Ephesians 1:22-23 (NKJV)

22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

EPHESIANS 1:22-23

What Is The Church?

What Is The Church?

There are many things in this life that bother me

One of those things that bothers me are the inconsistencies between God’s word and the practices of “Christians”

There are many things being done in the name of God that do not come from His word

What Is The Church?

It should bother us when someone leaves the church as well

I recently found an article that gave an opinion as to why there are some who are leaving the church…

“…because they don’t know the difference anymore”

What Is The Church?

Do we see the difference in the Lord’s church and denominations?

2 scriptures for consideration:“My people are destroyed for lack of

knowledge” (Hos. 4:6)“…and always be ready to give a

defense to everyone who asks you a reason…” (I Pet. 3:15)

What Is The Church?

Do we know what the church is?

We often say things like “I am going to church” or “We are having church”

Truth is, the church is not something we do or somewhere we go

Let’s see the church from scripture…

The Church is…

1. …the “called out”The first place to start in our study is

to simply look at the word “church” in the New Testament

“Church” is the Greek word “ekklesia” which means calling out (Matt. 16:18; Acts 2:47)

The “church” is the called out

The Church is…

1. …the “called out”What are we called out of?“…that you may proclaim the praises

of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (I Pet. 2:9)

“God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (I Cor. 1:9)

The Church is…

1. …the “called out”

We are called by the gospel (II Thess. 2:14)

All this means that the term church is referring to people

It is therefore not something that we do nor is it something that we attend or “go to”

The Church is…

2. …the saved

If the church is the called out, and we are called out of sin and darkness, then it must be the saved

“And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47)

Those added to the church were the saved

The Church is…

2. …the savedA church cannot claim to be The

church unless it is made up of saved people

Christ is the Savior of the body (Eph. 5:23), meaning those in the body have been saved from their sins

There is not salvation in any other, than Christ (Acts 4:12)

The Church is…

3. …the body of Christ

The bible also describes the church as the body of Christ

“And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all” (Eph. 1:22-23)

The Church is…

3. …the body of Christ

“And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence” (Col. 1:18)

Those in the church are “in Christ”, which brings to life passages such as Ephesians 1:3 & 7

The Church is…

4. …the bride of ChristPaul speaks of the church as the

bride of Christ in Ephesians 5:22-32Paul lets us know that what he speaks

of in verses 22-31 is “concerning Christ and the church” (v. 32)

We learn lessons in marriage from the example of Christ & the church (His bride)

The Church is…

4. …the bride of Christ

“For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ” (II Cor. 11:2)

An angel told John that he would show him “the bride, the Lamb’s wife” (Rev. 21:9)

The Church is…

5. …the house of God

Paul states the purpose of his first letter to Timothy in I Timothy 3:15

Paul refers to the house of God, which he says is the church

We, as a body, are the dwelling place of God

The Church is…

5. …the house of God

Ephesians 2:19-22

God dwells in those who make up the church, His people

“Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (I Cor. 3:16)

The Church is…

6. …the pillar & ground of the truth

Paul mentioned that the church is the pillar and ground of the truth (I Tim. 3:15)

Both words point to something that is a prop or support

In other words, the true church of the Lord stands for the truth, not a lie

The Church is…

6. …the pillar & ground of the truth

If a church does not bring the truth, then it is not the true church of the Bible (Gal. 1:6-9; II Jn. 9)

“if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus” (Eph. 4:21)