'Tis A Glorious Church

Ephesians 1:1-23

What is the church? If you’re looking for a simple definition, it doesn’t exist…b/c of the various ways that word is used in modern English.

This is the oldest church in town

They want to get married in (a) church

I didn’t see you in church last Sunday

What church do you belong to?

What is the church’s position on (blank)

Courtesy of dictionary.com, there are at least 5 definitions of “church.”

a building for public and especially Christian worship

the clergy or officialdom of a religious body

often capitalized : a body or organization of religious believers: as

the whole body of Christians

denomination <the Presbyterian church>

congregation

a public divine worship <goes to church every Sunday>

the clerical profession <considered the church as a possible career>

The etymology of church seems to trace back to German kirche Dutch kerk and Gk kuriakon (of the Lord). The term used in NT is the word ekklesia (ecclesiastic).

That is 2 words lit “called out” or as one lexicon says “an assembly of citizens summoned” In that sense it can describe a secular assembly (lawful or mob), or a sacred assembly (112x in NT—for “Church”).

There are several ways the church is described in NT:

visible church (those whose names are recorded on the roster)

local church (group of professing believers who assemble visibly in the same location)

invisible church (those whose names are written in the book of life)

universal church (refers to all those who have been saved during church age)

spiritual church (all Xns but not organized sense)

militant church (today, engaged in spiritual warfare)

triumphant church (victorious in heaven)

generic church (not referring to any particular church but generally every church)

You can see why it is difficult to come to a simple definition of “Church.” Thankfully we usually know what people are talking about when they mention church. But I want us to be certain that we understand what the church is.

Perhaps you are familiar with the old hymn ‘Tis A Glorious Church (Ralph Hudson— without spot or wrinkle, washed in the blood of the lamb).

We spent a couple of years studying Ephesians—a book that explains the church. As we gather here today at the outdoor service I wanted to highlight a few characteristics of the church that are prominent in Paul’s letter the Ephesians saints.

A. The Mystery of the Church

Eph 3:2-6

Paul addresses 3 truths in the preceding context:

Gentiles who were once far off from God and now made near by the blood of LJC & baptism of HS (2:11-13)

Thru cross/baptism of HS Jews and Gentiles are one (2:14-19)

Though formerly strangers to God’s plan, Gentiles are now fellow citizens with Jews (2:19-22)

Characteristics of this mystery (3:5)

Not previously revealed in OT

Now revealed by HS

Now revealed thru apostles and (NT) prophets

What this meant: the identity of the church was not revealed or understood in the OT but Paul was made an apostle to the Gentile to make know the riches of God’s grace so that they can become fellow heirs, members, partakers of the promise (vs 6).

B. The Metaphors of the Church

There are many metaphors in NT that give us a picture of what the church is:

(Temple of God, priesthood, bride, flock, vine/branches) But the most profound is the idea of “Body” the church is the body of LJC. This is the most often used picture of the church in Eph:

Ephesians 1:22–23 NASB95

22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Ephesians 2:16 NASB95

16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.

Ephesians 3:6 NASB95

6 to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel,

Ephesians 4:4 NASB95

4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling;

Ephesians 4:12 NASB95

12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;

Ephesians 4:16 NASB95

16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

Ephesians 5:23 NASB95

23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.

Ephesians 5:30 NASB95

30 because we are members of His body.

The beauty and significance of that picture reveals the nature of the Body of Christ:

Unity: Rom 12:4-5

1 Corinthians 10:17 Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread.

Diversity: 1 Cor 12:14; 17-20

Mutuality: Rom 12:5; 1 Cor 12:25-27

Now the body only functions properly when connected to its head…JC

sovereign in His leadership (Col 1:15-18; 2:18-29; Eph 5:24)

source of life (Col 1:18; 3:4; 1 Cor 15:45)

C. The Meaning (called out)

I would like to explore for the next few minutes what that calling means practically. It pertains to the characteristics of God’s calling (Eph 1):

1) The Timing of God’s Calling

This has to do with God’s choosing (Gk eklego) our Eng. word “elect” is derived from the Gk. Now I fully understand that this is a divisive (perhaps most) doctrines in the church today.

Paul says we (believers) were chosen before the foundation of the world (eternity past) to receive “every spiritual blessing…(vs3). The church was not an after thought of God but it was His predetermined plan from before the beginning of creation (vs 5, 11).

Now, the fact that God is sovereign in His calling (even God’s people are called “the elect” [Mt 24:22,24,31; Lk 18:7; Rom 8:33]) never absolves man of his responsibility to believe. God must do the saving, man must do the believing (not God does part of the work and you do part of the work)…b/c you bear full responsibility for your sin and will be held accountable to whether you accept or reject the calling of God unto salvation.

Church is simply called before the foundation of the world…chosen in Christ.

2) The Transaction of God’s Calling

1:7,13

The church is made up of those who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ—whose sins have been graciously forgiven by God.

Colossians 1:13 For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,

To be redeemed is to be separate from sin, death and the world’s system of corruption and opposition to God.

Now there are those who may gather with believers in the church for worship but have never been redeemed. They are not part of the true church which can only comprise those who have been redeemed by Christ…purchased with His blood (Acts 20:28).

3) The Goal of God’s Calling

1:4

Holy and blameless represents the goal of God’s calling…for us to live in a manner consistent with the God who called us (4:1).

1 Peter 1:16 because it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy."

We don’t see it in Eng…but the words sanctification & holy are the same Gk word. In living you are to pursue holiness b/c this is the goal of God’s calling.

HS: Jas 1:27 “keep oneself unstained by the world.”

Christ cleanses us so that…

Ephesians 5:27 NASB95

27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.

Sanctified means to be set apart. It means the redeemed church must separate from the world’s system which is opposed to God (1 Jn 2:15-17), understand the holiness of God and Christ and pursue relentlessly those things which lead to holy living.

4) The Identification of God’s Calling

1:4-6

“in Him, before Him, to Himself, in the Beloved” are phrases that show the intimate connection that every believer has with the Lord.

We could spend a long time mining the rich nuggets of the truth of the Xns identification in Christ. Do a simple study of that phrase (In Christ, In Him)…you’ll will quickly learn that this intimate connection results in several truths:

fulfillment of God’s promises, life, hope, purpose, solidarity, strength, triumph, liberty, blessing, glory

Your identification in Christ is everything and a characteristic of God’s calling.

5) The Instruction of God’s Calling

1:7-9

God has given to us everything that pertains to life and godliness…2Pt 1:3. He has revealed to us such deep and wonderful truths concerning Himself, life, death, ourselves and eternity. As those called out, we are also called to submit to His instruction which is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, training in righteousness that we may be adequate equipped for every good work.

Scripture, God’s Word, teaches us how to solve our problems, how to relate to God, how to relate to each other, how to relate to the world, how to view our struggles, how to live worthy of the calling…these are important truths that when we come together for worship, building each other up, we study what God’s word says so we can lit. know the mind of Christ.

6) The Outcome of God’s Calling

1:10-11

That inheritance is also described as

1 Peter 1:4 NASB95

4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,

The Xn’s direction, pursuit, ultimate outcome is glorification for which we were made.

1 John 3:2 NASB95

2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.

In the here and now, we set our minds on things above b/c that is where our Savior is and that is where we have been placed as well, seated with Him. We look forward to His coming b/c we are not citizens of this world but our citizenship is in heaven.

7) The Proclamation of God’s Calling

1:6, 12, 14

Matthew 5:16 NASB95

16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

All that we have been called for is the praise of God’s glorious grace. When the world looks upon the church they see God’s people (see who we are, why we are this way, why we do the things we do, why the church is absolutely unique--and He gets the glory.)

IF THERE IS TIME:

One of the great descriptions of the life of the church comes from a secular philosopher—Aristides. In the year A.D. 125 he describes the church in an address to King Hadrian in which he says of the church:

Wherefore they do not commit adultery nor fornication, nor bear false witness, nor embezzle what is held in pledge, nor covet what is not theirs. They honour father and mother, and show kindness to those near to them; and whenever they are judges, they judge uprightly. They do not worship idols (made) in the image of man; and whatsoever they would not that others should do unto them, they do not to others; and of the food which is consecrated to idols they do not eat, for they are pure. And their oppressors they comfort and make them their friends; they do good to their enemies; and their women, O King, are pure as virgins, and their daughters are modest; and their men keep themselves from every unlawful union and from all uncleanness, in the hope of a recompense to come in the other world. Further, if one or other of them have bondmen and bondwomen or children, through love towards them they persuade them to become Christians, and when they have done so, they call them brethren without distinction. They do not worship strange gods, and they go their way in all modesty and cheerfulness. Falsehood is not found among them; and they love one another, and from widows they do not turn away their esteem; and they deliver the orphan from him who treats him harshly. And he, who has, gives to him who has not, without boasting. And when they see a stranger, they take him in to their homes and rejoice over him as a very brother; for they do not call them brethren after the flesh, but brethren after the spirit and in God. And whenever one of their poor passes from the world, each one of them according to his ability gives heed to him and carefully sees to his burial. And if they hear that one of their number is imprisoned or afflicted on account of the name of their Messiah, all of them anxiously minister to his necessity, and if it is possible to redeem him they set him free. And if there is among them any that is poor and needy, and if they have no spare food, they fast two or three days in order to supply to the needy their lack of food. They observe the precepts of their Messiah with much care, living justly and soberly as the Lord their God commanded them. Every morning and every hour they give thanks and praise to God for His loving-kindnesses toward them; and for their food and their drink they offer thanksgiving to Him. And if any righteous man among them passes from the world, they rejoice and offer thanks to God; and they escort his body as if he were setting out from one place to another near. And when a child has been born to one of them, they give thanks to God; and if moreover it happen to die in childhood, they give thanks to God the more, as for one who has passed through the world without sins. And further if they see that any one of them dies in his ungodliness or in his sins, for him they grieve bitterly, and sorrow as for one who goes to meet his doom. Such, O King, is the commandment of the law of the Christians, and such is their manner of life.

So what is the church? We might refer to the building as “the church” but it is not the church…God’s people are the church (even outdoors we are the church), we are united in a common bond of God’s grace, there is unity, diversity and mutuality as one body. What a remarkable God to call us (unworthy) and make us part of such a glorious assembly. Let us be the church God takes pleasure in!