Sermon Tone Analysis

I want to begin to day a series on the Church.

Today I want to talk about how we describe the church.

Once upon a time a certain king called on six blind men to describe an elephant.

The first, who was touching a leg, said, “An elephant is much like a tree trunk.”

The second blind man, who was holding on to the tail, said, “An elephant is like a rope.

It is much smaller around than a tree and does not come to the ground.”

The third blind man reached for the elephant and felt its trunk.

He said, “You are both wrong.

The elephant is like a giant snake.”

Each of the six had a different perspective, each were right in their own perspective, but it was much more than just their view of things.

Descriptions of the church are much like this story of the three blind men and the elephant.

Each person who comes into contact with the church has a different impression of what the church is like.

However there are some things that the Bible says about the church.

But what is the church?

What does church mean?

The word “church” is translated from the Greek word ekklesia

Ekklesia is a compound word meaning “called out assembly”

Let’s look at a few things about this Church according to Scripture.

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

1.

We Are Called Out

Paul says we are “sanctified” in Christ and that we are “called saints”

v. 2

In the Bible “calling” is not restricted to a few of the spiritually elite or to those who attended seminary.

Calling is prerequisite for Christian living.

Every Christian has responded to God’s call in Christ.

In order to be part of the church of living God you must be saved!

Think about what he is saying...The Corinthians?

It seems preposterous to us that of all people, Paul called the Corinthians “saints” – holy ones

He says to this congregation that was riddled with factions that had lawsuits among its members

Problems with sexual immorality and incest

Drunken observances of the Lord’s Supper.

Raucous commotion and uncontrolled speaking in tongues in its worship.

Paul calls this church “holy” and it’s members “saints.”

Many people have been tainted by the Catholic definition of “saint” so this would seem to be impossible.

Then we remember: sainthood is not some future distinction but rather a present condition.

A response to God’s call to be set apart for his service.

2. We Are an Assembly

In order for there to be a New Testament Church there must be an assembly.

What is an assembly?

The dictionary defines assembly as, “a group of people gathered together in one place for a common purpose.”

This is the very definition of “church”

All believers cannot and do not form a church because all believers have not yet become a called-out assembly.

Through out the Bible the word church spoke to a particular local assembly.

Ex.

The church at Corinth, the churches of Galatia, The church in Jerusalem, etc.

Shortly after the beginning of the fourth century, Emperor Constantine was converted.

In his zeal, he desired everyone to do likewise, and it has been recorded by some that he commanded baptism.

From this endeavor came the Catholic denomination.

It was named catholic because the name catholic means “universal”

This is where the battle for the local church began.

There has always been a group of believers that did not follow the pressures from the other churches.

These groups stood for what the Bible said and did not alter their doctrine according to the whims of the universal church.

These groups were called by many different names, Anabaptist, Waldenesians, etc.

Through the years there arose a few that stood up to the universal church.

Men like Luther, Zwingli, Calvin, etc reformed their churches to align with the true doctrine of salvation according to Scripture.

Unfortunately many of these churches held to other false doctrines such as a universal, invisible church, as well as infant baptism, etc.

Historic Baptist doctrine teaches that Jesus started only the called-out assembly or the Local New Testament Church.

The idea of the local church was not for division but for meeting the needs in a local area.

We are like an army – Even though each soldier is a part of the whole army, you don’t meet a soldier on the street and ask him, “What battalion are you in?”, and have him reply, “Oh, I don’t belong to a local battalion; I belong to the invisible army or the universal army.

Occasionally I visit a local squad or platoon or company or battalion, and I think they are all right, but I belong to the great battalion composed of all soldiers everywhere.”

No Soldiers like that would never win a battle!

The structure and organization and following the leadership and leading of a local leader is vital to winning the war.

This is why local church membership is important.

You are joining with this local group to be busy about what God has assigned us to do.

The local church is the only true church until the time of the rapture.

At the time of the rapture all believers will be assembled and called out and therefore will be a Church,

in that respect there will one day be a universal church.

Hebrews calls this assembly the church.

This is what is commonly referred to as the “rapture”

Even though the English word Rapture is not found in the Bible,

In 1 Thess.

4:17 the English phrase “caught up” is translated from the Latin Word “Rapturus”

This is where we get the word Rapture.

At this Rapture, all the believers from all times are assembled together for the first time.

Hebrews calls us “the church of the firstborn”.

3. We are of God

The church is not a building

The church is not a geographical location

Vs. 2 very clearly states that the church is “of God.”

In addition Paul mentions some form of the name of Jesus no fewer than ten times in the first nine verses of 1 Corinthians.

The Church is indeed “of God”.

It centers around Christ.

Paul uses this word ekklesia 22 times in 1 Corinthians and nine additional times in 2 Corinthians.

Paul speaks of the church more in his letters to Corinth than he does in all of his other letters combined.

In these letters he is emphasizing that the church is “of God”

Although our church is autonomous in denominational ties – a better description would be theonomous

The church does not rule itself, God rules the church.

The Pastor does not dictate or rule the church, no he is an under-shepherd under the True Shepherd’s leading.

and under the authority of the congregation, which is led by the Holy Spirit to guide them.

The New Testament Local Church may be democratic in government

But we truly are a Christocracy – a Christ ruled body

The Church is of God!

We need to remember that the church belongs to God, not God belonging to the church!

There were many factions going on at the time in Corinth.

But Paul wanted to remind these people that the church is “of God”, not of Apollos, not of Paul, or “of denomination”,

I am Baptist because of my belief in what the Word of God says.

Shopping in a grocery store with nothing labeled.

But way before I am a Baptist – I am a CHRISTian.

I am apart of this called out Assembly, and as such I am of God!

4. We are Prepared