me read to you what the Bible says about us, as His children, as His followers, as disciples of Jesus.

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When we hear and heed and answer the calling of Jesus, by His Holy Spirit and give ourselves completely to Him, we are at that moment, being called out from this world!

The understanding of the believer’s life is, “we are in the world, but not of the world.”

Jesus said that “If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own.

As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you (called you) out of the world.

That is why the world hates you.”

14 I have given and delivered to them Your word (message) and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world [do not belong to the world], just as I am not of the world.

15 I do not ask that You will take them out of the world, but that You will keep and protect them from the evil one.

16 They are not of the world (worldly, belonging to the world), [just] as I am not of the world.

In His priestly prayer to His Father in Jesus says, “I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.”

15 I do not ask that You will take them out of the world, but that You will keep and protect them from the evil one.

In we read of God saying this to us,

16 They are not of the world (worldly, belonging to the world), [just] as I am not of the world.

So, does coming out of the world and separating ourselves to Christ mean that we are to build some resort on a remote tropical island paradise somewhere?

(YES, YES IT DOES!)

This call to come out from the world and to separate ourselves from among unbelievers has been taken to the extremes in so many ways.

Seriously though, many people have removed themselves from being visible to the world and tried to stay tucked quietly away until they either die, or until Jesus comes back to taken them out of here.

This is why there exists people dwelling within monasteries, who have removed themselves from living in or around others in the world and are living complete ascetic lifestyles.

And I not referring to the monks in the monasteries, up in the mountainous areas.

I am talking about the “church” as it exists in the world today!

The calling of God on our lives to COME OUT is a spiritual calling that demands we leave the sinful life and the sinful desires of our past.

Far too many Christians have removed themselves from being seen or heard in this world and tried to just EXIST and hang on until He comes back.