LET THE CHURCH, BE THE CHURCH!

WHAT REALLY IS THE CHURCH?

GOD ONLY ANSWERS PRAYERS

THAT LINE UP WITH HIS

WILL! 1 JOHN 5:14-15

GOD PRIMARILY REVEALS HIS WILL

THROUGH THE HOLY BIBLE!

2 TIM. 3:16-17

DEFINITION

Church (Gk.) = ekklesia;

(ek = out, & kalein = "to call")

i.e. “God’s called out ones.”

Originally ekklesia (church)

described the calling together of

the regular assembly of all

citizens in a free city-state by the

herald for discussion & decision

of public business,

(e.g. Acts 19:39 – lawful assembly).

THE BIBLE THUS GIVES US TWO DIMENSIONS IN

THE DEFINITION OF THE WORD CHURCH.

IT IS THE ASSEMBLY OF :

1. All True Believers in Time & Eternity; who have obediently responded to God’s salvation call from out of the world system and into His Kingdom;

IT IS THE ASSEMBLY OF :

2. God’s regenerated members of parliament designed to execute His Kingdom Purposes in the

Earth

EARLY BIBLICAL USE OF

“CHURCH”

1st Use of Church “And… on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.” Matt 16:18

2nd Use of Church“And if he shall neglect to

hear … tell it to the church...” Matt. 18:17

THE CHURCH EXISTS IN SEVERAL FORMS:

The church is INVISIBLE, yet VISIBLE.

INVISIBLE is the church as God sees it – “The Lord knows those who are His...” 2 Tim. 2:19

THE CHURCH EXISTS IN SEVERAL FORMS:

The church is INVISIBLE, yet VISIBLE.

INVISIBLE is the church as God sees it –

VISIBLE is the church as Christians on earth see it – “...by their fruit you will recognize them.” Matt.7: 16-20

• The church is also local, national, regional and international (or global).

• Church may be applied to a group of believers at any size or location; ranging from a very small house group all the way up to the group of all true believers in the global church. N.B. Rom.16:5; 1Cor.1:2; Acts 9:31; Eph.5:25.

CHURCH is NOT the BUILDING; CHURCH is PEOPLE.

Therefore:

Establishing, Developing & Governing Church means

Establishing, Developing & Governing PEOPLE

Biblical evidence for building people:

1 Peter 2:5 – lively stones & spiritual house;

1Corinthians 3:16, 17 – God’s temple & indwelt by His Spirit;

Ephesians 2:20-22 – built together for God to inhabit by His Spirit.

These scriptures all point to SOLOMON’S TEMPLE.

The external glory of Solomon’s temple is to be replaced by the internal glory of God’s Living Temple ; i.e. You & Me

“Church as Building” is a legalistic and religious concept that over emphasizes the external to the neglect of the internal

N.B. THESE PASSAGES:

1 Samuel 16:7 “…Man looketh on the outward appearance … God looketh on the heart.”

Matt. 23:27 “... For you are like white-washed tombs, which indeed appear beautiful outside, but inside they are full of dead men's bones…”

Matt 7:21-23 “…I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity”

CLOSING REMARKS

We must prayerfully ensure that all our plans, policies, procedures and

programs flow out of God’s definition of His Church, namely that:

Church is essentially about People

who are in a Dynamic Covenant-

Relationship with God and Each Other

so that His Pre-ordained Purposes

may be Manifestly Done on Earth to

the same extent as they are in Heaven.

N.B. Matt. 6:10 & John 13:35