When you think of church, what comes to your mind? What is a church? Is church really necessary and important? When you think about church, do you have a positive or negative image come to mind?
Today I want to talk about the importance of the church.
Who came up with Church? Who was the first person who spoke about church? Who thought of linking Christianity to a Church?
The very first time that the word “church” appeared in the Bible was in Matthew 16, let’s read it:
18 “I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:18-19
I see many people criticising the church, talking badly about it, but I am someone who loves the church of Jesus, I believe in the church of Jesus and I love it.
The true church of Jesus is the only possible solution to our lost society, the church is the light that shines in this dark world, the church is the salt that is preserving this world from the destruction that will come.
Jesus is the hope of the world but the local church is the vehicle of expressing that hope to the world.
The true church of Jesus is the ark in which people will enter to be saved and without the church they are lost and condemned to hell.
The church of Jesus is everlasting, there is only one society on earth that never loses a member by death, and this is the Church of Jesus.
The Church is going to last forever! Nothing on this planet will last much long, except the Church, that’s how important the Church is!
“After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.“ 1 Thessalonians 4:17 NIV
Christ offers you eternal membership. This is why Jesus said: I will build My Church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.
That means the gates that closed over the dead will not prevail against Jesus’ church. The church breaks through those gates.
Jesus said I am He who was dead and I’m alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and hell. Revelation 1:18
The true Church of Jesus will never ever get smaller, it always gets bigger and bigger.
Doesn’t that excite you? What a privilege it is to belong to something that is such a success, that’s getting bigger all the time.
God reveals in the bible that we should be connected to Christ, but also fully integrated and committed to His Church. It is the other side of the penny.
Christian life has these two sides: the vertical relationship with the Lord and the horizontal relationship with His church, which is the followers of Jesus.
Today we are going to see that: The Church is the personal representative and agent of Jesus on earth.
There are a lot of misunderstandings about what the Church is and there is many who are unfortunately deceived by false teachings, false churches and false leaders.
There are many people out there listening to “online pastors” on the internet.
Biblically, there’s no such thing as an “online church” or “online pastors”. Church is the one you congregate in, a place where you go to serve and are committed to. A pastor is the one who teaches you, who knows you and can call your attention when you happen to fall.
Many choose the internet because they can choose what they want to hear, and they have the option of hearing nothing back. That is why many people are being deceived. Because of false teachings and false leaders many have come to believe that church is not important. Many people who consider themselves Christians are not committed to the Church.
“Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
John 14:6
Jesus is the only way of salvation! No one comes to the Father or goes to Heaven except through Jesus Christ.
Jesus is the Door and there is no other door, and the only way to access God’s presence on earth is by Jesus Christ!
Salvation is only through Jesus; He is the Door but He has a body on earth and His body is the Church.
Jesus is the head of the Church and the Church is the Body of Christ.
“Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.” I Corinthians 12:27
How can someone say : I like Jesus but I don’t like church, I’m committed to Jesus but I’m not committed to the church. I love Jesus but I don’t love the church.
Christ and the Church are one, for the Church is the Body of Christ.
Some people say: I need Christ but I don’t need the church.
Example: Imagine a man saying to his wife: I love your hair and your face but I don’t like your body! (You would be in trouble)
If you are not committed to the Body of Christ you’re not really committed to Christ!
Church is the personal representation and agent of Jesus on earth.
18 “ I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:18-19
Jesus said that He would build His Church – pastor Marcio has no Church, the Church doesn’t belong to any leader or pastor, the church belongs to Jesus Christ.
Jesus didn’t give Peter the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, He gave them to the Church. And Jesus said: whatever the Church binds on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever the church loosens on earth will be loosen in heaven.
When you are connected to the church on earth, or when you get baptised, you get connected in heaven.
When you disconnect from the church you also disconnect in heaven.
No one can live without belonging to a church, for the church is the authority here on earth that communicates with Heaven. Every person that is activated through a Church on earth is also activated in Heaven.
How can a church activate someone? Through baptism.
Whenever you get baptised in the water, you are activated as a part of the local church (Shalom) here on earth, you become a disciple of Jesus.
Let’s look, once again how the Church is the personal representative and agent of Jesus on earth
“He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.” Matthew 10:40
Those who receive you receive me. In other words, you are the representatives of Jesus. The only way He can get to other people is through you. If you go, then He will go with you, if they receive you, then they will receive Him.
“So Jesus said to them : As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.””
John 20:21
He is sending you exactly the same way the Father sent Him.
Jesus came as representative of the Father and said: Who has seen me, has seen the Father.
If we are sent in the same way we have the obligation to say to the world: If you have seen us, you have seen Christ.
Jesus said: As my Father sent me, I send you !
The Church is the visible and authorised representative of Jesus Christ.
Can you now see how important the church is? Are you a committed member of Jesus’ Church? Or are you just a church visitor?
Who had the idea of creating the Church in the very beginning? Who was the first person who spoke about church in the Bible?
The answer is Jesus! He said, I will build my Church.
I cannot claim to be a follower of the Lord Jesus and yet ignore the Church.
If He said “I will build my church” and told us all to belong to it. How can I dare say “I can be a Christian without doing what He told me to do”.
The problem is: many people are in the building but do not belong in the Body of Christ.
Church is not 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, ministered and prayed together, worshiped together.
According to these bible verses and many others, the definition of Church is quite clear.
This is being a church! Do you do this? Are you always in communion with your brothers and sisters? Do you invite them to your house, and share your food, you pray and worship together!
A Church is a group of baptised believers who have joined together in a commitment to help each other fulfil God’s purpose in each other’s lives.
The purpose of the Church is to help you fulfil God’s purpose in your life.
A Church is not an institution, the 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 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 are born again you became part of Gods family.
Just as you became a part of the human race by being born into the world you also became a part of Gods family by being born again into God’s family.
You’re a 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 a business, it’s not a building, Church is the family of the living God!
The Bible says that your church is a Family. How does your family work?
Do you go home whenever you want? Is it important for your family that every member is there every day? When your children are missing at dinner time, do you ring or go after them?
Beloved brother and sister, when we get baptised and received as a member of the Shalom community you become part of the Shalom family!
Remember that Jesus’ church is a physical church, not an online church!
I know many people listen my preachings on Internet and these teachings can help you have more understanding, but if you don’t come to this church, I’m not your pastor!
I’m the pastor of the people who come to this church and who participate in the Cells (our home groups).
Every believer should be a faithful member of a church and invest their time to make disciples and increase the members of the kingdom of God.
The Church of Christ is the Foundation of the truth.
Same people don’t have any support or foundation for their lives because they don’t belong to a church, they only sometimes attend a 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 .
Why is the Church important? Because God purchased the church with the blood of His own Son – Jesus Christ
When Jesus was hanging on the cross, He was dying for The Church.
“Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the Church of God which He purchased with His own blood.”
Acts 20:28
The Holy Spirit has made leaders to shepherd the church of God, which was purchased with His own blood.
“Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,” Ephesians 5:25
When Jesus was hanging on the cross it was to make the Church possible.
What God is doing today is forming His Body, His Bride.
The church is the body of Christ and One day we will be presented as his Bride, we will rise up to meet the Lord in the air and we will forever be with Him.
Here is my point: The main work of God in the World today is forming , developing and building His Church.
This is why is it so important to be involved in all meetings, Sunday Services, Home Cell Meetings, Prayer Meetings, and be an active member of the Body of Christ.
“Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honour the one who serves me.” John 12:26 NIV
Are you valuing the body of Christ? Are you fully committed to the Body, are you a faithful member of your local church? Are you working for the body of Christ?
Are you preaching to the lost? Are you making disciple ? Are you investing in someone’s life ?
Maybe we need to repent for our selfishness, or our laziness for not honouring the Body of Christ and renew our covenant with Jesus and our local church where you got baptised and became a member of the body of Christ.
God bless you