What Is The Church?
Our text today is found in Matthew chapter sixteen. Follow along with me as I read:
"Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" And they said, "Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets." He *said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. "I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it." Matthew 16:13-18 (NASB)
Did you know the word church is not found in the Old Testament. The first person that I know of that used this term was Jesus himself. He is the one who initiated the concept of church. In the New Testament the word church is used 73 times. It is a New Testament concept.
Before we look at what the church is - let me say what it is not. It is not a social club. It is not a business. It is not a museum. The church is not even a building. Did you know that that the first Christians did not even have the concept of the church as being a building? How could they - they had no buildings – but they still had churches.
What is the Church then? What does the Bible say? The Bible says that:
1. The church is a fellowship.
2. The church is a family.
3. The church is a flock.
4. The church is a body.
Let's look at each of these closer:
1. The Bible says the church is a FELLOWSHIP
The Bible tells us that Christians were gathering together and:
"They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." Acts 2:42 (NASB)
Fellowship is not just something the church is - it’s something we do. In the dictionary the word “fellowship” is both a noun and a verb. In our church fellowship is both a noun and a verb also.
What is fellowship? The best definition is "Two fellows on the same ship." You’re headed in the same direction. You get to know each other and you associate with one another because you’re going in the same direction. That’s what fellowship is. Fellowship is all of us together heading in the same direction. As Christians, we’re all headed to heaven. A top priority in fellowship is harmony and unity. Do you know you can have unity without having uniformity. Have you noticed we’re all different? We have different colored hair. Our eyes are different colors. Some are taller than others. We’re different ages. We have different experiences. We are different. God loves that. God loves diversity. Thank God we’re not all alike. It would really be boring if there was only vanilla ice cream in the world. I like 31 flavors - and so does God. He doesn't really what us to have uniformity - He wants us to be in unity with one another. In First Peter we find:
"Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing." 1 Peter 3:8-9 (NKJV)
The Bible teaches that anything that causes disunity is sin. There are a bunch of verses that says anybody that causes conflict in the church is sinning. When you cause conflict in a church - when you get Christians mad at other Christians - what you’re doing is destroying the fellowship. If you destroy the fellowship, you don’t have a church.
The Message Bible states 1st Peter 3:8 this way,
"Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that's your job, to bless. You'll be a blessing and also get a blessing." 1 Peter 3:8-9 (MSG)
The church is to be a fellowship but also:
2. The church is a FAMILY
Did you know that when you become a Christian some things change? God becomes your Father, Jesus becomes your Savior and other Christians become your brothers and sisters. We are part of God's family - that is why we can pray together the Lord's prayer and say, "Out Father who art in Heaven..."
How do families operate? They operate on the basis of relationships. How are we to relate to one another? Like a family - that’s what the Bible says. 1stTimothy 5:1-2 says,
"Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, with all purity.”
The Bible says we’re to treat each other like a family because we are children of God. The church is a family. We are to get along like brothers and sisters in Christ. We are to treat each other with respect. We are to listen to our Father and obey Him. We’re not a country club. You’re not some committee. The Bible says we are family.
The Bible also says that:
3. The church is a FLOCK
This was Jesus’ favorite description of the church. He called it "My little flock". Therefore the church is cared for and led by shepherds. Shepherds lead, feed and oversee. In John chapter twenty one Jesus is talking to Peter and he says,
"`Do you really love me?’ `Yes, Lord,’ said Peter. `Then take care of My sheep.’”
In a church a pastor is to take care of a flock. My primary job is to lead, feed and oversee. The shepherd is to take care of the flock.
I want you to notice something in John 21. Not one time did Jesus ask Peter if he loved sheep. He asked Peter if he loved him. I think what Jesus is saying is if you love me – love my sheep also. When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was – what did He say? “You shall love the Lord your God and love your neighbor too.” In other words – love God and love people. The church is God’s flock that needs loving care.
At my house I have seven Toulouse geese. They are a small flock. Do you know what I have found with my flock of geese at home? They stick close together. One of them will go this way and the rest will follow - or one goes that way and pretty soon all of them are going that way. They stick together. They know that in a flock there is strength in numbers. They watch out for one another.
Did you know that in the Bible there are a lot of "one anothers"? In the New Testament we are told to - greet one another - encourage one another - live at peace with one another - build up one another - comfort one another - admonish one another - love one another. A flock is to watch out for one another. So it is in the church. We are to watch out for one another.
We are a fellowship, we are a family, we are flock - but also:
3. The church is a BODY
Look at what we find in First Corinthians:
"For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body so also is Christ." 1 Corinthians 12:12
There are many verses in Scripture that says the church is the body of Christ. We are a body - not a business. We are an organism - not an organization. Therefore whatever your gifts and talents are you have been placed here to help the whole body. We are a body. Can I function without a hand? Sure I can – but not as well as if I have two healthy hands. Can I function without a foot? Sure I can - but not as well as if I have two healthy feet. Each part of the body is important. Each part has a function - and when each part is functioning - the body is healthy. Whatever you’re gifted at, that’s your part in the body of Christ and we need you.
Should everyone have the same gifts? Should everyone have the same abilities? No. Each person has their own function. Look at what the Bible tells us:
"For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot says, "Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body," it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. And if the ear says, "Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body," it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired." 1 Corinthians 12:14-18 (NASB)
There is diversity and yet there is unity. We are a body not a business.
I would like us to look at one other scripture before we close today. It is found in Ephesians chapter four:
"And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ" Ephesians 4:11-12 (NASB)
From these verses can you see why there are pastors and teachers in the church? Look closely. Pastors and teachers are given - for the equipping of the saints - for the work of service - for the building up of the body of Christ. God's Word translation says:
"He also gave apostles, prophets, missionaries, as well as pastors and teachers as gifts {to his church}. Their purpose is to prepare God's people, to serve, and to build up the body of Christ." Ephesians 4:11-12 (GW)
Pastors and teachers are to prepare God's people to serve - that the body of Christ would become stronger. The church is a Fellowship. The church is a Family. The church is a Flock. The church is a Body joined together to serve. We need to serve one another. We need to serve our community. We need to serve Christ.
(Sermon Starter – Notes from Rick Warren)
