What is the Church?

Matthew 16:18

Introduction

1. Many words in the Bible have been abused, changed, used in ways God did not intend them to be used.

2. Church is one of those words.

3. What did Jesus mean? “I will build my church.”

What does the word “church” mean?

1. How it is used today

   1. A chapel or meeting house

   2. A gathering held in a meeting place

   3. The flock that gathers there

   4. The denomination they belong to

   5. The world-wide body of saints

2. The Bible uses the word in three of these ways

   1. World-wide – Matthew 16:18

   2. A gathering at a meeting place – 1 Corinthians 11:18 come together as a church

   3. The flock that gathers there – Corinth, Ephesus, Philippi, etc.

3. In Bible – Never a denomination

4. In Bible – Never a building

5. Notice the distortion of this word

   1. Ask NT Christian – Which church do you belong to? - They would answer with location – Corinth, Philippi

   2. Today, ask that question – You get the name of a denomination

6. The Greek word – ekklesia

   1. Ek – out or from

   2. Klesia – from kaleo – to call

   3. Literal – called out

   4. Used for a special group of people, a called out group

   5. Used for the gathering or meeting – a called assembly

   6. 1 Peter 2:9 – called out of darkness, into the light

What is the church?

1. Church is people

   1. Not a building, wood and stone

   2. Ephesians 2:20

   3. Jesus is chief corner stone

   4. 1 Peter 2:4-8 – we are living stones

2. What Jesus built

   1. Jesus did not build Peter's church

   2. Jesus is the only foundation – 1 Corinthians 3:11

3. The bride of Christ

   1. Purchased with his blood – Acts 20:28

   2. His bride – Ephesians 5:25

   3. Christ does not have a harem.

4. What we are baptized into – Acts 2:47, Ephesians 5:26 “washing of water by Word”

5. Not like ice cream – pick from many flavors

From – http://www.simplybible.com.au/f186.htm