What is a Church?

FOUNDATIONS – SERMON 1

THE CHURCH

INTRODUCTION:

IN JULY OF 1961, THE 38 MEMBERS OF THE GREEN BAY PACKERS FOOTBALL TEAM WERE GATHERED TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST DAY OF TRAINING CAMP.

THE PREVIOUS SEASON HAD ENDED WITH A HEARTBREAKING DEFEAT WHEN THE PACKERS SQUANDERED A LEAD LATE IN THE 4TH QUARTER AND LOST THE NFL CHAMPIONSHIP TO THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES.

TRAINING CAMP HAD FINALLY ARRIVED AND IT WAS TIME TO GET TO WORK.

THE PLAYERS WERE READY FOR THEIR COACH TO SHARE THE SECRETS THAT WOULD GUARANTEE THEM VICTORY THIS TIME AROUND.

BUT THEIR COACH, VINCE LOMBARDI, HAD A DIFFERENT IDEA.

DAVID MARANISS, IN HIS BOOK WHEN PRIDE STILL MATTERED: A LIFE OF VINCE LOMBARDI, TELLS THE STORY OF WHAT HAPPENED WHEN VINCE LOMBARDI WALKED INTO TRAINING CAMP THAT JULY.

HE TOOK NOTHING FOR GRANTED.

HE BEGAN A TRADITION OF STARTING FROM SCRATCH, ASSUMING THAT THE PLAYERS WERE BLANK SLATES WHO CARRIED OVER NO KNOWLEDGE FROM THE YEAR BEFORE…

HE BEGAN WITH THE MOST ELEMENTAL STATEMENT OF ALL. “GENTLEMEN,” HE SAID, HOLDING A PIGSKIN IN HIS RIGHT HAND, “THIS IS A FOOTBALL.”

LOMBARDI WAS COACHING A GROUP OF THREE DOZEN PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES WHO, JUST MONTHS PRIOR, HAD COME WITHIN MINUTES OF WINNING THE BIGGEST PRIZE THEIR SPORT COULD OFFER.

SO HE STARTED FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.

SIX MONTHS LATER, THE GREEN BAY PACKERS BEAT THE NEW YORK GIANTS 37-0 TO WIN THE NFL CHAMPIONSHIP.

FOR THE CHURCH, THE SAME PHILOSOPHY IS SOMETIMES BENEFICIAL.

IT’S GOOD TO JUST GET BACK TO THE BASICS SOMETIMES.

TO BE REMINDED OF THE THINGS THAT MAKE US WHO WE ARE.

SO THIS MORNING, I WANT TO TRY TO ANSWER ONE THE MOST FOUNDATIONAL QUESTIONS THAT WE CAN.

THAT QUESTION IS WHAT IS THE CHURCH?

3 THINGS THAT HELP US UNDERSTAND WHAT THE CHURCH IS.

THE CHURCH IS NOT BRICK AND MORTAR, IT IS FLESH AND BONE.

THE CHURCH IS NOT AN ORGANIZATION, IT IS A FAMILY.

THE CHURCH’S CENTRAL FOCUS IS TO BE THE ONE WHO DIED FOR THE SAKE OF THE MANY.

HERE’S THE FIRST.

1. THE CHURCH IS NOT BRICK AND MORTAR, THE CHURCH IS FLESH AND BONE.

a. THERE ARE NUMEROUS REFERENCES IN THE BIBLE TO THE CHURCH IS THE BODY OF CHRIST

b. ACCORDING TO BLUE LETTER BIBLE, THE WORD CHURCH OCCURS 73 TIMES IN THE ESV

c. 76 TIMES IN THE KJV

d. 76 TIMES IN THE NASB.

e. THE FIRST TIME THE WORD IS FOUND IS IN OUR TEXT FOR THIS MORNING,

f. AND I TELL YOU, YOU ARE PETER, AND ON THIS ROCK I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH.

g. THE WORD TRANSLATED CHURCH IN EVERY OCCURRENCE OF THE WORD IN THE ENGLISH BIBLE IS THE GREEK WORD “EKKLESIA”

h. THE WORD “EKKLESIA” 1577. ἐΚΚΛΗΣΊΑ ĔKKLĒSIA, EK-KLAY-SEE´-AH; FROM A COMP. OF 1537 AND A DER. OF 2564; A CALLING OUT, I.E. (CONCR.) A POPULAR MEETING, ESPEC. A RELIGIOUS CONGREGATION (JEWISH SYNAGOGUE, OR CHR. COMMUNITY OF MEMBERS ON EARTH OR SAINTS IN HEAVEN OR BOTH):—ASSEMBLY, CHURCH.

i. THE GREEK WORD FOR CHURCH, EKKLESIA, MEANS “GATHERING.”

j. IT COMES FROM A VERB MEANING LITERALLY “CALL OUT FROM,” AND WAS USED IN A VARIETY OF WAYS IN THE FIRST CENTURY.

k. IN THE DAYS OF THE EARLY CHURCH, IT COULD REFER TO ANY GATHERING OF PEOPLE FOR ANY PURPOSE, INCLUDING SYNAGOGUE GATHERINGS.

i. BUT IN THE CONTEXT OF SCRIPTURE, WITH JUST A FEW EXCEPTIONS, THE WORD IS USED TO DESCRIBE JESUS’ CHURCH AS OPPOSED TO ANY OTHER ASSEMBLIES.

l. IT WAS NEVER USED TO DESCRIBE A LOCATION OR A FACILITY.

m.IT ALWAYS DESCRIBED THE PEOPLE WHO GATHERED.

n. SO WHEN WE LEAVE HERE, THE CHURCH LEAVES, AND WHEN WE GATHER AGAIN, THE CHURCH IS ASSEMBLED.

o. AND WHEN THE CHURCH ASSEMBLES, THE EXPECTATION IS THAT HIS CHURCH WILL TAKE ON HIS CHARACTERISTICS.

i. CHRISTLIKENESS IS ASSUMED.

p. BECAUSE THE CHURCH IS NOT BRICK AND MORTAR, THE CHURCH IS FLESH AND BONE.

2. THE CHURCH IS NOT AN ORGANIZATION, IT IS A FAMILY

a. THERE ARE NUMEROUS BIBLICAL REFERENCES TO CHURCH MEMBERS AS BROTHERS AND SISTERS.

b. SHARE BIBLICAL EXAMPLES

c. FOR WHOEVER DOES THE WILL OF MY FATHER IN HEAVEN IS MY BROTHER AND SISTER AND MOTHER.”

d. I COMMEND TO YOU OUR SISTER PHOEBE, A SERVANT OF THE CHURCH AT CENCHREAE,

e. - 10 I APPEAL TO YOU FOR MY CHILD, ONESIMUS, WHOSE FATHER I BECAME IN MY IMPRISONMENT. 11 (FORMERLY HE WAS USELESS TO YOU, BUT NOW HE IS INDEED USEFUL TO YOU AND TO ME.) 12 I AM SENDING HIM BACK TO YOU, SENDING MY VERY HEART. 13 I WOULD HAVE BEEN GLAD TO KEEP HIM WITH ME, IN ORDER THAT HE MIGHT SERVE ME ON YOUR BEHALF DURING MY IMPRISONMENT FOR THE GOSPEL, 14 BUT I PREFERRED TO DO NOTHING WITHOUT YOUR CONSENT IN ORDER THAT YOUR GOODNESS MIGHT NOT BE BY COMPULSION BUT OF YOUR OWN ACCORD. 15 FOR THIS PERHAPS IS WHY HE WAS PARTED FROM YOU FOR A WHILE, THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE HIM BACK FOREVER, 16 NO LONGER AS A BONDSERVANT BUT MORE THAN A BONDSERVANT, AS A BELOVED BROTHER—ESPECIALLY TO ME, BUT HOW MUCH MORE TO YOU, BOTH IN THE FLESH AND IN THE LORD.

f. THINK ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THE CHURCH FAMILY IS COMMANDED TO FACE TOGETHER.

i. BEAR ONE ANOTHER’S BURDENS

ii. PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER

iii. CARE FOR ONE ANOTHER

g. BECAUSE THE CHURCH IS MUCH THAN JUST ANOTHER ORGANIZATION, IT IS A FAMILY.

3. THE CHURCH’S CENTRAL FOCUS IS TO BE THE ONE WHO DIED FOR THE SAKE OF THE MANY.

a. THE CENTRAL FOCUS OF THE CHURCH IS JESUS.

b. HE IS THE CENTRAL CHARACTER OF THE BIBLE, AND HE IS TO BE THE CENTRAL FOCUS OF THE CHURCH.

i. WE (HOPEFULLY) DON’T INVITE PEOPLE TO OUR GATHERINGS BECAUSE WE WANT TO IMPRESS THEM WITH OUR MUSIC, OR WITH THE PREACHING, OR WITH THE PROGRAMS.

ii. WE INVITE PEOPLE TO OUR GATHERINGS BECAUSE WE WANT THEM TO BE IMPRESSED WITH OUR SAVIOR.

iii. IF OUR FOCUS IS ON ANYTHING OR ANYONE ELSE, WE ARE IN VIOLATION OF THE PURPOSE OF THE CHURCH…

iv. WHICH IS TO INTRODUCE PEOPLE TO JESUS AND HELP THEM LEARN TO WALK WITH HIM.

c. REMEMBER, OUR PURPOSE IS TO KNOW CHRIST AND MAKE HIM KNOW, FOR THE GLORY OF GOD.

d. AND ANY TIME WE TAKE OUR FOCUS OFF OF JESUS AND PUT IT ELSEWHERE…

e. IT CAUSES PROBLEMS IN THE BODY AND DISRUPTS THE MISSION AND PURPOSE OF THE CHURCH.

i. AND SATAN IS NEVER MORE PLEASED THAN WHEN HE IS ALLOWED TO GAIN A FOOTHOLD IN THE CHURCH.

f. WE HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TOGETHER BECAUSE OF ONE PERSON…JESUS.

g. WE ARE A COVENANT PEOPLE.

i. WE ARE A PEOPLE BECAUSE OF GOD’S COVENANT PROMISE.

ii. THE COVENANT SEALED BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS.

h. WE ARE A CONFESSIONAL PEOPLE.

i. WE ARE GOD’S PEOPLE BECAUSE OF A COMMON CONFESSION.

CONCLUSION:

SO THIS MORNING, REMEMBER THAT THE FOUNDATION MAKEUP OF THE CHURCH IS THIS:

- THE CHURCH IS NOT BRICK AND MORTAR, IT IS FLESH AND BONE.

- THE CHURCH IS NOT AN ORGANIZATION, IT IS A FAMILY.

- THE CHURCH’S CENTRAL FOCUS IS THE ONE WHO DIED FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE MANY.

INVITATION…