#7 We Believe In The Body Of Christ-The Church Series

Over the past couple of months we have looked at the basics of our Christian beliefs. We considered God’s natural revelation of Himself to all. How we believe in God because our observation of the world demands it. We looked at our belief in the word of God, the Bible, through which we come to know Him and His plan for us. We believe in Jesus, God the Son, through whom God showed His love by sending Him into the world to save us from our sins. We believe in the God the Holy Spirit, by whom we were convicted of our sins and how the Spirit is the seal or guarantee of our salvation. We believe in God’s grace and mercy by we are save through faith.

But how are we to live? God did not leave us alone, and yes we have his presence through His Holy Spirit, but He, that is Jesus, gave to us the Church, through which we live in community with one-another and through which we grow and serve. As we will see, Jesus never called anyone to be a lone ranger Christian. Church membership is not an option. Paul instructs us that:

1 Corinthians 12:27 Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.

As a believer in Jesus, a saved soul for whom Christ died, we are His earthly body and as Christians, we cannot live apart from the body. If I were to pluck out my eye, or cut off my hand, that eye of hand would die. The same is true if we cut ourselves off from the body of Christ. As Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus, most of the letter deals with the community of believers the church. We will look at a small portion of the instruction he gives in that letter this morning.

Ephesians 1:22–23 and Ephesians 2:19–22

D. L. Moody was visiting a prominent Chicago citizen one cold winter day when the idea of church membership and involvement came up. "I believe I can be just as good a Christian outside the church as I can be inside it," the man said. Moody said nothing. Instead, he moved to the fireplace, blazing against the winter outside, removed one burning coal and placed it on the hearth. The two men sat together and watched the ember die out. "I see," the other man said. [1]

Church membership by itself never saved anyone. But once save, a Christian will never be effective and live up to the potential God has intended with out being part of a church. If we are called to come to Jesus and to be a saved believer, we are also called to the church, to be the church, to become a functioning part of the body.

As we look through the New Testament, especially the books of Acts and the writings of Paul, the church is central to the overall message. The instructions given are to the church and not to individual members. How we are act and how we are to care for one another is all in context of the church.

Open your Bibles and look at today’s passages from Ephesians. Just considering these few verses for a moment, look how Paul describes the church:

Ephesians 1:22-23 … the church, 23 which is His body

Ephesians 2:19 … God’s household

Ephesians 2:21 … holy temple in the Lord

Ephesians 2:22 … a dwelling of God in the Spirit

The church, by its very name in the Greek, deals with a gathering of God’s people. The word for which we translate as “church” is most often the Greek word “ekklesia,” which sometime is translated as assembly. We are, as individuals, the assembled people of God. The “ekklesia” means more than just an assembly of people, but people assembled for a purpose. We are gathered for a purpose. One of those purposes is for corporate worship as we are doing today. The writer of Hebrews tells us:

Hebrews 10:24–25 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

We stimulate one another to love and good deeds when we are together, not when we are apart. We are clearly instructed to not forsake our gathering together. And we need to be all the more anxious to come together “as you see the day drawing near.” And what day is that? That day when Jesus comes. Look around, we are closer than ever.

In the Old Testament, God met the people in the Temple. The structure was built for that purpose. In the Holy of Holies in the middle of this most elaborate building, God met with the priest once a year. The priest chosen for that honor once a year would enter with a rope tied around him so if he fell dead or faint, he could be pulled out without anyone entering that very holy place.