Church

“What is church?”
The premise of the question is incorrect.  It assumes that church is a “what”.  
We will see from scripture that in reality the church is a “who”.  The question then is;
Who is the church?

Let’s look at the root word used in scripture for church; Hebrew: qahal, 'edah;  Greek: ekklesia -
It means - The people of God; the collective body of believers

The word "church" as rendered in the New Testament comes from the Greek term ekklesia which is formed from two Greek words meaning "an assembly" and "to call out" or "called out ones." In summary, the New Testament church is a body of believers who have been called out from the world by God to live as his people under the authority of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:22-23).
http://christianity.about.com/od/churchandcommunity/a/thechurch.htm

Many people today understand the church as a building. This is not a biblical understanding of the church. The word “church” comes from the Greek word ekklesia which is defined as “an assembly” or “called-out ones.” The root meaning of “church” is not that of a building, but of people. It is ironic that when you ask people what church they attend, they usually identify a building. Romans 16:5 says “… greet the church that is in their house.” Paul refers to the church in their house—not a church building, but a body of believers.
 http://www.gotquestions.org/what-is-the-church.html

Although no physical building can contain the awesome Creator God, the temple in Jerusalem was called the “house of God” under the old covenant. Even today, it is commonplace to refer to a church building as “the house of God.” But this is not biblically accurate because God’s people, under the new covenant, are now His temple and His house. As Paul wrote, “you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:22).
We often misrepresent Scripture unintentionally. Consider the following dialog from one believer to another:

“Where do you go to church?”
“Faith Community, down on the corner.”
“Oh, the little white one? I love the gardens out front.”
“Yeah, it could really use a new paint job, though.”

Both people are talking about a building rather than the people who gather there. Although this terminology is commonly accepted, we should be careful when using it because the Greek word translated as church (ekklesia) refers to believers, not a building.
http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2011/01/25/where-does-god-live

Church is not a place.
Let’s look at several verses of scripture;

Acts 7
⁴⁸ However, the Most High does not dwell in houses and temples made with hands; as the prophet says, ⁴⁹ Heaven [is] My throne, and earth the footstool for My feet. What [kind of] house can you build for Me, says the Lord, or what is the place in which I can rest?

Acts 17 ²⁴ The God Who produced and formed the world and all things in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in handmade shrines.

1 John 4 ¹⁵ If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God.

1 Corinthians 6 ¹⁹ Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God?

1 John 3
²⁴ And by this we know and understand and have the proof that He [really] lives and makes His home in us: by the [Holy] Spirit Whom He has given us.

Gal 2
²⁰ it is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me.

Ephesians 2
²² In Him [and in fellowship with one another] you yourselves also are being built up [into this structure] with the rest, to form a fixed abode (dwelling place) of God in (by, through) the Spirit.

I think it is clear that God doesn’t dwell in buildings made by man.

“Don’t you realize that the most powerful thing about the gospel is that it liberates us from the concept that God dwells in any building? For a people steeped in the rites of temple worship this was either great or terrible news. His followers thought it was great. No longer did they have to think of God as cloaked in the recesses of the temple, available only to special people at select times.”

I detected sadness in his voice and stood silent a moment.

“So then, Jake, if it isn’t this building, where is God’s house?”

“We are.” I shook my head at how stupid that sign looked to me now. I wonder if John knew it had been my idea to begin with. I certainly was not going to tell him.

“Then how can anyone go to themselves?” He sighed with frustration. “Do you remember what Stephen said right before they picked up stones to kill him?” ‘The Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands.’ That’s when they turned on him. It reminded them of Jesus’ challenge to destroy the temple and he would rebuild it in three days. People can get very touchy about their buildings, especially if they think God dwells in them.”   - Jake’s Story, Jake Colsen

It is also clear that God lives within the believer. 

You and I ARE the church.

If the Holy Spirit lives within me (and He does), how can I not connect with God?

Genesis 28 gives an account of Jacob seeing the ladder where angels were ascending and descending, and he heard from God. 

Gen 28  

¹⁸ And Jacob rose early in the morning and took the stone he had put under his head, and he set it up for a pillar (a monument to the vision in his dream), and he poured oil on its top [in dedication].

¹⁹ And he named that place Bethel [the house of God]

Jacob poured oil (symbolizing the Holy Spirit) on a stone that he set up as a monument to the place where he met with God.  The anointed stone symbolized the house of God.
 

It also symbolized you and I …

1 Pt 2
 ⁵ And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple.

We are living stones, living houses of God!

“Every believer is a living stone in the spiritual house of God. He lives in us! Stop and consider how incredible this is—the infinite God of the universe has chosen to make His home in your heart. This is even more amazing when we think about the words of Solomon: “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built!” (1 Kings 8:27).”
http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2011/01/25/where-does-god-live

Church is not a connection.
Church is not a conversation.
Church is not a commitment.
Church is not the “house of God.”
And if you are struggling you better go to Jesus.

“Church isn’t where you meet.
Church isn’t a building.
Church is what you do. Church is who you are.
Church is the human outworking of the person of Jesus Christ.
Let’s not go to Church, let’s be the Church.“
- Bridget Willard

Decisions of the real church

DECISIONS THAT DEFINE US...

We have decided that teaching the Gospel without demonstrating the gospel is not enough. Good preaching, good doctrine, and being good people is not enough.

We have decided that having a good church club is not enough, good fellowship is not enough, and just being a member of that club is not enough.

We have decided that having good Bible studies is good, but not good enough, that just making it to heaven is not our goal, and that knowing about God without truly knowing and experiencing God is meaningless.

We have decided that having good programs is not enough; that change without transformation is intolerable, and that staying the same is not an option.

We have decided that gifting without character is futile.

We have decided that singing songs without worshiping is hallow and having meetings without God showing up is pointless.

We have decided that having faith without works is not enough and having works without love is not acceptable - that our function comes out of our relationship first with the Father and second with each other.

We have decided that reading about the book of Acts without living the book of Acts is unthinkable.

We have decided that confident faith is good and bold faith is better.

We have decided that hearing about the Holy Spirit without experiencing Him is silly, that believing in His presence without seeing it manifested in signs and wonders is hypocrisy, that believing in healing without seeing people healed is absurd, and that believing in deliverance without people being delivered is absolutely ridiculous.

We have decided to be Holy Spirit filled, Holy Spirit led, and Holy Spirit empowered - anything less doesn't work for us.

We have decided to be the ones telling the stories of God's power - not the ones hearing about them.

We have decided that living saved, but not supernatural is living below our privilege and short of what Christ died for.

We have decided that we are a battle ship not a cruise ship, an army, not an audience; Special forces not spectators, missionaries not club members.

We have decided to value both pioneers and settlers - pioneers to expand our territory and settlers to build on those territories - but we are not squatters - people who take up space others have fought for without improving it.

We have decided to be infectious instead of innocuous, contagious instead of quarantined, deadly instead of benign.

We have decided to be radical lovers and outrageous givers.

We have decided that we are a mission station and not a museum

THEREFORE:

We honor the past - we don't live in it.

We live in the present with our eyes on the future.

We see past events - successes and failures - as stepping-stones not stop signs.

We pursue learning in order to be transformed, not learning in order to know.

We are people of engagement not observation.

We focus on what could be, not on what is or has been.

We are not limited to the four walls of this building. Our influence is not restricted by location - not even the nations are out of bounds.

We raise up world changers - not tour guides. We train commandos, not committees.

We are a people of our destiny, not of our history.

We have decided that it is better to fail while reaching for the impossible that God has planned for us than succeed settling for less.

We have decided that nothing short of His Kingdom come, His will be done in our world as it is in Heaven will satisfy.

We have decided that we will not be satisfied until our world freaks out and cries out "Those who have turned the world upside down have come here too."

These are some of the decisions that define who we are

as a community and how we live our lives.

These decisions are not destinations - but rather journeys - journeys along an ancient path - we have not found some new way - but rather rediscovered the path as old as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The same path followed by Moses, Joshua and Caleb - Paul, John, Peter. The path followed by the first century church - a church that revolutionized the culture of the first century and beyond.

It is a path that will impact the world we live in today. It is a path of Bold Faith - believing that what God says is really true and acting on it; Outrageous Generosity - giving our life away in order to demonstrate His Kingdom; Radical Love - loving God with everything in us and our neighbor as ourselves.

It is a path of liberty, freedom, and healing. On this path you find significance, purpose, and destiny.

This is a path less traveled – however - it is not a path only available to a select few - but to whosoever will - may come. It is for people of every nation, tribe and tongue -for those in any occupation or vocation.

No matter where you are in your life journey - there is room on this path for you.

Decisions That Define Us © 2005 David B Crone
May be used or reprinted for personal use. For use in audio or printed publication for profit, written permission must be released by
author. Acknowledgement of author would be appreciated in all uses -audio and written form. Excerpt from the book Decisions that Define Us by David Crone.