The first question I want to ask you : Why a series on The Church ? Why do I do a series on the subject : The Active Body of Christ ?
Because I can see clearly that many people are in Church building but not fully committed to the Body of Christ.
Many Christians listen the Word but have rejected the knowledge and their spiritual life don’t develop in the body of Christ.
I today I want to give you many reasons based on the bible for the importance of the Church.
I have seen many Christians that don’t grow spiritually, years past and they are the same and they are not an active member of the Body of Christ because this lack of knowledge and because they don’t understand what church is !
Some are in church but they don’t know what church is !
What is a church ? How do you define , describe it ?
When I say the word church what do you think of ?
Let me first tell you what a church is not :
Church is not a building. Most of you when you think of a church you think of a building , on a location , I’m going to a church , which means a building.
Jesus didn’t die for a building , churches meet in buildings but they are not a building.
A Church is not a institution, church is not a corporation with Jesus as the leader; The church is an organism; it has life, it is a body with Jesus as the head.
The problem is : many people are in the building but not in the Body of Christ.
Church is not a place I go to nor an event I attend , it’s a spiritual family that I belong to.
It’s a spiritual family that I belong to.
41 “Those who believed what Peter said were baptised and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all.
42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper ), and to prayer.
46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity —”
Acts of the Apostles 2:41-42, 46
Now notice these words : Believed , Baptised , Added to the Church , Devoted themselves, Teachings , Fellowship, Sharing meals , ate together , minister and pray together, worshiped together.
According to the bible this verse and many others , here is the definition of a Church.
A Church is a group of baptised believers who have joined together in a commitment TO HELP EACH OTHER FULFIL GOD’s PURPOSES FOR THEIR LIVES. THAT IS A CHURCH
The purpose of the Church is to help you fulfil God’s purpose for your life.
Why do you need other people in your life to fulfil God’s purpose ?
Why is the church the most important group on earth ?
(If you don’t know) , the Church is the most important group on earth .
Let give some reasons for that :
1- The Church was bought with the Blood of God’s own Son
“Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.”
Acts 20:28
Paul the apostle met the elders of Ephesus and he made clear reference of the fact that God had purchased the church with His own blood
Why is the Church important ? Because God purchased the church with the blood of His own Son – Jesus Christ
2- The Church Is God’s family
“So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family.”
Ephesians 2:19
When you born again you became part of Gods family .
You became a part of the human race by being born into the world . You you became a part of Gods family by being born again into God’s family.
You’re member of God’s family. What is God’s family ?
….. That family is the church of the living God. And God’s church is the support and foundation of the truth.”
1 Timothy 3:15
Church is not an organisation, it’s not a building, Church is the family of the living God !
Bible says that your church is a Family , How works your family ? Do you go home when you want , is important in your family that every member is there every day ? When some children is missing for dinner do you ring or go after him/her ?
God’s Church is the Support and Foundation of the true .
Same people don’t have support and foundation for their lives because they don’t belong to a church they just come to church.
So the church is God’s family – that’s why it’s more important than any business, government or any organisation.
God’s family is the Church of the living God .
3 – The Church is more important than any government, any nation or any organisation , because Jesus died for His church .
Jesus didn’t die for your nation , my nation , He didn’t die for your business , He died for The Church.
Ephesians 5:25,27
“husbands, 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.”
Ephesians 5:25-27
If you want to know how something matters, you look at what somebody is willing to pay for it !
When someone is willing to give their life for something, that shows how much it’s valuable.
Christ died for his church !
4- The church is loved , nourished and cherished by Jesus Christ
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the Word”
Ephesians 5:27
Paul is speaking about husbands loving their wives and nourishing them and cherishing them even as the Lord the Church
So it’s clear that Jesus loves the Church , He nourishes the Church , He cherishes the Church by the way that nourish and cherish literally means to warm with body heat.
So husband ought to warm your wife with body , he give them hugs and show them your cherish but Jesus loves and warms and cherishes the church.
One day Jesus will present to himself a Glorious Church without spot , Holy and blameless
“and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.”
Ephesians 5:27
Christ died so that he could give the church to himself like a bride in all her beauty.
He died so that the church could be holy and without fault, with no evil or sin or any other thing wrong in it.”
The church is robed in the righteousness of Christ and one day Christ will present to Himself a Glorious Church without spot , and holy and blameless
This is the point : Church is a place where you came to be transformed by the washing with water through the Word.
By the Word , by the teachings on the Service , on the cell meetings your life is restored , transformed in a radiant church , without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.
5- The Church It’s the only reason God’s created the universe. Did you know that ?
The whole reason God created the universe is because He wanted a Family !
God wanted a Family and that family is called the Church !
So The church is the reason God created the universe !
The Bible says God created the entire universe because He wanted the Church . That’s how important it is .
“Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.”
Ephesians 1:4
Even before he made the world God chose us ! Did you know : Before God though of the Universe , He though of you ?
That’s how valuable you are , that’s how important you are .
“God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.”
Ephesians 1:5
God wanted a family , and it’s the whole reason He created the a universe.
That’s how important the Church is . If God didn’t want a church , nothing else would exist .
6- God is using His church for His eternal purpose.
“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. This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Ephesians 3:10-11
Through christians gathered in Churches this extra-ordinary plan of God is becoming known even among the angels.
Gods plan for all of time involves the Church , The Body of Christ.
No church , no universe , no time , no plan ,
7- The Church is the only thing on earth that will last forever.
Think about this . Government is not going to last forever , MacDonald are not going to last forever , Coca Cola are not going to last forever , no nations will last forever , money or gold will not last forever , business will not last forever. The only thing that are going to last forever is God’s Church !
“Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.”
Ephesians 3:21 NLT
Glory to Him in the Church through all generations forever and ever , for all time and eternity!
The Church will going to last forever ! Nothing on this planet are going to last , except the Church , that’s how important the Church is !
“Then we will be with the Lord forever.”
1 Thessalonians 4:17
Who is “we will be” with the Lord forever ? The Church !
…. I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
Matthew 16:18
The Church is the only group Jesus said would succeed.
I will build my church and all the power of hell will not conquer it !
Jesus is in the Church Building business.
He’s not interested in my reputation, my business, he’s not interested in building nations or business or organisations!
He said : I’m Going to Build My Family ! That’s why I build the whole universe ! I will build my church and all power of hell are not going to prevail !
We as church are in a battle but I have read the last chapter of the Bible and the Church will win and the church succeeds.
The building of His church is Christ principle Work in the world today. (Matthew 16:18)
What is God doing in the World today ? What is the primary work of God in the world today ? What is God’s priority in the world today ?
The answer is The Church !
What God is doing today is forming a Body , a Bride , a Building and The Church is The Active Body of Christ on earth.
Church is the body of Christ , that’s a metaphor for church and He’s making it and One day we will be as the Bride of Christ caught up to meet the Lord in the air and we will forever be with the Lord.
Here is my point : The primary work of God that God is doing in the World today is forming , developing , building His Church.
This is why is so important to be in all meetings, Sunday Service , Home Cell Meetings , Prayer Meetings, being an active member of the Body of Christ.
So , when we use our gifts , the spiritual gifts that have been given to us by God to build up , to edify, to strengthen and to advance the church , we are cooperating with God in the work that He is doing in the world today.
I don’t think there’s any greater work in the world today than the Work of the church : Planting churches , building churches , strengthening churches , building up churches !
The church is the only hope for this world, is a place of salvation, transformation and preparation for eternity.
I thank God that for so many years I’ve been privileged to be a pastor of a local church.
I’ve been pastor for 20 years and I love the church . I have seen all of its problems, all of its difficulties, all of its flaws but I love the church. It’s the Bride of Christ , He gave His blood for it , He loves it , He nourishes it , and one day He will take it home !
If I can give my time , my energy , my talent , my treasure to build up the church , to encourage , to strength the church and I’m working in cooperation with what God is doing in the world.
I Can not think of anything more important than doing Gods work , Gods way for Gods Glory.
That’s what I want for this church.
We want to do God’s Work , God’s Way for God’s Glory
Why is so important to go to church , to take part on small groups at home ?
Because the purpose of God is for His people to be gathered and to be visible in this world !
Jesus said I will build my church , if I love Jesus as I do I want to be committed to what He is committed to.
If I want to became more like Jesus Christ than I want to have more affection for the church.
May God bless you