What is the Church? (Part 2 of 3)

 CHURCH IS GOD'S HOUSE

 

            Three weeks ago, I started a three-part series on What is The Church? The basis of our study was the apostle Paul's advice to the Ephesian Church on how they should live as believers. He defined the Church in three different ways. Ephesians 2:19-22. Understanding these definitions informs us about how we live and relate to one another at Hope Church.

            We learned that we are members of God's family worldwide. Today, we will explore the second definition of what the Church is like. The Church is "God's House" in a spiritual sense. What is the first step involved in building a house? To search for a suitable property, find out if any criminal litigations are on that property, and then buy it and get it deeded to you. You then become the property owner and can build your dream house.

            God's House is not a physical structure, yet similar building principles are involved. However, the only difference is that a house is built with inanimate objects such as stones, wood, and bricks with no will. The Church, God's House, is a living organism built with messy and imperfect people, which makes the building process and the outcome more complicated. 

I. The Church is God's House.

            Ephesians 2:20, "Together, we are his House, built on the foundations of the apostles and the prophets. And the Chief Cornerstone Jesus Himself. In verse 19, the Apostle Paul puts the Jewish and Gentile believers at ease with each other by saying that they are one in God's family. He further emphasized that they were not just disjointed entities separate from each other, but they were being built together. Let's see how the Church is built together into God's House. There are three steps involved in Christian believers becoming a beautiful house of God.

A. We are not our own but bought at a high price and belonged to God.

            Someone who wants to build a physical house looks for litigation and corruption-free property before even offering to buy that property. Right!

            When Jesus wanted to build His Church, He did not look for a particular geographical location or a favorite destination; instead, He looked for people who would remain loyal to Him.

In his search, he bypassed the self-righteous people and instead picked rugged and uneducated fishermen. Some were even considered traitors and treated like the world's garbage and trash.

            People discarded them, yet Jesus saw them as precious gems of great value. He saw how receptive their hearts were to God's purposes. He thought He could redeem and build His Church by using them as "living stones." (I Peter 2:5). What price can you put on the human soul? What amount of sacrifices can you offer to redeem humans that are lost due to sin?

            There is nothing that can restore the broken relationship of humanity with God. So, Jesus had a plan! He offered himself as the ultimate sacrifice on the cross to bring back lost women and men to God. He restored their dignity and freed them from their bondage to sin and death.

            Several scriptures indicate that we were bought at a high price. Therefore, we are not our own but belong to God and for His purposes. Consider these scriptures: I Corinthians 6:20, "You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So, you must honor God with your body." When Paul said, "You were bought with a price," he meant believers were purchased and paid for with the sinless, spotless perfection of Jesus Christ's blood. "Bought at a price alludes to someone purchasing a slave at a slave auction. With His death, Jesus Christ paid the cost to redeem us from our slavery to sin:" Since God paid a high price for us, everything we do should be to the glory of God because we belong to Him. 

            Though unworthy, the apostle Peter was bought at a high price. Later, this was what he said to the scattered believers, I Pet 1:18-19, "For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God."

B. We are being built on the foundations of the Apostles and the Prophets

            What was the foundation of God's House like? Let me take you to the Gospel of Matthew, written by a tax collector, where Jesus made this powerful proclamation. Matthew 16:18, "Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means 'rock'), and upon this Rock, I will build my Church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it."

            This is the first time the ekklesia, frequently translated as "church," is mentioned in the entire N.T. The words Petros and Petra were translated as Rock, which had confused many. There was a wordplay in this verse. "You are "Peter" (Petros) means a small stone. (John 1:42).     Upon this Rock, "Petra," which means ("on this rock,") which means a foundation boulder, as in Matthew 7:24, 25. Peter uses the same imagery in his first epistle: the Church is built of numerous small petros "living stones" (1 Peter 2:5) who, like Peter, confess that Jesus is the Messiah and Son of the Living God—those confessions are the foundations of the Church.

            The builder of the Church is Jesus Christ, and His Church, God's House, will endure forever. It was built "on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets." The apostles here were referred to the first twelve whom Jesus called out. They were not perfect but were sold out for God. To them, Jesus commanded them to "go and make disciples of all the nations. Teach the new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you." Matthew 28:18-20

            Jesus chose the early apostles, and Paul was added to the list afterward. Their job was to lay the foundation of the Church, to receive, declare, and write God's word (Acts 11:28), and to confirm God's word through signs and wonders. The prophets were the gifted men in the early Church to equip the saints for ministry. (Eph 4:12). The early church believers devoted themselves to the "apostles" teachings. Subsequently, every established local Church has been built or ought to have been built upon the foundations of the apostles and the prophets.

C. Jesus is the Chief Cornerstone

            In a structural building, a cornerstone (foundation stone) is the first one placed. The rest will be set in reference to this stone, determining the position of the entire structure. Buildings were laid out with astronomical precision in relation to points of the compass, with emphasis on corners. Cornerstones symbolized "seeds" from which buildings would germinate and rise. It is the Rock upon which the weight of the entire structure rests, thus signifies its utmost importance.

            Various religious rituals and Bible references spread and perpetuated the cornerstone custom. When Jesus wanted to build His Church, He didn't entrust that tremendous responsibility to anyone. He took it upon Himself and became the Chief Cornerstone. Thus fulfilling the prophecy, "Psalm 118:22-23, "The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. This is the Lord's doing, and it is wonderful to see."

            No other religious leaders like Budha, Krishna, Muhamad, Confucious, etc, have ever said, "I will build this religion upon myself." Therefore, these manufactured religions may last a lifetime but only for a while. On the other hand, the Church, God's House, is far more superior than any religious or human establishment. It lasts and outshines any existing movement to eternity. No power of hell, no human scheme will ever be able to destroy the Church, God's House.

            What does this mean to us today? If you are born again Christians, you and other brothers and sisters joined by faith to the Chief Corner store Jesus Christ Himself. We are being built on the teachings of the apostles and prophets recorded in God's Word, the Bible. The strength of the building lies in the cornerstone, which is rightly joined with the other structural elements.

            Similarly, the Church's strength and impact, God's House, lies on Jesus Christ, our Chief cornerstone, and the household members are joined by following the teachings of the Apostles and Prophets. Therefore, we learn, worship, and work together at Hope Church. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is the Church? (Part 1 Of 3)

                                        WHAT IS THE CHURCH? (Part 1 of 3)

            In his book, Lee Eclov shared about a remarkable family in West Virginia that he read about. “Paul and Jeane Briggs have thirty-six children. Thirty-one were adopted from the United States, Mexico, Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, and Ghana. Paul and Jeane seek out hard-to-place older and special-needs kids. Jeane says, “It’s not for everybody, but it is what my husband and I feel called to do by our faith.” I wasn’t surprised to know that they are Christians.”

            Not many parents can open their homes so wide, but that’s just what churches were born to do. Churches should have a welcoming attitude toward the spiritual orphans, outcasts, and outlaws whom God brings to our attention. But so often, we don’t have that attitude. And that mindset, that indifference to the spiritually homeless both inside and outside our church doors, is what, more than anything else, keeps us from building a community that feels like a real family of God.”[1] What is our attitude towards people that God brings to Hope Church?

            The apostle Paul reminds the Ephesian believers how to operate in their community by giving them three definitions of a Church. Paul was not likening the Church to some metaphorical object; instead, he told them this was what they actually were. What is the Church? Paul defined the Church in three different ways. Ephesians 2:19-22

I. Church is God’s Family.

            We all know that the Church is not a concrete building but a living organism. It is a group of believers gathering in a place to share a common bond of love and celebrate their faith in God. Last week, we learned that, perhaps, certain Gentiles were not feeling at home in the Ephesian Church due to the unwelcoming and superior attitudes of Jewish believers. To change that unhealthy attitude, Paul reminded them that they were a family, so they should act like one.

            Ephesians 2:19, “So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens, along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family.” In NIV, it reads, “members of God’s household.” God’s family or household are the same.

            “The Church as home has always been a rich theme in the Bible. It is something we all long for. Family! A place where they take you in and set a place for you at the table. It is something that, sadly, too many do not enjoy or have walked away from, like someone who forgets their address. Part of pastoral work, of church leadership, is drawing people back home.”

            As none of us chose the earthly family we were born into, so was God’s family. It was all God’s doing. Paul says, “God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ.” It was his decision, and that gave him immense pleasure.

            You can only imagine how Gentiles who once felt rejected and ridiculed by the Jewish community wandering away without a home felt hearing these comforting words, “So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens, along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family.” All the believers in Christ belong to God’s family. What kind of God’s family is this? How can we relate to one another in Church: God’s family?

A. What is the Church made up of?

            After listing all the sinners who cannot enter God’s Kingdom, Paul qualifies the Corinthian believers by saying, “Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” I Cor 6:11. To the Colossians, he says, “It doesn’t matter whether you are a Jew or Gentile, slave or free, Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.” Col 3:11. We become part of God’s family through Christ Jesus our Lord. Regardless of our religious background, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or economic status, Christ lives in all of us.

            No matter who you are, in God’s family, we all have God as our Father and Jesus as our brother. That makes us brothers and sisters in God’s family. So, let us act like we are a family. These words, “brothers and sisters,” appear 130 times in the Bible. In some cases, they refer to the siblings in families, but most of the time, to “brothers and sisters” in God’s family.

            For instance, the Psalmist said, “I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters. I will praise you among your assembled people.” Psalm 22:22. This chapter refers to Jesus. Jesus revealed his true family at one point by pointing to the crowd and saying, “Look, these are my mother and brothers. Anyone who does God’s will is my brother, sister, and mother.” Mk 3:34.

B. How do we relate with one another in God’s family?

            Because the Church is a family, that should also affect our organization. Is your family organized differently than the business you work at? Sure, it is. We operate not based on a bunch of rules but on relationships. Hope Church is part of God’s BIG family worldwide.

            Locally, we are a small family of God. Several young families joined Hope Church during the initial years, raising their children here. Many of them are now retired, and their children have moved on. Over the past seven years, several new members have joined us, and more will join us by faith. Our existence depends on how well we relate to one another.

            We are given specific scriptural guidelines to be all God wants us to be. Here is the apostle Peter’s advice for the Hope Church family. I Peter 3:8, “Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters.

            Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing.” If we practice these principles, we will experience God’s blessing and reflect God’s love in and through our lives in Sharon.

            As in any family, we may have differences and quirks and may not agree with one another, but we seek to resolve our conflicts in a Christ-like manner. As brothers and sisters in God’s family, we respect and honor one another. We don’t want to hurt each other intentionally or unintentionally through our words and actions. If we did, we would be quick to ask for forgiveness and keep serving the Lord and one another with joy and love.

C. It is by our love for each other that everyone will know we are His disciples

            When we remain in His love, and his love remains in us, we truly become God’s children. Let’s follow this three-fold directive of Jesus to show our love for one another. John 13:34-35. “I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other.” Loving our brothers and sisters in God’s family is not an option but a command. Not following it means we are not his children.

            We love our brothers and sisters as Christ loved us. Jesus’ love for us is the measure we should use to evaluate our love for each other. Like Christ’s love for us, our love must be sacrificial, servant-hearted, and full of grace. Everyone will know that we are Jesus’ disciples by our love for our Christian brothers and sisters. How can Hope Church remain as God’s family?

             Paul and Jeane Briggs adopted thirty-one hard-to-place, older, and special-needs kids from various countries. In other words, they made room for those kids at their dining table. Similarly, God our Father invites people from everywhere to join His family. It is as if Jesus is hosting a banquet every week at Hope Church. He wants us to invite the lonely, the harassed, the hurting, and the spiritually hungry so that they might find the bread of life.

            Jesus is our host. There is more room at the table. It is up to us to invite people and sometimes persuade them to come. One day, after getting my flu shot, I told the nurse I was a pastor and asked her to visit us. She said I am an atheist. You are welcome at Hope Church, I said. Then she said does your Jesus love atheists? I said, yes, He loves all people.

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[1] Lee Eclov,  Feels Like Home ( Chicago IL: Moody Publishers, 2019), 25.