What the Church Is Matthew 16:13-19

Introduction-1 The first time the word church is used in the New Testament Jesus said, “I will build My church,- v. 18 That promise was fulfilled on the first Pentecost after His resurrection and ascension When about 3,000 obeyed His gospel which Peter preached and were added to the number of the disciples- Acts 2:41 The word is used in v. 47 which says, And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved

Introduction-2 From this time on the church is said to be in existence The Lord’s church has been in this world for nearly 2,000 years Apostasy, attempts at reform and human innovations have produced many counterfeits Over 1,000 different religious groups calling themselves churches in this country Most claiming to be the church that Jesus built

Introduction-3 But bearing little resemblance to the church described in the New Testament Many people, including some Christians, do not really know what the church is Some think they are a part of the Lord’s church, but are not In our lesson this morning, I want to consider what the scriptures teach about the church by considering the names that are given to it

The Word Church-1 It is from the Greek word, ekklesia, which means a literally the “called out” It sometimes refers to an assembly of people gathered in one place for nonreligious purposes- Acts 19:39 But most of the time it refers to a group of Christians who have been called out of the world by the gospel- II Thess. 2:14 & II Cor. 6:17-18 Those who are disciples of Jesus and are following His teaching and His example

The Word Church-2 Jesus promised to build His church, singular The Lord’s church is not a denomination, but is the only institution of its kind found in the New Testament Divisions were rebuked and corrected- I Cor. 1:10 The plural, churches, refers to local congregations of Christians meeting in different places which all followed the same standard in their organization, teaching, worship and work- Rom. 16:16 & Gal. 1:2

The Importance of the Church Acts 2:47 says, And the Lord added daily to the church those who were saved. Those who did the same thing that Peter told believers to do in v. 38- To repent and be baptized for the remission of sins All who through faith have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ and are part of His church- Gal. 3:26-27 If all the saved are in the church then there are none who are saved that are not in it That makes the church an extremely important institution

The Kingdom-1 Jesus use the terms church and kingdom of heaven interchangeably- Mt. 16:18-19 It is also called the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Christ- Acts 28:31 & Eph. 5:5 The term kingdom refers to the government of the church Its headquarters are in heaven It is God’s spiritual kingdom on the earth- Jn. 18:36

The Kingdom-2 Jesus is its eternal king He rules in the hearts of all faithful Christians- Lk. 17:20-21 Who have citizenship in heaven- Phil. 3:20 Christ’s kingdom has no borders and encompasses the whole earth The term kingdom is also used to refer to all God’s people who will be with Him in eternity- II Pet. 1:11

The Body of Christ All its members have been baptized into one body- I Cor. 12:13 A body suggests the unity of its members and their cooperative efforts in serving Christ- I Cor. 12:14-27 & Rom. 12:4-5 Jesus is the head of His spiritual body- Eph. 1:22-23 He exercises all authority in directing its activities- Mt. 28:18 He expects those who are members of His body to follow His authority in all things- Col. 3:17 Those who go beyond His teachings do not have God- II Jn. 2:9

The Family of God-1 Paul said that Christians comprise the household or family of God Now, therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,- Eph. 2:19 To be claimed by God is a great honor- I Jn. 3:1 Children are expected to bear a similarity to their Father- Jn. 8:44

The Family of God-2 God expects us to be holy as He is Holy- I Pet. 1:15-16 Family suggests a close relationship between the members Jesus said, By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another- Jn. 13:35 That should include a high regard that honors faithful brothers and sisters and a genuine concern that ministers to their needs Members of God’s family have an inheritance reserved in Heaven with Him- I Pet. 1:4

In Conclusion There are hundreds of different churches in the world today Most claiming to be the church that Jesus built Many are deceived by their claims The New Testament clearly identifies the Lord’s church It is Christ’s kingdom, His spiritual body and His family A spiritual institution focused on saving souls and preparing them for eternity Are you a member of the Lord’s church this morning?