What Does a Church Do? - Part 3

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This sermon is the fifth sermon in a series of messages on the Church of Jesus. The series has been describing what a church is and what it does. This message continues the theme of the previous two messages in talking about the mission of the church and the tasks involved in fulfilling that mission.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:

We have been taking a look at the church of Jesus for the last few weeks, trying to define it and describe it according to the Scriptures. Remember that even though the titles of each sermon read, “a church” to emphasize each individual/local church; yet, keep in mind that the points we are making also apply to “the church” as a whole.

Isn’t it amazing that the Son of God went back into heaven after His resurrection and left the job of reaching the rest of the world to a small group of disciples? It really is phenomenal that the gospel has spread as much as it has. The Lord is truly the head of His church and He said that the gates of hell would not prevail against it. (Gates are defensive; not offensive “weapons.”)

In the passage of Scripture that was read a little earlier [Acts 11:19-30] I see several things worth noting before we continue with the outline I’ve been using in these messages.

1. There was a “scattering” after the persecution arose; but the people who were scattered took the message into new areas. If the persecution hadn’t happened the scattering wouldn’t have happened, and the new disciples wouldn’t have happened.

2. When the Jerusalem church heard about the new converts, they sent representatives to “encourage” them, and even more people became believers.

3. There is mention of Barnabas and Saul (Paul) teaching the disciples for a year, and the impact in the city was great enough that the disciples got a new “nickname.” – “Christians.”

4. When hard times hit because of famine, the Christians rise to the task and provide relief – carrying out the same kind of compassionate work that Jesus did when He was on earth.

This passage is a small representation of the kind of thing that has characterized the church ever since its beginning.

Today I want to continue our discussion of the things that a church does. I remind you again that I have been using the term “community” with each of the tasks we’ve mentioned just as an added emphasis on the fact that what the church does, it does as its individual members work together in community.

We have already mentioned:

I. The church is a worshiping community.
II. The church is a sacramental community.
III. The church is a disciple-making community.
IV. The church is an accountability community.

There is no doubt a number of other things we could mention that would be included in the tasks, purpose and mission of the church, but I want to just focus on 3 more today.

V.        The church is a nurturing community.

In one sense of the word, the church nurtures each other whenever they hold each other accountable as we talked about last week. But there is more than accountability involved with nurture.

I’m going to go through a quick review of Scriptures that include the words, “one another,” which I shared a number of weeks ago. These verses provide prime examples of the kind of things the church ought to be doing as it nurtures its members.

(This is not an exhaustive list of responsibilities that believers have toward each other.)

A.        Love one another

Jn. 13:34   A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 

Jn. 15:17 These things I command you, that you love one another. 

Rom. 12:10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 

Love is much more than saying nice words (although we ought to be saying nice things). It is more than warm fuzzy feelings. It is doing loving things and treating each other in a loving way, even if we don’t feel all that loving at the moment.

Remember there is such a thing as “tough love.” This probably gets more into the area of “correction” and “accountability” that we talked about last Sunday.

B.        Serve one another

Jn. 13:14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought also to wash one another’s feet.

Gal. 5:13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 

These verses emphasize the matter of trying to find ways to be a servant for one another. Jesus said whoever will be greatest, let him be servant of all.

C.        Unity with one another

Rom. 15:5 Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, 

1 Cor. 12:25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 

In other words, do not treat some people in the body better than others – that would destroy unity and foster offenses.

D.        Comfort one another

Heb. 3:13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called "Today," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 

1 Thess. 4:18 Therefore comfort one another with these words. 

1 Thess. 5:11 Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing. 

The pastor should not be the only person that calls or visits those in the congregation who are missing church or going through tough trials and adversity in their lives.

E.        Pray for one another

Gal. 6:2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 

This undoubtedly means doing more than pray, but prayer certainly is the primary way we help carry burdens.

Jam. 5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. 

VI.       The church is a witnessing community.

When we talk about the church being a witnessing community, we are obviously including the task of disciple-making that we spoke about last week. To make disciples, we must witness to the unsaved/lost about Jesus and lead them to a saving faith in Christ before we can disciple them and instruct them in how to live out the faith.

But, witnessing involves more than helping people know Christ (evangelism), and teaching to follow Christ (discipleship). Witnessing also involves being the “light of the world” and the “salt of the earth.”

Matt. 5:13-16 "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. ¹⁴ You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. ¹⁶ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

The church needs to be the tool that God uses to shine the light of truth on the lies, deceit, and perverse ideas of the world. The church needs to be a witness for godliness and morality in a culture that is going farther and farther away from standards of moral decency. The church needs to be proclaiming God’s standards of holiness and righteousness for people to follow as portrayed in His Word. But far too often the church is following the standards of Hollywood just like the rest of the world.

I’ve quoted Dr. Francis Schaeffer before, but he states in one of his books (The Great Evangelical Disaster), “there was a segment of the church that simply accommodated the ideas and standards of society and provided no confrontation or challenge to it.”

(goodreads.com/quotes) "Truth demands confrontation. It must be loving confrontation, but there must be confrontation nonetheless.” ~ Francis Schaeffer

The church should and must stand up and witness the truth about the sanctity of life, about the sanctity of sexuality, and about the sanctity of liberty. The church should witness to the truth of a biblical worldview in spite of the godlessness that permeates all areas of life around us.

It does not matter who seeks to destroy these timeless truths. They may be educators or movie stars, judges or politicians, Republicans or Democrats. We are dying spiritually and morally in our society because far too long the church has not adequately witnessed to the truth.

(Sharon Herald, 2/19/20) The movie is a romantic comedy, about Stewart’s character, Abby, planning to propose to her girlfriend, Harper, at a holiday party – even though Harper has not yet come out to her conservative parents.

VII.     The church is a praying community.

Lk. 19:45-46 Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, ⁴⁶  saying to them, "It is written, 'My house is a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"

Mk. 14:38 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." 

Lk. 18:1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, 

Acts 6:4 but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word." 

Acts 12:5 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. 

1 Tim. 2:1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 

This is just a sampling of Scripture regarding the need for prayer among God’s people. 

A search in the NT for the number of times the word “pray” (or some form of it) appears, and the result was 159 times.

Genuine, biblical, sincere prayer changes us and brings us closer into alignment with God’s Word and God’s will. Prayer is our main weapon in the spiritual warfare against the powers and principalities and spiritual darkness in this world. S.D. Gordon said, “You can do more than pray after you have prayed, but you can’t do more than pray UNTIL you have prayed.

We’ve seen answers to prayer here among our people. We know that God has answered prayers that we have prayed time and again. But I believe we haven’t seen anything close to what God wants to do if he can only find church people desperate enough to intercede in prayer.

Conclusion:

I have been trying to describe what a church does. 

I would say that many of us are doing most of these things that we’ve talked about. But I happen to believe that none of us have risen to the level of dedication to God’s mission that we can and ought to reach.

Closing song: Make Me a Blessing

What Does a Church Do? - Part 2

(To download an mp3 file of this message, click on the title above. To listen online, click on the play button of the audio player here.)

This is the fourth sermon in a series of messages about the church of Jesus. The first two sermons described what the church is. The previous sermon and this present sermon describe some of the things that the church does. This message focuses on two activities of the church; disciple-making and accountability.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:

A few weeks ago I started doing a series of messages about the church of Jesus; sometimes called “The Body of Christ” in the NT. We are continuing the theme today with “part two” of the message: “What Does a Church Do?”

The last time we talked about the church doing worship and doing sacraments. I mentioned the last time that I was going to continue using the term “community” just to emphasize the fact that whatever the church does, it does as a body; a family; or a community. The very word “church” implies something other than an isolated, “Lone Ranger” mentality.

I’m discovering more and more that many people want the benefit of being forgiven for their sins by Jesus so they can go to heaven someday, but they don’t seem to realize that being forgiven and having a relationship with Jesus, means that we become a part of His “body,” which is the church. The Bible has a great deal to say about the things that the church does and it all includes cooperation within the body.

In the last sermon, I spoke about the church being a worshiping community and the church as a sacramental community. With the Lord’s help, I want to speak to you today about two more tasks that the church of Jesus does. 

III.       The church is a discipling community.

Matthew 28:19 ^(NKJV) Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you….

Main verb of the passage is the word “go.” (lit. going) i.e, going, make disciples… baptize… teach.

The original disciples were to go teach and make more disciples, who would go and make disciples, who would go and make disciples, etc. Other than worship, this is probably the main job of the church – make disciples. Jesus expected His disciples to duplicate themselves by teaching and training others in the same way He had done with them. 

Disciple-making is much more than leading someone to put their faith in Christ for salvation. Jesus did not say, “Go make converts.” He didn’t say, “Go help people to know me.” Teach/train others about what all is involved with being a follower of Jesus. It is much more than simply asking for His forgiveness and believing His death on the cross was for my salvation.

(The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia) [Disciple] always means the pupil of someone, in contrast to the master or teacher (διδάσκαλος, didáskalos)... In all cases it implies that the person not only accepts the views of the teacher, but that he is also in practice an adherent. 

What is involved with being a disciple?

A. No competing affections

Jesus comes first in a disciple’s affection, devotion and allegiance.

Luke 14:26-27 ^(NKJV) "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. ²⁷ And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

A true disciple cannot afford to allow anyone, or anything get between him and his Lord.

B. Diligent study of the Word

John 8:31 ^(NKJV) Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.

C. Love like Jesus did.

John 13:35 ^(NKJV) By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." 

D. Produce fruit as the evidence of discipleship.

John 15:8 ^(NKJV) By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. 

Not only did the original 12 disciples understand that their job was to make more disciples, but later disciples did also (e.g. Paul).

Acts 14:21 ^(NKJV) And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch,

(The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia) The disciple of Christ today may be described in the words of Farrar, as "one who believes His doctrines, rests upon His sacrifice, imbibes His spirit, and imitates His example."

Jesus is not merely interested in you and I believing in Him for salvation from sin and from hell. He is also passionately interested in us becoming faithful disciples and helping other people become faithful disciples.

The church is a disciple-making community.

IV.       The church is an accountability community.

Another word that is very closely associated with the word disciple is the word, “discipline.” It certainly takes self-discipline to be a true disciple and keep our focus on the Lord. It takes discipline to study His teachings and put them into practice. It also takes discipline that is applied by fellow disciples. The NT teaches that believers in the body of Christ are to look out for one another and exhort one another. They are not only to provide instruction, but also correction.

We live in a time and a place where people are not usually very open to receiving discipline and correction from their brothers and sisters in the body of Christ. Everyone wants to be a law unto themselves and refuse to let anyone else “tell them what to do.” However, the NT gives no room for that kind of independent spirit and living in an isolated, self-determining way.

I’m going to read a sampling of NT passages that relate to the matter of discipline and accountability, then I’ll make a few observations about them in general.

Matthew 18:17 ^(NKJV) And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.

Romans 16:17-18 ^(NKJV) Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. ¹⁸ For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.

1 Corinthians 5:11-13 ^(NKJV) But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner--not even to eat with such a person. ¹² For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? ¹³ But those who are outside God judges. Therefore "put away from yourselves the evil person."

2 Corinthians 2:6-7 ^(NKJV) This punishment which was inflicted by the majority is sufficient for such a man, ⁷ so that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow.

Galatians 6:1 ^(NKJV) Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. 

1 Thessalonians 5:14 ^(NKJV) Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.

2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14-15 ^{(NKJV) 6} But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us. ¹⁴ And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. ¹⁵ Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

1 Timothy 5:20 ^(NKJV) Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear.

2 Timothy 4:2 ^(NKJV) Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

Titus 3:10 ^(NKJV) Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition,

Principles for administering discipline within the body.
·         All discipline and correction must be done in a humble spirit.
·         It must be given with firmness, yet with an abundance of grace.
   ▪   Remembering our own vulnerability
   ▪   Remembering that we don’t know what background baggage the individual may be carrying
·         All correction must be done with the motivation of restoration, not for revenge.
·         Pastors/ overseers should not use the pulpit as a “whipping post.”

Conclusion:

There have been a number of scandals and abuses that have occurred in the church at large over the years. These might have been avoided if there had been a greater effort to exercise accountability and discipline in the church.

There have been a host of church members through the years who never reached the level of maturity in the faith that they could have and should have because they wouldn’t voluntarily submit to appropriate correction from church leaders or their fellow believers.

Membership Covenant (Copied from our church by-laws)

Having received the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, and on profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we do now, in the presence of God and this assembly, solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another, as one body in Christ.

We intend, therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this church in knowledge, holiness, and comfort; to pray for, respect and support the pastor and church leaders; to promote the prosperity and spirituality of this church; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline, and doctrines; to give it a sacred preeminence over all institutions of human origin; and to cheerfully and regularly contribute financial support for the various expenses and ministries of the church.

We also intend to maintain family and personal spiritual formation through the study of and conformity to the Word of God; to seek the salvation and spiritual growth of the lost; to live godly in the world; to be just in all our dealings, faithful to our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment; to avoid harmful attitudes, speech and actions in all personal, public and church relationships; to abstain from all evil associations and amusements; and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the Kingdom of our Savior.

We further intend to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember each other in prayer; to aid each other in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and courtesy of speech; to be slow to take offense, but always ready to secure reconciliation without delay.

I believe every part of this covenant describes the content of the NT relating to the duties of Christians to one another. Part of it involves nurture, some includes instruction, and some involves correction; but all of it is the expression of genuine love for one another that refuses to sit by and let others “fall through the cracks” for lack of appropriate concern and care.

When we follow the Lord’s command to make disciples and take care of each other, we really are demonstrating our love for Jesus Himself. I really think it is impossible to love Jesus without loving His church.

For our closing song today I’ve chosen a hymn that truly is a prayer: More Love to Thee, Oh Christ.

What Does a Church Do?

(To download an mp3 file of this message, click on the title above. To listen online, click on the play button of the audio player here.)

This is the third sermon in a short series that attempts to explain what the church is and what it does. This message briefly reviews the first two sermons then begins to describe what the church does. The two tasks of the church discussed in this sermon are worship and administering the sacraments.

Written Excerpts:

Ephesians 3:21 (NKJV)  to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Introduction:

We have been preaching about the church of Jesus for the last two Sundays and plan to continue the discussion today.

But first these quotes:

·         An inscription over a church door: This is the house of God. This is the gate of heaven. (This door is locked in the winter months). – (Draper's Book of Quotations)

·         In the church of God two opposite dangers are to be recognized and avoided: they are a cold heart and a hot head. – A. W. Tozer (Draper's Book of Quotations)

·         Never before has the church had so many degrees yet so little temperature. – Vance Havner (Draper's Book of Quotations)

·         Church-goers are like coals in a fire. When they cling together, they keep the flame aglow; when they separate, they die out. – Billy Graham (Draper's Book of Quotations)

If you’ve been here the past couple of weeks you know that I’ve been talking about the church of Jesus. I have been trying to remind us of things the Bible tells us about the church. The two previous messages were focused on trying to define and describe what the church isn’t and what the church is. If you missed those messages, I would invite you to go to our church website and listen to or read those messages in order to get a fresh review of the church. Or, you can request a CD of the services back at the sound booth.

Just a quick recap…

Week 1: I started by identifying four things that the church is not.

·         It is not primarily an organization/denomination.

·         It is not a building.

·         It is not merely a ritual/ceremony/meeting

·         It is not a social club

After identifying what the church isn’t, I tried to describe what the church is, and we only had time for two points.

·         It is a congregation/assembly/gathering.

·         It is a fellowship/community/common body.

Week 2: I continued describing what the church is by saying…

·         It is an organism (vs. an organization)

·         It is a FAITH community

·         It is a SACRED community

·         It is both a local and a universal community

·         It is both a visible and an invisible community

Now, I want to move on from describing what a church IS to describe what the church DOES.

As we continue this discussion I want to continue using the word “community” in order to emphasize the fact that the church is not an individual, “Lone Ranger” type of existence. The church is made up of individual believers, but it is clearly a community of believers who work together doing what God has called them to do.

I.          The church is worshiping community.

Ephesians 1:12 _(NKJV) that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.

Ephesians 3:21 _(NKJV) to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

1 Corinthians 10:31 _(NKJV) Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Many people have stated that the first and primary thing that the church does is worship.

What does it mean to say the church worships? Thoughts on worship from sermon a few years ago.

(ISBE) The principal Old Testament word is ‏שָׁחָה‎, ṣhāḥāh, "depress," "bow down," "prostrate" (Hithpael), as in Ex. 4:31.

Exodus 4:31 ^(KJV) And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel… then they bowed their heads and worshipped.

The principal New Testament word (59 times) is προσκυνέω, proskunéō, "kiss (the hand or the ground) toward," hence, often in the oriental fashion bowing prostrate upon the ground… 

We might summarize worship by saying it is a recognition of the worth/worthiness of the one being worshiped, and the unworthiness of the worshiper. Individual members of the body of Christ worship Him personally in everyday life. Each individual worshiping member makes the church a “worshiping community.”

The corporate body (the gathering/assembly/congregating) is also a “worshiping community.” It is the main reason we gather – to give a corporate offering of worship to the Lord. A corporate worship service is the closest example of what is happening in heaven – the whole “congregation” engaged in praising, adoring, and exalting Christ.

When I was a young person, I used to have the primary understanding that church services were for the purpose of hearing the gospel preached and for evangelizing the lost who might be in attendance. This is certainly a legitimate aspect of church services. But many people do not realize that the “altar call” and the use of church services as time to evangelize is a relatively recent “invention.”

Years ago, I heard someone say that the practice of calling people forward in a church service to commit their lives to Christ started a couple hundred years ago. Now, it might be closer to 300 years! So what happened prior to that? Well, in the NT, it seems that the practice was for the disciples, and converts of Christ to go out and evangelize their acquaintances right where they were – in homes, in the community. Then, when they came together corporately, it was for the purpose of worshiping the Lord and giving Him the honor and praise for who He was and for what He was doing. And, it was also for the purpose to hear the teaching of Christ to be better equipped and prepared to go back out and spread the gospel again.

I think it was after I went to Bible college when I discovered that worship services and “evangelistic services” were not the same thing.

When we gather in the name of Jesus, we gather first and foremost to worship the Lord. We gather to spiritually, if not literally, fall on our faces in acknowledgement of His majesty and glory. We gather to exalt Him, praise Him, thank Him, while we acknowledge our own unworthiness.

II.        The church is a sacramental community.

The second task of the church relates to the administering of the sacraments. I have chosen to mention it in today’s sermon because we are sharing the sacrament of communion today. In Protestant churches, when we speak of the sacraments we are talking about baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

In the past I have stated that a sacrament is a visible/physical sign representing an invisible/spiritual truth, and it is a seal that God will perform the spiritual work that was provided through the death and resurrection of Jesus. A sacrament is outward and physical, but it represents something inward and spiritual.

When we speak about the sacraments of baptism and communion, they both contain physical elements – there’s water, and there’s bread and wine. Participants literally get wet; they literally eat and drink and swallow. These physical elements represent spiritual truths and realities directly related to the work of Jesus Christ in our behalf.

Without going any deeper into the discussion of what a sacrament is, I simply want to emphasize the point that the sacraments are shared and provided within the context of the body of believers – the church. That makes the church a sacramental community.

The reason we believe that there are only two sacraments is because baptism and communion are the only two clearly instituted by Jesus Himself.

Matthew 28:19 (NKJV) Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Luke 22:19 (NKJV) And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me." 

The NT church continued carrying out the command of Christ. Within the context of the church (body of believers), they continued to baptize and to share the Lord’s Supper.

Acts 2:41-42 (NKJV) ⁴¹ Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. ⁴² And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

As a sacramental community the church administers the rite of baptism as a corporate witness to the profession of faith given by the convert and a sort of initiation into the family of faith. In the breaking of bread and sharing of the cup the church community witnesses to the saving work of Christ through His sacrifice, and reminds the members of the body of the main thing which unites them – the blood of Christ. Offering the sacrament of communion is the witness that we are all communing with each other while communing (participating) with our Lord. For that reason, the church forbid communion to any who had departed from the faith and were clearly in violation Scripture in their conduct and/or teaching. 

These witnesses of baptism and communion are provided in and through the church – the community of faith.

Conclusion:

Today we have tried to remind you of two tasks assigned to the church and carried out by the church. They are two of the things that the church does.

The church worships God, individually and corporately.

The church provides the sacraments as a witness to the work God has done and is doing in His people.

Today, we will again share the emblems of the Lord’s Supper and celebrate our privilege to commune together as brothers and sisters in the body of Christ. We also celebrate our privilege to commune with our Lord Jesus Christ as we obey His command.

Before we share the communion emblems, let us sing the closing hymn: When I See the Blood 

What Is a Church? - Part II

(To download an mp3 file of this message, click on the title above. To listen online, click on the play button of the audio player here.)

This is the second sermon in a short series that attempts to explain what the church is and what it does. This message continues to explain the nature of the church from a biblical perspective. Various metaphors used in the Bible help us define the church and its purpose. 

Written Excerpts:

Ephesians 5:32 (NKJV) This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 

Introduction:

I came across this interesting story about a church. I hope our church does not match this one.

GETTING ATTENTION (Illustrations Unlimited)

Just before the beginning of the Sunday service at Saint Bartholomew's on Fifth Avenue, New York City, a man wearing a large hat was discovered sitting in the front row. An usher moved to his pew, leaned in, and discreetly asked him to remove his hat. The man replied that he would not. The head usher was then summoned, made the same request, and received the same answer. About that time the president of the women of the parish arrived and was asked to assist. She had the same dismal result. Finally, with only two minutes remaining before the opening hymn, the senior warden of the parish was summoned. He tiptoed up beside the man and tried to seize the hat, but the man nimbly dodged and there was not time for further attempts.

As the opening hymn began and the procession entered the church, the man stood, removed his hat and did not put it on again.

At the conclusion of the service, the four frustrated people waited for the man at the rear of the church. The senior warden approached him and said, "Sir, about the hat: perhaps you don't understand, but in the Episcopal church men do not wear hats at worship." The man replied, "Oh, but I do understand. I've been an Episcopalian all my life. As a matter of fact, I've been coming to this church regularly for two years and I've never met a soul. But this morning I've met an usher, the head usher, the president of the church women, and the senior warden."

Shame on us if someone visits even one service here without getting acquainted with someone! This story illustrates a glaring fault that exists in some churches. But the message today is not intended to focus on the faults of the church. We want to understand the biblical concept of the church – what it is and what it does.

Last Sunday I mentioned that I had preached a mini-series about the church over 10 years ago when I first came to Wayside church. Since a number of people are now attending here that were not attending then, I felt that God was prompting me to revisit the topic and help us grasp a true biblical view of the church.

Last week I started by identifying four things that the church is not.

• It is not an organization/denomination.
• It is not a building.
• It is not merely a ritual/ceremony/meeting
• It is not a social club

After identifying the what the church isn’t, I tried to describe what the church is, and we only had time for two points. 

• It is a congregation/assembly/gathering.
• It is a fellowship/community/common body.

You can’t “one-another” one another if you hardly gather with one another!

Today I want to add to the two points mentioned last week and speak to you more about what the church really is according to the Scriptures.

I.          The church is an organism.

Last Sunday I stated that the church is not an organization. I went on to say that while the church does have some elements of organization about it, that is not its primary characteristic. Rather than primarily being an organization, the church is better defined as an organism.

Organization implies man-made; organism implies God-made. Jesus Christ founded the church and initiated its beginning. He is the one that defines its purpose and mission.

Organization may imply status quo; organism implies growing and expanding. Many times the leaders of an organization eventually become more and more concerned with preserving the “machinery” of institution/ organization and end up making its mission secondary, while an organism is more focused on just doing what it was meant to do – keeping focused on its mission.

What are some words/descriptions/metaphors used in the Scriptures that indicate the church is primarily an organism?

“Body” – Romans 12:5 (NKJV)  so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.

Ephesians 1:22-23 (NKJV) And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, ²³ which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

“Grow” – Ephesians 4: 14-16 (NKJV) that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine… but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ-- from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. 

These are just a couple of words that indicate the fact that the church is a living, growing, thriving organism. 

II.        The church is a faith community.

Last Sunday we talked about the fact that the church is a fellowship or a community. The Scriptures emphasize over and over how the people of God – the members of the church are connected together with a common bond of mutual love, care and concern for each other.

As we talked about that we referred to the passages in the Bible where the apostles used the words “one another” in which there is an emphasis upon doing specific things with/for each other within the body. I will probably revisit that point again when we talk about “what the church does.”

If you think about it, there are plenty of other groups/organizations that function like the church in the way they care for one another. Social clubs and civic clubs do a lot of “one another” stuff. Other religions do similar “one another” stuff. What makes the church of Jesus different?

I would argue that the main difference is, the church is a community of faith. It is distinguished by its faith in God; By its faith in the reliability and authority of His Word; By its faith in the reality of salvation. This faith is what distinguishes a church from any other benevolent/caring club or organization.

So, a person cannot truly be a member of THE church until they have exercised faith in Christ and experienced the salvation offered only by faith. This distinguishes a true Christ-follower / Church “member” from a club member. You can join most any club without really having a personal change in your heart and life, but not the church.

Because of the community built on its faith, the body has a higher motivation for doing what it does. It has a higher calling with a higher accountability. Social organizations perform humanitarian assistance, but the church views its work as carrying out a mandate given by God for people God loves. The church has the motivation of not only obeying God’s commands but seeing others as either members or potential members of God’s family.

We’ll get more into the discussion of what the church does, but I’m simply trying to explain why the church does its work –  because of its faith. There is an eternal significance to it all.

III.       The church is a sacred community.

Not only is the church a FAITH community, but it is a sacred community.

I believe there are at least two reasons why it is a sacred community.

A. It is sacred because Christ purifies it and makes it holy.

Eph. 5:25-26 (NKJV) Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, ²⁶ that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,

B. It is sacred because it is in a mystical union with Christ Himself. 

Ephesians 5:32 (NKJV) This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

The church will become the forever “Bride of Christ,” which means that even now it is the “betrothed” of Christ (His “fiancé”).

IV.       The church is a local and a universal community.

In the book of Acts, there was a recognition of individual local churches in specific geographic areas, yet there was an additional sense of the connection between all of them.

Acts 8:1 Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem…. 

Acts 9:31 Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified.

Rom. 16:5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house....

Paul also uses the word “church” many times to include the entire church of Jesus – the church universal.

(Quoted earlier) Eph. 1:22-23 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, ²³ which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

1 Cor. 12:28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles….

Rev. 5:9 … You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by your blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.

With these various passages we understand that the whole church is a universal church, but there is also a sense in which each local church is also a whole church. The universal church has all the gifts and graces necessary to perform the mission assigned by God. The local church, especially when it is Spirit-filled, has all the gifts and graces necessary to perform the mission assigned to it by God.

V.        The church is a visible and an invisible community.

By this we mean that members of the church of Jesus are real people living and working in the real world, and visible to others in the real world. But, there is also a sense in which people cannot always tell the difference between the real and the fake. We can’t always distinguish between the genuine believer and the hypocrite.

Cf. the parable of the tares. Matthew 13:24-30. The real wheat and the weeds mixed in together. Separation takes place at the end of life.

2 Tim. 2:19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: "The Lord knows those who are His," ….

This verse is a quote from the OT passage, Numbers 16:5 (NKJV) and he spoke to Korah and all his company, saying, "Tomorrow morning the LORD will show who is His and who is holy, and will cause him to come near to Him. That one whom He chooses He will cause to come near to Him.

In both the OT and NT usages, the point is that God knows all those that truly follow Him and those who don’t. He will distinguish between them when the time is right.

Conclusion:

I hope that these verses and our study has been a valuable reminder of what the church of Jesus really is. I trust that we recognize that the church of Jesus is a unique organism that God has raised up in the world.

This organism known in Scripture as the Body of Christ, soon to be the Bride of Christ, is God’s kingdom on earth and He has given His people a task and mission to fulfill, which we will take up in next Sunday’s message.

Closing Song: I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord

What Is a Church?

(To download an mp3 file of this message, click on the title above. To listen online, click on the play button of the audio player here.)

This is a sermon that attempts to explain the nature of the church from a biblical perspective. The message describes what the church is NOT, and then begins to define what the church is. Various metaphors used in the Bible help define the church and its purpose. This is the first sermon in a short series that will continue to explain what the church is and what it does.

Written Excerpts:

Acts 2:47 (NKJV)  … And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

Introduction:

Soon after I came to Wayside over 10 years ago, I preached a short series of messages on the topic of the church. The series attempted to provide the definition, the mission and the destiny of the church as taught in the Bible. Since then there have been other times when I have spoken about various aspects of the church as presented in specific passages of Scripture.

There are a number of people attending our church today who were not attending back in 2009 when I preached the original series, so I felt that God was prompting me to revisit some of that material and present it in a little different manner to remind us what the church of the Lord Jesus Christ really is and what it really does.

So that is my desire for today and for at least next Sunday or two – to review again what the church is and what the church does. (There is no possible way to give an exhaustive description of the church. We will merely “scratch the surface” in our discussion.)

I suppose that any discussion about what the church is, ought to include something about “what the church isn’t!”

I.          The Church is Not…

A. The church is not a denomination/organization.

If you ask some people what a church is, they might respond by saying the name of a denomination or group of churches. I don’t know if I’m right or not, but I assume that most, if not all, of us realize that there was a time when there was only one Christian church.

In the NT, we read about the church in Corinth, or Jerusalem, or Antioch, but we understand that this only identifies the geographic locality and identity, but all the believers in each city were understood to be a part of THE church.

Over time, as people sought ways to become more organized and more efficient, there were more steps taken to build structure into the groups. Even in the book of Acts we see the beginnings of “organization” with the appointment of deacons to care for the daily needs of the congregation. Some amount of organization is implied with the words, “bishop,” “elder,” “ruler,” etc. that we find in the epistles of Paul.

Differences began to develop over how the structure should be formed – mostly membership controlled, or mostly leadership controlled. Differences developed over interpretation of key doctrines and ethical norms. Divisions took place over irreconcilable differences and often, the subject of contention became the criteria for membership in any new denominations that came from the division.

For example, Wesleyan Methodist/Methodist Episcopal Church split in 1843 – slavery. Another example, the current divisions that have taken place in mainline denominations over the issue of gay marriage, gay clergy, the authority of Scripture, etc.

The concept of denomination can give the erroneous viewpoint that those who are in our denomination are true Christians and those outside of it are not. While the creation of denominations has aided the church in some ways, yet no denomination is the church.

B. The church is not a building.

We often use the word “church” in sentences that indicate we are talking about a building.

On Sunday mornings we say we are going to “the church.” If a congregation outgrows its building it is often said, “we need to build a new church.”

The concept of the church = building is fashioned after the OT idea of the Temple being the place where God dwelled. Church = building gives mistaken notion that the place is sacred, and one cannot truly commune with God unless in that place.

The early Christians did not meet in church buildings. Even many places in the world today, Christians do not meet in buildings that are specifically built for worship because openly practicing the Christian faith is illegal.

Some congregations have fallen into the error of putting buildings and facilities ahead of more important priorities like missions and ministries to the needy.

The building is not the church. The building can facilitate the church being the church, but it isn’t the church. 

C. The church is not a ritual ceremony.

Sometimes we use the word “church” in a way that indicates a special kind of program/ritual/meeting. “We didn’t have church today.” One of the things we will be explaining a little later is the fact that churches do conduct meetings, rituals, programs, etc. 

The danger is that we can begin to associate the meetings with church in such a way that we think we are not the church when we are not meeting. Or, we are not being the church when we are not doing the specific things we do when we come together.

D. The church is not a social/civic club (clique).

Sometimes people who claim to be the church and claim to be Christians, have acted as though the church is a social club or civic organization. In some congregations, outsiders are not really welcome, unless the newcomer happens to be a part of the correct social class in the community. If the new family mingles in the correct social circles of the community, then by all means, we’re delighted to include them in our “church.” “The poor and disadvantaged need not apply, because they would give our church a bad image.”

All these descriptions I have just provided are examples of what the church is not. They are misconceptions that many people have acquired regarding the church, but they are woefully inadequate for describing or defining what the real church is all about.

II.        The Church Is…

Having spent some time trying to spell out what the church is not, I want to take the next segment of time to define what the church is by referring to terms and descriptions that we find in the Bible.

A. The church is a gathering/congregating/assembly.

There are several references in the NT where the English word “church” appears, and it usually translates the Greek word, “εκκλησια.” This is the word that our English words “ecclesiastical” and “ecclesiology” are based upon.

(The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia) … ekklēsia …has its own pre-Christian history; and to those …who first heard it applied to the Christian society it would come with suggestions of familiar things. Throughout the Greek world …, ekklēsia was the designation of the regular assembly of the whole body of citizens in a free city-state, "called out" (Greek ek, "out," and kaleín, "to call") by the herald for the discussion and decision of public business. The [LXX – Greek translation of the OT] used the word to render the Hebrew ḳāhāl, which in the Old Testament denotes the "congregation" or community of Israel, especially in its religious aspect as the people of God…. 

See: 

Acts 19:39 ^(NKJV) But if you have any other inquiry to make, it shall be determined in the lawful assembly. 
Here the word "assembly" is the same word usually translated "church," but the context tells us that this civic leader is not referring to the church but rather a legal assembly.

Acts 7:38 ^(NKJV) This is he [i.e. Moses] who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the Angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, the one who received the living oracles to give to us,

1 Chronicles 28:8 ^(NKJV) Now therefore, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the LORD, and in the hearing of our God, be careful to seek out all the commandments of the LORD your God, that you may possess this good land, and leave it as an inheritance for your children after you forever. 
The Greek translation of this Old Testament passage would have used the word "church" to identify "the assembly of the Lord."

So, the very use of the word “church” (ekklesia), portrays the truth that the true church of Jesus is a called-out assembly or congregation. The word has both literal significance and spiritual significance. 

Spiritually, we are the church because we have been called out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light; called out of sin into holiness; called out of allegiance to self (Satan) to allegiance to Christ.

1 Peter 2:9 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

All of these terms used by Peter were common terms used for the people of Israel or a portion of Israel (priesthood). 

Literally, we are the church because we congregate. We assemble. We practice gathering just like the Jews of the OT and like the Christian believers of the NT.

There are people who claim to be Christian, and therefore, make a claim to be a part of the church of Jesus, but they rarely gather, assemble, or congregate. They never act as though they are a part of the people who have been “summoned” by the Lord to come together as a body.

Hebrews 10:25 “Forsake not the assembling [same word as synagogue] of yourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more as ye see the day approaching.”

B. The church is a fellowship/community/common body.

Acts 2:42-47 ^(NKJV) And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. ⁴³ Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. ⁴⁴ Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, ⁴⁵ and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. ⁴⁶ So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, ⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

Not only is the church a congregation/assembly, but it is a community that is bound together in mutual love and care for each other. The early believers saw to it that the basic needs of fellow believers were being provided.

Lest there be those who think they have fulfilled their duty by showing up to a church worship service, but do not care for their brothers and sisters through the rest of the week, that kind of participation (or lack of it) is not what the Bible describes as the church.

Early last year I preached a couple of sermons regarding the “body life” of the church in which we looked at a number of Scriptures that use the phrase “one another.” They were verses that emphasized our responsibility to care for one another in the church in a number of different ways.

For example: love one another; live in peace with one another; edify one another; exhort/encourage one another, admonish and teach one another, and bear one another's burdens…

You can’t “one-another” one another if you rarely gather with one another!

Being a Christian / being a part of the church of Jesus is not a “Lone Ranger” way of life.

Conclusion:

There are a number of other ways to describe what the church is, which we do not have the time to cover today, so the Lord willing, we will continue the same theme next week. I hope that this review has helped us overcome some of the secular and worldly perceptions about the church that many good people have acquired. 

Our closing song is a reminder that the Word of God was incarnated into flesh by the birth of Jesus Christ. But that same Word has been revealed in written form through the prophets and apostles who wrote as they were inspired by the Holy Spirit. The song goes on to emphasize the fact that this revealed, written word of God has been entrusted to the church to shine the light of truth in the dark world around us.

O Word of God Incarnate