Matthew 16:18 “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

The Nature of the Church. The church is revealed to be the company of believers formed of both Jew and Gentile who are called out of the world and joined together in one living union by the baptism of the Spirit. In general, the concept of the church falls into two major categories. The first concept in the New Testament is on the church as an organism, a living union of all true believers in Christ. This distinctive truth is presented as beginning after the ascension of Christ, on the day of Pentecost, with the coming of the Holy Spirit, and concluding with the coming of Christ for His church, where the church will be caught up out of the world and taken to heaven. The second concept is that of the local church or the organized church which is a company of professing believers in any one locality or a group of such local assemblies (1 Cor. 1:2; Gal. 1:2; Phil. 1:1). The word “church” is a translation of a Greek word “ekklesia” and is frequently used of any assembly or congregation of people whether gathered for religious or for political purposes. “Ekklesia” means “called out ones.” When used of the church as the body of Christ it refers to those called out of the world and joined together into a living union in Christ. This concept is not found in the Old Testament even though Israel sometimes was gathered together for religious purposes. The term, when used of Christians, applies specifically to the company of those who are saved in the present Church Age, whether on earth or in heaven.

The Church: A New Testament Revelation.  Because the concept of a church formed of Jews and Gentiles alike—all of whom are saved and joined together by eternal life—is not found in the Old Testament, only the New Testament gives the divine revelation on this important subject. In the plan of God, it was necessary for Christ to come first, to die on the Cross, to be raised from the dead, and to ascend into heaven. With the Coming of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, Christ began to fulfill His purpose of forming a special company of believers made up of the uniting of Israel and the Gentiles, having no distinctions between them and having their own unique place in the eternal purpose of God.

By means of the church in this present age, God is now making known His wisdom and manifesting His grace to the angelic host (Eph. 3:10). In heaven, the church will eternally be the illustration of what the grace of God can do (Eph. 2:7). The divine commission of the church is not given to the corporate body rather it is given to individual believers. Christ as the Head of the Church directs each believer in the paths of the Lord’s will in accordance with His person gifts (Eph. 4:11-12), the gifts of the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:4-7) and the plan of God for the individual believer’s life (Eph. 2:10). All of this is in harmony with God’s purpose for the church in this present age. God is fulfilling His divine purpose for this Church Age which is unfolding exactly as presented in the Eph. 4:13.

THE FORMATION OF THE CHURCH

The Church Promised.  Christ prophesied that He would build His Church (Matt. 16:18), and the Apostle Paul likens the Church to a structure of living stones which “groweth” and is “being builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit” (Eph. 2:21, 22). First Corinthians 12:13 identifies the manner in which the church is being built—it is the work of the Holy Spirit in baptizing believers into the Body of Christ. At the moment of regeneration, the Holy Spirit places believers into union with Christ. Ephesians 1:22–23 identifies the church as the Body of Christ, stressing this union with Christ that all believers are brought into at the moment of conversion.

The Church Conceived.  In Acts 1:5 Jesus stated, “You shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” This indicates the work of the Holy Spirit in placing believers into union with Christ had not yet begun. On the Day of Pentecost, the birth of the Church began with the descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1–4).

The Church Growing.  The expansion of the Church continued when Peter reported what had happened in Cornelius’s house in Caesarea as he indicated to the Jews in Jerusalem that the Holy Spirit fell on the Gentiles just as He had on the Jews “at the beginning” (Acts 11:15). The church began at Pentecost (Acts 2) and continues to grow today as “the Lord adds to the Church such as should be saved”.

Likewise, the believer’s ministry of soul-winning and edification of the body of Christ continues, not forever, but “till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13). The “stature of the fulness of Christ” does not refer to the development of Christlike believers; but rather to the development of the body of Christ to its completion (note Eph. 1:22, 23). This same aspect of truth is restated in Ephesians 4:16, where the members of the body, like living cells in the human body, are represented as being unceasingly active in soul-winning and are thereby making “increase of the body.”

The Present Divine Purpose in the World.  The present divine purpose of this age is not the conversion of the world, but rather the calling out from the world those who will believe in Christ to form the body of Christ which is the church. It is true that the world will be converted, and there is yet to be a kingdom of righteousness in the earth; but according to the Bible, that day of a transformed earth, far from being the result of Christian service, is said to follow rather than precede the return of Christ, and is said to be made possible only by His personal presence and immediate power.

In Matt. 13:1-50, the Lord made mention of three major characteristics of the current Church Age: (1) Israel’s place in the world would be as a treasure hid in the field (Matt. 13:44); (2) evil would continue to the end of the age (Matt. 13:4, 25, 33,48); and (3) the children of the kingdom—who are likened to wheat, to a pearl of great cost, and to good fish—shall be gathered out (Matt. 13:30, 45, 46, 48).

Of these three characteristics of the age, the last, or the gathering out of the children of the kingdom, reveals the divine purpose of God in this age. In accordance with this, Romans 11:25 states that Israel’s present blindness is only “until” the completion of the church, the end of the age of special Gentile blessing. This indicates that the present purpose of God, for which all else evidently awaits, is the completion of the church. After which the Lord will return and then fulfill all His purposes for Israel and the Gentiles.

The practical bearing of all this upon The Church Christ is Building is that, in this present age, never is the individual believer nor the church appointed of God to a world-improvement program. The believer is called to be a witness in all the world to Christ and His saving grace, and through this ministry of Gospel preaching the Spirit of God will accomplish the supreme divine purpose in this present age.

FUNCTIONS OF THE LOCAL CHURCH

Four important features identifying the Church Christ is Building.

Worship. True worship must be of a spiritual nature and must be in accordance with the truth as God has revealed it (John 4:24). Worship involves the decisive presentation of the believer’s entire being to God (Rom. 12:1–2). Praising, Prayer and Preaching are all part of corporate worship (1 Cor. 14:26; Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16). Paul served God through preaching (Rom. 1:9).

Instruction. Instruction was a vital element in the life of the early church. God gave the Scriptures for the purpose of teaching believers and bringing them to maturity (2 Tim. 3:16–17). Teaching is the antidote to false doctrine (1 Tim. 1:3); it produces love among believers (1 Tim. 1:5); it provides spiritual nourishment (1 Tim. 4:6); godliness (1 Tim. 4:6–16); submission (1 Tim. 5:17; 6:2); and a proper focus on life (1 Tim. 6:17). The importance of teaching as a major function of the church can hardly be overstated.

Fellowship. The word fellowship (Gk. koinonia) means “sharing” and emphasizes the unity and oneness of the church. Fellowship takes place in a variety of ways. The early church met together for the fellowship of breaking bread and prayer (Acts 2:42). The early church placed great emphasis on the fellowship of prayer (cf. Acts 4:24–31; 12:5, 12; Phil. 1:3–4). Fellowship may also involve material means in helping spread the gospel (Rom. 15:26; 2 Cor. 9:13; Phil. 1:5).

Fellowship also emphasizes the fact that believers belong together. Paul stresses this through his use of “one another.” Because of their fellowship in Christ, Paul instructs that believers are to accept one another (Rom. 15:7), love one another (Eph. 4:2, 15, 16; 5:2), refrain from judging one another (Rom. 14:3, 13), build up one another (Rom. 14:19), be unified (Rom. 15:5), and admonish one another (Rom. 15:14). This relationship with one another is important in keeping the unity of the faith for which Christ prayed (John 17) and Paul pleaded (Phil. 2:1–4).

Ministry. The local church is also involved in ministry. This involves evangelism toward unbelievers in the world (Acts 8:4; 11:19, 20; 16:31; 17:12) and a variety of ministries toward believers in the church fellowship. It involves the exercise of spiritual gifts in ministering to one another (Rom. 12:3–8; 1 Cor. 12; Eph. 4:8–13) and serving others (Rom. 12:7), giving to the needs of others (Rom. 12:8), showing mercy (Rom. 12:8), and helping others (1 Cor. 12:28). Ministry also involves the exercise of church discipline. Ministry must also involve the care for the needy in the church, particularly widows and orphans (James 1:27).

THE BELIEVER’S MINISTRY

The child of God is commissioned to be instant in season and out of season in his efforts to win the lost. The child of God is appointed to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15), knowing that faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Rom. 10:17). It is also stated in 2 Corinthians 5:19 that God who was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5:20).

This ministry rests upon every believer alike and may be exercised in four different ways:

1. The Gospel may be presented to the unsaved through sacrificial gifts. Evidently, there are many earnest believers who would rejoice to win a soul for Christ who has not awakened to the effectiveness of giving their substance to this end. The messenger cannot go except he is sent, but the one who sends him is a partner in the service and has taken stock which will pay eternal dividends.
2. Again, the Gospel may be presented to the unsaved in answer to prayer. He who has said, “If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it” (John 14:14) will certainly send laborers into the harvest in answer to prayer. It is easily proven that there is no more fruitful ministry possible to the child of God than prayer; yet how very few seem to realize that souls are saved through the service of effectual prayer.
3. So, also, the Gospel may be presented to the unsaved by word of mouth. Since all are commissioned to this task, there are certain necessary conditions to be observed: (1) We must be willing to be placed where the Spirit wills. (2) We should be instructed as to the precise truths which constitute the Gospel of grace which he is appointed to declare. And (3) We must be Spirit-filled, else he will lack that impelling passion for the lost which alone prompts one to fearless and tireless soul-winning service. “After that the Holy Ghost is come upon you,” Christ said, “ye shall be witnesses unto me” (Acts 1:8). Apart from this filling, there will be no disposition to witness. But, being filled, there is no preventing the outflow of divine compassion (Acts 4:20).
4. The Gospel may be also presented by various mechanical means such as literature, the radio, television, and sacred music. Regardless of means, the truth must be presented in such a way that the Holy Spirit can use it.

I would like to close with this encouragement.

The Church that Christ is Building depends upon the activity of the Holy Spirit, without Whom the church’s effective and faithful service is impossible.

All power and authority within The Church that Christ is Building derive from Jesus Christ as her Head. Jesus Christ rules and governs his people and directs them towards the fulfillment of God’s purposes.

The Church that Christ is Building lives its life in union with Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Church that Christ is Building is called to mutual love, holy living, and sincere worship.

The Church that Christ is Building is called to praise and glorify God, and to proclaim the Gospel throughout the world.