Ekklesia
Posted by Pastor on May 24, 2010
Due to some technical difficulties (we unplugged the microphone), the sermon did not get recorded this week. So, rather than a synopsis, I’ve posted a manuscript version of my sermon notes. This sermon begins a study through what the Scriptures tell us about the nature of a church.
Ekklesia
Today is the Christian celebration of Pentecost – the day when the Holy Spirit came in fullness upon the first disciples and established the church of Jesus Christ. So, it is only fitting that we begin a new sermon series dedicated to understanding the church the way God understands the church.
But Acts 2 is not our focal passage for the day. Instead, I want to back up a bit to something Jesus said about his church:
Matthew 16:13-19 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.” 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. 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.”
One of the most famous sayings from Church History comes to us from Cyprian of Carthage in the mid-3rd Century A.D. Cyprian said, “No one can have God for his father, who has not the church for his mother.”
Though he spoke into a specific historical situation, his quote took on a life of its own, so to speak, and has been used over the centuries to express the theological truth the statement conveys on its own. Another way to say it would be this: “You are not a Christian if you do not belong to the church.” That is somewhat correct, but is still a little too strong for me. I prefer something like, “If you are not a part of the church, you don’t really believe in God.”
A big catchphrase today is something like, “I’m spiritual, but not religious.” What this really means is, “I’m selfish, and I like to make up my own rules.” A Christian version goes like this, “I believe in Christ, but I don’t believe in the institutional church.” This also sounds like spiritual wisdom, but what it really means is, “I’m scared to go to Hell, but I don’t really want to live like a Christian.”
Stop with the “I do not like the institutional church…” nonsense. Consider the following: Jesus fed 5,000 men and their families, later he fed 4,000. How did they know how many people there were? Somebody counted them. Then, Luke tells us in Acts 2 that about 3,000 souls were added to the church. How did he know? Somebody had counted and kept a record of attendance. In Matthew 18 Jesus tells his followers to deal with unrepentant sin by taking it to the church. He envisioned a time when the church would know who its members were enough to judge those inside it. Also in 1 Corinthians 5, Paul writes to put the unrepentant man out of the church. The church had a membership roll. The early disciples counted people and tracked membership – institutional functions. There is a lot more in the New Testament that just does not make sense without an organized society. From Jesus, to the Apostles, to the Apostle Paul – the church is defined as an organized institution.
Still, we say, “I like Jesus, but…” It is that “but” that is important. Jesus does not want your “but”. Hold on to your “but” and you will find your “but” in Hell. To show your “but” to the Creator of the Universe is to turn your back to Him. It is to say that I am still in my rebellion and do not fully accept you as God. Heaven is all Jesus or nothing. If you choose the nothing, eternal nothing is what you receive. However, if you choose Christ, you will gain the blessings of living His life, His way. Jesus wants you in church.
How can I be so dogmatic about this? Simple:
Ephesians 5:25b-27 “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.”
Christ died for the church, as a church, to be His church.
“But wait, I thought Jesus died just for me?!?” Oh, silly selfish arrogant American…do you really think that the Agent of Creation, God the Son Himself, died because you are just so special? American individualistic consumerism has infected the Church and has crippled it so much that we are often unable to even recognize genuine ministry, much less commit to it.
Often, folks misunderstand when I preach about this. I am not saying that Christ did not die for you as an individual. Christ died for each of His Elect Exiles – his personal sacrifice taking the place of your own personal punishment, paying the price for your own, personal, individual rebellion against God. That is a gospel truth that we celebrate, and we will celebrate for eternity. What I am saying is that my individual salvation is not even half of the Good News of what Christ has done – and a half-truth presented as the whole truth is an untruth.
Christ did not die to save you. He died to save you for a purpose. And in the divine, authoritative plan of God Almighty, that purpose includes the church. That is part of the Matthew 16 passage I read earlier – it has always been the plan of Jesus to build his church.
When we do not give the Church the respect it deserves in the plan of God for our lives, we rob God of His glory and deny the full lordship of His Son Jesus. When we deny the organized plan of Christ for his body, we reject the Word of God over our lives. Christ died for the Church, because Christ loves the Church.
The “Church” is both a foundational and an important part of genuine faith in Jesus. And so, we ought to spend some time learning what God wants a church to be. We should also spend some time thinking about how our organization measures up. Are we even really a real church? If so, how are we doing as a church? What does God think of what we have been doing?
We will ask these questions and more over the next several weeks as we preach and teach on the doctrine of the church. Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday evenings – each will explore a different facet of what theologians call “ecclesiology” – the study of the church. If you really want to understand why we do what we do, and what God wants us to do, then you will attend as many of each as you can.
Though Scripture sometimes presents “the Church” in a universal sense as being all Christians in all places at all times, in these studies we will concentrate on the way the New Testament most often uses the word – to refer to a local body of believers being and acting as the Church in their location.
First, a definition:
There are many ways to define “a church.” From my study of the Scriptures, I offer my own definition:
“A church is a community of biblical faith that is unified in its common confession and commitment to the glory of God though the life and teachings of Jesus Christ the Lord.”
“A Community of Biblical Faith”
Ek-lay-see-ah. The English word “church” translates the Greek word ekklesia. No other Greek word translates to the English word “church.” ek-kaleo : to call out. ek-kle-sia : the called out ones.
In the Greek translation of the OT, ekklesia translates the Hebrew word (quhal) which means “the assembly”. The ekklesia is the gathering together of the People of God. It the assembly of those who have been called out by God. In the OT, What were they called out from? Slavery in Egypt. What were they called out for? To represent God to the nations.
The early church used the term to identify themselves as the gathered people of God – in full continuity with the OT saints. The Church is the People of God. What are we called out from? Our Sin. The world. Our blind spiritual darkness. What are we called out to? God’s Grace. The Kingdom of Heaven. The light of Christ. What are we called out for? To make disciples of all the nations. It has always been the plan of God to make us the People of God for the Purposes of God.
Romans 8:28-29 “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren.”
Well, o.k., then…What does it mean to be the People of God?
“People of God” means we have a Biblical Faith
2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”
We are defined by the Word of God. We are directed by the Word of God. Any group who fails in either of these categories is not a true church. This means that we must be intentional in our commitment, both as members and together as a church – to learn, understand, and practice what God has told us to do through the Bible.
“People of God” means we are a Believer’s Church
Jesus died for believers:
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:18 “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”
Jesus died to make those believers His church:
John 17:19-21 “And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. “
Only believers were added to the early church:
Acts 2:47 “And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”
Scripture does not recognize any categories such as “provisional member”, “inactive member,” or certainly not “unsaved member.” A biblical church only includes those members who have freely and truthfully repented of their sin and confessed Jesus as their Savior. The only true church is a Believer’s Church.
“People of God’ means we exercise a Commitment to Holiness
1 Timothy 3:14-15 “I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.”
There are right ways and wrong ways to behave as members of God’s family. We’ll talk about this more in a later sermon, but suffice it to say here that a church is comprised of members who not only confess Jesus as Savior, but give evidence of the Holy Spirit filled living that demonstrates that Jesus is their Lord. A church is called out to be holy, because the God we represent is holy.
“People of God” means we Guard the Gospel
Binding and Loosing (Matthew 16, Matthew 18) “whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven”
It is our job as a church to apply the definition of the gospel. We are the ones who know the truth of the gospel, for we are the ones who have believed in the gospel and live by the gospel. It is our responsibility to exercise discipline in the church and for the church. Discipline is both formative (like a coach trains a young player) and corrective (like a coach who makes a misbehaving player run laps). In the church, we both train (ex. Bible study) and correct (ex. church discipline). We must protect our witness to Jesus in the wider community and remain intentional about existing as a biblical, holy, believers’ church.
“That is Unified in its Common Confession”
A man on a deserted island was rescued. As they sailed away, his rescuers saw 3 grass huts on the shore. “We thought you were all alone, what are those 3 huts?” “Well, that one is my home, that one is my church, and that one is the church I used to go to.”
It seems that unity is hard to come by, no matter where you are. If it was easy, we would not need to be commanded to pursue it so often.
We all want unity, but often misunderstand the term within the church. We think it means being nice to one another. And it does to a large extent. We should love one another, be charitable to one another, and respect one another. But unity never means that we avoid confrontation at all costs – or that we encourage unbiblical living through our lack of courage to stand up for biblical principles. Unity does not mean the loudest, most obnoxious voices win. Unity does not mean a majority vote.
Biblical unity is agreement on a common confession. “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16) and all that it implies.
Unity means that we agree on our confession, and therefore on our purpose, on our calling:
Ephesians 4:1-6 “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit–just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call–one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”
We have been called to a calling – and there is only one focus…Our unity is not around a structure, a process, or a set of shared preferences. Our unity must ever and always be focused on the Mission of God in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
“Unified in its Common Commitment to the Glory of God”
The Glory of God is most fully revealed in the Gospel – the Life, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is what I mean by “the life of Jesus” That is one point of the gospel: Jesus is not a tragic mortal hero, but a living Resurrected Savior. The life of Jesus is the life he lived, and the death he died, and the resurrection he enjoys. By this Life of Life, we are now saved from eternal death and have a living hope stored up for us in Heaven. Because of this, we live for Jesus alone – we worship him alone – we serve him alone. We exist to see his glory fully revealed as the rightful Son of God, the Ruler of the World.
We are not assembled to make ourselves feel good. We are not called out for our own comfort or glory. We are called out of the world and into this church because we are dedicated servants of Jesus Christ – He is the King and there is no other. We are committed together to work: on His mission, done in His way, according to His purposes, for His glory.
And if you are a member here for any other reason, you either need to repent, or leave. This is God’s church – and our social agendas have no place here until they have been transformed by, and become submissive to, Jesus the Son of God.
It is not about us. Repeat after me: “It is not about us.” “It is all about Him.”
“Through the Teachings of Jesus Christ the Lord.”
Love one another.
John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
The Great Commission – Make disciples.
Matthew 28:18-20 “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’”
Acts 1:8 “…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
The extent to which we intentionally submit to Jesus’ commands to love one another and make disciples as His witnesses is the extent to which we are a real church.
What is a church?
An Assembly of the People of God – An organized ministry of the Kingdom – Unified servants of the King – A missionary force of loving disciples. It is where real Christians really experience the real relationships of saving grace with God, with one another, and in the world.
“A church is a community of biblical faith that is unified in its common confession and commitment to the glory of God though the life and teachings of Jesus Christ the Lord.”
Commit to it. Commit to the church.
God’s church, God’s way, for God’s own glory.
Ephesians 3:20-21 “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
There is quite a bit to take in here. I’m glad you posted this, because upon hearing it initially yesterday, it seemed like too much ground to cover. Deep insight overall, which is good.
To be honest, I do have some objections/concerns. Especially within your introduction, beginning at “A big catchphrase today is something like…” and following through the next three paragraphs.
The overall tone there seems very absolutist, i.e. I am the pastor and therefore I am telling you what to believe, and there is no room for objection, discussion, questions, or as you put it…”buts”. I think to dismiss anyone’s (and I am part of this group)criticisms or uncertainty with the institutional church as “nonsense” in a public forum is, to me, unsettling. How am I, who IS wary of the institutional church, supposed to feel that my voice or my questions or my opinions matter in such a community? Do they?
Further, my concerns (or “buts”) with the institutional church really have nothing to do with it’s organizational aspects. I fully acknowledge and accept that structure and organization is a good thing. However, too much focus on those aspects can twist our conception of church as community into church as business. Man loves to create religion (which I adamantly want nothing to do with) and power structures. Do I feel that the institutional church is wrong? No. However, I do feel that it has gone off course, and that it has become something much further than what Jesus originally founded.
You state that, “Jesus wants you in church.” You also make a distinction between being a part of Christ and choosing (or not) to be part of the Church. Yet, I do not believe that there IS a distinction. To be with Christ, to call Him Savior, IS to be part of the Church. We are all members of one body. Should I plug into a local church community? Sure! But, if I choose not to for a time, is my relationship with Christ and status as part of His church suspect? No!
These are just some objections that your sermon raised with me. I only share them out of love, and for a purpose of furthering a discussion, an understanding, and a relationship between us.
Grace & Peace
Sorry about my long-winded objections, I just needed to share them with you.
However, I do not want to leave you with simply my objections – I would like to share some positive thoughts, too!
I am with you 100% that we need to commit to a local church community – whatever form or structure that may be.
I sympathize with your challenge for us to respect the Church, to engage her, to contribute, to participate, to make disciples, to discipline, etc.
I know you and I share a passion for church community. Your sermon provided a strong challenge for us, as well as providing some great insight and understanding as to what the Church is…
Grace & Peace
Matthew – thanks for the discussion. I’m glad you are engaged with the topic. Allow me to delineate a few responses:
A) “How can I feel my opinions matter in such a community?”
Well, you posted a giant comment about them in a public forum designed for such things, so that might be a start toward feeling like your voice is heard. I am now responding to them, so that is something as well.
My goal is never to say, “I am the pastor, so believe this.” However, my goal is always to say, “This is what Scripture teaches, so do/believe/think it.” The goal of every sermon is to faithfully and fully (as possible) communicate what God has told us.
Don’t be too put off by the tone – remember, these are my notes and do not include all the little explanatory things I added or modified along the way – also you don’t get the vocal inflection or the dynamic of the speaker/congregation interaction. The words appear more stark in black and white.
B) “My concerns have nothing to do with the organizational aspects.”
Good, then we are in basic agreement.
Good preaching should often feel like a dialogue. I say something, and you think something in response. Then I respond to what you are thinking because I’ve anticipated that someone would be thinking that and tried to preach to real life situations. I don’t always get it right – and there is really no way to tell what every single person thinks about the words I use.
Most of the people I speak to who have objections about the “institutional church” are speaking in organizational terms. They do not like the fact that there are committees, and meetings, and pastors, and such. Most of my extended conversations in this area reveal that they either really want to be in control, or else they do not want anyone to be in control. They couch their objections in spiritual sounding language like, “Why can’t we just get back to the way Jesus taught?” These are the people I had in mind when I wrote parts of the introduction.
My point was that an organized church IS the way Jesus taught, and always intended it to be.
I’m sorry it was not more clear to others with different experiences what aspect of “institutional” I was talking about. But I’ll also offer this for consideration: If I thought everything about “The Church” (as most Americans know it today) was perfect, then I’d choose to preach on something else. I have twelve weeks of sermons planned _because_ so many of us have a twisted conception of church. The only thing that cures the misconceptions is the truth of the Word of God.
C) “I do not believe there IS a distinction.”
We sort-of agree here. I do not believe there is a distinction either. If you are a believer, then you are part of The Church. However, it sounds like I understand a greater necessity to actually join a local church.
It is a bit like going to the Mall. If I sit in my car in the parking lot, I can technically say that I am “at the Mall.” Yet, if I do not go into any of the stores, or walk by the fountain, or grab a bite to eat, in what sense have I really been to the Mall? The point of getting to the parking lot in the first place was to shop, but if I do not return with a receipt, then I have not really fulfilled my purpose.
The local church IS the manifestation of “The Church.” If you claim to belong to Christ as part of “The Church” yet do not belong to a local church, then you are not fulfilling your purpose. An arm cannot be part of the Body without being attached to it.
Just as “the Mall” is more than simply a piece of geography, “The Church” is more than a confession – it is a *common* confession (and commitment). Biblical faith is intended to work in community.
I think the overall argument from Scripture is that genuine believers gather into local faith communities. Different folks are at different places in their walk before God. That does not mean that we should pass judgment on them…but neither does it mean that we do not uphold the standard as it has been presented to us.
Does any church still need work? Absolutely. But to commit to the church is a part of committing to Jesus. We should encourage it for the health and well-being of our brothers and sisters in Christ.
“Does any church still need work? Absolutely. But to commit to the church is a part of committing to Jesus. We should encourage it for the health and well-being of our brothers and sisters in Christ.”
Amen.
Thank you so much for taking the time to both read, AND respond to what I submitted, Brian. I know I can come across as a blowhard sometimes, but that’s really not my intent. I just try to be honest but without being aggressive or confrontational.
I thought your responses were awesome, and it has helped me further to believe that you and I are on the same page with many things – we just have different ways of expressing them sometimes.
I am really looking forward to where you will be taking this subject of the Church over the next several weeks.
Oh, may I add that I hope exchanges/discussions like these encourage you, Brian. Yes, I had some objections, and it’s not always easy to hear criticism from others, but at least you know someone was paying attention to your sermon!
And, please know that any objections that I ever submit to you, I do so in a spirit of humility and respect. I am not one to simply voice an opinion and then walk away without any mind to hear someone’s response. Just the opposite. I look forward to discussion, to learning, to correction, and to honesty. Hey, and besides, I’m probably wrong anyways!!
Matthew – thank you for the thoughtful discussion. I like to say “Honest questions will get honest answers.” I’m glad we are creating the kind of community for both.
Grace & Peace to you.