On This Rock…

On This Rock…

Good morning Saints!  Today I wanted to speak on the purpose of the church of Jesus Christ.  I have had a lot of thought swimming around my head as to what the church is.  I have been attending church my whole adult life, and I have had a constant Father in Jesus, but it is really only now that I have discovered that the church is not so much a “what”, but a “who”!

In the Bible, the church is described as the “Bride of Christ”.  The church is referred to as the body of Christ in this world.  A few Bible references:

Revelation 19:7-9
Ephesians 5:25-27
John 3:29
Matthew 25:1-46 (Consider this scripture particularly!  I believe it speaks a lot on the choices we make as Christians.  We are none of us perfect.  We all loose focus on diligence at times, but the Kingdom of God is best inherited by those who keep their eyes on Christ and live a life which seeks Him).

Is the church a building?  Yes and no.

A physical building is certainly a must have when it comes to allowing a gathering of followers to worship and study the word of God in one place.  The church gathers to be in fellowship with each other and God at the same time.  Like the temples of old, the people of God meet to give thanks.  However, without the physical building, would the “church” still exist?

Yes, it would.  Even if Christians were scattered across different planets, the house of God would still exist.  The “church” is the body of people who have found life in Jesus.  Christians are the people of God and, as described in 1 Thessalonians 5; children of the light and children of the day.

Jesus described Himself as the “cornerstone”.  There are many references within the gospel, but I like this one in particular:

Ephesians 2:19-20 NKJV

“Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone,”

The house of God in this world is built on the shoulders of believers.  We are the light of God in this world and through our actions, the world learns what fellowship with God is all about.

So when did the church start?

The church started with the evangelism of the apostles after Jesus ascended. 

Matthew 16:16-18 MSG

Simon Peter said, “You’re the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus came back, “God bless you, Simon, son of Jonah! You didn’t get that answer out of books or from teachers. My Father in heaven, God himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am. And now I’m going to tell you who you are, really are. You are Peter, a rock. This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out.

This was the laying of the first bricks of the church.  Consider just for a moment where Jesus states: “…not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out.”

How often do you see the church “slammed” or “sledged” in the media because of one thing or another.  The world loves to find the few failing of the church or people who align themselves of the church and use that to attack it.  Consider th Catholic church.  There have been undeniable sins committed by members of the clergy when it comes to child-sex offense etc.  This was not what the church made these men do!  This was what the man did through no act of the church. 

I consider the church I personally attend.  It is a large denomination.  One which brings millions of dollars in aid and foundation to programs which free women from people trafficking, give accommodation and jobs to homeless, freedom from drug addicition for drug-addicts and lead tens of thousands to fellowship with God every year.  However, the secular view point is that the church is rich as it has the funding to do these things.  Let’s face it, in this world it takes people and money to make difference in peoples lives.  We tithe in order to give the church the funding required to help those in need.  The bigger the congregation, the greater the impact. 

The point I am trying to make is this.  You could be a church-goer or not.  You could be a member of a small steeple on the side of a hill in a country town, or a member of a large metropolitan church.  Or, you may be one who doesn’t attend church, but finds God praying quietly on your own.  At the end of the day, you are a stone in the wall of the kingdom of God and the non-believing world will always see that as a threat.  The non-believer will attack, but will never defeat the people of God.  If even the gates of hell cannot overcome us, imagine how little real damage the doubt and prejudice of humanity can have.

I would like to leave you with one last scripture to think on this week.  Many non-believers would suggest that the world does not need the church (the people of God), but what they are blind to is that these are new covernant days.  God will not allow our world to go on without His people.  The church s existed since the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and will exist long after the natural world has disappeared and the people of God are in the kingdom of heaven.

Ephesians 1:20-23 MSG

All this energy issues from Christ: God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, but forever . He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the center of all this, Christ rules the church. The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ’s body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence.

Thank you for reading today!  It was certainly a long one, but I urge you to study the scriptures studied above and reflect on them.

God bless y’all!