The Church

Just what does the word church mean? When most of us think about church we get an image of a building. Whether it be a big or small building does not matter but we often have an image of a building such as this small country church. 

In Matthew 16: 18 Jesus says this about the church: "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."

Sometimes people take this scripture and say that Jesus was saying that the church would be built by Peter. But if we look closer by looking at the Amplified Bible version we will find that Jesus was actually saying that Peter was a piece of a rock but the church would be built on a large rock.

Matthew 16: 18 (Amplified Bible) 18 And I tell you, you are [a]Peter [Greek, Petros--a large piece of rock], and on this rock [Greek, petra--a [b]huge rock like Gibraltar] I will build My church, and the gates of Hades (the powers of the [c]infernal region) shall [d]not overpower it [or be strong to its detriment or hold out against it]. 

From this scripture we see that the foundation for the church is Jesus and it is on His power that it is built and it survives. He is the head of the church as we find in Ephesians 5: 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is head of the church, He Himself being Savior of the body.

So the question again is what is this thing called the church and where should it meet?

In 1 Corinthians 12 we are told about Spiritual gifts being given to the body (verse 27-28). Now you are Christ's body, and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues. These types of gifts are given to people so we have to conclude that the church is a body of people. This scripture also clearly shows that within that body there are gifts for adminsitration, teaching and so forth. What most people call the church, the organization, is really then the offices that are suppose to minister to the church body (the people). To make it clear the church is not the organization or the building but the people God has called to that organization housed in the building.

So where should a church meet? What does the temple look like? Before I continue go grab a hand mirror and take a long look at your face. You might have lines under your eyes or along your lips. You might have pimples and other blimishes of the skin. You are not a perfect example of mankind. But.... 2 Corinthians 6: 14-18 says: Don't become partners with those who reject God. How can you make a partnership out of right and wrong? That's not partnership; that's war. Is light best friends with dark? Does Christ go strolling with the Devil? Do trust and mistrust hold hands? Who would think of setting up pagan idols in God's holy Temple? But that is exactly what we are, each of us a temple in whom God lives. God himself put it this way: "I'll live in them, move into them; I'll be their God and they'll be my people. So leave the corruption and compromise; leave it for good," says God. "Don't link up with those who will pollute you. I want you all for myself. I'll be a Father to you; you'll be sons and daughters to me." The Word of the Master, God." The person who you saw in the mirror is part of the body called the church.

You see we are the church and we are God's temple. The church then is wherever we are and wherever we are Christ is there also.  Matthew 18: 20 "For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."

So the church can meet in many different locations. A building such as above, a large mega-church building or even in a building that is not often looked upon as a church. One of my favorite places to meet is called Homer's, a coffee house, located in Overland Park, KS.

Where one or two or more gather is not nearly as important as the act of getting together. Earlier we touched on that the body is given different gifts. If you look at Paul's description of these gifts he uses body parts to shows us the importance of these gifts.

It is in this scripture we also find why it is important for us to gather. You hav ebeen given a gift or gifts that I do not have. By us getting together whether over coffee or in corporate worship I can benefit from being around you and the gifts God's Holy Spirit has given to you and vise versa.

In the Kansas county of Miami there are about 30,000 people and according to stats about 14,245 people claim association with a church organization. That means approximately 15,755 do not claim association with any church body. Many of the 14,245 people who do claim an association with a church body do not attend church weekly.

I believe the church organization needs to make contact with the 53% of the people in the county who do not attend much less claim an association to the church. The church needs to find out why they do not attend and help them move towards God. 

My image of a church is a place where messy lives come together to touch each other through using the gifts they have been given. Of course there is more than that to church. Pick up that mirror again. What I want you to realize is that the person in the miror with all his or her imprefections is the church called the body of Christ. You have a valuable part to contribute to the lives of the rest of the body. Coming to church is not to get your Hell insurance but for helping others as they journey towards the Kingdom. By the way they ain't perfect either.

I encourage you to check out the churches in our area and be encouraged when a new one pops up even if it is meeting in a coffee house or some other unusual place.