The Church

 

In Matthew 16:15-18 Jesus  said to His disciples, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”

 

The Greek word for “church” in this passage is “ekklēsia”, meaning the whole body of Christians scattered throughout the earth, but can also mean an assembly of Christians gathered for worship in a religious meeting. The 1828 Webster’s dictionary confirms the definition of the word “church” as: 1. The collective body of Christians, or of those who profess to believe in Christ, and acknowledge Him to be the Savior of mankind. In this sense, the church is called the Universal Church. 2. The disciples of Christ assembled for worship in a particular place, as in a public house of worship or a private house. And adds 3. A house consecrated to the worship of God, among Christians; the Lords house. The Greek, to call out or call together, denotes an assembly or collection.  

 

Our Wednesday evening Small Group Bible Study started a new video series titled “Letters to the Church” by Pastor Frances Chan, which begins by asking “what would you understand church to be if the Bible was your only source of information?” Immediately the definition of “the body of born-again Believer and worshippers, saved by grace through faith, and disciples of Jesus as Savior and Lord, with Christ as the head. Obedient to do what God teaches and commands, and willing to do whatever God asks.

 

Pastor Chan states, But worship is not about our feelings; it is all about God. He is the object of our worship, and His thoughts should be our sole concern when Christians come together to worship. God gave us holy Scripture to guide us in our pursuit of Him, and we need to heed what He says. Pastor Chan asks: If we show up to Sunday services, serve in a ministry or two, and give money to our church, but do little else for the Church the rest of the week, what does that really say about how we view God?  Note: church with a lower case “c” denotes the disciples of Christ assembled for worship in a particular place [the local church], but Church with a capital “C” denotes the collective body of Christians worldwide, professing to believe in Christ, and acknowledge Him to be the Savior of mankind [the Universal Church].      

 

We take comfort in the fact that ultimately God is in control, has a vision for His Church and He will empower us for the Kingdom work required to achieve that vision. We need to take ownership of and be devoted to stewarding His Church well, but we can find rest in knowing that we are simply joining in what He is already doing in His overarching plan. 

 

Revelation 22:20-21 says, He [Jesus] who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. Pastor Chan concludes that God’s people need to live in the light of the eternity that is coming very soon. This means to live with hope and vision for what the Church here on earth can be. But, it also means living with a sense of urgency. The Church needs to be willing to lay aside anything that hinders us or any sin that could entangle us in our pursuit of holiness and righteousness before the Supreme Being, Almighty God, our heavenly Father.

In Christ, Brian