The Church as Jesus Sees It

This message included live interaction between Pastor Kade and the congregation. Be sure to watch the video to grasp the entirety of the message.

Introduction

We are going to have a good time today. It will be a little different than you are used to, but you ought to be used to things being different by now.

In case you can’t tell, I like adventure. I am not afraid to try new things. I find great joy in working outside of the box. I love it when the Holy Spirit launches me into something new.

If you are one who likes to keep things steady and the same so that you always know what to expect, NoLimits Church is going to be a fruitful challenge for you.

But that doesn’t mean you don’t belong here. You do. We need adventurous people and steady people.

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Do you know how I know this is true? God put Beth and I together.

I am the adventurous one; she is the steady one. God did that on purpose, not for us to change each other but to complete each other.

So, I need your help with the message today. I’ll ask a few questions, and I need you to respond honestly.

If you are afraid of being wrong, get over that right now. We are all wrong more often than we want to admit. This is a safe place to be wrong because we can help each other get to the right place.

We don’t have time for every person to answer every question. We also don’t have time for everyone to preach a sermon. So, keep your responses focused on the question at hand and as brief as possible.

There are two questions we are going to sort through today. I’ll give them both to you now so you can be thinking about your answer.

First question is, what is the church? I am looking for a definition of the church. What is this thing that Jesus says the gates of hell cannot prevail against?

Second question is, what is the primary purpose of the church? Of all the things the church could be doing, what is the main thing it should be doing?

First question, what is the church?

Let’s look at the first mention of the church in the New Testament.

Matthew 16:18 NLT - Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

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The Greek word translated to church is Ekkelsia. It is defined in the strongs concordance as:

A calling out, that is, (concretely) a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation (Jewish synagogue or Christian community of memembers on earth or saints in heaven or both): - assembly, church.

The Thayer Lexicon goes more in-depth:

1. A gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place, an assembly, for the purpose of:
   1. Deliberating
   2. Observing religious rites
   3. Holding religious meetings
   4. Managing affairs
   5. To bring order to the body
2. The whole body of Christians scattered throughout the earth
3. The assembly of faithful Christians already dead and recieved into heaven

This brings a lot of clarity. But let’s keep digging. The church is mentioned nine times in the book of Ephesians. Let’s examine all of them.

• 1:22-23 - God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. 23And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.
• 3:10 - God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
• 3:21 - Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.
• 5:23-29 - For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything. For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church.
• 5:32 - This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one.

Let’s look at one more block of scripture for even more clarity.

1 Corinthians 12:12-31 NLT - The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.” In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church: first are apostles, second are prophets, third are teachers, then those who do miracles, those who have the gift of healing, those who can help others, those who have the gift of leadership, those who speak in unknown languages. Are we all apostles? Are we all prophets? Are we all teachers? Do we all have the power to do miracles? Do we all have the gift of healing? Do we all have the ability to speak in unknown languages? Do we all have the ability to interpret unknown languages? Of course not! So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts. But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all.

With all that we’ve just heard, let’s define the church once again.

Here’s my definition of the church:

The church is a supernatural force that manifests only when people who believe in Jesus Christ gather together.

Second question. What is the main purpose of the church?

Of all the things we could be doing, what is the main thing we should be doing?

Colossians 3:16 NLT - Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.

Who leads the church?

1 Timothy 3 NLT - This is a trustworthy saying: “If someone aspires to be a church leader, he desires an honorable position.”So a church leader must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach. He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent. He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money. He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him. For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God’s church? A church leader must not be a new believer, because he might become proud, and the devil would cause him to fall. Also, people outside the church must speak well of him so that he will not be disgraced and fall into the devil’s trap. In the same way, deacons must be well respected and have integrity. They must not be heavy drinkers or dishonest with money. They must be committed to the mystery of the faith now revealed and must live with a clear conscience. Before they are appointed as deacons, let them be closely examined. If they pass the test, then let them serve as deacons. In the same way, their wives must be respected and must not slander others. They must exercise self-control and be faithful in everything they do. A deacon must be faithful to his wife, and he must manage his children and household well. Those who do well as deacons will be rewarded with respect from others and will have increased confidence in their faith in Christ Jesus. I am writing these things to you now, even though I hope to be with you soon, so that if I am delayed, you will know how people must conduct themselves in the household of God. This is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth. Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith: Christ was revealed in a human bod and vindicated by the Spirit. He was seen by angels and announced to the nations. He was believed in throughout the world and taken to heaven in glory.

Elders and Deacons. What is their responsibility?

Ephesians 4:11-12 NLT - Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 

This message included live interaction between Pastor Kade and the congregation. Be sure to watch the video to grasp the entirety of the message.