Christ And His Church

Christ and His Church

Text: Ps. 122:1; Eph. 5:25

Intro: The organism we call the Church, is a topic about which many have spoken and written over the years. Some believe the Church is universal and invisible, while others believe it to be strictly local and visible. I happen to believe there is aspects of both trains of thought involved in the idea of the Church. However, such matters of discussion are not my goal today. There are matters concerning the Church that I find more important than those just mentioned. Like Henry T. Blackaby, I believe that:

Perhaps one of the greatest challenges for Christianity in our day is for churches to so walk with God that the world comes to know Him through their witness. When a church allows God’s presence and activity to be expressed, a watching world will be drawn to Him. 1

Too many churches of our day are not walking with God. Perhaps that is because, overall, churches have forgotten what they are supposed to be. The Church is not simply an organization, but a living organism, the Body of Christ. As such, it is to be wholly under His authority, following His commands, and doing His bidding.

Many church members seem to view their church merely as a glorified business, in which the pastor and other officers are responsible for its success. Nevertheless, the Bible tells us that the Church is to function like a body, in which every member operates in concert with the other.

On the whole, the Church is not very important to the world. However, it should be important to the people of God. “But why?” you ask. I would like to provide some answers to that question today.

Theme: God’s people should consider the Church important because…

I. IT IS CHRIST’S BODY

A. The Church Belongs to Him.

Matt. 16:18 “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

1 Cor. 3:9b “…ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.”

Rev. 19:7 “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.”

NOTE: If the Church belongs to Christ, and it is as the Bible says, “the body of Christ,” why does not the Body resemble the Head?

Remember putting your face above a headless frame painted to represent a muscle man, a clown, or even a bathing beauty? Many of us have had our pictures taken this way, and the photos are humorous because the head doesn’t fit the body. If we could picture Christ as the head of our local body of believers, would the world laugh at the misfit? Or would they stand in awe of a human body so closely related to a divine head? 2

B. Christ is the Church’s Head.

Eph. 1:22 “And hath put all things under his (Christ’s) feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

23 Which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all.”

Eph. 5:23 “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

Col. 1:18a “And he is the head of the body, the church…”

NOTE: [1] My point here should be obvious: Jesus is the head of His church; not the pastor; not the deacons; and not the trustees, but Jesus. Certainly, the pastor, deacons, and or trustees bear authority in the local body of the Church. However, their authority is subject to the headship of Christ. This does not mean that your pastor is just another member of the church. He is the spiritual leader placed in the local body, under the authority of Christ. This means that the pastor of the local church bears a great responsibility to maintain a right relationship with Christ, Who has delegated authority to him.

[2] The fact is, “No one individual can know all of God’s will for a local church. Each member of the body needs the other members of the body to fully know God’s will.” 3

C. The Church is to be Holy.

1 Cor. 3:16 “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.”