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Ekklesia: The Church of Jesus Christ

4/15/2018

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If you did not know, Ekklesia is the greek word that is used in the New Testament that is translated most of the time in our English Bibles as church. There are many misconceptions regarding what the church is, not just in the world, but also among those who are Christians. I know that even my own understanding of what the church is has been flawed in the past. I have had many erroneous views that have needed to be changed. I have talked about the church differently than it is spoken of in the New Testament. This is an area where our beliefs can at times be based more on the specific religious tradition that we have been brought up in instead of on scripture itself, and we can often be guilty of using words differently than how scripture uses them because of how we hear others use them.

To understand what the ekklesia of Jesus is, it is important for us to understand this point (and this is usually a surprising point when it is seen for the first time): the Greek word “ĕkklēsia” is not inherently a religious word like our English word church is. Let me say that again. The Greek word that is translated as church in our Bibles (Ekklesia) is not inherently a religious word.
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In the Greek world the word ekklesia simply designated an assembly or group of people. We see this idea even in the use of ekklesia in the New Testament. It is not just used as a religious word.

First, let’s look at Acts 19:32. In the context of this passage, the people were stirred up by the silversmiths and craftsmen who built idols. Their businesses were in danger because of the preaching of the Gospel and people being told to not serve God’s made by human hands. A riot ensues and they all enter a theatre yelling and screaming. Here is what we are told in verse 32:

“32 Now some cried out one thing, some another, for the assembly (ekklesia) was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together.” (Acts 19:32, ESV)

In this passage, the word ekklesia is talking about a mob that was in a theatre. Yes, it could be argued that it was religiously motivated, but it surely was not God’s people coming together. Verse 41 also uses the word ekklesia when it mentions the dismissing of this assembly of people.

One other verse in this passage uses the word ekklesia. Verse 39. I will read verse 38 also…
“38 If therefore Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. 39 But if you seek anything further, it shall be settled in the regular assembly.” (Acts 19:38–39, ESV)

This is the town clerk saying these this. The last word there in verse 39, “assembly” is ekklesia. He is talking about an assembly where that the people of a city were often called to in order to talk about grievances that they had and to get judgments from the authorities.

THE SEPTUAGINT - EKKLESIA BEFORE COMING OF JESUS
Before Jesus came, we see this same usage of the word ekklesia in the Septuagint — the Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures. Ekklesia is used over 50x in the Septuagint, and in most of the cases where this word is used, it is also talking about an assembly, congregation, a bunch of people, or a group of people. It is often used to talk about the Israelites who were assembled together in the wilderness.

I would like to give you a couple other examples of how ekklesia is used in the Greek Old Testament:
As David speaks to Goliath, he declares that all “all this ekklesia shall know” that “the battle is the Lord’s” (I Samuel 17:47 [Lxx I Kings 17:47]) Here, ekklesia is used to describe armies that came out for battle

David says that he avoids & hates “the ekklesia of evildoers” (Psalm 26:5 [Lxx 25:5]) Ekklesia here is an assembly containing “men of falsehood” and “hypocrites” (v4).

In the account of David and Goliath, ekklesia is used to talk about all those who were present and would see David fight Goliath.

THE EKKLESIA OF JESUS
It is important to see the use of ekklesia throughout the Bible and in the Greek speaking world because this helps us to understand what is being spoken of when the word is translated as “church” in the New Testament. As I said last Lord’s Day, church is really not a good translation of the word. It is not a literal translation like the other uses (assembly, congregation, etc).
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We see in the usage of the word before and during the first century that the word is always talking about a group of people, so whenever we think of the church, we should not think of buildings, clergy or church leaders, organizations,  institutions, or business enterprises. We need to think of a group of people. The ekklesia of Jesus is the assembly or congregation or community of Christ’s people. Nothing more and nothing less. Whenever we think about the church of Jesus Christ in these types of ways, whether it be a local congregation or the universal assembly, we have adopted a mindset that is unbiblical and/or denominational. And when we think of the church in these types of ways, unbiblical practices are soon to follow also. The church of the Lord often becomes something that it is not Biblically whenever we think about the nature of the church incorrectly. It is not a business that hires employees. It is not a building. It is not an organization like the Red Cross or Salvation Army. The church -- the ekklesia of Jesus Christ is simply a group of people. 
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We ARE Family!

2/28/2018

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Jesus considers all Christians (those who do the will of the Father in Heaven) to be family. We’re not kind of like a family. We ARE family. 
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Christians often talk about how "family" is everything, but usually what they mean by this is the family they were physically born into. Biblically speaking, we need to keep two things in mind. First, family is not "everything." Jesus is! When one says, "Family (physically speaking) is everything," then this may show an idolatrous attitude towards our physical relationships. Second, after Jesus, our spiritual family comes #1, not necessarily our physical family. The blood of Christ that joins God's people together is thicker than water, or better, the blood of Christ is thicker than the blood of physical relation. 

It is surely a blessing whenever our physical family contains disciples of Christ, but even when that is the case, we need to be careful not to neglect the rest of the family God has given us in Christ. Often our physical family can lead us to forget that the LORD calls His people to work for, nourish, and support more than just our physical family. We should not do one to the neglect of the other, and we need to be careful not to make those who are members of the Christian assembly we associate with feel like "outsiders" because of the emphasis we put on physical family. This happens often in local congregations. Some of our Christian family members can end up feeling all alone because other Christians only make time for the physical family who are in Christ. 

“So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” (Galatians 6:10, ESV)

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Lesson Fast-Forward: Stirring Up Our Zeal With Love

12/15/2017

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This coming Sunday (12-17-17), we are going to talk about how our zealous works need to be motivated & stirred up by love. If we desire to be zealous like our Lord Jesus, love must be the primary reason why we want to serve the Lord and one another. The Lord’s love needs to stir us up to be concerned for the physical and spiritual well-being of others.

Here are some passages you can look up and mediate upon to prepare for the lesson:
  • 1 Corinthians 13:1-3
  • 1 Corinthians 14:1-4; 12
  • 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Here are some questions you can also think about:
  • Can you enter your name in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7?
    • Do your good works show love towards others?
    • Are your actions motivated by pride and selfishness or by love for others?
  • Are there things you are unwilling to do for others?
  • Are there people you are unwilling to serve?
  • Are you only willing to love if you don’t have to make sacrifices?

​​If you would like a copy of the interactive outline that will be in Sunday's bulletin, click the button below:

Get Interactive Outline
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Lesson "Fast-Forward:" Hearts on Fire - Fueling Our Zeal w/ Diligence

12/8/2017

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This Sunday, we are going to talk about how we can be more diligent in our service to the Lord Jesus. If we are not growing in diligence, our zeal for the Lord will not last. 

Here are some passages you can look up and mediate upon to prepare for the lesson:
  • Hebrews 6:9-12
  • Romans 12:11
  • Philippians 2:3-4
  • 2 Peter 1:9-11; 3:14-15

Here are some questions you can also think about:
  • Can you enter your name below? 
    • _____________ is steadfast, immovable, & always abounding in the Lord’s work?
  • Are there things that you are allowing to cause you to lack diligence for spiritual things? 
    • Laziness?
    • Selfishness?
    • A sin you are struggling with?
    • Spiritual procrastination? 
  • Does receiving God's mercy lead you to “make every effort” to make your calling and election sure and to be found w/o spot or blemish?

​If you would like a copy of the interactive outline that will be in Sunday's bulletin, click the button below:

Get Interactive Outline

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​For our 9AM lesson on the minor prophets, we are going to look at the book of Nahum. Within the book Nahum pronounces God's judgments on the city of Nineveh and on the Assyrians, but the main reason the book was written was to teach God's people something: God's judgment on His enemies means comfort is coming for His people. God is going to right the wrongs done to His people. 


​Look forward to seeing you on the Lord's Day!

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Lesson Rewind: How to Hear God's Word

12/7/2017

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In 2016, we had as our annual theme the subject of being fruitful branches of the Lord. Although 2016 is long gone, we need to remember that being fruitful is still necessary for us today. So over the next few weeks, we are going to review some of the ideas that we studied during 2016 in our series titled Cultivating Good Soil.

Our first lesson in the series taught us how we need to listen to God's word if we want it to make an impact in our lives. Here are the main points that we made during the lesson:
  • Every person must hear the word of God. No matter what we believe about the type of soil/heart someone has, everyone (including us) must hear the word of God and be given the opportunity to bear fruit. Jesus taught the word to those who were good soil, and he also taught the word to those who were hardened and distracted. 
  • How each of us responds to the word depends on two factors: 1) Are we really listening? 2) Are there things in our lives that are hindering the word from doing it's work within us? 
  • How should we listen? (Mark 4:21-25)
    • Often! (4:21-23) God intends the light of His word to shine within us and to reveal things to us. If we are not getting into it often, then we are keeping ourselves from God's blessings. We need to get into it. We need to let it show us who we are, even if what we see will make us uncomfortable and challenge us to make changes in our lives. 
    • Carefully! (4:24-25) Some translations say in v24 to "take care" or to "take heed" what you hear. If this is the correct translation, then Jesus is showing us that we need to make sure we are giving our attention to the right message - the voice of our shepherd and not competing voices that can take us away from God. This point is true, whether this is the right translation of the passage or not (John 10:4-5, 16). Some translations translate this passage "pay attention to what you hear..." This translation focus not just on what we hear, but how we hear it. Jesus is saying to really pay attention to it. We must listen to it with a certain purpose in mind: to apply it and be changed by it. 

​With the last point of needing to listen to apply God's word to our lives, here are some questions of application:
  • As we read God’s word, do we do so just we can put the check in the box in our daily reading schedule to show we have been making progress, or do we read with the purpose of being fruitful?
  • Do we read just so we can be prepared to share information in Bible class, or do we read so we can be equipped by the Lord and so we can stir up one another to love and good works?
  • Do we pay attention when God's word is being taught, or are our minds elsewhere during Bible classes and sermons? 

If you would like to watch the whole sermon, you can watch it below. 

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Lesson "Fast-Forward" - Fueling Our Zeal With Courage

12/1/2017

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This coming Sunday, ​we are going to talk about how we can display more courage for the Lord. Too often we can allow the fears that we face and the things people do to discourage us to keep us from doing what is right. When we allow this to happen, our zeal can diminish and our “fire” can burn out. 

Here are some passages you can look up and mediate upon to prepare for the lesson:
  • 2 Timothy 1:6-7
  • 2 Timothy 1:11-14
  • Joshua 1:5, 9
  • 1 Peter 3:13
Here are some questions you can also think about:
  • Are you living courageously for the Lord?
  • Are there things that you are allowing to cause you to fear? 
    • A desire to please men and to have them like us?
    • A love for the things of the world that we don’t want to lose: our lives, our possessions?
    • A lack of trust in God’s promises?
  • Are you allowing fears and discouragement to lead you to be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ?
​
If you would like a copy of the interactive outline that will be in Sunday's bulletin, click the button below:

Download Interactive Outline
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Lesson Rewind: Respectable Sins - Gluttony

11/23/2017

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Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner. It will be a time of celebration and feasting for many. This is a good a time as any to remind us all that we need to be fruitful in the Lord over the coming months in showing self-control as we sit down for feasting. 

To remind us of our need to show self-control, here is a lesson that I preached in August of 2016 on the topic of gluttony, a sin that too often we tend to ignore.
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Our Goal in Life: To Please God

11/16/2017

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What is your goal in life? To be successful? To get married, have kids, and have a happy family? To get a good job, make a lot of money, and to help charities? What would your answer be? Some of these may be good things to desire in life, but should they be our goal in life? The Bible's answer is, 'no.' 

As Christians, the Apostle Paul tells us what our goal in life should be: 

“...So we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. In fact, we are confident, and we would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. Therefore, whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to be pleasing to him.” (2 Corinthians 5:6–9)

Paul reminds us in this passage that our goal in life as Christians is different from the goals that people in the world have. Our hopes, our dreams, our aspirations are on a higher plain. Our sights must be set on Heaven. And they need to be set on Heaven, not because we think that we will receive many great things there. Heaven is not about receiving a golden mansion lined with silver. It is not about receiving great physical wealth, riches, and possessions. This may be the way many Americans may materialistically think of Heaven, but this is not how Christians should think of Heaven. What is so amazing about Heaven - the reason why we make it our goal and aim to be there - is because we want to be in the presence of our God and of our Christ who gave His life for us. 

In all of the things we desire to do in life, this needs to be our goal. Our goal must be to be successful in the Lord. Our goal must be to have families that are pleasing to Him. Our goal should be to please Him as we serve the lost and saved alike. Our goal in our work in this life should be to please Him in our character by supporting ourselves, our families so that we can be productive in Kingdom work. 

Do these describe your goal in life? Is it the case that being with Jesus, our Father, and His Spirit the greatest desire of your life? 

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10/29/17 Lesson "Fast Forward" - Jesus Will Return

10/27/2017

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The return of Jesus Christ is an event that is emphasized a lot in scripture, but it is not an event that is talked about a lot today among God’s people. God’s people in the New Testament longed for the day Jesus would return. They put their hope in the promise that Jesus would come back and right all wrongs and completely reverse the curse that was brought on mankind and the creation in Genesis 3. 

We need to emphasize the return of Jesus and what it means for the people of God just as much as Paul and the other apostles did. The return of Jesus Christ is good news for the people of God, and it is a good motivation for us to keep fighting the battles we face every day. 

Join us on Sunday as we discuss this important topic. We will talk about three of the many things that will take place when Jesus returns so we can be prepared and so we can be confident that this event will be "good news" for us. 
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Some questions to meditate on to prepare yourself for Sunday's lesson:

  • How often do you think about the return of Jesus Christ? 
  • Do you anticipate the return of Christ? 
  • If Jesus returned today, would you be filled with confidence or shame? (See 1 John 2:28)
  • What are you doing right now to prepare for Jesus’ return? 
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Lesson "Fast Forward" - Challenges Young People Face: Struggles With The Church

10/20/2017

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We have discussed many challenges that young people face in our current sermon series. So far, the main emphasis has been the challenges that our young people face out in the world. But what about the challenges that young people face among God’s people? Are there ways we can drive young people away? 

The answer to these questions is: YES!

It is interesting that when you study surveys of young people who turn away from their faith, the many of the responses that young people give as the reason why are things like:
  • Hypocrisy among the people who claim to be Christians at church;
  • Shallowness of the faith of many Christians;
  • Parents not showing a love for God at home;
  • Their doubts and questions are not listened to by leadership and they are attacked for voicing them;
  • Going to church is pushed on them more than having a relationship with God
  • An attitude of being judgmental among older members towards younger members;
  • Being looked at as the "church of tomorrow" and not being equipped to be faithful Christians TODAY;
  • They are not challenged and feel like the Gospel is "watered down" in their Bible classes
  • etc.
These are just some of the reasons that young people give in surveys. These are all things we as God's people need to listen to. We need to consider our own lives and make sure we are not being a stumbling block for our younger brothers and sisters. 
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Jesus says, "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to fall away—it would be better for him if a heavy millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.” (Mark 9:42, CSB)

QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT

Young People:
  • Are you being too critical of older Christians?
  • Are you aiming for the highest standard possible?
  • Are you using other Christians as an excuse to not do what is right?
Older People:
  • What kind of example am I being to the young people in the congregation?
  • Have I said or done things that may have been a stumbling block to young people?
  • Am I reaching out to younger Christians to be a teacher/mentor outside of services?
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