Recap
What is the Church?
What is the church? The bible uses the word a few different ways. Last week we discussed the primary meaning: The church is the people of God[1]. A family he assembles[2].
Another use of the word is to refer to a specific group of Jesus-followers who gather in a region. A number of the books in the New Testament were written as letters to these groups. The opening verses illustrate the point:
Romans: To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints
1 Corinthians: To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours
2 Corinthians: To the church of God that is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia
Galatians: To the churches of Galatia
Ephesians: To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus
Philippians: To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi
Colossians: To the saints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ at Colossae
1 & 2 Thessalonians: To the church of the Thessalonians
1 Peter: To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion
Jude: To those who are called
The first three chapters of Revelation contain letters to various churches in the region
The context shows that not everyone gathered in these places were Christians. So, while the primary meaning of “church” is the people called out by God, in actual practice these gatherings were primarily believers with some unbelievers as well. Some categories might help clear this up.
Visibility of the Church
The Invisible Church
As far back as Augustine, the term “invisible church” has been used by theologians. This sounds like a reference to the X-Men, but Augustine did not have a School for Gifted Youngsters like Xavier did. The idea of the invisible church is that we can’t see all believers. Some are in other churches in other places. Many have died and some have yet to be born. A lot has happened in 2,000 years, and there’s likely more to come. The invisible church is all true believers in Christ[3] – those who have been, are, or will be adopted into God’s family. And on top of that, when we look at the church today, we don’t always know with certainty who the actual believers are. So the invisible church[4] is the collection of all true believers throughout all of time who will spend eternity with God, whether we see them or know about them or not.
The Visible Church
That means the visible church is what we can see. Not the ones who are called to gather, but the ones who actually do gather. Some inside those gatherings aren’t believers and don’t claim to be[5]. Some claim to be but are not[6]. I said at the beginning that the church is the people called by God. That is the intended meaning. The bible also uses the word church to refer to the gathered body, who are sometimes a mixed bag. That’s the visible church.
When Paul writes the Corinthians, he mentions a man in the church[7] that they are to throw out
When John writes the seven churches, it is evident that some people are faithful, and others are not
And despite popular opinion, it’s worth noting that every use of the word “anti-Christ” in scripture refers to a person in the church, not in government.
I mention this for two reasons:
One, to understand the terms and have some mental categories for understanding the varied uses of the word “church[8]” in the bible.
Second, as a warning. Be found faithful. Run the race. Press on. Don’t be hearers only, but doers also. Don’t pretend to be a follower. Continue to work out your salvation. If this makes you nervous, it probably shouldn’t. If it doesn’t make you nervous, it probably should.
Desertion and Abandonment
While we’re on the topic of warnings, I want to say something more about what I introduced last week. Last week, I paraphrased “forsaking the assembly” as skipping church, but the bible uses much stronger language.
The writer of Hebrews says, “Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together, as is the manner of some[9]”
The word “assembling” or “gathering” is built on the word for synagogue, the Jewish worship gathering. He was saying “don’t forsake synangogue-ing”. Keep gathering together to worship God. It’s a verb, not a noun[10]. It’s not talking about a place or people that is named the church – it’s the action of gathering with the church at the church to be the church.
Forsake is the word I think I’ve misunderstood the most. It sounds to me like “don’t forget!” Like, “don’t forsake brushing your teeth!” But that’s not the meaning at all. Let’s look at other uses of this word:
You probably know the phrase that God will not leave you or forsake you[11]. This is the same idea.
When David spoke about being abandoned to the realm of the dead[12] – same word
When Jesus was arrested, Mark says[13] all the disciples fled. They abandoned Jesus in the garden.
Then when Jesus hung on the cross, Jesus quoted[14] David “Why have you forsaken me?”
When Paul said[15] we would be persecuted but not abandoned. Same word.
Paul[16] also used this word to describe Demas and the others who left him stranded and betrayed
This is not merely good advice or encouragement. It’s not a life lesson. This is something almost like a rebuke. It’s a warning. Do not abandon the gathering. Don’t desert the worship service. Don’t leave! Press on! Don’t leave us in the lurch!
I don’t reiterate this to condemn you, but I do want to warn you. When we say “I don’t go to church”, that’s what the bible calls abandonment and desertion. That is a sobering thought.
The Church as an Ark
We are in the last days. We have been for 2,000 years[17]. Soon the end will come. God will destroy the world and remake it. He has told us this would happen. But it’s not the first time.
It's not the same thing, but something similar has happened before. The earth grew wicked. No one followed God. For a long time, He warned them that the end was coming. He made a promise to the righteous. He provided a vessel to protect the faithful remnant.
He has done it this time as well. This ending will be much more catastrophic. This end will be final. The results will be eternal. The stakes are much higher, so the warnings have gone on longer.
The church is something like the ark[18]. Those who enter and remain within will be protected from the ultimate devastation God will bring. Like the Israelites who were delivered from watery death[19] and guided into their rest[20], the true church will pass safely through this life because of God's miraculous intervention.
A Recipe for Disaster
Not only is it a miracle that God saves us from destruction – it’s a bit of a miracle that God saves us from each other. This came up in Message Plus last week. Since day one, the church has been a group of men and women, Gentiles and Jews, slaves and masters, young and old … you name the division, and it was likely represented in the church. You might be in a pew with a sworn national enemy – that’s over. You might be a slave sitting next to his master, but in the gathering you were equals. Whatever national, cultural or political distinctions might have existed between men and women were irrelevant in the gathering. How could this possibly work? This sounds like a recipe for disaster!
In Christ, things are different. Our primary bond is not to each other, but to Jesus. In finding our primary allegiance there, competing commitments fade into the background. Things that would fail miserably anywhere else work because of our unity in Christ.
Safety in the Church
Our unity in Christ also brings safety[21]. We are often at risk of breaking this though.
One of the Reformation goals was to translate the bible into the common tongue. If you were German or English, you should have a bible you could read in German or English. At the time, bibles were in Latin and were kept inside the church building. Few people read Latin besides priests, and not many of them even did at this time. So, in effect, the bible was unavailable to the common man. All that people would know of scripture is what they were told by their priest.
The Reformation happened alongside the introduction of the printing press. In God’s providence, the desire to get the bible out to everyone in their own language happened at the time it was actually possible.
The Catholic critique was that this would be dangerous because common people were not smart enough to understand God’s word. This is false, but the concern was valid. The Reformers spoke of the “priesthood of all believers” to refer to the idea that any Christian could lead a person to God and even understand God’s word without the intervention of a church official.
Many then, and today as well, misunderstood this to mean “the priesthood of each believer”. The Reformers did not suggest that each person could come to a complete and unblemished understanding of every concept in scripture. Most of scripture is clear, but there is safety in community. The properly functioning church was to be a place where ideas could be discussed by common believers and evaluated against scripture, and in doing so would be a guardian of doctrine[22]. This is also part of the reason for the church offices[23]of elder, pastor, and teacher.
Unfortunately, the misunderstanding of 500 years ago still flourishes today. If you are contemplating a new[24] idea, book, or teacher, ask around. There is safety in the church – and I don’t just mean the visible members today, but the invisible church that has gone before.We ignore these resources to our peril. We are here for one another.
Identity
The safety in our church can also be threatened by our other commitments. We are each individuals with our own interests and passions. Some are appropriate and some are not. Some are compatible with Christianity and some are not.
Such Were Some of You
When writing the church at Corinth, Paul pointed out the clear contrast in their lives before following Christ and life after. He gave a laundry list of sins – drunkenness, stealing, bullying, homosexuality, adultery, idolatry – all sorts of things that were markers of unrighteousness. Afterward, he said “such were some of you[25]”. You used to be like that, but no more because Christ gave you a new identity.
All of us had our own identities before Christ, but now Jesus is our identity. We don’t all become identical, but we have a shared identity. And that identity is not political. It’s not racial. It’s not our sexual orientation. Our identity is found in Christ and nothing may be allowed to compete with it.
Compatibility
Some of these identities are actually logical opposites of Christianity and cannot be held together without destroying the meaning of one. Even when our allegiances are compatible, it is worth taking a look at our priorities. Are you a Christian first, or something else? What story would your bank account show? Your Facebook wall? Your calendar? Your internet history? The words you say?
Here are some questions worth thinking about over the coming week:
Are my allegiances, alliances, commitments and preferences compatible with Christ’s teachings?
Do I identify as a Christian first, or something else?
If someone were to ask those around me, how would they answer those questions?
Again, I don’t want you to feel guilty … unless you are guilty. But even so, this isn’t intended to condemn anyone – that’s not my job. But the Holy Spirit does use messages like this to bring conviction. That’s when you feel uncomfortable pressure on a tender spot. And in the church, it’s our job to sharpen one another, speak truth to one another, correct one another and sometimes even separate from one another[26].
We Should Reflect Well
I’ve heard people tell their kids, “We don’t do that” when they see them misbehaving. It’s shorthand for saying, “I know other people might do that, but our family doesn’t act that way. Your actions reflect badly on the family.”
The church is a family. We have an understood code of conduct. A family identity. What we do reflects on the family. Remember Anthony’s recent message when he said “you’re the type of person who does that sort of thing”? The church is a type of people who do certain things and don’t do other things. Are you a church sort of person? The name for that sort of person is a disciple of Jesus Christ.
The Community of the Church
Together, we are the body. Our individual gifts are for the body. All the spiritual gifts that are mentioned in scripture are meant to serve the church. The fruit of the spirit is not limited to expression within the church, but it ought to be evident there[27].
Writing the churches in Galatia, Paul says that the “fruit” of the Spirit is love[28]. In other words, those in the fellowship of the Spirit can be identified because of their love. What does it mean to love the body? If you keep reading[29], he tells you[30]. It is to be patient with fellow members (long-suffering is a better word that paints a vivid picture). It is to be kind to others in the church. It is to be humble, to share in suffering. It is a life of joy and peace and goodness – faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
It is a life that is lived as a reflection of our maker. We are his. We are the gathered ones. Gathered to hear from God and gathered for a mission.
Mission
We are not community just for fun, but it’s not exactly a slog. This is not the Rotary, but it is rewarding. God made this people and there is no other group like it.
The Church is Trinitarian
In scripture, we are the people of God, the disciples of Christ, and the fellowship of the Spirit. God is three persons, but one essence. The church is described in trinitarian terms that are complementary.
God called his people to come listen to him.
Jesus called his disciples to come and follow him[31] and make other disciples and teach them[32].
The fellowship of the Spirit[33] has been called to one another.
The Church’s Three-fold Ministry
The church has a calling to ministry, and it is three-fold as well[34].
As a body, we are called to minister:
to God in worship
to the saints in nurture
the world in witness
To God in Worship
The church has always worshipped God together in song. Not merely because of tradition, but because worship has always been happening since before the beginning[35]. Think of it as part of Jesus’ prayer[36] “on earth as it is in heaven”. For a short time each week, we on earth join in with the heavenly chorus that has been glorifying God for eternity. This is part of the church’s call. It’s worth showing up on time to participate.
To the Saints in Nurture
I already spoke about nurturing the saints a bit. The New Testament is loaded with “one another” verses. The one another refers to our brothers and sisters in the church body[37]. We accept[38] one another. We tolerate[39] one another. We forgive[40] one another. We confess sins[41] to one another. We love and serve[42] one another. We honor[43] one another. We bear[44] one another’s burdens. We speak truth[45], sometimes an uncomfortable truth[46], or even a stern rebuke[47] – all out of love for one another. We encourage[48]one another, pray[49] for one another, and on and on and on. Honestly, this is all just continued exposition on what it is to truly love.
To the World in Witness
Two things could be viewed as our witness to the world: what we show them and what we tell them. I think we have lost a lot of ground on that first one in recent years.
Showing them
What does the world see when they look at us? I don’t mean the show that we put on. I mean the way we are when we don’t know the world is watching.
Does it look like we love one another?
Do we look like we have turned from sin, or do we still cling to some of that “for such were some of you” stuff?
Do we show that God is our highest priority, or are there other allegiances that are more evident?
Of whom are we more critical – fellow Christians or the world? The bible reserves judgment for within the church[50]. We are not instructed to judge the world.
Are we consistent?
Do we love what God loves and hate what God hates?
Do we judge all with the same scale[51]?
Do we excuse sin?
What we do reflects on the church and what we stand for. We need to be aware of what we show the world.
Telling them
I don’t think I need to say too much about what we are supposed to tell the world. Or do I? It’s popular to say, “Preach the Gospel at all times. When necessary, use words[52].” I get the point. It’s meant to make the point I just made – that our actions count. But I’m saying more. I’m saying we ought to live consistent lives, AND use words.
I was all ready to say that “we all know the Great Commission[53]”, but then I wondered... do we?
I think the general sense is that we are supposed to make more Christians. I guess that’s part of the package, but it’s not that easy. That makes it sounds like we should hop on a plane to a foreign land where people don’t know anything and do our best to lead them to Jesus. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, but that isn’t quite what Jesus said to do.
To strip it down, he said to “make disciples”, which means followers. He says to baptize them, so he is talking about the sort of follower that repents and turns to Jesus. But the kicker is the end. He says “teach them to obey everything I have commanded you”. That’s more than a church mission trip. That’s more than a meeting at Starbucks. Teaching everything takes a lot of time. There’s teaching at the beginning of the process to make sure people know what they’re signing up for, and there’s a whole bunch of teaching afterwards too. Some people call it discipling, which just means teaching people who are now disciples.
Where Can We Make Disciples?
You know where there is an amazing opportunity to meet both believers and unbelievers and make them disciples? Wednesday night in this building.
It fills my heart to come here and watch Karl and his team teach kids what it means to follow Jesus, play games together, and memorize God’s word. There are few things that give me as much joy as hearing your kids recite their verses to me. A close second is looking around the room at all the other adults who show up to hear the same thing. This is the Great Commission. This is church.
I’ve been inside the youth room during youth group on Wednesdays too. Believers and unbelievers in their teens bare their hearts and bear one another’s’ burdens. They hear the bible explained. They ask questions. It’s deep stuff. It’s church. It’s the Great Commission.
Sunday morning, you can actually impact an entire room of unbelievers without leaving the building. The nursery is full of fallen humanity. Three of them are mine. They are small and you barely need a first language, let alone a second. It’s not mindless babysitting – it’s the Great Commission. And, it’s a two-for-one deal! In one act, you can serve your fellow believers and make disciples of their kids. This mission field exists on the other side of that wall. Who wouldn’t want to do that?! Again, it fills my heart to the brim when I see what happens in there.
You Can Even Make Disciples Outside of Church
Of course, the Great Commission can be carried out many other places. I’ve been part of philosophy groups, debates, pub theology, lunches with friends, Facebook conversations and elevator rides with strangers. There are endless opportunities to talk to non-Christians about things that are important to you. And I promise you, it’s not weird at all.
But you don’t have to limit your discipling to non-believers. You should do both. There are bible studies, small groups, Sunday School, evening classes, Message Plus and more. Some of my favorite time with fellow Christians happens at breakfast, around a backyard fire, on a car ride, game night at Tom and Amy’s…
The great news is that you don’t have to just choose one! You should grab a few from each group! Not only is it participating in the church growth movement that Jesus started, but it’s loads of fun.
But, please - don’t just tell them. You must do both. Show them too. Nothing you say will make up for a bad representation of the church. The people of God have a bad reputation these days, and much of it is deserved. We are ambassadors for Jesus Christ. We are his body created for ministry. Let’s do our best to worship God, serve the body, and witness to the world.
Closing
Be the Church
We’ve covered a lot in the last couple of weeks. Hopefully, you’ve seen that the bible’s description of life in Christ follows the model of the first[54] church[55]. They devoted themselves to learning, fellowship, communion, and prayer. They provided for one another. They shared meals in their homes. They met regularly. They told others. And the church grew.
I don’t want to end this with the assumption that we’re all on the same page. If you’re here and you have never repented for your sins, then the last two weeks may have been very confusing. The fantastic news is that you don’t have to stay on the outside.
A Bleak History
This church does not have any power over you. No church does. By the 16th century, the Catholic church had become a world power. It was not a body, it was a machine – a force to be reckoned with. The church was never supposed to be an institution or a bureaucracy. But it had become all that. The church was a body of government, organized from the top down. You needed to submit to that church and hope for a good hearing.
The church was never meant to be an oppressor. The church was to be a light to the world shining hope from the mountaintops.
How do we become the church?
“The church” as an institution does not add us to God’s family. Rather, God adopts us and adds us to his family, and as a group we are called the church.
The way it’s explained in the bible is this: God chose us before the foundation of the world[56]. Because of his love for the world, he sent his Son so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life[57]. Through this he adopts us[58] as an act of grace[59]that we do not deserve[60].
This all happens because of our faith[61] in Christ[62]. We are established on the confession of truth[63]. That is our foundation. Paul[64]continues this language and replaces our confession with the apostles and prophets. He clarifies[65] that the foundation is Jesus himself. The point is that the apostles taught what they saw and heard[66], which was what the prophets foretold[67] and what we confess – and all of that refers to Jesus Christ being the promised hope for mankind. When we acknowledge our faith in Christ, we are confessing our agreement with the apostles and the prophets. On this foundation[68] a structure is built[69]; which Paul says is “a holy temple – a dwelling place for God by the Spirit”. The church is the assortment of stones[70] built on the solid apostolic witness that Jesus is Lord.
Come Inside the Church
If you are an outsider, you don’t have to be. You simply need to see your own sin and recognize you have no excuse when you stand before God. And understand that your best attempts still fall far short of what God requires. But also understand that Jesus lived the life you should have and suffered the fate you should have. And see that he is the one the apostles taught that the prophets spoke of. If you believe all this and trust God to save your life, then you are already on the inside. You are one of these living stones. If you’re not quite there yet, that’s ok. But please talk with someone about it.
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[1] At least that is the intended meaning. The word is also used to refer to the assembled body that may include unbelievers. More on that later.
[2] Hosea 2:23; Romans 9:8; Romans 9:23–26; 1 Peter 2:10; Galatians 3:26-29
[3] John 14:23; Ephesians 5:25
[4] Also called “universal church”
[5] 1 Corinthians 14:24
[6] Deuteronomy 13:1-5; Matthew 7:15-23; 24:11-28; Acts 20:30; 2 Peter 2:1-3; Revelation 2-3
[7] 1 Corinthians 5:1-5
[8] I should mention one other nuance in biblical use. Sometimes church means the local assembly – an individual congregation, and sometimes the word means a collection of gatherings (regional, for instance) or even all churches worldwide
[9] Hebrews 10:25 - NKJV comes the closest to communicating the force of the words used. I made some slight adjustments for readability
[10] Some suggest the meaning is “Don’t deny the invisible church” – IOW, don’t apostatize. But this word used here never means a “church body”. It is always an action, and an imperative: gather! (See also Matthew 23:37; Matthew 24:31; Mark 1:33; Mark 13:27; Luke 12:1; Luke 13:34).
[11] Deuteronomy 31:6 – Same verse quoted in Hebrews 13:5
[12] Acts 2:31
[13] Mark 14:50
[14] Matthew 27:46
[15] 2 Corinthians 4:9
[16] 2 Timothy 4:10,16
[17] Joel 2:28–32; Hosea 3:5; Micah 4:1; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Acts 2:14-21; Hebrews 1:1-2; 1 John 2:18
[18] The ark was something like the visible church. Both are safe places on this earth, but only the true Christian will be judged by God on the merit of Jesus. - 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:27; Ephesians 2:13; Hebrews 8:12
[19] When they crossed the Red Sea and the Egyptians were drowned – Exodus 14
[20] When they crossed the Jordan to enter the promised land of Canaan - Joshua 3
[21] Proverbs 11:14
[22] 1 Timothy 4:11-16; Acts 17:11
[23] Titus 1:9
[24] 2 Timothy 4:3-4
[25] 1 Corinthians 6:11
[26] 1 Corinthians 5:9-13; 2 Thessalonians 3:13-15
[27] John 13:35; Galatians 6:10
[28] Galatians 5:22
[29] Galatians 5:22-24
[30] He repeats himself in other books too. See 1 Corinthians 13
[31] Matthew 4:19
[32] Matthew 28:16-20
[33] 2 Corinthians 13:14; Acts 2:42; 1 Corinthians 1:9
[34] From The Biblical Theology of the Church, by Edmund Clowney
[35] Isaiah 6:2-3; Revelation 4-5
[36] Matthew 6:10
[37] And don’t miss the many instructions for the church to take care of the weaker among them. For instance, Paul's letters to Titus, Timothy, Corinthians, and others talk about the importance of caring for widows.
[38] Romans 15:7
[39] Ephesians 4:2
[40] Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13
[41] James 5:16
[42] John 13:34, 15:12, 17; Romans 13:8; 1 Thessalonians 3:12, 4:9; 1 Peter 1:22; 1 John 3:11, 4:7, 11; 2 John 5; Galatians 5:13
[43] Romans 12:10; Philippians 2:3; 1 Peter 5:5
[44] Galatians 6:2
[45] Ephesians 4:25
[46] Matthew 18:15-17; James 5:19-20; 2 Thessalonians 3:15
[47] Titus 3:10-11; 1 Timothy 5:20; 2 Timothy 4:2
[48] 1 Thessalonians 5:11
[49] James 5:16
[50] 1 Corinthians 5:12
[51] Matthew 7:2
[52] People usually cite St. Francis of Assisi. The trouble is that he never said this. And what we do have from him actually says quite the opposite.
[53] Matthew 28:16-20
[54] Acts 2:42-47
[55] Much could be said about the marks of a true church. We are the people called out by God to hear from him and minister to him, one another, and the world. “Hearing from God” involves the proclamation of the word and proper exposition. Also, a true church historically must properly administer the sacraments/ordinances of baptism and communion – one to admit new members, and the other to feed them and show continued good standing. Then there are the issues of proper church offices and discipline. Lots more could be said.
[56] Ephesians 1:4
[57] John 3:16
[58] Ephesians 1:5-6
[59] Ephesians 2:8
[60] Romans 5:6-8
[61] The Reformers spoke of faith as notitia + assensus + fiducia. Or in English, awareness of biblical truth, agreement with this truth, and a life lived as evidence of our trust in that truth.
[62] This is not just grit or determination. Our faith has an object, and that object is a person.
[63] Matthew 16:13-20
[64] Ephesians 2:19-22; 1 Corinthians 3:10
[65] 1 Corinthians 3:11
[66] 1 John 1:1-2
[67] 1 Peter 1:10-12; Hebrews 1:1-2
[68] Revelation 21:14
[69] 1 Corinthians 3:16
[70] 1 Peter 2:5