I. Introduction (Matthew 16:18)
“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” - Matthew 16:18
- ‘Church’ is a very important word
- Jesus is starting something absolutely brand new — up until Matthew 16, there were synagogues, congregations, and assemblies, but there was no church
- The “rock” is the truth of who Jesus is (Matthew 16:15-17) — “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God”
- The church is worth pursuing, flaws and all
“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.” - Ephesians 5:25
A. The Meaning of the Word “Church”
- It is a very old word — from the Greek, through old German kirk, Dutch kirk, Scottish kirk, and Irish kil (as in Killarney, Kilkenny, Kilcree)
- Over the years, the “k” softened and became “ch” — we now say church
B. It is Not a Building!
“But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” - 1 Timothy 3:15
- You are the temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16)
- Throughout history, the church has met in houses (Romans 16:5; Colossians 4:15), fields, warehouses, schools, and cinemas
- It has never been about the building — it has only been about the people who gather together
“Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints” - 1 Corinthians 1:2
C. A Church is NOT a Lot of Things
- Not a club or social gathering
- Not a place of entertainment
- Not a hospital, school, building, or denomination
- Not a religion, and not a charity
- It does not replace Israel (1 Corinthians 10:32) — Jews, Gentiles, and the Church of God are three distinct groups
D. It IS an Assembly of Believers
- The Greek word is ekklesia — it simply means “called out”
“When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.” - Hosea 11:1
“Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me.” - Exodus 8:1
- God called Israel out of Egypt, not to be good Egyptians in Egypt — they became the congregation, the assembly of believers in the Lamb
- A church is an assembly that actually gathers (1 Corinthians 11:18)
“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” - Hebrews 10:25
- Like the parts of a pen — every piece must be assembled together in the right place to work
- A church is not where we are — it’s what we are
II. So Much Confusion (2 Corinthians 11:13-15)
- So many religious scammers, frauds, con-artists, and swindlers
- Not everything that says “church” is a church
“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.” - 2 Corinthians 11:13-14
- We need to identify the right kind of church — not by history, but by the Bible
- Jesus began His church with His disciples and gave it life
- It is His church — He has the preeminence (Colossians 1:17-18)
III. The Church is People — The Right Kind of People
A. Saved People (Acts 2:46-47)
“And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” - Acts 2:47
- A church is made up of believers — saved, born again, converted, forgiven people
B. Family (Luke 8:19-21)
“My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.” - Luke 8:21
- We are brothers, sisters, and family in Christ (Matthew 12:50)
C. Mixed — Both Jew and Gentile (1 Corinthians 12:12-13)
“For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free” - 1 Corinthians 12:13
- The first United Nations was a church
- Redeemed out of every kindred, tongue, people, and nation (Revelation 5:9)
D. Worshipping Jesus Only
“O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.” - Psalm 95:6
“He is the head of the body, the church… that in all things he might have the preeminence.” - Colossians 1:18
- Preeminence means He is the only one in line — not just first, but the only focus
- We don’t focus on Mary, Peter, Joseph Smith, St. Patrick, or any man — we worship Jesus alone
E. Peculiar People (Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 2:9)
“Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” - Titus 2:14
“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people” - 1 Peter 2:9
- Peculiar means disconnected — out of step with the world
- Not constantly influenced by the wars, rumours, politics, and fears of this world
- Seeking holiness instead of how to sin and get away with it
F. Humble People
- A real church doesn’t draw attention to itself
- Humility is not thinking low of yourself — it is not thinking of yourself at all
- Doctrinally right, but not arrogantly right
G. Hospitable People (1 Peter 4:9)
“Use hospitality one to another without grudging.” - 1 Peter 4:9
- Opening homes, making time, taking care of each other — especially those who are weak and struggling
- A hospital for broken people
H. Unified People (Psalm 133:1; Acts 2:42)
“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” - Psalm 133:1
- Our unity is based on this Book, not our emotions
- We are one body, focusing on being a church, not just individuals
I. Flawed People (Ephesians 5:25-27)
“That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” - Ephesians 5:27
- Jesus is ironing out the wrinkles and cleaning the spots
- A church is filled with people who want to be better — not content with how we are
J. Balanced People (Hebrews 13:9)
“Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace.” - Hebrews 13:9
- Have grace with one another — people are at all kinds of different levels of maturity
- If you only study and never evangelise, you will dry up
- If you only come Sunday and skip Wednesday prayer, you will dry up — the church will die
K. Stable People (Ephesians 4:14; 2 Timothy 4:2-4)
“That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive” - Ephesians 4:14
“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” - 2 Timothy 4:2
- A church is not constantly changing, following news, music, movies, or the latest trends
- We are sound in our stability — 46 years and still focusing on Jesus
L. Loving Jesus Christ (1 John 4:19)
“We love him, because he first loved us.” - 1 John 4:19
- If you want to love yourself better, you’re in the wrong place
- If you want to love Jesus better, you’re in the right place
M. Loving One Another (John 13:34-35)
“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” - John 13:34-35
IV. Conclusion — What Kind of Church Do We Want to Be?
- A building? A religious group? A charity? A museum? A passing fad?
- Or an assembly of peculiar followers of Jesus Christ!
- Are we a perfect church? No
- Are we living up to the expectations of Scripture? No
- But God called us OUT of our generation, our world, our culture to BE a church — by our choice!