What comes to mind when you hear the word Church? Do you think of old buildings with loud bells on top? Do you think of hour long sermons on Sunday mornings that interrupt a day of sleeping in? Is church something you check off each week? Is it a place to be seen by others, to say you did your spiritual duty? Does church allow you to gossip about others, or plan your next activities? Now, these are mostly negative views of Church ( I personally like an old building with loud bells on top), and there are many more that I am sure we have all heard. Maybe your view of the Church is nothing like this. Maybe you used to have negative presuppositions of the church. Even if you don’t have any of these thoughts, or something similar, you most likely know somebody inside or outside of your church that has negative views or thoughts of what the Church is. In the next few blogs, I want to look at the true, biblical meaning and purpose of the Church.
In Matthew, our Lord Jesus Christ gives first mention of the new Church in the New Testament. “On this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it” (Matt. 16:18). Jesus promises to build His Church, and promises that nothing will stop the Church and its mission. Now the Church spoken of here in Matthew is a foreshadow of the Church established at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came in Acts. “Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:4).
Jesus said, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:19-20). The Church is the body of Christ, established for God’s purpose to graciously and lovingly make disciples. To spread the Word, the Truth, given to us by God in scripture. “He has saved us and called us with a holy calling” (2 Tim. 1:9). A calling to be unashamed of the Gospel and to teach everything commanded by our Lord Jesus Christ until the end of the age. This was not a statement for just the Apostles that Jesus was speaking with, this was an actual command to all called by our Lord Jesus Christ, into His Church, to share His Truth, in Scripture, until the END OF THE AGE.
“I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35). Our Lord Jesus Christ shares His commands throughout Scripture. As those called into His Church, we are to share His Truth with Love. Learning and loving His Truth and message is a command in order for His Church to disciple others with Love.
