In North America today there is a huge gap between people's perception of "Jesus" and their perception of "Christians" or “the Church.” Many disregard Christianity not because they don't believe in God, or even Jesus, but because they don't believe in the church.
So what does it mean to be the church anyway?
We just completed a series at Gateway called Ecclesia: Portraits of the Church where I argued that as Christians we will never be able to change others perceptions of us, until we change our perceptions of ourselves.
Most people think of church as a building or a service you attend on Sundays. Others think of the church as some kind of spiritual country club or political action committee. But none of these go to the essence of the church.
Scriptures teach us that the church is neither a building nor an organization. The church is something radically different. And unless we understand that we will continue to be misperceived, misunderstood and fall short of our mission.
We are not just trying to create a community of people who show up at pre-planned Christian events. We are not trying to create an alternative social calendar for Christians. Our end goal is not Sunday church attendance. It is to form a particular kind of people. A certain kind of person, in a certain kind of community, on a certain kind of mission.
Ecclesia is the Greek word that the New Testament writers commonly used to designate the church. It comes from the Greek verb kaleo (to call) and the preposition ek (out of). In other words, ecclesia (the church) means “the called out ones.”
Scripture teaches that the church is a dynamic reality. We are playing a part in a larger story of redemption and renewal.
It consists of people in covenant; a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God (Genesis 12; 22; 1 Cor 12:27; 1 Peter 2). We are a portrait of God’s promise and love for all humanity.
This covenant people pioneer in the present the principles that will characterize the future kingdom of God; God’s new order of peace, righteousness, justice and love (Luke 10; Eph 2). We are a portrait of what is to come!
And this picture is only visible when it is lived out in community. Together we are coparticipants in the fellowship of the triune God (John 17:20,21). We are a portrait of the love between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
The church is a people standing in covenant with God and one another, who are a sign of God's reign and a reflection of the divine love.
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