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What is “The Church”?
In a world that seems out of control, God provides a clear purpose for us – to serve Him and be holy, or separate.
To illustrate what the church is, Jesus used four vibrant metaphors: a structure, a flock, a body and His bride.
A Structure: In Matthew 16:18, Jesus says, “On this rock, I will build my church.” The emphasis of this word picture is a strong foundation and interconnectedness. Now, Jesus is not referring to His church as a building as we see today, but a dynamic, growing, interactive structure, which includes His organization and His group of people.
This is where God resides.
Ephesians 2:22 says, “In Him you are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit.” This concept is important, in that it helps us understand that His Church has purpose, authority, structure, and is visible. You can see it and its effects on the world.
Each of us has a purpose and a place within this structure that is God’s home.
A Flock: In Acts 20:28, Paul said to the Ephesian elders, “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.”
The emphasis of this illustration is to stick together, be humble enough to be led and for leaders to take care of the flock.
In 1 Peter 5:2, God says, “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care… when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.”
Like sheep, it is important for us to remain humble and constantly be guided by God, our Chief Shepherd.
His Body: In Ephesians 1:22, Paul writes regarding Jesus, “God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him.”
The emphasis of this word picture is to be connected to other Christians and that God is living in and through us. We are God’s arms, hands legs, feet…
This means that God is operating through us. God touches people through us, speaks through us and walks with people through us.
Romans 12:5 says, “So in Christ we who are many form one body and each member belongs to the entire.”
The question is, are you a connected or disconnected member of the body?
Jesus Bride: Closeness, love and anticipation are emphasized by this illustration.
Isaiah 62:5 says, “As the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall God rejoice over you.”
And, we read in 2 Corinthians 11:2, “I promised you to one Husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to Him.”
This is a wonderful picture of passionate love – Christ’s love for us and how He wants us to love Him. He completes us, He stirs our emotions, we endure tough times together and we constantly grow in our relations hip with Him.
Sadly, many American churches are falling short of these four examples of how Christ described His church. We see a watered down gospel, mixed messages from Christian leaders, ineffective ministries and shrinking congregations.
With more accurate teaching and correct shepherding, however, we can see a return to the core purpose that God has called us to.