“A sermon on the word church”
1. More than 100 times in the New Testament we find a word which is most often translated “church.”
2. This is a two-part sermon to study every place in the New Testament that uses this word.
1) The first time we find the word “church” in the Bible is Mt. 16:18.
i) This verse helps illustrate what the word “church” is.
ii) The “church” Jesus built was not made of stone and mortar; He created a body of people.
2) Men today speak about “churches” and the various people who built them.
3) The Bible speaks about “one church” and it describes only one builder – Jesus Christ.
4) After Mt. 16:18, we find the word “church” being used two times in a single verse (Mt. 18:17).
5) Matthew use word “church” three times and Mark, Luke and John avoid this term entirely.
i) Acts 2 describes how some became Christians and we find the word “church” in verse 47 (some mss).
ii) The ASV says “to them” instead of using the word “church” but this does not change the thought.
6) The church is not something men create; it was created by Christ and Jesus “adds” people to it.
7) Acts 5:11 says “great fear came upon all the church.”
i) Acts 7:38 – READ. Here the word “church” is used to describe the people of Israel.
ii) The “church” of the Old Testament was designed for the Jews; the church of the NT is open to all.
8) One might be inclined to think that people would love anything created by God, especially the church.
9) Many hate the one church built by Christ – Acts 8:1 – READ
10) Acts 8:3 is the next place “church” is used – READ
11) God sometimes allows His “church” (people) to be persecuted, but He also limits what can be done.
12) Acts 9:31 speaks about “churches” (congregations of the 1 church) receiving “rest.”
13) Luke also (Acts 11:22) spoke about the church being an organization that receives news.
14) Let’s pause for a moment and ask about a name or designation for members of the church.
15) Acts 11:26 says the members of the church were called “Christians.”
16) Acts 12:1 describes how a ruler began to “vex certain of the church.”
17) Just a few verses after Acts 12:1 we find the word “church” being used again (Acts 12:5).
18) Acts 13:1 – the next time we find the word “church” – Luke spoke of “prophets and teachers” in the church.
19) We see the church of the Bible is involved with teaching and prayer, but who are local leaders? Acts 14:23.
20) The very next time Luke used the word “church” (Acts 14:27) he spoke about an assembly.
21) Acts 14:27 says, “they were come, and had gathered the church together.”
Some claim to be a member of the church but they do not want to gather together with it.
22) This is about like saying, “We are employed by this company but we never/hardly ever show up to work.”
Acts 15:3-4 (our next 2 “church” references) speak of being “brought on their way by the church” and being “received of the church.”
23) Acts 15:22 (our next “church” reference speaks about the “whole church”).
24) God is not interested in having just a few key members; He wants the “whole church” to be involved.
i) At the end of Acts 15 (15:41) we read about Paul “confirming” the “churches” (congregations).
ii) Sometimes Christians need to be encouraged or strengthened; this is to occur in the Lord’s church.
25) God wants His church to be “established” or “strengthened” (Acts 16:5).
26) When the church is what God wants there will be joyous fellowship (Acts 18:22).
27) The Lord’s church, however, is not, the ONLY ORGANIZATION on earth.
i) Three times in Acts 19 (Acts 19:32, 39, 41) the word “church” is used to describe a mob.
ii) There was an “assembly” (a body of people) in Acts 19, but these people were not Christians.
28) Acts 20:17, 28 tells us elders for “the church at Ephesus were called.
29) Because the church is so precious to God, we are to be ready to be a “servant” in it (Rom. 16:1).
Do we see ourselves as a “servant” of the church? If not, why?
30) All too often people want the church to serve them instead of them being a servant.
In Rom. 16:4 we read about the congregations of the Gentiles.
31) All are welcome in the Lord’s church and all need to be welcome in same location.
The word “church” describes the people and this is why the Bible says (Rom. 16:16):
32) The “whole church” (Rom. 16:23—here is that word “whole” again) is to be involved in greetings.
33) In Rom. 16:23 Paul said the “whole church” expressed a greeting.
34) 1 Cor. 1:2 refers to the “church of God.” The church is not ours; it belongs to deity instead of man.
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36) 1 Cor. 4:17 says Paul taught the same thing in “every church” (every congregation).
37) A similar point is found in 1 Cor. 7:17. The “doctrine” to be believed and practiced has been set by God.
The Corinthians did not view the church in quite they should have as we see from verses like 1 Cor. 6:4.
38) Several times, beginning with 1 Cor. 10, Paul spoke about the church.
i) In 1 Cor. 10:32. Then the “church” is discussed in 1 Cor. 11:16, 18, 22, 28, but this is not all.
ii) In 1 Cor. 14:4, 5, 12, 19, 23, 28, 33, 34, 35 Paul continued to specifically speak about “the church.”
iii) See, too, 1 Cor. 15:9 and 1 Cor. 16:1, 19.
Part 2 – The word “church.”
1) Paul opened the 2 Corinthians letter with the word “church.” He spoke about the “church of God.”
2) Today many groups use a man’s name in conjunction with the word “church” but this wrong.
3) If we will be the church built by Christ, God will bless us. 2 Cor. 8:1.
i) The word “churches” is used multiple times in the Bible, especially in the 2 Corinthian letter.
ii) 2 Cor. 8:18, 19, 23, 24 all use the plural – “churches.”
iii) We also find “churches” in 2 Cor. 11:8 (Paul said he “robbed” – took support from) multiple congregations.
iv) Paul even spoke about “churches” (plural) in 2 Cor. 11:28 and 2 Cor. 12:13.
4) The fact that there is only “one church” but the Bible also uses the word “churches” is not contradictory.
5) All the “church” references in 2 Corinthians have been listed, so let’s turn to Galatians.
6) Three times in Galatians we find the word “church” and these three verses are all in Gal. 1.
i) Gal. 1:2 refers to all the “churches of Galatia.”
ii) Paul said he had “persecuted” the church of God (Gal. 1:13).
iii) For a time Paul said he was not known to the “churches” (congregations) in Judea (Gal. 1:22).
7) The word “church” is not used too often in Galatians, but it is pretty common in Ephesians.
i) Jesus is head over all matters related to the church (Eph. 1:22).
ii) Heavenly creatures, such as angels, learn about God and His plan through the “church” (Eph. 3:10).
iii) The church built by Jesus is associated with “glory” (Eph. 3:21).
8) In Eph. 5:23, 24, 25, 27, 29, 32 the “church” is compared to a bride.
9) Philippians and Colossians talk about “the church”
i) Phil. 3:6 is another passage which tells us the true church should expect “persecution.”
ii) Paul told the Philippians (4:15) they had helped him financially in his preaching Christ while others had not.
10) Colossians (1:18) offers a simply description for what the “church” is.
11) Col. 1:24, the next time we see the word “church,” also uses the word “body.”
12) Col. 4:15 is a reminder that the “church” is not a building; this passage speaks of a “church in a house.”
The “church” (a local congregation) was to read a letter sent by an inspired writer (Col. 4:16).
13) Paul used the word “church” in the first verse of this first letter to the Thessalonians. Then 1 Thess. 2:14.
14) Just as 1 Thess. 1:1 has the word “church,” such is also true for 2 Thess. 1:1.
15) The book of 2 Thessalonians is brief, but Paul spoke about the “church” once again in 2 Thess. 1:4.
i) Paul told Timothy the church is the “house of God” (1 Tim. 3:5).
ii) This must have been pretty important, because this same point is repeated in 1 Tim. 3:15.
16) Towards the end of this letter (1 Tim. 5:16) Paul said the church is concerned about its members.
17) Philemon is a short book, but we read about the “church” in “a house” in verse 2.
18) The Hebrew writer illustrates this point in Heb. 2:12; here he speaks about the “midst of the church.”
19) In Heb. 12:23 we find the words “assembly” and “church” right next to one another.
20) James (5:14) spoke about called for the elders of the church when someone is sick.
21) Peter spoke about the “church in Babylon” (1 Pet. 5:13) – the people in Babylon, not a street address.
22) In the brief book of Third John (no chapters) we find the church referred to three times (6, 9, 10).
23) John wrote to the “seven churches” (Rev. 1:4, 11, 20).
24) There were more than “seven churches” in this area, but “seven” symbolizes completeness.
25) See, too, Rev. 2:1, 7, 8, 11, 12, 17, 18, 23, 29; 3:1, 6, 7, 13, 14, 22; 22:16.
