Series: Questions About the Church
Title: What Exactly IS the Church?
Scripture:1 Corinthians 1:1-19
1 Cor 1:2, 11
2 To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ — their Lord and ours:
11 My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you.
Introduction
Once upon a time a certain king called on three blind men to describe an elephant. The first, who was touching a leg, said, "An elephant is much like a tree trunk." The second blind man, who was holding on to the tail, said, "An elephant is like a snake. It is much smaller around than a tree and does not come to the ground." The third blind man reached for the elephant and felt its trunk. He said, "You are both wrong. The elephant is like a giant vacuum cleaner."
Descriptions of the church are much like this story of the three blind men and the elephant. Each person who comes into contact with the church has a different impression of what the church is like.
I. Some people think of the church as a geographical location.
Probably the most general way we refer to the church is that it is a geographical location. If you were going to come up here and do some landscaping or yard work on the church property, and someone asked you what you were fixing to do, you might answer, “I’m going to do some work around the church.” You would be talking about the general geography of the church; the whole area of the church. It’s a plot of ground that you could locate on a map. Look at verse 2:
2 To the church of God in Corinth…
When Paul uses this phrase, he is identifying the geographical location of this church. Corinth was one of the four most important cities of that day. It was on a narrow isthmus that linked northern and southern Greece. And it was very important because of that.
The Panama Canal was built on an isthmus in Central America. It was built to connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. When ships used the canal they saved time, because they didn’t have to go around South America. It wasn’t as dangerous as the sea going around the cape. It saved money, making the cost of shipping less. It was very valuable.
Even though Corinth didn’t have a canal, it was more beneficial for ships to unload their cargo on one side of the isthmus and carry it to the other side where it was loaded on other ships. Because of this, Corinth became very wealthy, but was, also, godless and immoral. Here in this sinful, cosmopolitan kind of place is a church.
I don’t think it’s best to say that the church is a geographical location, but the location often helps to give an identity to the church. Our church is located in a geographical place—in this particular area of the state, in the rural area outside of this town, in this county. And the history of this area, and the people of this area have had an impact on this church, and will have an influence on this church in the future.
II. Some people think of the church as a building.
When some people refer to the church, they are talking about the actual building.
The next time you are driving through an unfamiliar town—big or small, it doesn’t matter—see if you can identify any of the buildings as churches. That’s not going to be a very difficult task, is it? Churches all over our country can be pretty easily pointed out, by the steeples—some with crosses, some without—stained glass windows or that arch-shaped window, columns out front, cemeteries beside or behind the building.
There are some great benefits to having a church building in which to meet. You have space for classes, a large space for worship times, equipment and conveniences, like air conditioning, you can make provision for special events, bigger events, community events.
Well, the church at Corinth, was not likely to have been blessed to have the kind of building we think of. As a matter of fact, these verses don’t even refer to a building at all. The church at this time met in people’s homes.
Look at verse 11:
11 My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you.
Now, I don’t want to focus on the fact that there were quarrels or that someone informed Paul about them, I want you to see ‘Chloe’s household.’ Chloe must have been known among the church people there. And those who lived in her house must have known the church people well. It doesn’t say it, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the church actually met in HER house!
You know, for many years the church didn’t have buildings like we have today, and the church grew like crazy. In our country there are church buildings on many corners, and people are LEAVING the church like crazy. I think there’s something to be said for church people meeting together in one another’s homes for Bible study and fellowship and ministering to one another. There are some churches today that have grown incredibly because they meet in homes every week. That’s where they have their Bible study time together. It’s a lot less formal; it’s very personal. These are people that you are likely to become closer friends. These are the people whose phone numbers you put on your phone book.
There are some benefits to thinking of the church as a building, but it’s not limited to a building, is it?
III. The church is a group of people who have put their faith in Jesus.
2 To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ — their Lord and ours:
What does that word ‘sanctified’ mean? If it’s used as a noun, it is translated as ‘saint’ or ‘saints.’ And if it’s used to simply describe someone or some thing, it is translated as ‘holy.’ It literally means ‘to separate something (from other things).’
When I was growing up, I remember when we were getting dressed to go to church, my mom or my grandmother, depending on where we were, would tell us to put on our ‘Sunday clothes.’ Or if you were going to a wedding or a funeral, you would ‘put your Sunday clothes on.’
Now, did you wear your Sunday clothes to school? No. Did you wear your Sunday clothes to play in the yard? No. To play football or baseball? No. To work on the farm? No.
Those clothes were separated from the rest of your clothes. They were set apart for certain occasions.
In the Scripture, when we are separated from sin (from things that are immoral or ungodly) and we are set apart for fulfilling His will and purposes, we would be described with this word. Now, we know that we can only be ’sanctified’ when we admit our sinfulness to God, and believe Jesus died for us and rose again, and we ask for His forgiveness and surrender to let Him have full control over our lives.
When we’ve put our faith in Jesus this way, we are ‘saints;’ we are called to be ‘holy.’
So, the church is a group of people who have put their faith in Jesus.
Now, because we have public meetings, and because we often invite our friends and families to church meetings, not everyone who attends a church has put their faith in Jesus. And there are children who may be too young to understand what it means to put their faith in Jesus. That’s OK. They are in an environment where they can learn what it means to put their faith in Jesus, and then, to live out that faith day by day.
Now, there are some people who may have grown up in the church. They learned many Bible stories or Bible verses. They participated in many of the church’s meetings and rituals. And they’re not bad people; they’re good, moral people—like the people at church. And they somehow come to believe that THIS is what makes them part of the church. And while they believe that the things in the Bible are true, they have not put their faith in Jesus. They have not opened up their hearts to God in prayer and asked for God’s forgiveness and have not wholeheartedly turned our their lives to His control.
But they believe they are part of the church—they may actually BE church members—but they haven’t put their faith in Jesus, and they are not really part of the church.
Conclusion
So, what exactly is the church?
Some of what is, is wrapped up in its geographical location.
The building can be useful and provide for church ministry to take place, but it’s much more than that.
The church is a group of people who have put their faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, and, while they are not perfect, they are living every day of their with the desire to please Jesus.
Invitation
Have you put your faith in Jesus as your Savior and Lord?
