DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
How does the biblical definition of "ekklesia" (a called-out people) impact our understanding of the church?
What is the difference between the "invisible church" and the "visible church," and why does this distinction matter?
How do the various biblical metaphors for the church (kingdom, family, temple, body, bride, vine) shape our view of its purpose?
Why is devotion to biblical teaching essential for a healthy church, and how can we ensure that our church remains committed to it?
What steps can we take to ensure that our church is spiritually healthy and actively growing in faith and mission?
SERMON MANUSCRIPT:
My hope for us today is that we will walk away with a clearer picture of what the church is and that we will experience a deeper love for one another within the church.
EKKLESIA: A CALLED OUT PEOPLE.
A common word in the New Testament regarding the church is the Greek word ekklesia, which means “those who are the called out ones.” Simply put, the church is a group of people who God has called out of darkness tohimself. It is an organism, not an organization. It’s a people, not a place. When we say, “I’m going to church,” we are not going to a building or an organization. We are going to a people.
R.C. Sproul says, “Every time Christ saves an individual, He places him in a group.” So, if I could summarize the church succinctly, it would be this: the church is a united group of people who cling to Jesus as their only hope for salvation.
This is the most foundational element of the church's identity. The church has been and always will be about Jesus. It’s a people who have been called by Jesus, who have been saved by Jesus, who love Jesus, who follow Jesus, and who worship Jesus. If you take away Jesus, you have no church. We are individual disciples of Jesus who gather to worship and follow Jesus.
INVISIBLE AND VISIBLE
Now, I don’t want to spend much time here, but many theologians divide the church into two camps: the invisible church and the visible church. There is the church as God sees it and the church as man sees it. The invisible church is the true church, consisting of true Christians from all over the world. However, the visible church can sometimes be a bit of a mixed bag, consisting of believers and unbelievers.
Jesus discusses this with a parable about the different soils. Some seeds fall on rocky ground, grow quickly, and become scorched by the sun. Some seeds fall among the thorns and get choked out by them. Other seeds will fall on good soil and produce an abundant harvest. So, although it is our responsibility to do our due diligence in discipling others toward true faith in Christ, there will undoubtedly be some in our midst right now who are a part of the visible church that isn’t a part of the invisible church. Some are a part of the church in attendance but not a part of the church through repentance.
ALL SHAPES AND SIZES
Now, when you look at the Bible, you will notice that the church is given no one shape or size. Ekklesia can be a bit of a broad term.
For example, in Romans 16:5 and 1 Corinthians 16:19, we see a gathering of believers in a home being called a church.
- “Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia.” — Romans 16:5
- “The churches of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord.” — 1 Corinthians 16:19
In 1 Corinthians 1:2, 2 Corinthians 1:1, and 1 Thessalonians 1:1, we see the church in an entire city being referred to as the church.
- 1 Corinthians 1:2, “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 1:1, “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother…To the church of God that is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia…”
- 1 Thessalonians 1:1, “[1] Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.”
In Acts 9:31, we see a whole region called the church.
- Acts 9:31, “[31] So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.”
In passages like Ephesians 5:25 and 1 Corinthians 12:28, we see the universal church throughout the entire world referred to as the church.
- Ephesians 5:25, “[25] Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…”
- 1 Corinthians 12:28, “[28] And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues.”
So, what defines a church is not its number of attendance but the object of its allegiance. The church is a united group of people who cling to Jesus as their only hope for salvation. We are part of the church at Harbor, which is part of the church of Mobile, which is part of the church in America, and which is part of the global [C]hurch.
THE CHURCH, A METAPHORICAL GEM
One of the beautiful things about the church is how many different metaphors are used to describe it in the New Testament. The New Testament is full of metaphorical gems that represent the church. Each unique metaphor highlights a unique aspect of what the church offers. So, it would be helpful to unpack some of these metaphors briefly.
THE CHURCH IS A PART OF GOD’S HOLY KINGDOM.
Jesus talks a lot about the Kingdom of God. Regarding this kingdom, many theologians seek to distinguish between it and the church. They say that the church is a part of the kingdom of God, but it is not the kingdom of God. Where “the kingdom is the rule of God,” the church is “the human community under that rule.” One theologian goes on to distinguish the two by saying,
1. The church is not the kingdom.
2. The kingdom creates the church.
3. The church witnesses to the kingdom.
4. The church is the instrument of the kingdom.
5. The church is the custodian of the kingdom.
So, the church is citizens of God’s holy kingdom. Paul says in Ephesians 2:19, "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints…" The root word for fellow citizens here is the Greek word "politēs," which means to inhabit a city or country (Acts 21:39, for example). It’s to say that a particular location is your home. The term "saint" refers to those who are holy or set apart. So, together with all of the saints, we are residents of God's kingdom. Being part of a church is like being part of a city or a town. We are fellow citizens with the saints. And like any kingdom, city, country, or town, God's kingdom has a distinct culture. There ought to be a unique culture within the society of God's church that you shouldn't be able to find anywhere else. The culture of the church ought to reflect the character of our king, Jesus. We should be a city known for kindness and love, not rudeness and hostility. We should be a kingdom known for peace and hospitality, not hatred and divisiveness. We should be a holy people known for righteousness, not wickedness. The way we live, the way we talk, and the way we act should stand in stark contrast to the rest of the world. We are fellow citizens with the saints, a holy nation, custodians of God’s kingdom. Therefore, we walk in submission to the King. We have a good King that we love and worship together.
THE CHURCH IS A FAMILY.
In Ephesians 2:19, Paul goes on to say, "…[you are] members of the household of God." The term “household” is oikeios in the Greek. It's a phrase that entails close familial intimacy. It means to belong to a house or a family related by blood. So Paul here describes the church as a close family that lives under the same roof. The church is not a distant relative to God; they are a part of his immediate family that he will provide and protect.
This is unbelievably beautiful imagery. If God calls us to provide for the members of our household, how much more will God provide for the members of his household? The church is a family that God will take care of.
This imagery also communicates the type of love and fellowship we should have with one another. We should have a deep and binding love for the church. We should be deeply committed to loving and serving those within our family. As Paul says in Galatians 6, "As we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially those who are the household of faith." As members of God's household, we are responsible for doing good to those in God's family.
The church is part of a kingdom in which we reside together, but it is also a family. We are not simply neighbors that we pass by on the streets; we are brothers and sisters who sleep under the same roof and sit at the same table to eat. We are a family.
THE CHURCH IS A HOLY TEMPLE.
The church is also described as a holy temple, a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. Ephesians 2:20-22 say, "…built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit."
In the book of Exodus, God dwelt with his people in the wilderness through the Tabernacle. Then, once they made it to the promised land and built the temple, God dwelt with his people through the temple. But, in the gospels, we see God became flesh and tabernacled (dwelt) among his people— Jesus was Immanuel, God with us. But now, in Ephesians, we see God lives with his people by residing in his people. God is with us by being in us. The church is the new temple of God (Eph. 2:21-22; 2 Cor. 6:16).
Now, when it comes to temple imagery in the New Testament, there's a personal and corporate aspect to it. Your body is a temple and we are a part of the temple. The corporate church is the holy temple of the Lord that is still being built together— "you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit." We are a temple where Christ is the cornerstone, and the apostles and prophets are the foundation. In simple terms, this means that the teaching of the apostles and prophets, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, served as a solid foundation for the early church. But, the imagery here is that we are an essential stone placed around and upon Jesus, the cornerstone. The cornerstone would have been the most important stone in constructing a building. It would have been the stone that led and guided the workers in the building process. Once the cornerstone was set, it became the basis for determining every measurement in the remaining construction; everything was aligned with it. So, upon Christ, you and I are essential to the structure of God's dwelling place. We are being built into a holy temple in the Lord, the dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
This imagery reminds us that God is close, not distant. He dwells with his people by dwelling in his people. He is zealous for his house, and we are his home.
THE CHURCH IS THE BODY OF CHRIST.
Ephesians 1:22 says, "And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way."
Likewise, Paul goes on to say in Ephesians 4:15-16, "Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work."
This is an essential metaphor because it communicates the unity and diversity that should be present within the church.
No one has two bodies; we have one body. Therefore, there is one body of Christ. We are united as one body in Christ. Christ is the head, and we are his body (Colossians 1:18).
But this metaphor is most beautiful because of the diversity it portrays. Although we are one in Christ, we are not all the same. Unity and uniformity are two different things. In Romans 12:4-5, Paul says, "For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others." Similarly, he says in 1 Corinthians 12:12-14, "Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many."
So, each of us is necessary to the health of the church. You need the church like a pinkie needs a hand, a hand needs an arm, and an arm needs a torso. But the church also needs you, like a torso needs an arm, an arm needs a hand, or a hand needs a pinkie. In the same way that there is no meaningless member of the human body, there is no meaningless member of the church. You need the church, and the church needs you.
THE CHURCH IS THE BRIDE OF CHRIST.
In speaking to husbands and wives, Paul says in Ephesians 5:25-27,31-32, "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless… For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church."
Likewise, in 2 Corinthians 11:2, Paul says, "I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him."
The book of Revelation also portrays a similar imagery.
- "Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." — Revelation 19:7-8
- "I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband." — Revelation 21:2
- "One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, ‘Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.’ And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God." — Revelation 21:9-10
This imagery is necessary because it highlights (1) the love God has for his church and (2) the seriousness of our holiness and purity. As Grudem puts it, “This imagery should cause us to strive for greater purity, holiness, love for Christ, and submission to him.”
THE CHURCH IS BRANCHES ON A VINE
In speaking to his disciples, Jesus says, “[1] I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. [2] Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. [3] Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. [4] Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. [5] I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
This imagery is important because it should push us closer to Jesus. For a branch to produce much fruit, it simply must remain attached to the vine. So, for a Christian to produce much fruit, it must remain attached to Jesus. For a church to produce much fruit, it must remain attached to Jesus. Apart from him, you can do nothing. Apart from him, we can do nothing. So, as the current of life seeks to push you and me away from Christ, we must remember that fruitfulness can only be found in closeness to Jesus. May we rest more fully in him.
THE CHURCH IS AN OLIVE TREE.
Similarly, Paul in Romans 11:17-24 describes the church as an olive tree. In speaking about the Gentiles, he describes them as a wild olive shoot that has grown into the other branches where it now shares in the nourishing root of the olive tree. So, like Jesus’ analogy of the vine and the branches, the church is a tree that is nourished by the root. By the grace of God, we have been grafted into this olive tree, the church, where we are nourished and sustained by Jesus.
THE CHURCH IS A FIELD OF CROPS
1 Corinthians 3:5-9 says, “[5] What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. [6] I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. [7] So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. [8] He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. [9] For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.”
In this passage, Paul uses two different figures of speech: (1) a field of crops and (2) a building. The imagery of the field is intended to highlight our need to continue growing in the Christian faith. The church is a field that needs to be planted, watered, and cared for.
THE CHURCH IS A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD.
1 Peter 2:9 says, “[9] But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
In the Old Testament, priests served as mediators between God and people, offering sacrifices and prayers on behalf of others. Now, through Jesus, our High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16), every believer is part of a spiritual priesthood (Revelation 1:6). This means we have direct access to God and are called to intercede, worship, and represent Him to the world.
Now, I want to begin landing the plane today on what the church's function should be. Now that we’ve uncovered what the church is, let’s uncover what the church does.
So, turn in your Bibles to Acts 2. In Acts 2, we see the birth of the early church at Pentecost. The Holy Spirit comes, Peter preaches the gospel, and the church rapidly grows from 120 to 3,000 people. And I want to see what the church does after this rapid growth.
Acts 2:42-47 says, “42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”
A HEALTHY CHURCH IS DEVOTED TO GOD’S WORD
The first thing we see is that the early church was devoted to the apostles' teaching. They wanted to learn, grow, and understand more about Jesus. A healthy church must be devoted to God’s word. The term devotion implies commitment. It means knowledge that seeps from their minds into their hearts and from their hearts into their hands. So, they wanted to learn, grow, and understand more about Jesus so that they could actively follow Jesus.
This demonstrates how essential the Bible is to the life of the Church. The songs we sing, the messages we preach, the prayers we make, the events we do—everything we do should be shaped by the Bible.
A HEALTHY CHURCH IS COMMITTED TO EACH OTHER.
The second thing we see is a devotion to fellowship. The term fellowship here means to associate with someone through participation and generosity. It’s a term of commitment. The early church was a group of people who were committed to one another. A healthy church must be committed to walking through life together— “Do not forsake the gathering.”
What bound the early church together was not their shared hobbies, work, age, or tax bracket. Their commonality was Jesus, who radically shaped how they lived together.
A HEALTHY CHURCH REFLECTS ON AND LIVES OUT THE GOSPEL.
“They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”
There are some disagreements on what the term “the breaking of bread” means. Some interpreters believe it refers to communion, while others believe it refers to the sharing of meals. We don’t have much time to unpack this disagreement, but I will say that there is biblical evidence for both. When you look through Scripture, the breaking of bread can be referred to as both communion and meal sharing. And honestly, when you look throughout the NT, you will see that both are found within the church's life. So, a healthy church must be committed to reflecting on the gospel (through communion) and living it out. When we gather, we gather to reorient our minds on the cross, and we gather to live out the cross.
A HEALTHY CHURCH PRAYS.
We also see the early church committed to a life of prayer. “And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”
Do you know that the New Testament talks more about prayer than it does evangelism? Doesn’t that teach us the importance of prayer? A healthy church is a praying church. Prayer is a private endeavor, something between you and God. But it’s also a corporate endeavor. It’s something we devote ourselves to together.
A HEALTHY CHURCH IS A GENEROUS CHURCH.
So, in the early church, we see devotion to Biblical teaching, fellowship, breaking bread together, and prayer. But, we also see a commitment to generosity. The early church joyfully met the needs of the saints.
Look at this, “44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.”
So, a healthy church isn’t one that is absent of needs. No, a healthy church has needs and meets them. A healthy church prays for one another and serves one another. As we pray for the needs of those within our church family, we do so with a willing heart. We’re praying, “Lord, please meet this need, and if there’s a way that I can be the instrument you choose to use, please do so. Let it be known to me!”
Generosity is a fundamental aspect of the church. A healthy church is a generous church.
A HEALTHY CHURCH GROWS.
Then, we see that a healthy church is committed to evangelism and is a light in the community. As the early church was devoted to the apostles' teaching, fellowship, prayer, and generosity, the gospel was spreading—“The Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”
Healthy things grow. If we abide in Christ properly, the Lord will add to our numbers. Maybe not day by day, but hopefully, year by year, we will see men and women come to a saving knowledge of Jesus.