What is Church?

I mentioned during the business meeting that I was finishing up the last few items for my Systematic Theology class. I got a few questions about what that class was about. Theology is the study of God, God’s relation to the world and to man. When you put systematic in front of theology, it just means you take a systematic approach to studying the things of God. Within systematic theology you have terms like Biology -Study of the Bible, Christology - Study of Christ, Pneumatology - Study of the Holy Spirit, Angelology - study of Angels, Soteriology - study of salvation, Eschatology - study of end times and Ecclesiology - Study of the church. There are many others as well, but these are the big ones.

This is not an introduction to a systematic theology sermon series, that would better be done in a Bible study or classroom format - I do want to address one of the topics of my class which was Ecclesiology - the study of the church.

I think there is value in examining what the church is in order to better equip ourselves for whatever the future holds. If we have a poor understanding of what church is, we may hold onto and fight for the wrong thing. It is important to me that we understand what God wants from us and how he established the church by sending His son Jesus.

Turn with me to Matthew 16:18

This is the first passage where we see the word church translated...

Matthew 16:18 NIV

18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

Church is translated from the Greek word ecclesia. When the old testament was translated into Greek, there are several instances of the word ecclesia. Deuteronomy 4:10 being the first instance:

Deuteronomy 4:10 NIV

10 Remember the day you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, when he said to me, “Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn to revere me as long as they live in the land and may teach them to their children.”

Assemble the people - is the Old Testament version of ecclesia. When you see assembly in the Old Testament, it holds a similar meaning of the word church in the New Testament.

I point this out because the idea of church as God has designed is not a new concept in the New Testament time even though it is often thought that way. So, what is church then?

Matthew 16:18 NIV

18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

If we look at the passage in Matthew again, we can infer a few things:

The church is built by Jesus

as much as people plan and put together ideas on how to build a church, ultimately it is Jesus who does the building. More on this in a bit.

Death will not overcome the church

None of the schemes plotted against the church will cause the church to be overcome. Do church organizations falter? Yes. Have church buildings fallen? Yes. Has the church been overcome? No! Will the church be overcome? No!

People are the church

Jesus starts with Peter in building the church. He uses a rock as a metaphor for the church being built, but Peter is the first of the rocks that he selects with which to “build” his church.

Before we continue with our next point, I want to pause on this idea that people are the church. People are such imperfect beings. We can be selfish, mean, power hungry and frankly disappointing. People can be disappointing. If people are the church and people can be disappointing does that mean church can be disappointing? Yes and no.

I’ve heard many stories of people who are done with church because of how they or someone else they know were treated by a person within the church. Rather than put the disappointment in the right place - a person, we tend to put it on the church as a whole. Let me use an example - I had a conversation with a representative of a company on the phone just yesterday and was disappointed with how they spoke and dealt with me. My first thought was to cancel my service, but I realized this person was just a poor representation of who the company is.

What would your impression of church be if you judged church on how you’ve represented it?

“The day we find the perfect church, it becomes imperfect the moment we join it.” Charles H. Spurgeon

Turn with me to Acts 2 and we’ll read starting in verse 1

Acts 2:1–4 NIV

1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

The Holy Spirit empowers the church

The church was just a small gathering of the disciples when the Holy Spirit filled them. Without the empowering of the Holy Spirit, the church is not the church. It is just a social gathering...Jump down to verse 38

Acts 2:38–41 NIV

38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” 40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

Peter was the first to preach after the Holy Spirit filled them and using Holy Spirit filled Peter, Jesus built his church…3000 at a time.

Turn to Colossians 1:18 as we look at the next thing the Church is

Colossians 1:18 NIV

18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

Romans 12:4–5 NIV

4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

The Church is the Body of Christ

I love this example for the church. We are a body that is constantly growing and adding members. We must recognize that outside of Christ being the head this body is not going to work together.

Turn with me to Ephesians chapter 2 and we’ll finish up answering the question what is church from this book. Let’s start with verse 17

Ephesians 2:17–19 NIV

17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. 19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household,

The Church is a Heavenly Citizenship

A foreigner and stranger in the culture of the early church is someone who had no rights of citizenship. In Acts 22, Paul was on the verge of being flogged, beaten and punished without trial when he tells them that he is a Roman citizen. Immediately, they stopped. In fact the person who put Paul in chains was alarmed, worried about the consequences for putting Paul in chains.

A heavenly citizenship means that I am no longer a stranger. I belong. We belong to one another. We are members of His household. That means we’re home, we’re family.

The Church is a Family

The world’s definition of church is lacking when we look at the various ways the Bible defines the church. Church is not something we go to or do. It is not an organization or a building or activity. It is a God ordained way for us to unite together in response to the Gospel of Jesus. A Gospel that says we belong, we are wanted, we are valuable, we have purpose, we are forgiven, we are loved!

Let’s look how Jesus puts us together:

Ephesians 2:20 NIV

20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.

The Church has Jesus as its Cornerstone

Jesus said he would build the church with Peter as the first rock, but before Peter there was a cornerstone - Jesus. The Cornerstone sets the direction and starting point for the rest of the rocks put in place. Without the cornerstone, the building will be crooked and fall down.

Ephesians 2:21–22 NIV

21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

The Church is Being Built

God takes each on of us and puts us together in order that we together might become a dwelling in which God lives. This is continuous process in which new believers are added, existing believers become more mature and are able to handle more, hurts happen and cracks form that need to be heal. It’s amazing to think of the church in this way.

If we look at the church or the assembling of God over the years, it has taken many shapes and forms:

During the desert wandering, the nation of Israel gathered in their smaller family units and worshiped with a less frequent word from Moses.

In Jerusalem, they built a temple where many would come to worship. When not able to go to the temple, they daily faced toward the temple and prayed

The Jews built synagogues where communities would gather to hear the word of God and worship

After Jesus’s resurrection, the disciples used those synagogues as places to teach and worship until they were scattered by persecution by the Jews

They then gathered in homes wherever they travelled or they taught in city centers.

Eventually churches designated buildings in their communities to meet, gather, eat, teach, learn, serve one another.

As the church fell out of favor in some countries, God’s people would meet in secret to teach and disciple one another

In countries where Jesus was welcome, people built massive buildings and stadiums that would hold those who would come and listen to the word proclaimed.

In the US, we’ve seem small town churches, small inner city churches, mega churches, churches with many services, churches with many locations, churches in homes, churches in bars, on farms, at truck stops, online, in virtual reality…but how do we make sure we are the church?

A Body of Christ will have the following characteristics:

Ephesians 3:20–21 NIV

20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

God gets the glory in Christ Jesus

Glorifying God and what he did through his Son Jesus must be a central focus. We can glorify God no matter where we are or how many people we are with. The church can be separated by miles and still give God glory. Our primary source of unity is Jesus. which brings us to the next point.

Ephesians 4:11–13 NIV

11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Faith in Jesus is Taught

Right now, school teachers are equipping students via zoom, employers are hiring and bringing on new employees without ever shaking a hand or meeting in person. It shouldn’t matter to the church if a person is taught face to face as long as they are taught. Notice this passage doesn’t say anything about where or how the teaching takes place, it is just that the equipping happens.

And the purpose of the teaching is unity in faith of Jesus. Maturing in our understanding and knowledge of Christ that we all might attain the fullness of him.

Ephesians 5:25–27 NIV

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

Cleansed and made Holy by the Word

The requirement here is that we push each other toward holiness by teaching the word. Not just the parts that make us feel warm and fuzzy, but the parts that challenge how we think and we act. We are the church together and should want to be able to be presented as radiant, without stain or wrinkle or blemish, but instead holy and blameless.

God gets the glory in Christ Jesus; Faith in Jesus is Taught; Cleansed and Made Holy by the Word

None of these things require a building or a certain time of day, but what they do require is each other. God calls us to these things together. It certainly easier to do these when we are in the same room. Just ask teachers how well the online teaching is going these days.

Nothing the government says can ever stop us from doing these three things. I know there is some level of uncertainty as we look ahead to what the latest COVID numbers are saying. Are we still going to have church? You bet we will! Will it be with all of us in a building on Sunday at 9:30? Hopefully, but we will still have church. Because we are the church. We are the body of Christ. We are the Bride of Christ. We are the Church and the gates of hell will not overcome us. If the gates of hell cannot overcome the church than no virus will either.