The Church Series
This new series about the church, its mission, and forging a vision for our congregation is at the urging of our congregation’s leaders. To be sure, on the next couple of Sundays, my input or sermons will be more in the form of presenting a brief biblical reflection on the aspect of the church that we will be discussing together. This means that on the following Sundays, my presentation will be brief followed by congregational discussions. (Except for today).
Let us open with a word of prayer:
Our Dear Lord God, we give you thanks for calling us to be part of that people of the new covenant through the sacrifice of Jesus, our Savior and Lord. We thank you for your Word that reveals your will, your love, and the promises you have in store for us. Thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit, which is the guarantee of our salvation. Thank you, Holy Spirit for your guidance and empowerment to be able to live lives pleasing our God.
Lord, as we join our hearts before you, we also give you thanks for each of our sisters and brothers, you have given us to walk alongside in this journey of faith. Today, we plead you to give us light and your favor to be able to grasp a deeper understanding of who we are as your people. We ask that you stir our spirits by your Spirit to be able to align and readjust our ways to the intentions of your heart for the people that will bear your name, o Lord. We want to be conformed according to the purpose of your holy calling. All this we pray in the name of Jesus Christ, the Head of the church. Amen!
It becomes clear that a vision for a church is only possible if it has a mission statement. A mission statement is, as it means, a declaration about the congregation’s ultimate purpose for being.
Therefore, the objectives of this study are:
- To take a fresh look into God’s original purpose for the church according to the New Testament witness. The early church accounts in the Book of Acts can help with this.
- Have honest conversations and prayerful consideration as we:
- Discern the state of First Mennonite Church in light of the biblical testimony.
- Make adjustment in the church’s life and practices or strengthen areas already present according to the New Testament descriptions of the church.
So, what is the church?
The nature of the Church
Text: Matthew 16:13-20
Introduction
If we speak about “church” today would be just as ambiguous as the word “cheese” if it appears in a recipe. Specification is needed! Today we speak of historic or emerging churches, liberal or conservative churches, hi-tech or old fashion, mega or family churches, charismatic or liturgical churches, Which one, what kind, which denomination, what theological tenet does it embrace, etc.
To begin with this subject, we need to do so by asking ourselves the basic question, what is the church? Where did this word come from, what is its uniqueness if any, and for what does it exist? Why don’t we call this entity a synagogue, fraternity, or simply a religious community?
The meaning of “church”.
It is called by God.
The compound word Ekklessia from Ek (out) and kaleo (call) is an assembly of people with a sense of commonness in origin and purpose. Under this definition, the citizens of the ancient city-states lived and worked together. The word “church” was used before Jesus Christ was born. When in the third century the Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek, many times when the word “assemble” or “assembly” was translated, ekklessia either in the form of a verb or its noun form appeared.
Now when Jesus had ascended to the Father and the community of disciples continued his earthly ministry, they did not give their community the name “synagogue,” as was the name for the local Jewish religious groups. According to the records found in the NT, the emerging Christian communities were called “churches.” The early Christian believers chose “ekklesia” to name their groups because they believed their assembly was at the summoning of God. They believed it was God who had called them together. They were the assembly of God.
Those who acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah sent by God defined themselves as the new Ekklessia. In other words, these believers interpreted their new identity as the new people of God in contrast to Israel the first people of God.
The church is the people that have been called out by God.
1 Corinthians
1:2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:
Paul addresses the Corinthian church as the people called out by God, as the ones who have been consecrated in Christ, and the ones who should set themselves apart for the one who has called them out and sanctified them.
There is an interesting implication here. Paul’s view of the church is that they are a people who God has called through the message of the Gospel. They have been sanctified in other words; they have been consecrated in Christ. The church is consecrated by God in Christ.
When something is consecrated to God, it means that the item or person has been set apart for the only purpose of serving God. Therefore, concretely speaking about the church, that means that the church has the purpose of serving God alone.
The other implication is that those who are consecrated by God in Christ are also called to be saints. In other words, we who have been consecrated by God need also to consecrate ourselves to him. It is a reciprocal commitment. God has consecrated us and we need to consecrate ourselves. This is something unique about things consecrated to God. In the Old Testament, things were consecrated for God: the temple utensils, the altars, etc. These things were never required or expected to consecrate themselves. This is because these things do not have a will. But when it comes to humans, we do have a will. And, it’s for this reason we have to respond to God’s consecration by consecrating ourselves too. This is what Paul meant when asked the Ephesian church when he said, 4:1 I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called,
We are called by God into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 1:9 God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
The reason you and I are here and joining together in worship and service to God is not because we are nice good people on our own. In fact, that is what Paul reminded the Ephesian church when he said, 2:12 remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
You and I are here because God is faithful. He never fails to sustain and help us when we fail him. He never fails to forgive us when we come for forgiveness. This faithful God is the one who has brought us into fellowship with his Son.
The Church is a reconciled people with God through Christ.
2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Humans by nature are alienated toward God. But now, Paul says, in Christ the new people of God have been brought near. It is therefore that the church is the people who have responded to God’s call of reconciliation. You and I have been reconciled with God in Christ. The message of the Gospel is a call to reconciliation. And this is the proclamation through which God is still calling other people. He called us to reconcile but we are also called to call others to be reconciled with God.
The church is called to call others.
2Corinthians
5:18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; 5:19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us.
The church is the space and means through which God is still calling. It is among us that God keeps calling. He calls not only those who have not responded to his call but also where his voice of admonition and reassurance is made heard. On the other hand, it is here and among us where God’s voice should be made heard. Therefore the church is where God calls.
Pastor Romero