What Is The Church?

What do you think? Do the majority of Christians don’t understand what the Church is. We gain our understanding of church from attending a service every week with people who we mainly agree with. Is church the way we worship? Is church the building we have our Sunday services in? What is the church?

What Is The Church?

The word “church” comes from the Greek word ekklēsia (ek-klay-see’-ah). This word generally means “a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place, an assembly”

Ekklesia also refers to the whole body of believers spread across the globe. This includes both those alive today and those who have already tasted heaven’s glory. This word conveys the importance of the gathering together of believers.

The Church is the body of Christ as we gather together – wherever and whenever that is.

The Church is The Body of Christ.

The Apostle Paul uses a clear analogy for the Church in 1 Corinthians 12.

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:12, ESV

You cannot be a Christian alone. It is impossible to be a part of a body if the body parts are not connected.

It doesn’t really matter what style or size your church is. Your denomination is just a small part of the larger Church. The Gathering of believers, the coming together as Christ’s body is what matters the most.

Why The Church Matters

As a believer, the assembly of the body matters a great deal. The writer of Hebrews actually warns us of trading our view of the total body of Christ for an individualistic mindset.

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, ²⁵ not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Hebrews 10:24-25,  ESV

There are two main reasons being connected to the body of Christ through a local assembly of believers is important.

1. Connection to the source of Life.

In a physical body, blood flow matters. The Bible talks about how there is life in the blood – it is the life source of the body. The blood does not stay pooled up in the heart or run through only one hand. If it did there would be huge problems, probably resulting in death. Instead, the blood flows through the whole body bringing life and nourishment to each and every member.

If a hand is removed from the body it no longer receives blood with nutrients and life-sustaining power. It will simply die and slowly rot away. When the hand is connected to the body, the blood flows into it to give it what it needs. It then flows through the hand to the rest of the body.

Being connected to a local assembly means we are part of a system of life-sustaining power that flows into us to give us what we need and flows out of us to the rest of the body for what it needs.

2. The Source of Direction in our Lives.

The physical body cannot move without the brain. The neurons in the brain don’t just function for the brain itself, but to communicate and move the rest of the body to action.

To think we do not need the rest of the body, or to think we can fulfill God’s call on our lives alone is like thinking we can move our hand without our brain.

The hand has great potential. With our hands, we can easily experience the soft fur of a fluffy pet or find satisfaction in the work of creating, building, or putting something together. Our hands are great, powerful even. But our hands would be nothing without our brains telling them what to do. As I sit here typing this out, it is not my hands alone at work, but my brain telling them what to do.

A hand, if removed from the body, would no longer receive direction from my brain. It would cease to be useful. It would cease to move on its own.

Our connection gives us direction to live out our call

Like the hand above, we need to be connected to the body to receive direction to live out our call. When we are living within the body of Christ we are connected to the head of the body (scripture tells us the head of the church is Christ [Ephesians 5:23, Colossians 1:18]). As we are connected to the body, Christ speaks to us, giving us direction for our growth and for the growth and benefit of the whole body. When we are obedient to Christ’s word & direction, we fulfill our role in building His body.

Note: I am not condoning abusive churches where human leaders dictate what a person can and cannot do. My mom once told me a story of a church she attended telling her she wasn’t allowed to accept a job in another state because the church had not approved it. That is abuse and not godly leadership. (My mom rightly left that church, accepted the job, and now I’m here today.)

Spiritual Gifts are for Building the Church.

Being part of the Body of Christ benefits us and others. How do spiritual gifts play into this?

As the Church gathers together, we are told to consider how to stir up one another to love & good works. We are called to build each other up, encourage each other, and equip each other for life and mission.

God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.

1 Peter 4:10, NLT

Peter is encouraging us to use whatever gifts God has given to us to serve one another. It doesn’t matter what our gifts are, they benefit others. As believers, we are called to attend to the needs of other believers. How do we do this? Through the spiritual gifts and abilities, God so gracefully and lovingly bestowed on us. 

We have an interpretation of scripture that seems to make us think we can use our gifts on our own outside the body of believers, outside the assembly. I believe we should be the Church throughout the week. But our gifts are designed to be used in proximity to others.

Likewise, our gifts are not something we can wield for our own benefit. The power of the Holy Spirit is not our own personal power. Our spiritual gifts are given by God to be used for God.

What is my role in the Church?

Since our spiritual gifts arent meant for us alone, what is our role in the Church? Men and Women are not given spiritual gifts, just to stay at home with their families. We cannot hide our spiritual gifts. We are given gifts to use for the body, building the kingdom, and strengthening the Church. Every believer is a minister of the gospel and a carrier of God’s grace.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

1 Peter 2:9, ESV

Parents, don’t be tempted. Your ministry to your family is not your ministry to your church. Similarly, your family is not in competition with your ministry to the church. Your ministry to your family is just one part of your ministry in the Church.

As the Church, we are sent out in a community with other believers to be like Christ to the world around us. Parents are tasked to show their children who Christ is. Families are called to show their community the faithfulness of God’s steadfast love. We are all called to live out the gospel and minister or serve those around us with the help and connection of other believers.

We cannot fulfill God’s call on our own. And we cannot show the love of Christ alone. There are two clear realities: you need the church and the church needs you. God called you to be a part of His body. Look at your gifts, connect with a leader in your church, and ask how you can serve the body of Christ being who God created you to be. (You can usually find an opportunity to build the body while bringing your kids with you! This gives you an opportunity for family discipleship).

The Future of The Church

When we gather as a body of believers, connect ourselves to the life source of the body and the direction of God’s word…

When we use our gifts to build God’s kingdom and strengthen His body…

…What we’ll experience is a taste of the future church – the eternal church.

Our church gatherings today are a small image, a taste of what’s to come in eternity. In eternity, all believers will be drawn together as a holy assembly in the throne room of heaven. Where we will worship and glorify Christ together, forever.

Our Sunday mornings should draw believers to fix their eyes on Christ who is our head and our life. By doing this, we will taste eternity in our gathering.

Oh, what a sweet day it will be when all of God’s people come together in unity to sing and declare the mighty power and love of God! With no tears, no pain, no division, just unity around the SON.

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