Why the Church is the Church

The Essential Essence of the Church

Its heart and soul - Biblical truth

Practical application follows

An Organized, PURPOSEFUL Assembly

A) Centers on God

Called out by Him to be His people, not some human invention

If human - the goal would be to please humans

But it’s God’s - the goal is to please God

A growing church is good - it IS desirable to have people who are pleased

But focus on pleasing God, leave people to Him

Every program, event, activity, priorities must contribute to THAT goal!

So we seek Scripture, earnestly - Eph 4:14-16, 5:25f

B) What God says it (church) must be

Not just a group of people

Not just a group of Christians

Not free to organize any way it wishes

See Acts 14 - elders appointed

Acts 2, 4 - number of those joined was recorded

C) Certain, specific purposes

If Christians gather, but do nothing, not a church

Actions occur repeatedly in NT - they are ESSENTIAL

Acts 2:42 NASB95

They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

D) An assembly - called out, AND called together

“Church” is a word reserved for a group that actually assembles locally

There is a need to assemble to fulfill purposes

Unimaginable in NT to be a Christian, in a city, and not belong to local church, assembly of Christians

The Assembly

1) Local - overwhelmingly Biblical word usage

The local church is the way Christ is building the church today, throughout the world - it can be seen - visible!

Yes, the church (at large) is used for all believers, but the assembly is what is seen, and where His work gets done

Matt. 16:18, Eph. 5:25

2) Living and Growing

1 Peter 2:5 NASB95

you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:9 NASB95

For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.

LIVING

Implies also changing - need to be innovative and creative, yet never straying from Biblical truth

Culture affects our “life” -

Can shed light on Biblical teaching

Can blind people to Biblical teaching

There has been an ongoing battle between practicing faith and culture

Historically - when faith vs culture occurs - culture has won

GROWING

Tempted by the desire to grow numerically

Growth in numbers in NT was NEVER a goal - it happened

The command is growth - spiritual

God will provide the needed numerical growth

We must be healthy, unified, whole (not sick, deformed, unhealthy)

3) Gospel-focused

The Gospel call brings the assembly together

The Gospel call connects the assembly to Christ

NO GOSPEL = NO CHURCH

(REM - a group of people, even “Christians”, is not necessarily a church)

FALSE GOSPEL = FALSE CHURCH (Examples abound today)

The Gospel is essential to our very being

Other aspects, how we do certain things - is important to our well-being

Some will distort the truth

Acts 20:30 NASB95

and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.

Right motives, wrong Gospel

Galatians 1:8–9 NASB95

But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!

Titus 1:9 NASB95

holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.

Wrong motives, right Gospel

Philippians 1:17–18 NASB95

the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice,

There are areas where error could occur, and not necessarily mean an invalid church, just imperfect (like us)

BUT…Error on the Gospel, the church is invalid, not just imperfect - that’s BIBLE

4) Spirit-powered

Acts 2 - church begins

Without the Spirit, the body is dead

Believers AND the church

Zechariah 4:6 NASB95

Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.

Discuss: indwelling of believers, filled with Spirit, yield to Spirit

Fellowship, for example - not a diversion, but a driving part of the Holy Spirit, a driving piece of His ministry (we’ll share a meal next week, will it be a bunch of people gathering to eat, or a Spirit-focused fellowship?

WHY THE CHURCH IS THE CHURCH

To gather together, actually gather and get ministry done - MINISTRY

To live and grow - we don’t yield to culture, we may change the way some things are done, be we strive to please God. We grow closer to Him, and closer to each other.

An organism not growing is dying - this is exciting and challenging

Gospel-focused - there is simply no option with this; the Gospel must be a critical part of every ministry, activity, program, gathering…EVERY one!

Fueled by the power of the Spirit - if we are not Spirit-filled, we are dead already.

NEXT WEEK - Digging deeper into this “assembly.” What is meaningful church membership? Looking closely at our assembly, what it means to belong, why it’s important.