What is the Church – let’s start with the the word used in the new Testament for Church: it is the Greek word ecclesia meaning called out or assembly.

OK, it means called out. But if the church is called out, what is it called out from and who is doing the calling? The verse from 1Co 1:2 helps me to understand. Paul opens his letter by addressing the Corinthian church with certain attributes that we’ll use to better understand how God sees the Church.

To the church of God which is in Corinth, to those consecrated and purified and made holy in Christ Jesus, who are selected and called to be saints, together with all those who in any place call upon and give honor to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

During the time of Paul’s writings, Corinth was a thriving metropolis of trade, financial wealth, entertainment, vice and corruption. It was also filled with shrines and temples but the most prominent temple was the “Temple of Aphrodite” where worshipers of the “goddess of love” made free use of the 1,000 temple prostitutes. Pleasure seekers came from all around the region to spend money on a holiday from morality. Corinth became so notorious that a termKorinthiazomai was used as a synonym for debauchery and prostitution.

Out of this culture, God called His people. The same is true of today. In many ways, though not all, our environment is similar. Our “Temple of Aphrodite” is more subtle and hidden in certain television shows, movies, and certain Internet sites. Our debauchery celebrations are found in events like Mardis Gras and similar holidays from morality. Our world is bigger than the land of the Mediterranean, but it is no less corrupt and wanting. In the same way as in Corinth, the Holy Spirit is calling His church out of this world to be a people of faith who are consecrated and purified and made holy in Christ Jesus. His people were, and still are, distinguished by the call on their lives, and the commitment of those “who then called upon and gave honor to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

So, now, who is the church? From our 1 Corinthians reference, the Church is composed of those who are consecrated, purified and made holy IN Christ Jesus – selected and called to be saints:

Who are those consecrated, purified and made holy IN Christ Jesus? They are all those, living and dead, who accepted Jesus Christ as their savior. That’s the intention of the phrase “IN” Christ Jesus. This Church of those made Holy IN Christ Jesus is composed of the visible and invisible. The visible church is all those who we see as part the earthly body of Christ. The Church invisible includes those who have already gone ahead of us (died in Christ).

The visible church is meant to be filled with those who are responding to God’s call. God places the call on our hearts, but it is our choice to follow. Early in my walk, God was calling me, but I resisted. I resisted because I didn’t like the idea of giving up control of my life. I had heard the stories of how once you give yourself to God, you are never the same. I had visions of accepting Jesus and the next week, He would somehow send me off to Ethiopia as a missionary and my life, the one I had planned for myself, would be wrecked. If he didn’t send me to Ethiopia, then He would at least make my life miserable by keeping me from doing all the things that I really enjoyed.

I gave myself to Jesus about 10 years ago and He continues to change my life. But what surprised me most wasn’t that God changed my life, but how He did it. The change may be slow or it may be fast, it’s different for each of us, but it goes to the very root of who we are; He is making us into a new creation. I know it because God’s spirit in me wants different things than I wanted before I gave myself to Jesus. I’m not heading for Ethiopia because that isn’t what God wants for me. God has me using the gifts and passions he designed in me for His purpose and glory.

God gives purpose to the things that I already want to do. God is showing me how to use my gifts to strengthen His church. We each have a unique contribution to make, using the gifts that He gave us. Each of us is an important part of the greater Body of Christ.

I’m sure you have heard the phrase “Body of Christ” before. But let’s look at that phrase a little more carefully now. God selected the term “Body of Christ” intentionally so that we would understand Him better.

Let’s think about what it means to be a part of the Body of Christ:

• we are numerous but one body in Christ and individually we are parts one of another. Romans 12 explains that we are all connected together and dependent upon each other just as the physical body is. What good is an arm if it isn\’t connected to the body? What good is a body without a head or a heart? What good is the Body of Christ without you (), or you ()? What can it do without you? That’s how important each of us is to the working Body of Christ.
• each part contributes something unique and important: Ephesians 4:11 says that each member receives varied Gifts appointed by God to fully equip us, the saints for the work of ministering to build up Christ\’s body. This is true for our bodies, too – isn\’t it? Each part is designed to work together with the rest to care for the body as a whole. The arms reach out for food, or to care for an ailing part of the body. The heart satisfies the whole body with nutrients and oxygen.
• and this is my favorite; Christ takes care of His body, the church –

Eph 5:29-30 For no man ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and carefully protects and cherishes it, as Christ does the church, because we are members of His body. Just as we take care of our own bodies Jesus is also taking care of us who are His body.

This is showing us how Jesus feels about us. He considers us (those who call upon him as their Lord and Saviour) as parts of His own Body and because of that his natural inclination toward us is to be feeding, strengthening, and healing us. If we touch a hot stove, do we think about it before we pull our hand away? This passage tells me that Jesus’ natural reaction when I am hurt emotionally or physically, is to run to my aid. Who can take care of us better than the God of the Universe?

You may be thinking, “OK, I understand who the church is supposed to be, but why don’t I see the Church behaving as one Body in Christ?” The church is not a perfect place because it is composed of imperfect members. I\’m one of them. At one point in my walk, I believed that my denomination was the sole keeper of truth. I was critical of others who were clearly part of the Body of Christ because I felt they were somehow wrong and I was responsible for pointing it out. God corrected me by giving me first hand experience with one of the members of that other Church. That person became my wife. God has a powerful sense of humor, but he also used that for me to open my eyes to the truth about His church. He showed me that His love cuts through pettiness and self righteousness and transform me into a new creation; more like His Son. This is when I learned that in order to be effective in responding to God’s call, I must obey God’s most important command:

Mat 22:37-40 NASB And He said to him, ” ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ (38) “This is the great and foremost commandment. (39) “The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ (40) “On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

Though I might try, I cannot powerfully respond to God’s call in my life without loving and knowing HIM, first.

But, we have a choice, don’t we? The ability to choose is God-given. He wants us to choose to commit our lives to Him first, and then out of that commitment flows the power and strength to do amazing things. How do we make that choice? It started for me by first knowing my God and Savior, Jesus Christ. In that knowledge of Him, I started to transform into His new creation. Because I responded to his call through his command, He gave me the strength, courage and gifts to commit myself more and more to Him. His grace fills me up with His Holy Spirit to do the work that he called me to do.

Now, let’s take a look at the role of the church.

Please consider these points:

• The Call: He designed us for specific service and His call is consistent with that design.
• The Command: The greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul and mind and to love our neighbors as ourselves.
• The Commitment: When we decide to respond to God’s call through the power of His Command.
• The Community: The church responding to God’s call building up the Body of Christ and reaching out to the lost.

The order is critical. After the call, obeying the command, and committing to respond to God, we can then serve the community with God’s power and love. Service to the community is an outflowing of the power and purpose that the Body of Christ receives when we are walking in His love, responding to His will and committing our lives to Him. We can be courageous, because we know who is giving us the courage. We can be discerning, because we have the mind of Christ. We can be mighty servants who rejoice in the work God gives us to do because He prepares us, He fills us, He Loves us and we Love Him who is continuously making us into a new creation.

God called me early in my life. He designed me to be compassionate for people and to seek to help them. God called me to this service, but I didn’t know him. My response to that call was to enter education and try secular counseling. I found that empty and unpredictable and became disillusioned. Later in my life, I learned who God was and came to Love Him. Out of this Love, He showed me how I can respond in commitment to the way he made me. God has guided me to be a prayer minister where I participate in His healing of people’s souls and bodies. Men, I can tell you that I am seeing Jesus move in people’s lives in ways I never dreamed possible a mere 2 years ago. Looking back, I can see that knowing God’s call isn’t enough if you don’t also know Him.

The purpose of the Church

So, now that we know who the Church is, and what it is made of, let’s look together to see what the purpose of the church is. Looking back to 1 Cor 1:2; Paul refers to the church as those “Who in any place call upon and give honor to the name of Jesus.”

Why do we call upon “the name of Jesus”? The Hebrews placed more importance in the meaning of names than we do. A name describe the nature of the person as well as God’s call on their lives. Jesus’ name is Greek for Joshua meaning Savior. His name defines who He is, His nature, and His character. All power and authority that we have comes from all that Jesus is, our savior. When we call upon and give honor to His Name, we give ourselves over to the true power and authority of Jesus’; His very nature. Through His power and authority we will do the work that He has prepared in advance for us to do.

What’s the alternative? I give honor and call upon the name of Chris. On Chris’s skills and abilities. When I do this, the power comes from me and believe me, that power is far more limited than the power I receive in Jesus name. When we give honor to His Name, we Give Honor to the one who has given His Church all that we need. We have more than enough to:

• serve God
• go into the world
• be active for Jesus sake
• support each other in grace

How many of these things can I do, and for how long, if I do them in my own power? Maybe one or two for about 6 months, then I burn out, get discouraged, jealous of other’s abilities, and maybe even question my faith. “Why can’t I do all these things, aren’t I a true Christian?” Paul saw this happening in the early church, too. We haven’t changed much since then, have we. In 1 Cor 12, Paul says that each parts of the body are important. Does the eye say that since I am not an arm, I don’t belong to the body? No! God made us all just the way we are, and He doesn’t make mistakes. He gave us each gifts that He wants us to use as part of the Body of Christ – the Church. If you aren’t a great orator, that’s OK. If you aren’t a powerful evangelist, that’s His plan for you. His GRACE gave you just what He wants you to have to fulfill an important purpose for the body. His GRACE will also give you the longing to do what He wants you to do. He has already given you the desire, the passion for something specific.

Let’s see. How many of you enjoy sports? How might you use that passion in Jesus name? How many of you enjoy repairing things? How might you use that passion in Jesus name? He has already made you with a passion for a reason.

I would like to close with one important point out of my own personal experience. We are always at battle with Satan. Please don’t think that I have this whole thing solved, because I don’t. God regularly reminds where my joy and power come from by reminding me where I came from. Paul warned the Ephesians in Chapter 2 verses 12 and 13 “[Remember] that you were at that time living apart from Christ .. And you had no hope; you were in the world without God.”

Remember where we came from because we are all here now by God’s wonderful grace. We are all here in this room now because of the grace of God. We are saved by the Grace of God. Where is the boasting in me? I boast in the Lord who is my savior, my stronghold, my strength, my sanctuary, my rock, my healer. This truth also strengthens our witness to the lost because we connect with our hopeless nature in them as we share how God changed us into this new creation that they see in front of them. That gives hope to a hopeless world.

Men… Don’t believe the world. Don’t believe that it’s all about you and what you can do to be successful. During these three days, draw closer to Jesus. Love Him. Boast in His Name. Decide to boast in the Lord because you Love Him, and He will show you how to connect your gifts in such a way that, before you know it, you find yourself doing what you have always loved to do, but with the purpose, authority, power, and blessings of His Love. Each of us, a new creation joined together in His Love, called out as His Body – The Church.

Pray with me, please?

Lord Jesus, I praise you. I boast in you. In your tender mercy, I pray that you speak to each of these men right now. Show them how much you love them, just the way they are right now; because you made them, just the way they are right now. Lord, help each brother here to love you with all their heart, soul and mind. Help them to lay down uncertainty, doubt, fear and to give more and more of themselves to you each day for the rest of their lives. Starting now.