CHURCH! THAT WORD, ALONE, BRINGS ABOUT MANY DIFFERENT IDEAS AND UNDERSTANDINGS. I HAVE HEARD IT DESCRIBED AS JUST A BUILDING OR AS A PLACE CHRISTIANS GO ON SUNDAY. PERHAPS, THOSE DEEPER IN FAITH WOULD CALL IT A GROUP OF BELIEVERS.
WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT CONCEPTS OF WHAT “CHURCH” MEANS TO US. IF WE ARE STILL UNSURE, WE CAN ALWAYS GO DIRECTLY TO “THE SOURCE” AND WHAT THE FREE METHODIST CHURCH SAYS ABOUT THE CHURCH:
“IT IS CLEAR FROM SCRIPTURE THAT THE CHURCH IS OF GOD AND FOR PEOPLE. IT IS HIS CREATION. CHRIST IS ITS HEAD. THE CHURCH IS THE PEOPLE OF GOD CHOSEN FOR A PURPOSEFUL PARTNERSHIP IN ACCOMPLISHING THE WILL OF GOD ON EARTH…
GOD – FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT – TAKES A REDEEMED PEOPLE INTO PARTNERSHIP TO SHARE IN HIS ACTIVITIES AND TO REALIZE HIS PURPOSES. THE CHURCH IS THE ORGANIC, CORPORATE INSTRUMENT GOD HAS CHOSEN TO REMAKE PEOPLE AND SOCIETY. IT HAS A MISSION OF HOLY LOVE. THE CHURCH EXISTS TO PRODUCE CHRISTLIKENESS IN ALL PEOPLE AND THEIR INSTITUTIONS. THUS OUR MISSION MAY BE DESCRIBED AS PARTICIPATION WITH GOD IN BRINGING HOLINESS AND LOVE TO BEAR UPON THE SINS, HURTS, AND NEEDS OF ALL PEOPLE.”
THE CHURCH IS NOT TO BE THOUGHT OF AS AN INANIMATE OBJECT THAT HOUSES RELIGIOUS EVENTS. WHEN WE THINK OF THE CHURCH, WE MUST GET PAST THE CONCEPT OF IT BEING NOTHIING MORE THAN “REAL ESTATE” THAT IS “NOT LIVING OR THAT DOES NOT MOVE ON ITS OWN.”
THE CHURCH IS NOT AN ORGANIZATION OR STATIC INSTITUTION, BUT AN ORGANISM THAT IS LIVING, BUILDING, AND GROWING. THE WORD JESUS USES HERE FOR CHURCH IN VERSE 18 IS “EKKLESIA” (EK-LAY-SEE-UH). THE BASIC DEFINITION OF CHURCH: “ASSEMBLY, GATHERING” OR “CONGREGATION.” THE LITERAL MEANING IS “CALLED OUT.”
LIKEWISE, THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST IS COMPOSED OF CALLED-OUT PEOPLE, WHO HAVE THE SPECIAL PRIVILEGE OF FUNCTIONING TOGETHER AS THE CONGREGATION OF GOD.
THE CHURCH IS THE GATHERING OF THOSE BELIEVING IN JESUS CHRIST. THIS GATHERING IS NOT LIMITED TO BUILDINGS ON SUNDAY. GOD IS TRANSCENDENT. WE CAN BE HIS CHURCH ANWHERE AT ANY TIME. THERE IS NOT A PLACE WHERE WE CANNOT BE THE CHURCH WHEN IT IS ALIGNED TO THE CHIEF CORNER STONE OF JESUS AND SET FIRMLY UPON THE FOUNDATION JESUS LAID FOR US THROUGH THE APOSTLES AND PROPHETS.
EPHESIANS 2:19-21, “…YOU ARE MEMBERS OF GOD’S FAMILY. TOGETHER, WE ARE HIS HOUSE, BUILT ON THE FOUNDATION OF THE APOSTLES AND THE PROPHETS. AND THE CORNERSTONE IS CHRIST JESUS HIMSELF. WE ARE CAREFULLY JOINED TOGETHER IN HIM, BECOMING A HOLY TEMPLE FOR THE LORD….”
1 CORINTHAINS 3:10-11, “BECAUSE OF GOD’S GRACE TO ME, I HAVE LAID THE FOUNDATION LIKE AN EXPERT BUILDER. NOW OTHERS ARE BUILDING ON IT. BUT WHOEVER IS BUILDING ON THIS FOUNDATION MUST BE VERY CAREFUL. FOR NO ONE CAN LAY ANY FOUNDATION OTHER THAN THE ONE WE ALREADY HAVE—JESUS CHRIST.”
PETER BELIEVES THAT JESUS CHRIST IS THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD. THIS DIVINE REVELATION THAT HELPED PETER BELIEVE THIS TRUTH IS THE FOUNDATION STONE OF THE CHURCH’S FAITH AND BELIEF. WE ECHO THE WORDS OF DAVID’S SONG IN 2 SAMUEL 22:2-3, “THE LORD IS MY ROCK, MY FORTRESS, AND MY SAVIOR; MY GOD IS MY ROCK, IN WHOM I FIND PROTECTION.”
I LIKE THE WORDS OF WILLIAM BARCLAY: “[PETER] IS NOT THE ROCK ON WHICH THE CHURCH IS FOUNDED; THAT ROCK IS GOD. HE IS THE FIRST STONE OF THE WHOLE CHURCH. PETER WAS THE FIRST PERSON ON EARTH TO DISOCVER WHO JESUS WAS; HE WAS THE FIRST PERSON TO MAKE THE LEAP OF FAITH AND SEE IN HIM THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD.”
WHAT JESUS IS CONFIRMING IN PETER IS HIS UNDERSTANDING AND BELIEF IN WHO JESUS IS AS THE SON OF GOD. THEREFORE, WITH THAT BELIEF, PETER BECOMES THE FIRST STONE TO BEGIN BUILDING THE CHURCH OFF THE FOUNDATION AND CORNER STONE OF CHRIST.
THIS IS GOOD NEWS FOR US! WHAT HE IS ALSO SAYING IS THAT ANYONE WHO DOES LIKEWISE AND MAKES THIS SAME DISCOVERY AS PETER WILL BECOME OTHER STONES THAT WILL BE ADDED INTO THE EDIFICE OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST.
JOHN 20:30-31, “THE DISCIPLES SAW JESUS DO MANY OTHER MIRACULOUS SIGNS IN ADDITION TO THE ONES RECORDED IN THIS BOOK. BUT THESE ARE WRITTEN SO THAT YOU MAY CONTINUE TO BELIEVE THAT JESUS IS THE MESSIAH, THE SON OF GOD, AND THAT BY BELIEVING IN HIM YOU WILL HAVE LIFE BY THE POWER OF HIS NAME.”
IN HIS SERMON "OF THE CHURCH" JOHN WESLEY SAID THE CHURCH IS, IN THE PROPER SENSE, "A CONGREGATION, OR BODY OF PEOPLE, UNITED TOGETHER IN THE SERVICE OF GOD…EVEN TWO OR THREE UNITED IN CHRIST'S NAME, OR A CHRISTIAN FAMILY, MAY THEREFORE BE CALLED A CHURCH…THE PRIMARY MEANING IS VISIBLE, GATHERED LOCAL CONGREGATION. BUT IN A BROADER SENSE "CHURCH" MEANS "THE CATHOLIC OR UNIVERSAL CHURCH; THAT IS, ALL THE CHRISTIANS UNDER HEAVEN, UNDERSTOOD AS MADE UP OF ALL THE LOCAL CONGREGATIONS IN THE WORLD.”
LET US REMEMBER THAT THE CHURCH IS NOT DEFINED BY SET RITUALS, GOOD WORKS, OR ANY INSTITUTIONAL PRACTICES. AS THE FREE METHODIST CHURCH TEACHES, “THE CHURCH IS OF GOD AND FOR PEOPLE. IT IS HIS CREATION. CHRIST IS ITS HEAD. THE CHURCH IS THE PEOPLE OF GOD CHOSEN FOR A PURPOSEFUL PARTNERSHIP IN ACCOMPLISHING THE WILL OF GOD ON EARTH.”
THE “ARCHITECTURE OF THE CHURCH” IS WHEN EACH PERSON JOYFULLY DELCARES THEIR OWN DISCOVERY THAT JESUS CHRIST IS LORD AND BECOMES ANOTHER BUILDING STONE OF THE CHURCH, SO THAT, AS ACTS 19:20, SAYS, “…THE MESSAGE ABOUT THE LORD [WILL] SPREAD WIDELY AND [HAVE] A POWERFUL EFFECT.” LET US CONTINUE TO LOVE GOD, LOVE OTHERS, AND MAKE DISCIPLES!
