What is Church? | Jason Martin

You're listening to a message to go from asks church.

We hope this message will light up your tea.

So I previously I did a whole sermon series on

the Lord's Prayer. So the Lord's prayer is something that

if you grew up in church you would probably you

can recite it by heart, okay. But then it was

as simple as the Lord Jesus was teaching his disciples

how to pray. I'm like, do I know how to prayer? Not?

Or what is prayer? You know? In terms of that.

So this was something that I was thinking about and

stuff like that. But today's one there was a suspense. Okay,

So today's one it was something a bit more along

those lines. But I had this question. So the question is,

could I bring up the first slide? What is church? Wow?

What is church? So maybe I'll open it up to y'all.

What is church? What is church? Fellowship of people? Gathering

of people? Is this church? Huh? Yes? No? Anyway you

see it? Right? So imagine this. You have someone who

is not a Christian ask you what is church? How

would you how would you describe it? You would most

probably point to a building, right, You most probably say, oh,

church church. My church is in Summit, you know, if

you are describing into someone who is not a Christian.

And and so that's why it got me thinking, hey,

what is church? You know? And then I was thinking

that how come there there is? Right now? There are

a lot of people, especially Christians, comparing churches, comparing churches,

you know, which one is doing church right? Is doing

church right? Or why this church more happening? This just

less happening? What what is church? You know? What is church?

So they got me thinking, you know, I was like, hey, someone,

I'm leading a church plan. So if I don't know,

why is church? Something wrong? Now? So that's why I

say I went through that whole deconstruction thing, and so

part that thought right, So right now I give you

a scenario. Okay, I give you a blank check, a

blank check. With that blank check, you can buy any building,

any location. You can hire any pastor, you can hire

any worship leader, the best musicians, probably the best food

f and b outlet. What would you do? What would

you do? What would you spend on or who would

you do to hire to make your ideal church? An

he thoughts? So I asked they to klang. They knew

I was putting them into a trap. So they say,

we're not gonna answer, which is true because when I

ask you this question. And then because this question is

something I struggle with as all, because A I compare

my church. Hey, this church has better musicians, this church

has a better worship leader, this church has a better speaker,

this church has a better venue, you know, and then

after a while you'll be thinking that, Hey, if only

I was in my ideal church, you know. And that

got me thinking, what it's actually an ideal church because

if we don't understand it, then we are we probably

might be missing the mark. And then we could be

every Sunday here at one thirty and we are not

doing what God has asked us to do. And that's

a scary talk because for me, as I'm leading a

church plant, that's a scary talk because at the end

of the day, when God comes down and I'm held accountable,

have you led my church? And I would say yes,

I say, yeah, I do it. Church in Klang every

day every week at ten. He said, that's not church,

that's what you think is church. WHOA, that'd be scary, right,

So that is what I was struggling with. Okay, and

a lot of times because we have a wrong interpretation

of church, we have wrong expectations, we have wrong expectations

of church. And you know that because of that, there

has always there is a constant decline in church attendance

and also the number of churches. So even in twenty eighteen,

In twenty eighteen, right, I just redused some stats, So

there were four thousand, five hundred churches in US that

closed and there were only three thousand plus churches that

were new. So at the current state, if this happens,

there will be a net decrease of number of churches.

And why is that happening? Why is that happening? Because

if the church is doing what it's called to do,

there's supposed to be an increase. So if there's a decrease,

what's happening? Okay? And right now you know that a

lot of times. So I'm not hitting at any churches

or anything, right, because I'm a church plan coordinator, so

I'm held accountable, all right. So I have these struggles

and I say that, Wow, this church is awesome, you know,

they have such grand performances or stuff like that. And

when I was looking at it, right, I was my

one of my church members. One week, they came up

to me and then say, hey, Jason, since you're like

pastoring this church. Although I'm not a pastor, but they

will say, no, you're a pastor. Okay, since you're pastoring

this church, I give you this book. So they gave

me this book to read. Say, hey, so this book

is Letters to the Church by Francis Chan. Okay, so

you know Francis Chan, he's a preacher and stuff like.

So I said, okay, thanks, read the book. So us

reading the book, I'm like, man, why you give me

this book? You're like when the thorough me? Or because

the book is tough love. You know. The book is

basically questioning how we are doing church. Yeah, so it

seems right, it's easier like nowadays churches are catering more

for the whims and fancies of people than being focused

on God. So it shows show that we have created

human centered worship instead of God focused worship. So how

good the music is? Do we have a full band?

Do we have the best musicians? You know? And all

these struggles is a struggles that I think even in

acts right, we being very honest, we have so many

church plans, and sometimes we struggle, we say that, hey,

how come why so many church plans? We feel like

very diluted? Then the quality drop. You know, we're talking

stuff like that. But in actual sense, what are we

measuring against? It's quality based on whose standards? Is it

by God's standards or men's standards? Because if we're measuring

it against the wrong standards, we will be building towards

the wrong standards. Okay, And if you look at it

for us, if we are trying so hard to invite

people to church by entertaining them, by entertaining them by

putting up a super product action, or by doing whatever

music or whatever, all this is not wrong. But if

the heart behind doing all this is to win people

by entertainment, then we what would make them stay? Because

if you win people to church by entertainment, what will

make them stay? You will have to continuously entertain them,

continuously entertain them the consciously up the bar is a

vicious cycle, and at the end of the day, everybody

gets burnt out. But if we invite people to church

based on Jesus, then Jesus is more than enough to

get them to stay. We don't have to help Jesus.

We don't have to water down the message. We don't

have to sub opposedly become more relevant because what we're

trying to say, Hey Jesus, I think you need a

bit of help. So we will be doing things a

bit differently and slowly the church is slowly debating that way,

you know. But right now we have to come back

to that place of what is church? Okay? How many

of we all have visited Israel before? No? Anyone? Okay,

so clang, there was some lah that went. But if

you go to Israel. I asked them how many of

them visited the first church? Then they like, none, because

there is no building. The first church was not a building.

The first church was not a building, and the first

church was not two hours on a Sunday with four songs,

a message and ex kids. It was not. That is

what we have made it to become. Right, So what

exactly is the church? You know? And coming back to

it right because we are catering so much to the

whims and fancies of people right now. I think if

you go to like some churches, if you people will

be up in arms if you remove the children's program

rather than you remove Holy Communion. People will have more

issues of removing the children's program than removing Holy Communion.

It's true. It's because what's in it for me? That's

the church catered to my needs, you know. So coming

back to the question what is church? Because I've been

in church for since I was born into a Christian family.

So now I'm like, man, so what is church? Okay,

So let's go back to the scripture. Let's go back

to the scripture and see what it is. Okay, next line,

so let's read from Matthew sixteen. So this is Jesus

speaking to Peter. He said to them, but who do

you say that I am Simon? Peter answered and said,

you are the Christ, the son of the Living God.

Jesus answered and said to him, blessed are you Simon

bar Jonah. For the flesh and blood has not revealed

this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.

And I also say to you that you are Peter,

and on this rock I will build my church, and

the gates of Hades shall not pre veil against it. Okay.

So if we want to usually understand the meaning of

a word, we will go back to the law of

first mentioned. So It means that when was the word

church first mentioned in the Bible? It was first mentioned here.

Does this look like the church? You know? Is Peter

a building? No? Does Peter have four songs and a

children's program? No? So what is it? You know? What

is church? Then? Because this is it was first mentioned here,

you know. And key thing here the gates of Hades

shall not prevail against it. That means the church is powerful.

Now is our church powerful? Will you be able to

prevail against the gates of Hades? Or are we a club?

You know? So that's what I say. I'm not sure

that you'll invite me back again, but I have to

say what I have to say and then I will

take my leave. Okay, yeah, So what is it? What

is it? So? Next line? So the word church comes

from the Greek word ecclassia. Okay, ecclassia. So if you

read this, it's not primarily a religious word at all.

Church or the word ecclesia. It is not primarily a

religious word, you know, It just meant group or called

out group. In describing the later group of his followers

and disciples, Jesus deliberately chose a word without a distinctively

meaning a religious meaning. So you think about it, right,

church just means a group that is called out, Okay,

a group that is called out. So Jesus has called

you out, has called me out? Okay, So what has

called out me? It just means that, hey, we have

accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and savior. So

he has called this group out. Okay. And when called

out means like Jesus is the groom, the church is

the bride. So when it's called us out, that means

we are faithful to him. So that is called out.

That is the church. Okay, that is the church. And

if you look at it, right, that most of the

times for the word acclisia, right, it never referred to

a building. That's why I said, where was the first church?

Where was the first church? If you can find somebody

that's still living from the first church, it's a person.

It's a group of people two thousand years ago. I

don't think they're still around now, but if you can

find them, great. But the first Church is actually a

group of people that has been set apart. Okay. And

so based on this, let me just go back to

my lines. Okay, So based on this, right, we know

what the definition of church is where it was first mentioned. Now,

let me bring you to what happened or what uh yeah,

the birth of the first church. Okay, so you know

that nation of church just means called out aclicia. Now

let's go in to see how the first church looks like. Okay,

next line. So this is Acts chapter two, and with

many other words. He testified and exhorted them, saying be

saved from this perverse generation. And then those who gladly

received his word were baptized, and that day about three

thousand souls were added to them. So this is the

birth of the first church, or even first mega church,

first mega church, three thousand, No, firse, how did they

do it? Did they have a superban? Nothing? You know

what they did? They just preached the word. Peter just

preached the word. The word is strong enough the sorry,

bring your own bible.

This.

There is so much power in this. But we are

looking for other things, you know, we're looking for other things.

We are trying to help God. But God doesn't need

our help. God wants to partner with us. Yeah, so

he says here the line in verse forty two, and

they continued stayfastly in the apostles, doctrine and fellowship, in

the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came

upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done

through the apostles. Do we see signs and wonders here?

Do we want to see science and wonders? If we

want to see signs and wonders, we must do what

they did. If we are not saying, then why you know,

we have to ask ourselves. Now all who believed were

together and had all things in common, and sold their

possessions and goods and divided them among all as anyone had,

as anyone had need. Okay, so you look at this.

This the you know, what's the definition of church is

a group of people that's called out. How did the

first church look like? It just got started by Peter

preaching the word? If you look at Matthew sixteen, go

back to the slide on Matthew sixteen. Look at this right,

and I also say to you that you are Peter

on this rock, I will build my church. You go

back to Acts chapter two. You can see in Acts

chapter two that prophecy was fulfilled because the church was

birth when Peter preached, and because of that the church

was formed, the church came about. Okay, so Peter fulfilled

what Jesus said. And I wanted to for for today's

uh summon, right, I wanted to just focus on one

word from the highlighted sentence. Anyone can guess what would

is that? Pray anyone else? There's only a few words

there a lot. It's not a rocket science question. Huh

doctrine fellowship? Okay, continue steadfastly. So the word that I

wanted to focus on today is the word fellowship. So

how many of y'all have been in church for more

than ten years? Yes? Your hands? So what is your

understanding of the word fellowship? Markhan? Correct? Right, if you're

talking to your colleague at work, you'll be like, let's

go mama. You're talking to a Christian fuller, you'll be like,

let's go fellowship. Right, It just depends on who you're

talking to, right, What is fellowship? Is fellowship? Just maccan

you know, but that's what we grew up with, you know,

if you I mean me included, because I was like,

what fellowship literally just hanging out, just chilling, you know,

let's fellowship. It's like a christianeseler. You know, it's Christianese

for let's go, mama. But is that fellowship? Because the

first church did it and it was one of the

four among the four things, is one of the four

pillars that caused the church to grow. So it's good

for us to understand what fellowship is. And you know,

right they like some of them, they say, hey, fellowship,

are you're going macan, So they become fellowship. You know,

they put on weight. So everywhere right you go, you

just hear the same definition. And so when I go

into it, the question is what is fellowship? What is fellowship?

First of all, what is church? Church is more than

a building. It is a group of people who are

called out by God for God. And one of the

things that caused the church to grow was fellowship. To

what is fellowship? Is it just eating? Okay? So let

me give you another definition. So fellowship in Greek it

is called koinonia koinonia. Okay. The Greek word is actually

much much more in depth than the English word. So

in English we just say fellowship. So I asked you,

what's fellowship? Makan that's about it, okay, But that's how

shallow the English definition was, but in Greek it carries

much more weight. What it means goes beyond a mere

social interaction. For this, fellowship already just means social interaction, right,

But in Greek it goes beyond social interaction. It encompasses

spiritual communion, mutual support, shared mission, and a deep sense

of community rooted in the love of Christ. When you

go and fellowship, do you have a shared mission? Do

you mutually support each other? Do you have a deep

sense of community rooted in the love of Christ? Because right,

sometimes fellowship, what we do fellowship is go mama and

talk about other people. That's fellowship. You know, I'm just

I'm part of the problems, so I'm not hitting out anybody.

I'm preaching to myself as well. Okay, So why is fellowship? Right?

And you see the third point? Right, the church can

reflect the unity and love that God intends for his people,

living as a powerful testimony to the world. Does our

fellowship serve as a powerful testimony to the world it

is supposed to. If it is not, it does not.

It means that we are not fellowshipping the way God intended.

When Christians get together, does it form a testimony to

the world. If it doesn't, then what's happening. I've had

friends of mine, non Christians, asking me, hey, why church's

got so many different churches? Why? And you know, I

was struggling to unsway as well. Of course we know

that there there's different doctrinal beliefs, different ways of doing things.

So all this is not wrong, But I'm just saying,

from the eyes of someone who is outside the faith,

what does it look like? Does it testify unity, does

it testify that, hey, Jesus is Lord? Or does it

in fact highlight the differences? So one of the things

right about you know the word community, So what is

the word community? The word community is actually, if you

break it down right, it's common unity, your people coming

together because you're common unity. Unity is not uniformity. It

is not uniformity. You can see that all of us

here have different styles. We probably like different football clubs,

we like different foods, some like duriaan some don't, you know,

but that does not decide whether it makes you a

community and not it's a community. I mean this is

an example which I heard right. It's like music, Okay,

you know that in music, right for the singers you

have to harmonize. When you harmonize, you are singing different parts.

But when you come together, it forms such a beautiful melody,

and that is common unity. So as the church are

we building community which is Christ focused, which will then

testify to how good God is. You know, that is

what we are supposed to do when we fellowship. Okay,

so let me take you to some verses next one

John one. So we are lying if we say we

have fellowship with God, but go on living in spiritual darkness. Woo.

So coyin Onias. Not only fellowship with men, it is

fellowship with God. So anytime you see the word fellowship

means you have a common unity. You have a deep

relationship with that person, and it is all rooted in

Christ's love. And it's easier. If we say we have

fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness,

we are not practicing the truth. But if we are

living in the light as God is in the light,

then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood

of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. So,

first of all, church, we have to ensure that we

are not living in spiritual darkness. That is the first

way to establish that we have with God. Once you

have corinonia with God, then you can have corinonia with men. Okay, Next, Philippians,

do is there any encouragement belonging to Christ, any comfort

from His love? Any fellowship together in the spirit? Are

your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy

by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and

working together with one mind and purpose. Don't be selfish,

don't try to impress others, be humble, thinking of others

as better than yourselves. And don't look out for only

your own interests, but take an interest in others too.

So what is fellowship? It's all this. It is more

than Macan. If you don't fellowship as Maccan, guess what,

it's a whole lot more. And because of this, the

first church group, how do you attract three thousand people?

If it's just Marcan must be some superfuller. But even

then to attract three thousand, I don't think you attract

three thousand and get them to stay and get them

to multiply. How this is how we do it, the fellowship.

So a lot of times churches we include it, right,

we prioritize our coinonia with men more than with God.

So we are trying to please men instead of God,

and we get the arrangement wrong. And that's why the

church sometimes deviates and we water down the message and

we probably we are become lukewarm. So first of all,

we need to establish that we have coinonia with God first,

which is no spiritual darkness, and then we have coynia

with man, which is with the love of God. Okay,

so you got that, don't worry, I'm finishing soon. But

I wanted us to establish because a lot of us,

if you're grown up in a Christian circle, right, all

these words have been thrown around church, fellowship, all this right,

and then we are we actually are thinking. We are

so used to it it becomes a cliche. And when

it comes cliche, it becomes common, and it becomes common.

We just discarded, right, So we know what is church?

You know, the definition of church, remind you is ecclesia,

which is called out. God has called you out, Okay,

And then you know the definition of fellowship with his

coinonia goes beyond social interaction, but it goes more in

terms of rooted in the love of Christ. Okay, so

you know that next line, So how do we express fellowship?

How do we express fellowship? Okay? So again, want to

take us back to the first Church. You know, the

first Church. All Peter had to do was preach the word.

All he had to do is preach the word. He

just read out scripture. The scripture convicted hearts and people

were added to the church daily. So for today, right,

I want us to read scripture as well. It's time

for us to start reading scripture in church. You know,

if it worked for the First Church, why don't we

do it? You know? So I will show there are

five points, five verses, so anyone can just read it

out aloud and edify the church. Okay, all right, So

the first one Romans twelve ninety ten. All right, thanks,

So the first way we express fellowship is to honor

each other? Are we honoring? Are we honoring not only

those who are leading us? Are we honoring those who

we are leading? Are we honoring our peers? Okay, because

I'm telling you this is not exhaustive, but I'm just

mentioning five points. There are more points which how the

first Church expressed fellowship, But the first one is honor

all right, So appall, what is so? Let love be

without hypocrisy. Hypocrisy and honor cannot go hand in hand.

You cannot backstep and say something in front. So honor?

What is the first one? Okay? Next? First Thessalonians five.

All right, when you fellowship, are you building somebody up?

Or are you tearing them down? When we fellowship, we

need to encourage each other. We need to build people up, okay,

and then we ourselves will be built up. Okay. So

that's the second point. Encourage, third one Hebrews ten. All right,

so let us stir. Consider how to stir up one

another to love and good works. This is to spur

somebody on for good works. You're like, cheer them on.

You know, You're like, hey, come on, you can do it.

Use your talents to serve others, you know. And when

you do that, you'll be like, come on, guys, we

can do it. God has called us to do great things.

We're called to live victorious life. We're not called to

live defeated lives. So when you stir each other up, right,

it gives you so much confidence in God. And then

you got your brothers and sisters in Christ, which are

cheering you on, And so would you want to be

a part of that kind of church? Is thirteen thirty

This kind of church? Yeah, this is something we have

to benchmark ourselves against. Right next, admonish Collosians three sixteen.

All right, so admonish. Usually when you hear the word admonish,

it has a negative connotation. They'll be like, hey, they're

we're going to sound me, you know, and then you

think church's got no problem one. They always sound me.

But the thing is that is not the definition of admonish.

How can you sound somebody and then singing some hymns

and spiritual songs you're angry and then sing some hymns

and spiritual songs. No, when you admonish is when you

are sort of teaching and guiding somebody in love. Is

not to pick point or not to bring people down.

It's the same way a parent admonishes the child. None

of us would want our one if you if the

parent does not admonish the child, it shows that the

parent does not care about the child. You only want

the best for the child. That's why you will guide

and lead and correct in love so that that person

can be all all that he or she could be.

So that is admonishing, okay, last one one John four seven, Yeah, yeah, yeah, no,

it's good. No, you see, it is good. It is good.

It is good that when people want to read scripture,

come on, because church, this is it is, this is

how the church grew. Okay, you must be so eager

enough to want to read the word of God. And

it's it's definitely what spurred the church on. So you look, beloved,

let us love one another, for love is from God,

and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.

So if we have fellowship with God and He loves us,

then we in turn must love others. So that's all

when I say, when you admonish, you do it in love.

When you stir up, you stir up in love. You know,

next light, even as I draw towards the close, I

can get the band up as well. So again, fellowship

means coinonia in Greek. It means to the way that

we express coinonia. Here honor Do we honor the people

in church? Again? What is church? Church is the group

of people. Do we honor everyone? Do we encourage stir

up for good works? Do we admonish? And do we love,

because right would you want to be a part of this?

Because I will want to be a part of this.

Our will want to be a part of a community

which honors me, which encourages me, which stirs me up

for what God for good works, which admonishes me and

guides me to the right path, and loves me. Who

wouldn't want to be a part of this? And this

is how the church grew to three thousand. It is

not because of the children's program, however good it might be.

It is not because of the music, however good it

might be. But it's because of the fellowship with God

and men. So with God and coinonia with men. So

this afternoon, church, even as the word has just gone forth,

I pray that you will convict your hearts, because who

is supposed to execute this? If you go back to

X two, the verse X two, Yeah, verse forty two.

Who continued steadfastly? Was it Peter? It was a day?

Day means everyone. It is everyone's responsibility to build this community,

to build this church. Everyone's because Peter just his God

used him to preach the word. But everyone else continued steadfastly.

In the Apostles doctrine in fellowship in the breaking of

bread and in prayers. So this afternoon, church, I pray

that God will convict our hearts. God will speak to

us and say that what is this? What is it

Lord that I need to What do I need to

build your church? Because all of us have a part

to play, And once we do this, then the church

will become so attractive that people will join it daily.

Why wouldn't you want to join this, especially with Jesus

in the center, Why wouldn't you want to join this?

So I just invite us to stand even as you

just worship God. Let the Holy Spirit just victor our

hearts speak to us, and that even as the Holy

Spirit convicts us, that it will plan a seed of

action within us. What is my role in building this?

What do I need to do? Lord? Who do I

need to love? Who do I need to fellowship with? More?

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