Definition of “Church”

Honestly, it is one of the most confusing terms in American culture.  Most people have an answer.  Most people are convinced of their answer.  And most answers are very different from each other.

So I want to hear from you.

What is the definition of “church?”

1 thought on “Definition of “Church””

  1. Don’t see any comments…..so I’ll get the ball rolling…..

    What’s the “Church”? People often think of the “building” itself that we worship in as being the “church”. You’ll often hear people say “oh you go to that nice big new church” or “oh you go to that little old church out in the country” – solely referring to the building itself as being the “Church”. We here at North Side have been very blessed with a very nice new “church building” – but that’s all it is folks…..just a “building”. The “Church” is the body of Christ! It’s people from all walks of life…..rich, poor, middle class, people from all educational backgrounds….people from different cultural backgrounds…..remember “red and yellow, black and white we are Precious in His sight” It’s people who have a “past” but have been redeemed through the blood of Jesus Christ (Romans 3:23-24 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;”)
    The “Church” well… it is people – who at first, when at a certain “crossroad” in their life, may willingly choose to take the “easy road” instead of the “road less traveled”. The “Church” you see is people like me……someone who knew God’s will for his life but chose to run from God for over thirty years – that’s right….over thirty years. I was someone that attended “church” Sunday morning, Sunday night and every Wednesday night. Someone that played the piano in “church”, sang in the choir, attended Sunday school and tithed faithfully. I was someone that “attended church” regularly but knew in his heart he “wasn’t part of the Church”. Thankfully though, not only when I, as well as others, had given up on me, God had not! Recently God brought my heart under conviction and humbled me as I’ve never been humbled before. I finally stopped running from God and instead started running toward Him. For years I thought I had out run “His” love – In my mind I had ran so far from Him that I was outside of His Grace, but through “His Word” I have realized that was impossible (Romans 8:38-39 “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord”). No matter where you’re at, no matter what you’ve done, you and I are never outside of His Love, His Mercy and His Grace! His Grace is Far Greater than any of our sins!
    When I finally “let go” of “my will” and surrendered to “His Will” I realized that He had been with me each and every step along the way. When I stopped running from Him and turned to run toward Him it was then – and only then- that I realized that not only was He still there…..but He was standing there with Both Arms Opened Wide…..waiting patiently for me to “see” my need for “Him” in my life. The “peace” I found the very moment He wrapped His arms around me cannot compare to anything I ever found outside of His Will.
    The “Church” is people who believe that God is who His Word teaches us he is……Simply God – (Revelation 22:13 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the beginning and the end.”) People, who believe, that Jesus was God in the flesh and people who believe that Jesus willing died on Calvary in our place – we didn’t take His Life folks – He Willingly Laid Down His Life For Us. People who believe that not only did Jesus die but be arose from the dead, thus once and for all Defeating Death and Removing the Chains of Sins Captivity for ALL those who will simply believe in Him and turn from their wicked ways. The “Church” is those who realize that when Jesus ascended to Heaven that he didn’t leave us to travel life’s road alone…..but he sent us a “helper” His Holy Spirit to guide us and teach us each and every day -John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you”. The “Church” in a nutshell is those who believe John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” It’s my prayer that we all believe John 3:16 each and every day and that we strive to follow the words of Jesus in Mark 12:30 “AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.”
    To God be the Glory……for He Alone is Worthy!

Comments are closed.