14. What is the Church?
Key Verses / Passages
For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. Romans 12:4-5
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Discussion
At first glance, many people would associate the Church with simply being a building where people meet. Whether that be in different spaces, such as a hall or a temple. What is interesting is that there is much more to the word church than this idea of a structural building – it is the spiritual assembly of believers gathering as the body of God (Jesus Christ). The focus of the church is not merely on the building but rather on the people in it. The Apostle Paul, in his New Testament letter to the Roman church (12:4-5), remarks that Jesus is the head, and we (every believer of Jesus Christ) together make up the body. As we are known to be united under Jesus Christ as a body, despite having differences in how we worship or see God, we are to work together in unity, not uniformity. When gathering as the Church of Jesus Christ, there are two interesting insights that should be recognised when meeting together:
1. God’s glory dwells when believers meet. What is remarkable is that God is always with us as we meet. In Psalm 26:8, David writes that “the house where you live is where your glory dwells.” The term the house refers to the gathering of Jesus’ believers. This is the place where God’s glory dwells. Whether that be over a coffee table with a fellow believer, at your dining room table, or in a stadium, God’s glory always dwells with those He loves.
2. We were made to receive but also to serve. 1 Peter 4:10-11 tells us that we were made to worship together and serve one another. We were made with gifts that God has given us to serve and to strengthen one another with. Whether that gift is generosity, speaking, teaching, being a musician, hospitality, etc., we are designed to use these gifts to strengthen those around us.
So, in summary, the Church is made up of Christians who come to receive the presence of God and lovingly serve one another. We do all these things knowing that we are all a part of one body of which Jesus Christ is the head. What a privilege it is to be able to gather and worship Him!
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Reflection / Questions
• Do you regularly meet with other Christians? When and where? What do you do when you meet?
• What gifts do you have? How could you use your strengths to serve God as a member of His body?
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Prayer
Dear God, thank you for the church that you have designed to worship you and serve one another. Thank you that I get to be a part of your divine family. Please guide me towards finding a place where I can come to worship you and serve others with the gifts that you have given to me.