Newsletter Vol.3, #43—November 25, 2007
Matthew
12 11He
said to them, "Which one of you who has a sheep,
if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out?
12Of
how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the
Sabbath." 13Then he said to
the man, "Stretch out your hand."
And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other.
TEXT: Matthew 16:18 …upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.
A. There is probably no other religious term more commonly used, and concerning which a greater amount of confusion exists among men today than the term “church”.
1. We hear so much today about “My church,” “My wife’s church,” “Your church,” etc. that such expressions have caused some to regard the church of our Lord with no more reverence and of no more importance than a common man-made club or lodge!
B. But, why should men not understand the term “church”?
1. The Bible freely uses the term church ... it occurs more than 100 times in the N.T. {109?} (from the Greek word ekklesia, (ἐκκλησία).
2. It is used with such clearness and simplicity that there is really no reason for misunderstanding among those who have a proper respect for God’s Divine Truth!
a. We cannot have the attitude of: “I know the Bible says that, But I think...”
b. We must be willing to accept God’s Word!
1) All of God’s Word & ONLY God’s Word!
2) Must be guided by what the Bible SAYS, not by the SILENCE of it!
a) Speak as the oracles of God (I Peter 4:11).
b) Do not transgress God’ will (II John 9).
C. Before we find out what the church is, let us note what it is not:
1. The church of our Lord is NOT a DENOMINATION.
a. Existed several hundred years before any denomination was formed.
b. Can be a member of the Lord’s church without being a member of any denomination.
2. The church of our Lord is NOT a MATERIAL BUILDING.
a. We have a figure of speech called metonymy wherein one thing is put for another.
1) “I ate the whole plate.”
2) I hand my wife my empty coffee cup and say, “Get me another cup.”
b. So, we drive by a building built for the purpose of worshipping God in, and say, “That is a beautiful church.” But, we understand that is not the church! 1 Peter 2:5; Acts 17:24-25
I. WHAT IS THE CHURCH?
A. The Called Out ekklhVia).
1577. ἐκκλησία ekklesia, ek-klay-see'-ah from a compound of 1537 and a derivative of 2564; a calling out, i.e. (concretely) a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation (Jewish synagogue, or Christian community of members on earth or saints in heaven or both) : -- assembly, church.
Greek 1537 (ek) a primary preposition denoting origin (the point whence action or motion proceeds), from, out (of place, time, or cause; literal or figurative; direct or remote):
Greek 2564 (kaleo) akin to the base of 2753; to "call" (properly, aloud, but used in a variety of applications, directly or otherwise):--bid, call (forth), (whose, whose sur-) name (was (called)).
1. Called by the Gospel (2 Thess.2:14),
2. Called out of the world; out of darkness into light.
a. The commission of Paul, Acts 26:14-18; Col.1:12-14
B. The Saved, Acts 2:34-47
1. Salvation is in Jesus Christ (2 Tim.2:10)
2. But one cannot be in Christ without being in His church!
a. Baptized into Christ, Gal.3:27.
b. Baptized into the Body of Christ, 1 Cor.12:3.
c. But the body is the church! Col.1:18; Eph.1:22-23
3. Therefore, to be in Christ is to be in His body, which is the church!
a. There is no such thing as being saved, and then later being added to or “joining” or becoming a member of some church!
b. Those who say one can be saved outside the church just do not know or understand what the Bible teaches on salvation – the church consists of those who are saved!
C. The Sanctified, 1 Cor.1:1-2
1. To be sanctified simply means to be set apart.
2. It is to be consecrated = “full-handedness” (“I’ve got my hands full,.”)
3. Every Christian is sanctified or set apart when he obeys the gospel of Christ.
4. We are sanctified by—
a. --the Word of God, John 17:17
b. --the Blood of Christ, Heb.13:12
c. --Baptism, 1 Cor.6:11; Eph.5:25-27
II. THERE ARE VARIOUS TERMS FOUND IN THE N.T. PRESCRIBED TO THE CHURCH
A. Christ called it: My church (Matt.16:18); The church (v.17); The kingdom of heaven (v.19) and The kingdom of God (John 3:5; Luke 22:16).
B. The apostles called it: The church (Col.1:18; Eph.1:22; 3:10); The church of the Lord (Acts 20:28); The church of God (1 Cor.1:1; Gal.1:13); Churches of Christ (Rom.16:16); The house of God (1 Tim.3:15); The household of God (Eph.2:19); The household of faith (Gal.6:10); The kingdom of God (Acts 28:23, 31); The kingdom of God’s dear Son (Col.1:13); A kingdom which cannot be shaken (Heb.12:28); The body of Christ (1 Cor.12:27).
C. All these terms denote Ownership.
1. The church is God’s by virtue of the fact that He planned it from eternity (Eph.3:11).
2. The church is Christ’s by virtue of the fact He purchased it with His blood (Acts 20:28).
3. The government of the church is that of a kingdom.
a. Christ is the King; He is the Head of the church, His body.
III. THE TERM “CHURCH” IS USED IN THE N.T. IN TWO DIFFERENT SENSES
A. Universal, Matt.16:18 (Compare conversion of Eunuch and 3,000 {Acts 8 & 2}).
1. This is the one church of Eph.4:4; cf. 1:22-23
2. The church in the universal sense does not have any kind of organization.
3. There is no universal organization.
4. No earthly headquarters for the church universal for there is no such organization.
5. Nothing to tie-in local churches into a super organization – no pooling of resources to do a universal work for there is no universal work requiring such a tie-in.
a. The church universal is a spiritual relationship, consisting of all the saved of the earth, past and present.
B. There are only two passages in the four gospels where the word church appears:
Universal Sense
Matt.16:18 “…I will build my church;…” All saints (today, all saints both living and dead).
Local Sense
Matt.18:17 “…tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church,…”
Saints in a specific location banded together to serve God (a functional unit or collectivity).
B. Local. Paul wrote to local congregations at Corinth, Ephesus, Colossae, Thessalonica.
1. The church in the local sense is comprised of all the saved in a certain area that meet to worship God and accomplish the work God gave the local church to do. Area Churches
C. The church in the local sense IS an organization! It consist of:
1. Elders, who are called bishops, pastors, presbyters in the n.t.
a. These terms all refer to the same “office.” The Evangelist is not the elder or pastor!
b. In Acts 20:17, Paul sent for the elders or presbyters and in v.28 he calls them bishops or overseers.
c. These men {plural} had to meet certain qualifications (1 Tim.3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9).
2. Deacons. We read of certain men appointed to care for the neglected widows in the Jerusalem church (Acts 6).
a. Deacons serve under elders (Contribution for poor among saints sent to elders, not deacons, Acts 11:30.)
b. Their qualifications are found in 1 Tim.3:8-13.
3. Evangelist(s). Eph.4:11-12
a. For their qualifications, one would need to study 1 & 2 Timothy & Titus.
4. Members, who serve in word and deed (as: teachers, song leaders, etc.). 1 Cor.12:27
D. Local churches are not different denominations! All teach and practiced the same thing; all are comprised of Christians!
E. The beginning of the church: Acts 2 (v.47).
1. Did you know that the church can be persecuted by persecuting individual Christians?
Acts 8:3
D. The Greek word ekklhVia is used:
1. Of Israel of Old (LXX) In Acts 7:58 we read of “the ekklhVia in the wilderness.”
2. Of secular gatherings (Acts 19:34, 39, 41, a called together meeting of townspeople [assembly, KJV].
3. Of the spiritual relationship of people with God (Matt.16:18).
4. Of people in certain localities gathering to serve God.
a. So, basically, the idea of an assembly, group, gathering.
b. Religiously, the church is comprised of those in covenant relationship with God (universally) and locally, those in a certain locality meeting to serve and worship Him.
IV. WHAT DID THE WORSHIP OF THE LOCAL CHURCH CONSIST OF?
A. The Lord’s Supper (Matt.26:26-29; 1 Cor.11:26; Acts 20:7).
B. Giving (1 Cor.16:1-2; 2 Cor.9:6-7).
1. These two items were (are) peculiar to the First Day of the Week.
2. On the First Day of the Week, and at other times the church met, brethren engaged in.....
C. Prayer (Acts 2:42).
D. Teaching (preaching) (Acts 20:7).
E. Singing (Eph.5:19; Col.3:16).
V. WHAT IS THE WORK OF THE LOCAL CHURCH IN THE WORLD?
A. Evangelism (Matt.28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16; 1 Tim.3:15; 1 Thess.1:8).
B. Edification (Eph.4:11-12, 15-16).
C. Benevolence (the church cares for her own needy) (Acts 6:1-4; 1 Tim.5:16).
D. How is this work done? The church is complete and all-sufficient -- capable of performing the work God gave her to do.
1. No need for:
a. Missionary Society to do work of Evangelism.
b. Edification Society (college) to do work of edifying.
c. Benevolent Society (orphan home; old folks home; etc.) to do work of benevolence.
VI. EXAMPLES OF HOW THIS WORK OF THE LOCAL CHURCH WAS DONE IN N.T. TIMES: EVANGELISM AND EDIFICATION
A. Individuals going of their own volition and supporting themselves in the preaching (teaching) of the Word of God. (Acts 8:4-5; 18:1-4; 20:33-35; 1 Thess.2:9; 2 Thess.3:7-9).
B. One church supporting one evangelist. (Phil.1:3-5; 4:15-16)
C. One church supporting more than one evangelist. (Acts 11:22-26)
D. More than one church supporting more than one evangelist. (2 Cor.11:8-9)
1. No Missionary Society.
2. No Edification Society.
3. No sending funds from one church to another church who then sent to the preacher.
a. How do you know Macedonia didn’t send funds to the church at Corinth who then paid Paul?
b. Because Paul said, in effect, “I did not receive anything from you!” (1 Cor.9:11-18)
VII. EXAMPLES OF HOW THIS WORK OF THE LOCAL CHURCH WAS DONE IN N.T. TIMES: BENEVOLENCE
A. The local church took care of her own. (Acts 4:32-35; Acts 6:1-3)
B. one church contributed to more than one church (Antioch to Judea). (Acts 11:27-30)
1. Judea is a country. All church are to have elders (Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5).
2. Paul and Barnabas did not take the contribution to the elders of Jerusalem (as some claim), but to the elders of judea.
C. more than one church contributed to one church (Rom.15:26).
CONCLUSION
A. What is the church? Surely we have been able to see that the church is made up of the saved; in a universal sense it includes all the saved of earth and in a local sense it includes all Christians in a certain locality.
B. We can see that the church met to worship God by observing the Lord’s Supper and give of their means every Sunday. On that day, and every other day they met, they may also engage in prayer, singing and teaching (preaching) the Word of God.
C. We can see that the church is complete and sufficient to do all that God gave it to do. It is the institution in which and through which Christians preach the gospel to the lost, edify the saved, and care for the poor saints.