What About The Church?

What About the Church?

Bible readings:Acts 20:7-12 Page 788Matthew 16:5-20 Page 694

Tuesday, 23 June 2015

• ‘Church’ in the English language has different meanings:

• A place of worship

• A building used for worship

• A religious organisation (denomination )

• In the New Testament church occurs more than 60 times.

• “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18, NKJV)


• After Pentecost, that the first believers were “praising God and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:47, NKJV)

• “A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church.” (1 Corinthians 14:4, NLT)

• “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of Him Who holds the seven stars in His right hand, Who walks among the seven golden lampstands” (Revelation 2:1, ESV)


• “church” is the English translation for the Greek word ἐκκλησία ĕkklēsia which simply means "assembly of people".

• In the N.T. ekklesia or church came to mean the people, who believed in Jesus, assembled to worship and break bread together.

• For the first 300 years the believers met in private homes. They were “house churches”. There were no special buildings.


• In 325 AD the Roman Emperor Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the empire.

• Many pagan temples were converted into places of Christian worship and the custom of meeting in a dedicated building for worship began.

• But in the NT the word "church" or "churches" refers to the house groups that met regularly in people's houses.

• “Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well.” (Romans 16:3–4, ESV)


• "and on this rock I will build My church".

• Jesus is uses "ecclesia" to refer to all the believers who will believe in Him in every part of the world who are united by their belief in Him as the Son of God.

• Jesus saw this as a supernatural body of people filled with the power of the Holy Spirit which will overcome the all powers of darkness.


• The actual context of Matthew 16:13 is very meaningful and important. Jesus took His disciples to Ceasarea Philippi and asked them to tell Him who they thought He was.

• Ceasarea Philippi was a pagan city outside Israel.

• It was famous centre of pagan worship.


The Gates of Hades, Caesarea Phillipi, Northern IsraelTuesday, 23 June 2015

The Gates of Hades, Caesarea Phillipi, 30 ADTuesday, 23 June 2015

• Jesus deliberately chose this place to ask His disciples who they believed He was.

• Peter cried out “You are the Messiah the Son of God”.

• Jesus said that this was the faith that was going to be the foundation of "My church".

• The rock was the the gate of Hades that was the centre of pagan worship.

• He declared that the assembly which was created and united by their belief in Jesus as the Son of God was going to overcome all the pagan idolatry and false belief symbolised by the rock they were facing.


• “The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:12–13, NLT)

• In a human body the head controls all the rest of the body. The believers are united by their love and obedience to Jeus Christ and by their love for each other.


• The purpose of the church, is to carry on the work of Jesus of proclaiming the good news of the forgiveness of sin, healing the sick, casting out evil spirits and push back Satan's rule of darkness on the earth.

• “ His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to His eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Ephesians 3:8–11, NIV84)


• Jesus final instructions to His followers

• “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 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, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.” (Matthew 28:18–20, NKJV)

• First make known the good news "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations."

• Second the church must baptize new disciples and teach them all that Jesus taught.


• Baptism is a public declaration that you believe in Jesus and now belong to His body.

• “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:13, NKJV)

• By and through baptism in water you become a member of the Body of Christ.


• “For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.” (Romans 12:4–5, NKJV)

• Belonging means caring, loving fellowship.

• Every believer should belong to a small group a house group:

• meet and eat together.

• learn from God's word.

• experience the joy of true Christian fellowship.


• Two important practical applications

• A believer must meet regularly with a church in which there is fellowship. This is a life or death issue.

• We must as members of Christ Body make every effort to reach out to other believers and seekers with God's care and love to draw them into the body of Christ that they too may enjoy the fellowship of all believers united under our glorious Head Jesus Christ.


Spiritual

What About The Church?