The Church - the Body of Christ
The church is an assembly of people called out from the world to be God's possession, and its purpose is to represent Jesus together and reflect Christ in His totality.
Zac Poonen emphasizes that the church is not a physical building or a denomination but rather an assembly of people called out of the world to be God's possession. Believers worldwide who have responded to God's call to separate from sin and the world form the Body of Christ, with each local gathering meant to express this unity. By reflecting Jesus collectively, believers can show the world the totality of Christ, as each member complements the strengths and weaknesses of others, highlighting the importance of love and submission within the church.
Text
The church is not a building, nor is it a denomination. The English word `church' in the New Testament is a translation of the Greek word `ekklesia', which means an assembly of people who are called out - in this case, called out of the world to be God's own possession.
All over the world, those who have responded to God's call to be separated from sin and the world, form the church - the Body of Christ. In every locality, these members of Christ's Body should together become a local expression of that body.
The first body of Christ was the physical body in which Jesus came to earth. In that body God showed Himself to the world. Jesus yielded Himself so perfectly to the Father, that at the end of His life He could say, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father" (Jn. 14:9).
Now our calling is to represent Jesus together, to the world around us. No one can represent Jesus adequately, all by himself. We need one another. The best among us are still imbalanced. We have our strong points, but we have our weak points too. We may be able to reflect Christ well in one area, but very poorly in another area. But together, we will find that the strong points of one balance out the weak points of the other. And if we live in love and submission to one another, Christ can be reflected in His totality through us, to an unbelieving world. This is God's purpose for the church.
Sermon Outline
- The Church - the Body of Christ
- The Church is an assembly of people
- The Body of Christ
- Definition of the Church
- The Church is not a building or denomination
- Called out from the world
- Called out to be God's possession
- Jesus' physical body
- Representing Jesus together
- Balancing each other's strengths and weaknesses
Key Quotes
“He who has seen Me has seen the Father” — Zac Poonen
“We need one another to reflect Christ well” — Zac Poonen
“Christ can be reflected in His totality through us, to an unbelieving world” — Zac Poonen
Application Points
- We need to work together as a church to reflect Christ in His totality.
- We should strive to live in love and submission to one another, so that Christ can be reflected through us.
- Each of us has our own strengths and weaknesses, and together we can balance each other out.