The Glorious Gospel in the Beauty of the Church

A couple of weeks ago I had a friend who was struggling with people within the church and questioning if it was even needed. I told this person I would write about it. Last week I held a poll in which I asked, "Is a Christian Required to Attend Church"? I was very grateful for the many responses and messages I received. This post is only Part 1 of a 3-Part Series. I hope it edifies you and brings glory unto Him.

There is a growing problem in the church enlarge. We have failed to recognize Christ, the Gospel and that by which He is glorified, the Church. You might say, “the church has not forsaken the Church”, to which my response would be, “then why is the Church forsaken”. 

I’d rather see a sermon than hear one any day, 

I’d rather one should walk with me than merely show the way 

And the lectures you deliver may be very wise and true; 

But I’d rather get my lesson by observing what you do

- Edgar A. Guest 

I believe we are so occupied in preaching the Word of God, that we fail to live the Word of God. Growth in church attendance has never meant growth in the Kingdom of God. The amount of souls in our pews does not always equal the amount of souls that heaven has received. The existence of the Church is not only in the church, but in the hands of the homeless and in the feet of the wanderer. You may have slandered a member of the Church, as it took on spot and blemish, showering insults to them that are now deaf to our voice. In return, the Church has left the building and is need of reassurance. Reassurance of the love of God and His plan for the Church. Clarifying the purpose and meaning of the Church, while understanding its roots, will allow us to be vigilant in our forgiveness. It is the glorious Gospel that will transcend all blemishes, bringing reconciliation to that by which Christ is glorified, His beautiful Church.

What is the Church?

The word Church comes from the literal Greek word Ekklesia, which means a calling out. Ekklesia derives from the two Greek words, ek, which means from, out and the word kaleo, which means call forth. Thus the Church is an assembly of people that have been called forth from the world unto God. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 1:2, refers to the Church as those “sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”.

Now here's where it gets tricky. 

There is a Universal/ Spiritual Church, that which we will call the Invisible Church and then there is the Local/ 4-Walls Church, that which we will call the Visible Church. In Romans 16:1, Paul gives Phebe as a servant unto the church that is at Cenchrea, which implies a physical location of a Visible Church. We may also find the Church of God at Corinth, Churches of Asia, Churches of Macedonia, Churches of Galatia, Churches of Judea, the Church of Laodicea, the Church of Thessalonica, the Church at Babylon, the Church of Sardis and the Church of Philadelphia, all providing testimony of the Visible Church (1 Cor. 1:2, 16:19, Phil. 2:18; 1 Pet. 5:3; Rev. 3:7). Acts 1:13-16 gives us a glimpse into the meeting space of the Church, where we find 120 believers in the upper room listening to the teaching of Peter.

The Invisible Church or the assembly of believers, congregated first, among themselves, in their homes (Acts 2:46) and their temples (Acts 5:42). As with any new group, especially one under attack, the community was very strong and treasured the assembly of such meetings. The Invisible Church was also identified by the way they took care of each other (Gal. 6:10, Acts 4:34). I am sure after Peter preached and 3000 souls were added unto the Church (Acts 2:41) there was a great need for houses and even buildings to hold the people. For those that argue that the Visible Church was not the idea of God, but of man, I would say “you might be right”, but if there was a following of grandeur amount that could not fit in my house, I might think of getting a building. The Visible Church is not inherently bad. 

How was the Invisible Church Built?

I believe the Invisible Church was initiated by the Father, built by the Son and maintained by the Holy Spirit. God first initiated the Ekklesia, the called out, in Exodus 3:7-8. The Israelites were “brought forth into the wilderness” as a “whole assembly”, to be taken into the Promised Land (Exodus 16:3). The autobiography of God, the Bible, is all about the redemption of man through the means of His will. The Church today is one that has been called out to be taken to a Promise Land, to the Paradise of God. The Church is being built by the Son, according to Matthew 16:18, where Jesus says, “upon this rock, I will build my Church”. And we who are the Church, are being maintained by the Holy Spirit, as we crucify the flesh and it’s desires, while living by the Spirit (Ephesians 5:24-25). Martin Luther, in his affirmation of the Church said, “we are nevertheless assured by the Scriptures that the Holy Ghost at all times gathers and preserves a congregation of believers”.

The Church, The Body

The Church is a class of specific people (1 Peter 2:9). It is not a organization, but an organism. It is a body. We are members of the body of Christ (Ephesians 5:30) and for the Gentile, we are no longer foreigners or outcasts, but of the same body and now partakers of his promise in Christ by the Gospel (Ephesians 3:6). It is by the Gospel that gives us the wherewithal to be grafted into the family of God. The head of the Invisible Church is Christ and each member of that body has not only a responsibility, but a commandment to “do good” unto the household of faith (Galatians 6:10). 

The transformation from sinner to becoming the Body of Christ, which is synonymous with the Church, is a miraculous one. If we were to imagine doing this without God, it would be impossible, but with God, all things are possible. The Glorious Gospel is found in the Beauty of the Church. We must understand that the Church is the assembly that God has called out of the world that assembles and congregates in houses, temples and buildings, but the deeper revelation is this, we are His temple, we are His church, may we never forget that (1 Corinthians 3:16).

Next week, I will dig a litter deeper into this concept of church; "Do we need it", "Are we still connected to God if we don't attend", etc. This post serves as a firm foundation of what "church" is and is not. 

Enhancing His Kingdom,
E.D. Jackson Jr.



photo credit: jesuscm [1 week off] via photopin cc