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What is the Church
Jesus said, “I will build My church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18)
If God’s eternal purpose is the church, we should know what the church is. It comes from a Greek word that means “called out ones.” It’s the idea of calling citizens or civic officials out of their homes for a meeting, a gathering of some significance. Not everyone in the community was called out, just the qualified ones. They would be called out and conduct important business; they were representatives of the community and society in which they lived. In ancient Israelite days the elders were called out to meet at the gates of the city.
The church is the ones God calls out from among the people of the world to assemble for His business, which is to observe the ordinances, worship, preach the word, make disciples and exercise the gifts of the Spirit for the building up of the body of Christ, the church.
Ecclesia is the Greek word used by the Holy Spirit in the Bible to translate the word Jesus used that comes to us as the English word church. We see this Greek word transliterated in the names of some Spanish churches. Out of the blue Jesus first mentioned this word church. Nobody had ever used the word church as it relates to the people of God. They were the children of Abraham and they were the Israelites. There were tribes within Israel (Judah, Benjamin, etc.), but there was never a church. The church began with Jesus. The church began in the mind of Christ and He first spoke about it here in Matthew 16:18.
Three things about the church we need to know.
According to the Biblical hermeneutical ‘law of first mention’ we learn some important things from Jesus’ statement. First, the church belongs to Jesus. He calls it, “My church.” It is His church. These called out ones are His followers, His family, who belong to Him. In John 10 He called them, “My sheep.” He is the owner-shepherd of these sheep who laid down His life for them. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” (v.11) He does that because He is their owner, not a “hireling who does not own the sheep but flees when he sees the wolf coming.” (v.12) Jesus says in John 10:14, “I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep and am known by My own.” He made the raw materials in the old creation and He made them over in His new creation: “If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation.” (2Corinthians5:17). They are the ones born again of the flesh and of the Spirit (Jn.3:3-7). Every member of the church belongs to Jesus.... to read more click on the following link...
http://www.gracehouseclinton.com/2021/01/what-is-the-church
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