What is the Church?
Have we been operating under a false perception of what the Church is? Despite our cultural cues shaping our view of the Church, in Matthew 16, Jesus declares that He is building His Church. We outline five things the Church is and isn’t.
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Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ
13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock[a] I will build my church, and the gates of hell[b] shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed[c] in heaven.” 20 Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.
Pastor Tony Evans once illustrated that churches are like embassies. If you are in another country and step onto the soil of a United States Embassy, you are under US jurisdiction, meaning the country's laws no longer apply to you. The Embassy represents another country, and you have a responsibility to abide by their laws while inside.
In a sense, that's a good parallel for the Church of Jesus Christ.
The Church does not represent the county in which it exists. It represents another country altogether. That's why, as people of God, we're empowered to pray a fairly radical prayer.
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
In Matthew 16:18, Jesus declares that He will build His Church and the gates of hell will not overpower it. We all want to be part of the Church that Jesus is building. This isn't something we're building because only Jesus can build His Church.
What is the Church?
1) The Church is an Assembly of Believers
The word church comes from the Greek term, ekklesia, which refers to a gathering or assembly of believers. Therefore, for an operating definition of the Church, it is an assembly of people called out of both worlds into an embassy that represents the kingdom of God on earth and is a mission in expression.
However, the crowd is not the Church; just because you have a crowd does not mean you have a church. We could put a sign in front of our church that says “Free Beer this Sunday at 11 AM” and have a crowd, but that’s not the Church.
2) The Church is Not a Building
To say the Church is not a building doesn't mean that buildings aren't necessary or have a place. Instead, facilities are merely tools so we may gather to magnify God together corporately, enhance discipleship and missional expressions.
3) The Church is Inclusive & Exclusive
Something to be mindful of, though, the Church is both inclusive and exclusive.
It is inclusive in that all people are invited to repent their sins and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior. It is not God's desire that anyone would perish.
But it is also exclusive because many will not repent of their sins and confess Jesus as Lord. However, it is not elite. Because it is exclusive and inclusive, those in the Church are to have a servant's heart and esteem others to better themself.
4) The Church is Not Online
A word that has permeated church culture is an oxymoron: Online Church. It's one thing if you're sick, immunocompromised, or in a nursing home, but if you're healthy and in your pajamas on Sunday mornings while watching church via a livestream, that's not what God intended for you.
We’ll talk more about this in a minute when we address “social holiness.”
5) The Church Is Set Apart
Scripture utilizes the word "holy" when referring to the Church, which means to be set apart. We, as the Church, have been set apart from the culture.
The Old Testament counterpart called God's people "a holy nation" (Ex. 19:6).
We are "called to be saints (holy ones)" (Romans 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:2).
We are "set apart as holy" (2 Tim. 2:21).
We are chosen to be holy (Eph. 1:4).
We are "God's chosen ones, holy and beloved" (Col. 3:2).
We are "a holy priesthood" (1 Peter 2:5).
We are "a holy nation" (1 Peter 2:9).
We are "a holy temple" (1 Cor. 3:17)
There is a consistent thread that we are called out to be set apart. But there are many images of the Church in the Bible, but we want to look at the primary three.
The Church as the Body of Christ, Christ as the head of the Church (Ephesians 1:10; 4:15), and Christians are the body.
The Church as the "People of God" is another image of the Church. God says of the Church, "I will be their God, and they will be my people" (2 Corinthians 6:16; Hebrews 8:10 NIV).
The Church as the Bride of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:32; Revelation 19:7; 21:9).
The Importance of Christ’s Church
Is Christ and His Church mildly important, or is Christ and His Church infinitely important?
Many people, including people in the Church, have been culturally conditioned to have a low view of the Church. That happens because we take our cue from people rather than what Jesus has revealed. As a result, some people have a superficial understanding of Christ and His Church.
As a pastor, I often hear things like, "I feel closer to God when I'm fishing or outdoors." I love the outdoors, and some of my fondest memories come from times spent fishing with my family. So, yes, there are times when I do feel close to God in those experiences.
However, what's happened is we've allowed our personal experiences to trump what Jesus and the Scriptures say about the reality and sacredness of His bride, the Church.
Finding "Social Holiness"
"And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near." Hebrews 10:25 (NLT)
Neglect means failing to care for properly, giving little attention to respect, or omitting through indifference or carelessness. The Church is the embodied presence of believers and gathering of Christians. It's showing up for not only the glory of God but also our development.
John Wesley once said, "There's no holiness, but social holiness." What he means is that people do not grow as Christians in isolation.
Your Involvement Creates a Stronger Church
If other people follow your pattern, will Christ Church Memphis be a strong or weak church?
When you're not connected to a church and/or inactive in the Church's life, you are limiting what you will see God do. When you're connected to the Church, you will see God do things you would see if you tried to follow Him individually. You are not designed to follow God as a lone ranger.
"Now, when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, 'Who do people say that the Son of Man is?' And they said, 'Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.' He said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?' Simon Peter replied, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Matthew 16:13-16 (ESV)
Simon is expressing the confession that births an individual into the Church. He's declaring Jesus is the one predicted from Genesis to Malachi, the one they'd made sacrifices to in the tabernacle, and everything points to Him. But notice Jesus' response:
"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 tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Matthew 16:17-19 (ESV)
Now, this is not complicated. What does a key do? It opens doors.
And that's exactly what Jesus wants you to see. Jesus takes up residence in your heart through the confession of Christ as Lord and the surrender of your life. A new door has opened in your life, and as the door opens, you come into the kingdom through the person of Jesus. We're given keys to the kingdom.
Remember the Lord's Prayer. "Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven…." Whatever is bound on earth shall be bound in heaven, and what Jesus means is a huge blessing. So when you cry out, "God, I need you," He's able to make his grace abound towards you. He'll empower, strengthen and choose you.
But heaven's power is also loosed. As a church family, you're losing what God desires to do in and through us with greater power in you than outside of you that comes through the rock of Christ Jesus. He bled and died so that His Church could use keys that sow into the city. Rather than running when things get difficult, we can sow into our cities the love of God through Jesus Christ.
TL;DR
The Church does not represent the county in which it exists. It represents another country altogether.
What is the Church?
The Church is an Assembly of Believers
The Church is not a Building
The Church is Inclusive & Exclusive
The Church is Not Online
The Church is Set Apart
The Importance of Christ’s Church
If other people follow your pattern, will Christ Church Memphis be a strong or weak church?
When you're connected to the Church, you will see God do things you would see if you tried to follow Him individually.
When you surrender your life a new door has opened, and as the door opens, you come into the kingdom through the person of Jesus.
He bled and died so that His Church could use keys that sow into the city.
Related Reading
Why Should I Read the Bible by Bro. Chris Carter
Who We Are Depends on Whose We Are by Rev. Paul Lawler
About Christ Church Memphis
Christ Church Memphis is church in East Memphis, Tennessee. For more than 65 years, Christ Church has served the Memphis community. Every weekend, there are multiple worship opportunities including traditional, contemporary and combined services
