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! Introduction
Pastor Steve Schlissel, (/Chalcedon Report/, Jan. 1997, p. 7) had this to say about the church: /"We'd have a hard time coming up with a topic that creates more bitterness and strife in the church than the doctrine of the church.
Isn't that cozy?"/
Why is that?
Because at a fundamental level, Christians don’t understand the nature of the church.
Too many Christians are trying to live–out their faith without understanding the bigger picture.
In part, the language we use betrays our limited understanding: we talk about “going to church,” instead of talking about how best to be the church.
In fact, for most people, our understanding of the church comes through what we have experienced in other human organizations such as service clubs, unions, and volunteer societies.
But the church of Jesus Christ has nothing to do with those human organizations.
In fact, what we need to understand from the outset, is that the church of Jesus Christ is a living organism, not an organization.
There are many challenges facing the church of Jesus Christ in Canada as we move into the next millennium, but there is perhaps no greater challenge and no greater need, than to re–discover the identity and character of the New Testament church.
As I said last week, if we do not know who we are, if we have an imperfect or flawed understanding of the Church, then we will be unable to function as Christ desires us to.
We need to look long and hard at what the Bi-ble says the authentic Church should look like.
Noted Christian author Chuck Colson writes:
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“We have a scandalously low view of the church.
We have been so suckered in by the radical individualism of American culture that we’ve stripped the church of its proper role, but God created the church for the redemption of humankind, and to be a witness to the coming kingdom.
Despite the fact that 81% of the American people say they can find the truth about God without reference to church or synagogue, I now believe that you cannot live the Christian life apart from the church.”
(Chuck Colson in an interview with /Christianity Today/, Nov. 23, 1992)
}}}
He’s right.
Scripture says that Christ died for the church.
So, what is it?
The church is that body of believers whom God has called and gifted to work and grow together in love and unity, with the goal of becoming fully mature in Christ.
Look at Ephesians 4:1–16.
! 1.
The Church consists of those who are called vv. 1–6
/As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received./
Ephesians 4:1
The first thing that we learn from this passage, is that we do not choose to become a part of the church, but rather it is God who chooses us!
Earlier in Ephesians, Paul wrote:
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/For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.
In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ… In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will…/ Ephesians 1:4,5,11
}}}
We don’t find God, he finds us!
We don’t choose God, he chooses us!
But not everyone responds to God’s call in their lives.
Jesus said, “For many are invited, but few are chosen” (Mat.
22:14).
So, what are we called to?
The NT teaches:
#.
And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.
To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints... Romans 1:6-7
#. …to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those every-where who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ… 1 Corinthians 1:2
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You, my brothers, were called to be free.
But do not use your freedom to indulge the sin-ful nature; rather, serve one another in love.
Galatians 5:13
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Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.
And be thankful.
Colossians 3:15
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But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. 2 Timothy 1:8-9
Note that we are called /by/ Him, we are called /to/ Him, and we are called /for/ Him!
Our calling is something that we must live up to!
To be a part of the Church is to become a part of Christ Jesus!
As Peter reminds us, we are /“a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peo-ple belonging to God, that [we] may declare the praises of him who called [us]out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Once [we]were not a people, but now [we] are the people of God”/ (1Pe 1:9–10).
Our purpose, our identity, our future, is now inextricably linked with God’s Son, and we belong to Him.
The Greek word /ekklesia/ – church – means “those who are called out.” God has called us as Paul says in verse 1 of our text, to “live up to, live worthily” of that calling.
Phillips says, “live lives worthy of your high calling,” while the NKJV says, “walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.”
We need to “walk the walk” for no other reasons that we are The Church!
We are the Bride of Christ!
We belong to the Living God, for as we are reminded in Corinthians, “You are not your own; you were bought at a price” (1 Corinthians.
6:19-20).
We also must learn that as the Church, we are called into relationship with other believers.
Paul writes in [[verse two|bible:Ephesians 4:2]]:
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/Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace./
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The church consists of /people/; it is not about buildings or denominations, it’s about community!
We are called to be united, because God is united!
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/“There is one body and one Spirit— just as you were called to one hope when you were called—one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”/
Ephesians 4:4-6
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Let’s put to rest the lie that says we can be a Christian without being in relationship to other believers.
To be part of the church is to be part of a larger whole, the invisible, world–wide community of Christ.
Author Tim Bascom talks about the importance of community:
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"Community can rescue us from ourselves and help us to become ourselves.
In the end, the size and strength of a community depends on the willingness of its members to give themselves to living in relationship.
You can't stay part of a community and make all your decisions based on purely per-sonal goals."
Tim Bascom in The Comfort Trap (quoted in /Moody/, May 1994)
}}}
One truth really hit me hard when I was preparing for this sermon: we don’t get to choose who belongs to the Church, that’s God’s choice.
So the only option available to us is what Paul writes about, to bear with one another and keep the bond of unity.
“You don’t get to choose your family” as the saying goes.
The church is God’s family!
And since God has called us, the only choice we have is to love one another, like it or not!
The Apostle John writes:
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/We love because he first loved us.
If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar.
For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.
And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother./ 1 John 4:19–21
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And in this context, love is not an emotion, but acts of service and compassion.
We are called to be part of the church, the believers whom God has called and gifted to work and grow together in love and unity.
We must also understand that…
! 2. The Church consists of those who are gifted vv.
7–12
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/But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it./
Ephesians 4:7
/It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up./
Ephesians 4:11-12
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The next thing that we must learn about the church, is that each and every member of the church has gifts that are to be used in building her up.
Each and every one of us is given spiri-tual gifts that we must discover and develop and then use for the good of the entire church.
God doesn’t give us gifts to keep or ignore, but to use in service!
Once again, this is something that we do not have a choice about.
You have gifts, find them!
You have gifts, use them!
What is your gift, or gifts?
Paul writes /“each [person] has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that”/ (1Co 7:7).
Note that these gifts we receive are supernatural in origin, they are more than just aptitudes or natural ability: /“Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good”/ (1Co 12:7).
That is what Paul means when he says that /“to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it”/ (Eph 4:7).
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