The Gathered Church

When people hear the word “CHURCH” they often think of a building they go to or the service they attend. But the Greek word that we translate as “church” actually points to the people who gather. We don’t GO to church but we ARE the church. And this mindset shift has massive impacts for how involved a person in with their church. Jesus expects his followers to be participants and not spectators in their local church!

---

Ekklesia = The Gathering

Today we begin a new series to see what it means to be part of the Ekklesia. I’m using a Greek word you may not be familiar with. Because the English word it represents comes with so much baggage and so many preconceived ideas, I thought it better to launch into the new series with the original word, “Ekklesia,” which literally means “to be called out.” In its common usage in Greek writing outside the Bible, it is translated “gathering” or “assembly.” It is always about the people – the group – the collective.

Most versions of the Bible translate Ekklesia as “church,” which causes most people to think about little white country churches with tall steeples. Perhaps they think of programs and classes, or services and singing, or the scandals within many churches recently. But here’s the thing:

• The church is not a building. Yes, we do call the building “the church,” but the building does not constitute the Ekklesia God cares about.
• The church is not a business entity. Yes, for tax purposes, the church must have bylaws and structure; but nobody joins a church because they love the structure and how well the finances are managed.
• The church is not a service to be consumed. Yes, a big part of our gathering time is spent worshiping through singing and the sermon; but it’s not meant for your entertainment or critique. The worship service is designed to please God, not you.
• The church is not a school. Yes, training and education are a part of the church’s function, but its purpose is far bigger than knowledge transfer. It is in the business of full life transformation.
• We must see the church as the community who gather together regularly to learn and encourage and love one another.

Last weekend I was reminded of this vision of what Ekklesia is when Michelle and I went back to our former church in West Des Moines. We surprised people in the foyer before and after the service, and I smiled as I reconnected with all the people I cared so much about. Sure, the building is nice, and the service was captivating; but the church is more than where they meet or what they do. The church is the WHO – those with whom I gathered for over eight years as we tried to grow TOGETHER in our relationship with Jesus.

The state of the church

Unfortunately, as the idea of “church” has been twisted and dragged through the mud, its purpose has been totally lost. As a result, the health of the church is bleak in
America and many other parts of the world. The trends of people walking away from the church have been going on for decades now; but, unfortunately, COVID caused the trends to accelerate to the point that church attendance in America is currently down roughly 30% from before COVID disrupted everything.

I doubt that number surprises you. I’m sure you know a little country church that has closed its doors in the past decade. Several churches in town are hanging on by a strand. Most of us probably know people who used to attend church regularly but, for one reason or another, have simply stopped attending.

People give many reasons for stepping away from the church. Some find the church too political; some find it not political enough. Some are tired of the scandals; some have been hurt in the past. Some are so easily offended that every church they have tried has hurt their feelings. Some people were satisfied with going to church; but then came COVID, with churches being closed for weeks and presenting online services only. Some of those people found that they didn’t actually feel they were missing anything; so they had no reason to go back.

No matter what the reasons, these trends clearly prove that something has gone gravely wrong in our churches. We have lost sight of the purpose of the church. We have a confused vision of what the church is and what our role as Christians is within the church. The result is that many people are satisfied with their relationship with Jesus apart from the communal relationship with His church.

As we go through this series, I hope to help you see why gathering with the people of God MUST be an important part of your faith. I know many of you are already regular church attenders, but perhaps I can help you encourage those you know who have dropped out of church to find their way back to the assembly – Ekklesia.

It might seem manipulative for me, a pastor who is supported by church attendance, to stand up here and tell you it’s important that you participate in the life of the assembled people of God. However, my job is simply to teach you what God desires for you and knows is best for you. The concept of people gathering together wasn’t started by a bunch of men who wanted attention. It wasn’t the creation of Jesus’s disciples.

Ekklesia in scripture

The first place we see this word “Ekklesia” in the Bible is in Matthew 16; and while this passage is the subject of much debate, it makes one thing clear: Jesus will build His church.

Matthew 16:18 – ¹⁸ And I tell you that you are Peter, ^e and on this rock I will build MY church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

Jesus instituted the “Big C” Church – the gathering of all believers in all the world through all time. That’s the church Jesus began building with His earthly ministry. He says He will build an Ekklesia, an assembled people, and nothing will overcome it. I like that hope in the face of the bleak statistics I showed you, and I can’t wait until the day we are all assembled in God’s throne room together. Imagine the beauty and glory of sitting in the presence of the saints from all generations and all nations. That’s going to be an amazing gathering!

While Jesus calls for a single, gathered people, this concept works out in the rest of the New Testament in local Ekklesias – “little-c” churches in all the towns where Paul planted communities of new believers. The New Testament churches didn’t always have buildings. They didn’t have discipleship programs or donuts and coffee each Sunday. What they did have was a group of believers who gathered. In Acts 2:42 we see the first description of their gathering when the church formed immediately after the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit showed up for the first time.

Acts 2:42 – They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

The Ekklesia in Jerusalem came together for teaching, connection, and communion, and to pray together. This is a model most churches still follow. Think about it – here at First Baptist we have weekly teaching and prayer, we have communion monthly, and we set up moments each month for people to gather for connection. Example: last night’s movie night. (If you missed it, you missed a great time and a great movie.)

Purpose of the church

Another common way to look at the purpose of the church is through the following five purposes:

1. Worship – connecting with God through praise, communion, prayer, and studying God’s Word.
2. Fellowship – connecting with others to live out all the “one another” passages of the Bible.
3. Discipleship – growing in faith to look more like Jesus through learning and accountability.
4. Ministry – serving others within and outside the church community
5. Missions – expanding the Gospel call to those who have never heard about Jesus.

It’s interesting to me that many Christians have looked at these five purposes and thought, “Can’t I do all these on my own? Why do I need to go TO CHURCH?” They worship at home with their Spotify playlist. They watch their favorite preachers on television. They hang out with friends for connection, read Christian articles online, serve at the community food pantry, and donate to online missions organizations. In an individualistic way they feel they are doing everything a Christian should do. HOWEVER, they neglect being in a “small-c” local congregation – a church family.

People miss the fact that their participation in a local Ekklesia is about a lot more than just meeting their needs or fulfilling a checklist of good things to do. A primary challenge to any Christian who feels it’s not necessary to be part of a local church appears in Hebrews 10:24-25:

Hebrews 10:24-25 – And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, ²⁵ not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. 

Here it’s pretty clear that you shouldn’t give up meeting together. If you do, you will miss out on a lot of things you can’t do on your own – like loving others in need, challenging them to keep doing good deeds, and encouraging them in tough times.

benefits of participating in church

In light of these verses, I think those who have stopped attending church should think more deeply about WHY they should go to church and why they need to participate:

1. For Our Benefit – Sitting in a worship service where the Spirit of God is moving brings a sense of calm, peace and power that I rarely experience at home. Also, talking with other people helps normalize my struggles; these people encourage me by sharing their victories. As I find ways to serve using my God-given gifts, I feel useful and part of something bigger than myself.
2. For Others’ Benefit – Just as others help my faith grow, they need me to show up help them. Sometimes joining the gathering isn’t about what you will receive by going to the service, but about what you can give. Perhaps that service will seem to fall flat and the message won’t connect with your life at all, but you will have the opportunity to help somebody with a fussy baby or listen to a person who has had a terrible week. If you aren’t there, they don’t experience the glimpse of the love of God you could have provided.
3. For Jesus’ Benefit – Ultimately the church isn’t for me or for you; it is for Jesus, the One whose church it is. He said He was going to build a gathered people. That can’t happen if you don’t gather with anyone. Nowhere in the Bible does it tell us to have a solely personal relationship with Jesus. Instead, Jesus tells us that whenever we gather, we should remember His sacrifice through Holy Communion. He says that whenever two or more are gathered, He is with them. Jesus wants His people to gather and work together as we seek to bring His Kingdom to this earth.

Paradigm shift

After looking at everything so far, here’s the paradigm shift I think many people inside and currently outside of churches need to make today:

1. We Gather as the church; we don’t “Go to” church. As long as you think of church as just a place to go or a service to attend, you misunderstand your role as a part of the church. Remember, the church is the people; it’s the “who” that includes you. In future weeks we will see different reasons why it’s so important to see yourself as a part of the church and not simply a person inside the church.
2. We Participate in the church; we don’t Watch. To be fair, a big part of this failure today was created by the seeker-sensitive church movement, which tried to entertain people so they might be more willing to come. Bands that make it impossible to join the singing, fancy coffee drinks people sip throughout the service, and kids’ programs that are like Disney have created a consumerist approach to being in a church. That’s not at all how the New Testament churches were set up! They had people participating: singing, sharing testimonies, praying and serving. You can’t participate like that if you aren’t there in person. I understand that some of you are able to participate in our churches only from afar. Some of you who are watching now are wintering in the warmth of the South. Or maybe health issues keep you homebound. Even then, it’s up to you – and us as the rest of the church – to find alternative ways to participate. That’s why we mail the bulletin and prayer guide to all our shut-ins each week. Many of them are prayer warriors who pray through that sheet. Others mail in their offering checks every month as an act of participation.
3. We are Blessed when we join; we aren’t Obligated. I think too many people were forced to go to church when they were growing up and never recognized the blessing of connecting with God and others at a church service or Sunday school class or a small-group meeting. If you see church attendance only as a task on a to-do list, you will be looking for reasons to skip. If you see it as a blessing and the highlight of your week, you will schedule the rest of your life around the time of gathering.

Conclusion:

Here’s the bottom line: Jesus needs all His followers participating in a local church for their benefit and the benefit of others.

If you’re watching this service online but have stopped attending church, we need you back! You have a role to play, and we need you here to fill it. (More about this in coming weeks.)

Some of you here in this room come week after week, but you know you aren’t fully participating. It’s time to jump in and join a group or a Sunday school class or find a way to serve. If you come only to the Sunday service and don’t do anything else, you misunderstand your role in the church.

Some of you are fully participating, and you are reaping the benefits. If that’s you, then I hope you will encourage others to come and join the gathered people of God to experience the same joy and fullness you do. (Encouragement works better than “guilting” them about “coming back to the building.”)

I love First Baptist Church of Chariton! I don’t love this building (although this sanctuary is pretty cool). I love all of YOU! I missed you last week, and I’m excited to be back for the movie night last night and for our time of worship together today. I feel your support and encouragement. I find myself in conversations that challenge me to think differently sometimes. I observe your love and kindness and generosity. I see your heart to reach the next generation and help young people who feel like life is hopeless. I’m excited to spend as many years as God gives us together to walk this journey of faith side by side with you. I make you better, and all of you make me better. That’s why Jesus wants us to take this journey together as His gathered Ekklesia.