Church 101: What is the Church? - Pastor David Houck | 10.11.26

So a pastor announced one Sunday to his congregation that he wanted to meet with the church board following service that day.

And so after service, members of the board filed into the conference room, and the pastor was seen that the last person to walk in was a total stranger.

And he said to the man, I'm sorry, sir, but this meeting is only for the church board.

And the man replied, I know that.

I figured I was just about as bored as all these people.

Across the states today, there are millions of people attending church services.

And with millions of attendees, there are likely millions of motivations for attending church.

Some are just forced to be there, either by their parents or their spouse, or perhaps even their kids.

Some go out of tradition.

Some go out of desire to keep up appearances.

Some go because it's their only time to catch up with family and friends.

Some might be staying with family and friends, and they were told they'd get a free meal if they went to church with them.

And then perhaps there are those who actually want to be there.

But let's be honest, it can be difficult on a Sunday morning to get yourself out of bed and ready for church.

Not to mention getting your kids up and ready for church.

You know, especially as it gets colder outside and it feels like the church is never more, or the bed is never more comfortable than it is on a Sunday morning, right?

It can be challenging.

It can especially be challenging and difficult for those who don't really understand what the purpose of church is.

The temptation to stay home or sleep in or go out and enjoy a hobby or maybe even put some extra hours at work just increases exponentially when you lose sight of what church truly is and why we do this.

And a lack of understanding of what church is has led many to view church not just as pointless, but as downright strange.

I mean, why on earth do we gather together on a Sunday morning to listen to some guy teach out of an ancient book?

What's with all the standing and sitting and this and the standing and singing and the sitting and praying?

Why on earth is there a bathtub on stage that the pastor dunks someone into every now and then?

Where did all this come from?

Is it just tradition?

Is it preference?

Is it done in response to some sort of current need?

Or is there a greater reason behind all of it?

That's a question that not only do many outsiders ask, but it's a question that we as Christians should ask.

Why do we do what we do?

Because if we don't understand the reasonings behind the things we do at church, not only can those things become meaningless, they can become dangerous.

Because we need to understand what is essential and what is not.

We need to hold firm onto what the Bible says we are to do and hold loosely onto just preference and tradition.

We need to know not only what we are supposed to do as a church, but how we're to do it and why.

And so for the next several weeks, that is exactly what we are going to focus on.

We're going to go back to the basics to understand what the church is and what it should look like.

And beyond just being informative, I believe these messages will encourage each of us in the areas in which we're already being obedient.

It'll encourage us to keep going.

It'll challenge us in the areas in which we aren't really being faithful.

And it will inspire all of us to take our faith to the next level in very practical ways.

But before we get into the specifics, we need to lay the foundation and just answer the question: what is the church?

Now, just mentioning church brings up varying images and emotions among people.

I mean, the word carries so many definitions in today's culture.

Some view the word as a representation for Catholicism, you know, the church.

Or perhaps a representation of all religious institutions altogether, the church.

You know, that that is the church.

I came from the church.

Some might think of a specific church, perhaps a childhood church.

And that could be good or bad depending on their experience.

Many will picture a building, whether it's a tall stone cathedral or a little white church out in the country.

And for the purpose of these messages, as we talk about the church, we need to make sure that we are all referring to the same thing, that we're all thinking of the same thing, that when I say church, you know what I am speaking about.

We need to understand church in the context in which the Bible defines it.

And the Bible defines church as not a building, but a gathering.

I do it.

You know, when I say I'm going to lock up this building, I say I'm just going to go lock up the church.

We refer to these meeting places as churches.

And it's become a regular part of our everyday language, and I really haven't found a great alternative to referring to this building.

It's certainly not a cathedral or a temple.

I wouldn't call it a chapel.

Some people say house of worship, but that still kind of sends the wrong message.

So we call it a church, and I'm not suggesting we change that.

However, that usage of the term has caused some damage when it comes to the general population's understanding of what church is.

It's not uncommon today for people to believe, even Christians, that a church building is some sort of sacred or holy place.

They'll refer to church building as a house of God, a dwelling place of God.

You know, that's why people will joke, you know, oh, I can never step foot in a church, I'll catch fire the moment I do.

Because it all stems from this misconception that somehow God is in here more than he is out there.

You know, and that swearing in the church parking lot is much different than swearing inside the church building.

Hopefully, you don't do either.

But that's the idea that many people have.

But this concept is false.

There is no difference between this structure and any other structure.

Stephen in the book of Acts said this: yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says.

God does not limit himself to churches and cathedrals and temples.

This building that we're all sitting in right now is not a house of God.

It is not a temple.

God isn't in here and not out there.

And God isn't more in here than he is out there.

When we see the word church pop up in our Bibles, it is never referring to a building.

The original word is actually ecclesia.

It's a Greek word that means an assembly, a gathering, or a called-out group of people.

So when people speak or write of the church in our Bibles, they are not referring to a physical location, but to a group or gathering of people, specifically Christians.

The word first appears in the Gospel of Matthew.

At this time, there are many rumors floating around regarding who Jesus is, and Jesus asked his disciples, Well, who do you say I am?

And Peter responded, You're the Christ, you're the Son of God.

And Jesus responded, And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Jesus said, You're right.

And Peter, as you know, his name was Simon, and he changed it to Peter, meaning rock, and he said, And upon this rock I will build my eglicia.

I will build my church.

And there's this misunderstanding that Jesus is somehow identifying Peter as the foundation of the church or the cornerstone of the church, and that's not true because Scripture says Jesus is the foundation and the cornerstone of the church.

What Jesus is saying is that his church, his ecclesia, will be built upon the profession of faith that Peter just had.

It will be built upon individuals who claim Jesus to be their Lord and Savior, the Son of God.

Jesus said, You're right, Peter.

And that is what I'm going to build my church out of.

Out of believers.

Out of those who proclaim me to be the Son of God.

The church is made up of all who call Jesus their Lord and Messiah.

We are his assembly.

We are his called-out ones.

And there's another term given for us: the body of Christ.

The Apostle Paul repeatedly describes the church, the ecclesia of believers, as a body.

It is perhaps the greatest imagery we can use to understand what the church truly is.

We are the body of Christ.

In Ephesians chapter 5, verse 23, Paul wrote, Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its savior.

Ephesians 5:23

Paul uses the words body of Christ, the term body of Christ and the term church interchangeably.

The church, the assembly of believers as a whole, makes up one body whose head is Jesus.

We follow and serve Him.

We act out of His will.

Just as the body does what the brain commands, so we are to do for Christ our head.

Secondly, all who belong to Jesus are a part of the universal church.

I think for this conversation, it might be helpful to provide a distinction between the church as a whole, which we will call the universal church, and small gatherings of believers in certain locations, which we will call the local church.

It's not uncommon to hear someone say something along the lines of, I'm a Christian, I'm just not a part of the church.

But that's not true.

That cannot be true.

If you are a genuine born-again believer, you are a part of the church, meaning you are a part of the body of Christ.

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians chapter 12, verse 27.

1 Corinthians 12:27

Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

As a whole, we make up the body of Christ.

As individuals, we are members of that body.

We are each a cell that makes up the hands and the ears and the feet of one unified body.

We certainly may be different from one another, just as a hand is pretty different from a spleen.

They're part of the same body.

We might look different, talk different, come from different backgrounds, have different abilities, but we are all a part of the same body.

Paul also wrote to the Corinthians, for in one spirit we were all baptized into one body.

Jews or Greeks, slaves or free, and all were made to drink of one spirit.

When someone accepts Jesus as their Lord and Savior, they receive the Holy Spirit living inside of them.

That is God Himself dwelling within believers.

It is the same Spirit of God, and it is the same spirit that fellow Christians have.

It's not that I have one Holy Spirit and you have another one.

No, it's the same person.

The same God that's in you is in me.

And that is what binds the church together.

That is what pieces us all together to form one body.

It's not a common interest or preference or a culture.

This isn't some sort of social club based upon similarities that we have.

The church is a supernatural entity, an eternal institution.

And it's not limited to just one time or place.

The church as a whole is all who possess the Holy Spirit in all places and in all times.

We are one with the Christians of the first century in Judea.

We are one with the Christians in Africa today.

We are one with the believers who have yet to be born.

The church is not bound by space and time.

It surpasses all of that.

We are a single, unified body.

And that's what made the first century church so different from the rest of the world.

And what should make us different today.

So when you look back, they couldn't have been more diverse.

They were completely different in race, class, background.

I mean, gathered together under the same roof.

There were Jews and Greeks, masters and slaves, rich and poor, men and women, old and young.

Yet something bound them together to form a single body.

The same should be said of us today.

Paul said in Ephesians chapter 2, verse 19, so then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.

Ephesians 2:19

Because we possess the Holy Spirit within us.

There is no longer a spiritual distinction between us.

Our physical differences, our cultural differences do not translate over into spiritual differences.

We are one in the body of Christ.

We should no longer be strangers.

We are brothers and sisters.

Now look, some of us are still gonna be strange, that's not gonna change.

But we're to be unified.

Fellow citizens of the same kingdom, brothers and sisters in the same family, members of a single body.

So you can't say, well, I'm a Christian, but I'm not a part of the church.

No, if you were a born-again believer, you've got no choice here.

You're a part of the church, the universal church, the body of Christ.

Thirdly, the universal church is made up of local churches.

It's made up of local churches.

So there are some people who don't understand that they're a part of the universal church.

They reject the idea of church entirely.

On the flip side, there are those who accept the concept of the universal church, yet reject the practice of local assemblies, of the local church, especially membership to a local church.

Might have heard someone say something along the lines of, well, I'm a part of the church, so I don't really need to attend a church.

I mean, I'm a Christian, I don't need to belong to any specific smaller group of people.

I have the Holy Spirit, I'm one with Christ.

So that other part is optional.

Church is optional.

I'm a Christian.

Or they might even view that part as dangerous.

They might think it's divisive to consider yourself a member of one specific gathering of people.

There are no guidelines for becoming an official member of a local assembly.

But when you read the New Testament, you'll find the concept of the local church all throughout.

In fact, the entire New Testament is written within the context of local assemblies.

Every letter we have was written to either a localized congregation or a leader within that congregation.

In fact, the letters within the New Testament prove both the individuality and the unity of the church.

They were written to specific groups of people in specific locations at a specific time.

So they will even mention names.

They'll say, Greet so-and-so in your church, greet so-and-so.

So-and-so sends his best wishes.

And they'll refer to specific happenings in those regions at those times because they're written to specific churches.

However, they also contain truths that are eternal and that apply to the entirety of the body of Christ.

So it shows we are both individual and we are unified.

So the authors of the New Testament never challenged the concept of local church membership and assembly.

They embraced it.

And they're not alone.

In the book of Revelation, the Apostle John records letters from Jesus to seven different churches.

Not one letter to the church as a whole, but seven messages, each to a specific local church.

You can read it in Revelation chapter 1.

Revelation 1 · chapter mention

I'm not going to read it because I always butcher the names, but you can read it on your own.

But if the concept of involvement with this specific local church is unbiblical, why would Jesus make distinctions between these churches?

Why didn't Jesus say to John, write a message to the churches?

Write this one same message to the churches.

Make sure that they all have the same message because it's one church and one message.

But if you read them in the first three chapters of Revelation, you'll see that.

They are very distinct messages.

He has specific things to say to specific congregations.

They each had a strength and they each had a weakness.

Jesus didn't challenge the existence of local assemblies.

He embraced it and spoke to them as such.

It's a reality.

We are one body made of many members.

And we members are joined together in local assemblies.

Involvement with the local church is not just a reality, but it's the expectation.

Number four, all who belong to Jesus are expected to be involved in the local church.

Again, there are many people who treat this as optional.

I mean, they are the church, so they don't need to belong to any one specific church.

Or, I mean, really, they don't need to associate with Christians at all.

I mean, isn't it just better to be out there in the world with non-Christians?

I'll see and hear people brag about not going to church because church is full of hypocrites.

Instead, they're out there trying to reach the sinners, you know, like Jesus did.

But they neglect the priorities that Jesus has laid out for us.

Yes, we should be out there in the world trying to reach the sinners, trying to reach those who have not yet been saved, but there is a greater priority.

Paul wrote in Galatians chapter 6, verse 10.

Galatians 6:10

So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Yes, we want to do good to everyone.

Yes, we want to love and minister to everyone, but our priority is to especially do so for fellow Christians, for our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

But the question is, how can we do that?

How can we prioritize doing good to fellow Christians if we're not in fellowship with them?

How can we bless the church if we don't belong to a church?

We are called to be deeply connected to and intimately involved with the local assembly.

This isn't just about drifting in and out of every church in the area or visiting different ones and never settling.

So you can never forge a deep, meaningful connection that way.

It was the expectation and the practice of the apostles that there would be leaders placed over specific groups of people.

That's why Paul wrote to Titus, this is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order and appoint elders in every town as I directed you.

Said the order of the church should be specific leaders in every town.

Elders whose sole focus was the believers within their reach.

Peter wrote to church leaders: shepherd the flock of God that is among you.

Who are they to shepherd?

All believers?

Every Christian they encounter?

No.

They're to shepherd the flock that is among them, their specific congregation, their ecclesia.

My primary duty as a pastor is to pastor those who are members of this church.

Not to shepherd every Christian I meet, or even every Christian who enters those doors.

I have a responsibility to my flock.

I have responsibility to those who call me their pastor.

It's why I don't devote much time to those who aren't members or interested in becoming members.

It's not uncommon for me to get a request from someone who has never attended our church but is interested in coming to our church to meet with them.

Like I'm new to the area or I'm looking for a church, I'd love to meet with you.

My answer is always no.

That's not my job.

My job isn't to be a salesman to pitch Lansing Road Community Church to other people.

My job is to pastor the people that God has already given me.

Of course, I want that number to grow.

I want this flock to grow.

But my responsibility is you guys.

That might seem offensive to some.

That might sound exclusive.

It is exclusive.

That's the calling of a pastor.

How can I know who my flock is, who my responsibility is, if there is no process in which people can actually commit to this church?

That's why we have a membership process.

That's why so many churches have a membership process.

Say, well, that's not fair.

That you know that that elevates some people over others.

No, it doesn't.

It's just practical.

As a parent, is your responsibility to parent every child you see?

No.

It's to parent your children.

My job is to pastor those God has given me.

And it is exclusive.

Because Scripture is also clear that not everyone should be included.

So many places in Scripture it warns leaders about protecting their flock from wolves and sheep's clothing.

Those are people who might have seen good on the outside, might appear to be strong Christians, but on the inside, they have evil, wicked schemes.

We're warned about them.

We're given ways to identify them, and we're told not to associate with them and to protect our flock from them.

How can I do that?

If everyone is a member.

Those are the people who already want to suck up the time of a pastor before they even step foot in this place.

And so by you might say, well, it sounds kind of mean.

Why won't you meet with them?

That's to protect you guys.

Because I've seen throughout this church's history and even throughout my two years of being pastor that those are the ones who end up being divisive.

Those are the ones who end up causing trouble.

Oftentimes, those are the ones who reveal themselves to be wolves.

So I protect you by not even welcoming them in the first place.

Church is to be exclusive.

Every other group in human existence is exclusive.

No one is inclusive.

Groups who claim to be inclusive, they're not.

A group that is a nonprofit that is all about promoting homosexuality is not gonna want me on their board.

Right?

They're inclus or they're exclusive.

Sounds harsh, but the churches to be too.

That's why membership matters.

So that you can clearly identify to yourself, to your brothers and sisters, and to the pastors that I am a part of this church.

I am a member.

This is the assembly that I belong to.

My plug here isn't, you know, so you have to become a member here.

No, it's not.

Do what you're called to do.

If you're not ready yet, you're not ready yet.

If you're called somewhere else, then be there.

I'm not no one, I'm not saying everyone has to be a member here at Lambson Road.

I'm just saying that's why membership matters.

It's not just for the benefit of others.

Church involvement and membership is for your benefit as well.

Number five, you cannot grow as a Christian without being involved in the local church.

Again, so many people think this is optional.

And oftentimes that just stems from church hurt.

And I get it, I have been there.

There was a season in life when I considered walking away from the church entirely.

Because the church is just baggage and bad memories.

I mean, can't I just follow Jesus without that?

I mean, I have my Bible, isn't that enough?

Do I really need to attend a service on a Sunday morning and to associate myself with a group of people?

Well the Bible says yes.

Paul said, speaking of us all being members of the body, he said that I cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you, nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.

We cannot say to one another, I don't need you, I just need Jesus.

I don't need the church, I just need my Bible, because that's not true.

God designed us to depend on one another.

You have certain strengths and weaknesses.

The person sitting next to you has different strengths and weaknesses.

The idea is that together we are able to do what we are called to do.

For some people who I've heard it, they say, well, you know, I don't need a church, I don't need a pastor or a teacher.

I've got my Bible.

I don't need someone to stand there and tell me what to do.

I can figure it out on my own.

I know more than they do, anyways.

You're probably right.

But that's not the way that Christ designed us to function.

Ephesians chapter 4, verses 11 through 16 says, and he, speaking of Jesus, gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness and deceitful schemes.

Ephesians 4:11–16

Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Paul is saying this is how Christ designed the church.

This is how Jesus intends for Christianity to work.

He gave apostles to found the church, he gave prophets to author the scripture we have, he gave evangelists, people who are gifted in spreading the good news of Jesus, and he gave shepherds and teachers, meaning pastors and preachers.

And all these people, their primary purpose is to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the church, build up the body of Christ.

And what is the end goal?

Maturity and unity in the faith.

Saying, I have given these people, I have called these people, not because they deserve it, but I have called them because I need someone, I need people to help the body of Christ grow and become what it is supposed to be.

To become more like Christ.

Says, otherwise, everyone will remain like children in their faith.

Immature, in the infancy of Christianity.

They accept Jesus, but it hardly goes beyond that.

And Paul warns what happens when we remain that way.

We can become tossed back and forth by every wind of doctrine, every new idea.

If you don't have a church in which you belong, if you don't have pastors and leaders that you trust, if you don't have brothers and sisters who will walk alongside you and challenge you, you will be weak and vulnerable.

That when someone says something to you, presents a new idea to you about the Bible or about God or about Christianity, you won't necessarily have a foundation to go back upon to gauge whether or not it's true.

You say, Well, I can read my Bible.

Yes, but do you actually understand everything you're reading?

It's like Philip and the Ethiopian.

The Ethiopian was reading scripture.

And Philip went up and said, Do you understand what you're reading?

And he said, How can I unless someone explains it to me?

You really telling me every time you read your Bible, you understand exactly what it is saying?

I don't.

I rely on other pastors and teachers, on the works of other people to help me understand.

Even among pastors and teachers and leaders that I know personally.

That's why my dad is still around.

I told him, yeah, I'll become lead pastor, but you're not going anywhere.

Because we need other people.

You know, I see today there'll be lots of reels and videos pop up on our feeds, and it's someone who has a podcast and they call themselves a Christian and they communicate this new idea, and I get sent these videos all the time.

I don't respond to them one because I don't watch them, because I don't have social media on my phone.

So just so you know, if I never don't respond to a video, it's because I didn't watch it, because I can't watch it, because it would just waste all my time if I started down that road.

But also, when I do watch them, a lot of times it's garbage.

Quite frankly, they don't know what they're talking about.

But we get influenced by all these thoughts and ideas, and well, this person has a platform, what they're saying must be true, and then we start to accept all these different ideas, and then your faith becomes something different entirely from what true Christianity is.

So being a part of a church matters, but especially being a part of a church where the teaching and preaching is biblical, where the pastor isn't influenced by what's going on in the world, by what people want you to say or what people want to hear, but sticks to the core message.

I'm not saying I'm the best pastor or preacher or teacher out there, I'm not.

And if you ever come to the conclusion that that is not me, then please find another church.

But this is what we need.

We need fellow members who will help us in our faith, who will build us up, and who we can help build up.

Paul said when each part is working properly, the body, the church, builds itself up.

When everyone is doing what they're called to do, the church grows.

The church becomes healthier and stronger.

It takes a whole church to grow a whole Christian.

You cannot mature, you cannot grow in your faith unless you are involved in the local church.

And I want to end with this.

You cannot love Christ yet hate his body.

I get it.

Christians are difficult people.

Sometimes the most difficult people you will meet.

It gets ugly.

Of course it does.

Of course it will.

Because we're all wretched sinners.

Thrown in a group together, coming to this place at varying stages in life.

Some might be a little bit further down their growth, and they might be a little bit more spiritually mature.

Someone might come in, they just accepted Jesus, they haven't figured anything out yet, and they're carrying all that baggage that they have with them.

I mean, quite frankly, some people have been Christians for several decades, but are still carrying all that baggage with them.

They still haven't grown.

And we're all thrown into a group together, we're all sitting close together, we're all serving alongside one another.

Things happen in the world, we're faced with all these challenges, and guess what?

It can be ugly.

And it's always been that way.

It's not that it's getting worse.

You read through the book of Acts and you see that there were clashes.

People with these different backs.

They were meeting in the same place, but it doesn't mean that it was easy.

And every now and then division arose and people tried sneaking in these other teachings, and people would prioritized this one group of people over others.

Even the apostle Peter fell victim to this.

And Paul said, I had to call him out to his face in front of the church and tell him he was wrong.

Paul and Barnabas were best friends.

They served alongside each other in ministry for years.

And they got into a disagreement that separated them forever.

It can get ugly.

But that's not a reason to just call a quit.

That's not a reason to just walk away.

Certainly, that's not an excuse to hate the church and your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

John said, we love because he first loved us.

Jesus is the initiator.

He doesn't say we love because it's easy.

He says, we love because he first loved us.

If anyone says, I love God and hates his brother, he is a liar.

For he who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.

And this commandment we have from him, whoever loves God must also love his brother.

So many people think when they read about loving your brother and sister in scripture that it's referring to everyone.

Yes, you are to love everyone, but when it speaks of a brother or sister, it's speaking about fellow Christians sitting beside you.

I see a lot of hatred towards the church and towards Christians from people who claim to know Jesus.

John says, that's impossible.

John says that that does not and cannot exist.

You cannot love the head and hate the body.

We're called to be involved in the local church.

Now, what does that involvement look like?

We're gonna look at that next week.

But chances are you right now know the things you do that are faithful to the church and what you should be doing but aren't doing.

And you really don't need a series of messages for me to point that out to you.

And so I would encourage you, wherever you are right now, you probably know the next step you need to take, and I would encourage you to take that.

Take whatever that next step is before I preach about it.

So then instead of feeling convicted and targeted the entire time, you'll think, yeah, I am so glad I'm doing this, amen?

If God is calling you here, there's a reason for that.

If he's called you here, he has a purpose for you here.

And I don't want you to miss out on this.

Church membership matters.

It matters to Jesus, and it should matter to us.

Amen?

Let's pray.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the invitation that it is to join this body, to serve Christ as our head, to be his hands and feet on this earth, to do his will in your name.

God, you don't need us to accomplish things, but you invite us to accomplish your will so that we might experience the joy and the benefit of it.

And Lord, church can be challenging.

Being in a group of any people can be challenging.

Families all have struggles.

But this isn't just a group based upon a similar interest or background or preference.

This is a supernatural calling to be a part of something greater than ourselves.

And only by being a part of the body of Christ can we truly grow to become more like you and to fulfill the purpose to which you have called us.

I thank you for every single person who is here, for every single person who calls Lampson Road their church home.

I pray that you would encourage us all, and that you would inspire us all to take the next step in our involvement.

Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.