July 10th: What Is the Church?

Speaker: Chris Laws

An introductory study to the nature of a church based on the picture language employed by the New Testament. 

WHAT IS A CHURCH?

It is a home, “the household of God” (Eph 2.19).
Gk ecclesia means a called-out assembly.
It means an individual (local) church (80%), or it means the church universal (20%).
It never means a denomination, or a national grouping.
Each local church appoints its officers, is responsible for its affairs, runs its own ministries, is supported by its members.

Is it a preaching centre? Much, much more. A called-out group – called out for what?
The NT provides instruction by pictures – a family, building, body, bride, flock.

A BODY
This picture is found repeatedly in the NT: Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians, and Colossians.
The church is: “one body in Christ, and every one members one of another” (Romans 12.4-5).
Each church is a living, pulsating body, deriving all its needs from Christ and the Word.

A body is autonomous, able to obtain its energy, think, plan, speak, write, invent, move around, discern, analyse.
Once childhood is past, it can function; everything is built in.
Each church is autonomous, can function independently.
Its energy comes from the Word.
The head is the command centre: Christ is the head of the church. His Word alone is our guide.

A body is created by God – ‘engineering’ far superior to our own.
Each part of a body is alive. Each member spiritually alive, saved.
Not believers and their (unsaved) children.

A body is made to achieve things
To do nothing in life except maintain life is a catastrophe.
The local church can achieve what no individual believer can ever do. What can an isolated hand do without a body?
In churches we can pool resources.

Human being is gifted with abilities
So made that they become brilliant sportsmen, or leaders, or mathematicians.
Every church is gifted with suitable members so that it can carry out its task. Do you know yours?
The Spirit divides “to every man severally [separately, individually] as he will” (1 Corinthians 12.11).
Each church is created by the Lord with specific tasks in mind.
“God hath set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him” (1 Corinthians 12.18).
It isn’t a random collection of people, but members set in place by the Lord, eg the Tab.
It is His presence in a locality.
God calls us to be part of a spiritual body with a mission. Do you know your calling here?
“For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office, so we being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another” (Romans 12.4-5).

At the Tab over 51 years, we have never lacked the members – the skills, personnel, resources needed.
In Spurgeon’s day, the Tab was a hive of activity all week, from early morning to late at night.

The loss of one part disables, hinders, even puts the body out of action.
A severed arm disables; a diseased organ can produce exhaustion, sickness, even death.
Leaving your church in search of better housing or job can do terrible damage to the church.
Today the evangelical scene is bleak. Career, personal happiness come above the call of Almighty God.
Have you forgotten your calling? The churches have been disabled, weakened and even closed down.
The worldling may amass a fortune only to lose it all after a few years.
We are called to work for the kingdom of God and eternity.

Susceptible to weakening diseases which may confine people to bed.
Gossip or in-fighting weaken churches, and even put them out of action.
The Keach Confession is a promise we must all keep – to care and pray for one another.
Laziness usually causes problems; unity is dependent on us serving.
God gives gifts “for the perfecting of [providing the necessary equipment for] the saints for the work of ministry…till we all come in the unity of the faith…” (Ephesians 4.12-13) (in v12 miss out the first comma).
William Hendriksen comments: “It is unity that is promoted when all become busily engaged in the affairs of the church and when each member eagerly renders service for which the Lord has equipped him.”
Believers should know why they are here.

A BUILDING
The building picture is also used several times.
“In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit” (Ephesians 2.21-22).

The building is a holy temple, fit for the Lord to reside in.
The OT temple unique in the world. The church is not to be like the world.
God will not dwell with us without sanctified living. If we pollute His church with the world.
Israel’s history is one long warning to keep God’s house pure, or we forfeit His presence.

Each stone is carefully placed by the builder
The stones need to interlock.
Each member a living stone placed by God in the correct, pre-planned position.
Do you know your place in the church? If you remain true to it God will bless your efforts.

Many rooms and functions in the OT temple
Many departments and numerous activities in the local church.
We are all priests. The priests had numerous duties.

A FAMILY/HOME
Family bonds are unique
Spiritual ties are strong – brothers and sisters in the Lord.
Our duty to care for one another.
Families include babies
The youngest believers should be members and cared for.
Family members enjoy one another’s company. ‘But I can follow the ministry online.’
Hebrews 10.25 “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

Family duties must be shared
The workload must be shared in God’s house. Never become an armchair Christian.
Must we be carried to the skies,
      On peaceful beds of ease,
While others fought to win the prize,
      And sailed through bruising seas?

ARMY
Paul describes our activities together as a war. We are a military unit.
We are to “fight the good fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6.12).
Paul could say, “I have fought a [the] good fight” (2 Timothy 4.7).
Has the fight gone out of us? Or do we just want to enjoy the ministry?
Christian service is sometimes tough and exhausting. It was for Paul who was “pressed out of measure”.
Should be on a war footing – cf the WWII generation so pampered and soft.
Paul noted the Colossians’ “order” (2.5) – their orderly ranks, disciplined lives.
The early churches could not be stopped despite great opposition.
Congestion charge, parking problems, house prices.

CONCLUSION
The church is God’s chosen unit for the world.
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12.1).
But nowadays typically treated like a supermarket chain. A convenience store.
Each church is hand-assembled. God has organised the distribution of gifts.
He has designed each congregation. What is our priority in life?