Definition of the Church
Presented by Jeremy Griffin
November 13, 2019

What Does the Word “Church” Mean?

• Definition of the word “church” (ekklesia): an out calling
  • ek: out of
  • klesis: a calling
• The word “church” is used in both old and new testament to designate a gathering of people for a specific purpose
• It has two specific applications for companies of Christians in the NT:
  • Church which is His Body
  • Local Church
• Church which is His Body
  • Church that Christ promised to build, and which Paul calls the body of Christ
    • Matt 16:18 “Upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”
    • Eph 1:22,23 “And gave Him to be the Head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all”
  • Formed on the Day of Pentecost when the baptism of the Holy Spirit took place
  • Includes the whole company of the redeemed i.e. every believer in this day of grace spanning from the Day of Pentecost to the rapture
  • Christ is the “Head” and the church is His “Body” (complement)
• Local Church
  • Company consisting of professed believers who meet regularly in a given locality
    • 1Cor1:2 “Unto the church of God which is at Corinth”
    • 1Tim 3:15 “But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou ought to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth”
  • Is only ever found in the singular number, speaking of “one church”
  • When referring to more than one it is the plural word “churches”
• Does Not Mean
  • A building where Christians meet
  • A group of member congregations answerable to a governing body i.e. Catholic Church, Baptist Church, Lutheran Church, Anglican Church
  • The nation of Israel (although the word is appropriately used to describe them as a called-out company)
• In Summary
  • The word church is used in reference to God’s “called out” people
  • As “Head” of the body, Christ gives life and provides leadership
  • The “Body” is inseparably linked to Christ
  • A person is added to the Church which is His Body when they are born again by the Spirit

Why Does this Topic Matter?

• The Church in the eyes of Christ is uniquely precious, supremely valuable, intimately glorious
• Jesus loves the Church – When we see what He sees we will love it to
• What is important to your boss should be important to you, or soon you won’t be important to them
• Possession of the truth leads to walking in the truth
• Lack of appreciation for this subject has to do with lack of spiritual maturity

Interpretation of Matt 16:18

• “Upon this rock”
  • The “rock” referred to is the confession made by Peter “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt 16:16)
  • Jesus Christ is the foundation of the Church (1 Cor 3:11)
  • Any attempts to build elsewhere will result in a man-made structure that will ultimately crumble
• “I will build my church”
  • Christ is the builder (not man or systems of man)
  • Of heavenly design and spiritual construction
  • Promise looks forward to the Day of Pentecost and the baptism of the Holy Spirit; when a person is born again, they come into the good of that baptism (1Cor 12:13)
  • Individuals who are born again are added as “living stones” to the spiritual house He is building (1Peter 2:5)
  • Building is based upon His death and resurrection
  • The world is under the condemnation of a holy God and He is presently engaged in taking out of the nations a people for His name (Acts 15:14)
• “The gates of hell”
  • Place where authority/administration is exercised
  • Devil hates the Church and glory of Christ and has created clever counterfeits
  • Christ defeated all that hell stands for and rendered powerless “him who had the power of death” (Heb 2:14)
• “Shall not prevail against it”
  • Upon Christ risen, victorious, life giving and immutable, the Church is established
  • It is unassailable – it is eternal
• In the Past
  • The Church was rooted in the eternal counsels of God in Christ
  • In the “fullness of time” the Church was purchased with the blood of the Son (Acts 20:28)
  • He gave Himself for it (Eph 5:25) and as well for individual believers (Gal 2:20)
• In the Present
  • The Church is for the pleasure of Christ its Living Head
  • It is the divine will that the mind / life of Christ should operate in and through His members
  • For you are bought with a price; therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s (1Cor 6:20)
• In the Future
  • The Church is seen as the “Bride of Christ” (Rev 19:7-8) the closest and most intimate relationship God has created
  • The Bride is His complement throughout the eternal ages (Eph 1:22,23)

How Does it Apply to Me?

• All truth related to the Body of Christ is positional i.e. it is true of every believer, whatever their spiritual condition might be or wherever they go on Sunday

Applications from Ephesians 4

• Walk Worthy
  • As one who belongs to Christ, I should be behaving a certain way
  • Walking in a manner that is consistent with our “calling” i.e. called out of the world to belong to Christ
  • The world system rejects Christ and the ruler of this present evil age is the enemy of Christ
  • Unfaithfulness on our end of the relationship does not lead to divorce, it leads to an unsatisfied relationship for both parties
  • How is my walk going this year? Is there something convicting me I am yet to correct?
• Keep the Unity
  • The Holy Spirit creates perfect unity in the Church which is His body
  • My responsibility is to strive to keep the unity among fellow believers
  • No room for pride – requires humility, gentleness, patience and acting in genuine love
  • Do I contribute to unity or conflict with my words and actions? Is there something that needs to be put right with a brother or sister? What is stopping me from doing it?
• Grace for Service
  • Christ is the distributor of gifts required for “the perfecting of the saints” so that each member can be taught and instructed in preparation for service
  • “The work of the ministry”
    • General work that we are all involved in as we love and serve each other and Christ
  • “Building up the body of Christ”
    • Taking the gospel to the lost and so joining with Christ in His work of “building”
  • Am I adopting a student attitude i.e. willing and interested to learn and be taught? Do I have a servant heart that is willing to sacrifice time, energy and resources for the good of fellow believers and lost souls? What change can I make tomorrow that would make a tangible difference in my service?
• Conformity to His Character
  • Has the idea of the manifestation of Christ Himself in His saints
  • Only can happen as the result of an increasing knowledge of the Son of God
  • Necessary so that we are grounded and not tossed about or swept away
  • A lack of growth in Christian life puts us at risk of the ingenious and subtle wiles of the devil
  • Giving way to error is to come under a power that prevents spiritual growth
  • Love that is pursued at the expense of truth is mere sentiment
  • Truth that is maintained at the expense of love is frigid theory living in the element of legalism
  • Am I maturing as a believer? What level of effort am I investing to more fully understand the person of Christ and the purposes of God? Am I being conformed to Christ or to the world? Is there a change necessary in my life to further move along conformity to Him?