At our recent annual meeting I preached a sermon on the Church as a Family. The family metaphor is one of ways God describes this new organism that is the church. This particular description highlights the closeness and bond church members should have with one another. There are some other names for the church found in the New Testament and I’d like to highlight those briefly in this month’s voice article.
First, let’s consider the word ‘church’ itself. When people think of a church what probably first comes to mind is the brick and mortar building, but that is not what the word means. The Greek word for church means a gathering or assembly of people. Sometimes in the New Testament the generic word for ‘church’ is used for a mob of angry people! You see the spiritual meaning when it is called the ‘Lord’s church’ or something similar. God’s gathering is what a church is. A church that doesn’t gather or members who don’t gather are going against the very definition of the word.
Second, the church is called a ‘bride.’ Jesus loved His church and gave Himself up for her (Eph 5). The church as the bride of Christ emphasizes His personal care and love, along with His unbreakable bond to her. Jesus will never forsake His church, He will always seek her benefit and good like a husband would to his bride.
Third, the church is called a ‘body.’ 1 Corinthians 12 describes each church member as a necessary part of the church body. People are described as hands, feet, eyes, and ears to show how each person plays a critical part in their role in the church. There cannot be any sideline watchers, just as there isn’t any part of the body that doesn’t serve a specific purpose. Try going one day blindfolded or with one hand tied behind your back and you will understand how each part of the body is necessary. The same is true with the members of the church.
Fourth, the church is called a ‘flock.’ Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd in John chapter 10 and His people sheep in that same chapter. That is not an insult, but another spiritual reality of how to see the church as God sees it. If the church is a flock, then the sheep require shepherding, feeding, guiding, caring, nurturing, etc. This important description highlights our dependence on the Lord for everything and the humility required to be led and guided by His Word.
Fifth, the church is called a ‘temple.’ Peter uses imagery of a spiritual house, or temple, that is being built up and the people are the spiritual stones for the building (1 Pet 2:4-5). This description of the church emphasizes that the church is necessarily a spiritual enterprise. A church that caters to everything else in the world besides spirituality, is not a church. If we concern ourselves with events and gatherings, decorations and decorum, and never prioritize spiritual worship or spiritual edification we miss the point of the church. God’s spiritual house could meet in a field or a house, in chairs or pews, with microphones or not, and the spiritual exercises could still be accomplished.
This is a great reminder for us to consider as we move forward as a church into the New Year. This refreshes us as to who we are what we must be about.