Sunday Service | Mt. Zion Church | 20 January 2019 | My Church is My Home | My Home Series | Hebrews 10:25
Our church should be a place that we can call it as a home! The word ‘church’ has lot of meaning from its smallest perspective to the biggest one. Understanding and experiencing our church as a home will definitely help us to dig deeper in God’s plans for His church. As the church will come in to its perfection in the last days, we must keep ourselves in the right place with the right attitude. Building the church as our second home will not be happened in one night! It will involve all of its members to have the same desire, the same passion, and also the same commitment!
One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple. Psalm 27:4 NKJV
For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. Psalm 84:11 NKJV
WHAT IS A CHURCH?
The original word for church is EKKLESIA, which means called out; a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place, an assembly.
Mathew 16:16-18 NKJV 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 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 prevail against it.
The power of the church is start within us 1Cor6:19-20. Each of believers must understand that they are the temple of God and they have the same calling which is called out of this world to the heavenly calling.
The foundation of the church must be the most solid Rock in the world! Since God intended to build the church endure for everlasting, so the church must be build upon Christ alone! All things happened in the church must be done for the sake of Christ and for the glory of God. Adding another stuff as a foundation will only bring a decay to the building itself!
THE CHURCH CONCEPTS
God explained the church with various concepts, so believers can get the whole picture of church as planned by God. We can find at least 6 concepts in the Bible about the church. Each concept has its own goal that need to be adopt by the church.
#1 Sheep and the shepherd
Jesus introduced Himself as the good shepherd Jn.10:11 and we are His flocks. The leaders of the church were appointed to shepherd the flock of God 1Pet.5:2. The church works as a relation between the shepherd and the sheep. This concept emphasises the responsibility of the church to oversee its members, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you but being examples to the flock 1Pet.5:4. To become a member in any local church will always means submitting ourselves and getting ourselves ready to be fed, to be healed, to be strengthened, even to be chastened by the shepherd Eze.34:16.
#2 THE TRUE VINE AND ITS BRANCHES
Jesus called Himself as the true vine and we are the branches Jn.15:1-8. To be rooted and grounded in the local church will bring our life to be fruitful. This concept emphasises the fruitfulness! We need to be attached in the correct place, so we can be fruitful. It will involve the needs to be attached to the leadership system in the church, attached one another among church member, attached in one or more ministry department in the church. Being fruitful will also means getting ready to be pruned, so we may bear more fruit.
#3 THE CORNERSTONE AND THE LIVING STONE
We are called as the living stone while Jesus is the chief cornerstone 1Pet2:4-6. The building process of the church will involve us as the living stone. Our commitment and submission are really needed, so the body of Christ can be built properly according to God’s divine plan. All living stone must obey to the cornerstone, who is Christ, whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord Eph.2:21. This concept emphasises about God’s dwelling place.
#4 THE HIGH PRIEST AND THE PRIESTHOOD
Believers are called as the royal priesthood 1Pet2:9 while Jesus is our High Priest Heb.9:11. Having this concept in our mind will make ourselves ready to serve in any ministry in our local church. This concept emphasises about ministry. We are not called as the common people of Israel but as a priest.
#5 THE HEAD AND THE BODY
Christ is the head and the church is the body Eph.5:32-24, Mat.8:20. This concept emphasises the leadership within the church. We must grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love Eph.4:16.
#6 THE BRIDE AND THE GROOM
The last but not least, God called us as the bride of Christ Eph.5:31-32. The Christian marriage is the secret of the relation between the Christ and the church. This concept emphasises about God’s love. Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish Eph.5:25-27.
THE CHURCH LIFE
We can simply learn about the church life by looking back to what Holy Spirit did with the early church. The book of Acts told us lot of things about it!
Acts 2:42-47 NKJV And they continued steadfastly 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. 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 need. So, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
The believers at those days not only come to the church weekly but daily! In the Old Testament, there was only one person who had a desire like this—King David! But in the New Testament, all believers had the same desire and they had the church as their second home! The book of Acts gave us a clue about what the Holy Spirit wants to do among us as believers!
Hebrews 10:24-25 NKJV And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Somehow, there will always be a problem or a prickle whenever two or more people gather together. But since we already accept our church as our home we must not easily forsaking the assembling. Rather than run away from any problem that may occurred, it will be better for us to take that problem, whatever it is, as a process within our home to help us grow better. Apostle Paul teach us to always stir up love and good works among the assembly, do not forsake the assembling, even do that so much more in the last days.
The secret behind the church life in the book of Acts was the work of the Holy Spirit, which we like to call it as the early rain. What is going to be happened in our days is much bigger, and that’s what we are expecting for, the latter rain of the Holy Spirit.
CONCLUSION & CHALLENGE
What it’s all about?
This is about our second home, we need to learn to receive it and understand God’s plan behind it. Church is not only a place to visit but a place to live! All believers must build the atmosphere of home. We must exercise ourselves, so we can call it as our home, just like King David, also believers in the early church.
Insights and impressions:
We are the living stones! To build until completing the blue print will involves all of the living stones to be committed together, knitted one another, in God’s love.
Next steps:
During this week, let’s bring the song of King David come alive again in our lives. Let’s have a desire to dwell in God’s place and say: For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. During this week let’s ask God what I can do more to contribute the ministry within my church. We are not supposed to be the audience, we are called to be the priest.