Church Words: Ls 1 - Church

This series is all about words you might hear on a Sunday morning or Wednesday night. It’s CHURCH words.

Now to be honest, if you’re a guest, there are probably TONS of words we use that you may not know. I’m SORRY! If I went to football practice, y’all would be using lots of words, I didn’t know. Same for many, if you went into the band room. We all have insider-words. You’re ALWAYS welcome to ask what a word means. Chances are, you’re not alone.

Even if you were raised going to this church, there are probably words you’ve heard people say that you don’t understand.

We’re going to be looking at some pretty basic words over the next few weeks.

If we’re talking about Church Words, the first word we need to define is…CHURCH!

Don’t worry, next week we’re not talking about the word WORD. I assume you know that one.

CHURCH

What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word “church”?

When you hear “church” maybe it stirs up feelings of warmth, love. Or maybe it stirs up feelings of judgement, hate, exclusion.

The dictionary says church is “a building for Christian worship”.

If I was to poll people on the street to ask them what “church” means or what a church is they would probably point you to the closest church building.

Church is more than a building!

It didn’t become popular for Christians to have their own buildings until Constantine was emperor of Rome around 300 AD. So 100s of years, there were no church buildings. But the word church was used since the beginning.

If our building burnt down, we’d still be a church.

Church is the gathering of followers of Jesus

Church is anytime people trying to live like Jesus are gathered together. Jesus’ followers, often met in homes, Jewish Synagogues, or public spaces. Since the day Jesus ascended into heaven after the resurrection, the church has met.

Acts 2:41–47 CSB

41 So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added to them. 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles. 44 Now all the believers were together and held all things in common. 45 They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

This passage shows how the church, God’s family of believer’s started as a perfect community. It’s such a beautiful picture of what the church ought to be. The church, when Christians come together, is supposed to be a place where everyone is welcomed, everyone is equal (white, black, rich, poor, etc).

Church is when people who love/follow Jesus come together.

Matthew 18:20 CSB

20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there among them.”

That’s cool. God says the minimum number required to experience church is 2. The smallest church has 2 members. So if you and one of your Christian friends decide you guys want to pray, encourage each other, and talk about Jesus you can have church anywhere!

You can be sitting in the cafeteria, riding a bus back from a game, or hanging out at starbucks. If you are there to focus on Jesus and helping each other grow closer to him, you are having church!

If you can have church anywhere/anytime. Why go to a church building?

Why do people go to church?

I could talk ALL night about this. I love church. I love this church, going to church, helping people experience how they are part of the church. The apostle Paul has spent a lot of time talking about this in his letters found in the Bible.

We have regular services so that it is a routine. You don’t grow by accident, if we didn’t have consistent times for church there’s a risk that we would stop focusing on God.

We have a purpose, the church helps prepare us for that purpose.

Here for each other

here for our world

We talk about Jesus, we sing songs that encourage/teach about God, we teach from the Bible which is like shining a light in a dark room (it lights up our hearts, helps us see ourselves more clearly and shows us how to come closer to God). Sometimes we eat, share a meal. We do life together. We need each other.

Everyone can be involved in different ways! You’re supposed to be involved. The church is for you and you are for the church!

Church is not JUST for you. Don’t ever skip church with the attitude of, “oh it’s okay, I wasn’t going to learn anything.” Church is not just FOR you. We’re supposed to come together for each other. Maybe you need to be at church to help someone else.

I hope you will consider becoming more involved in church. It might seem strange, but being involved in church changed my life. Don’t give up on the church

Hebrews 10:24–25 CSB

24 And let us watch out for one another to provoke love and good works, 25 not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.

When someone you love is missing form your church, reach out to them. Tell them they were missed!

As I sit here talking about how much I love church, that may not be your experience. I’m sorry.

Different Church Experiences

Reality is, we’ve all had different church experiences.

Some people don’t like church - people too mean, etc.

Some have only been to this church their entire life!

There are small churches, very big churches, old ones, new ones, growing churches, dying churches, and everything in between.

Not all churches agree on the same things, in fact there are some places that claim to be churches, but in fact are scam artists or people trying to manipulate others. Be careful, don’t treat all churches as the same. Plenty of good people, even good fellow Christians in other churches, but just because a building says church on it, that doesn’t mean you’ll have the same experience at a different church.

I’m sorry if you’ve ever been disappointed, hurt, abused, overlooked by church people before. It breaks my heart when I hear stories like that. Know that not all churches are like that.

I can’t speak for every church, but I do know..

This church is about being family

We’re not perfect. We still have some pretty messed up people in it, but we try to support each other.

Let me give you some advice. Hopefully you come from a family, where you have some chores or responsibility. You have to take out the trash, do this dishes, give the dogs a bath, watch your siblings, etc. Those things are part of belonging to a family.

The same is true of the church. If you want someone to love, care, and serve you. Why don’t you develop the habit of loving, caring, and serving others first!

Luke 6:31 CSB

31 Just as you want others to do for you, do the same for them.

Help make our church better, by doing that!

This church is about being a family. The people in our church family, want to become more like Jesus.

The Naples Church of Christ is a community committed to becoming more like Christ

that means we are a group of people who are dedicated, eager to think/talk/act more like Jesus. We know we are still becoming more like Jesus, because we’re not perfect yet. In fact, perfect people won’t like it here.

Paul says this talking to church people in 1 Corinthians. this is what church is about.

1 Corinthians 11:1 CSB

1 Imitate me, as I also imitate Christ.

I hope your goal is our goal. That you want to become more like Jesus. That’s quite a burden for the rest of us “church people” we have to follow Jesus closely enough to be imitated.

This semester as you are part of our church I hope you see many us become more like Jesus. I hope you pay attention to your group leaders, who aren’t perfect, but are committed to becoming more like Christ.

When we talk about church, here, We hope that you will find a place where you belong among this church.