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KEY 4 // WHAT IS CHURCH? 

The church came into existence on the day of Pentecost after Jesus had died and had risen. Acts 2 explains that all the believers met together in one place, and there the church was formed. In verse 42, it says that “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.” All of these areas are crucial to growing in our relationship with God, and can all be found within the local church.

The Bible translates the Greek word ‘ecclesia’ in the New Testament as ‘church’ and is used to describe a congregation or gathering of people. This means that when we are looking at the church, this can’t be solely defined as a physical church building with stained glass windows (the way many people in the 21st century would define it), but as a community of people gathering together. There are numerous examples throughout the Bible explaining how the Christian walk isn’t meant to be done in isolation but done in community.

MAIN POINT

Proverbs 27:17 shows one of the benefits of a community where it says, “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend”. Iron was used to sharpen the edge of other iron instruments to make them more effective, and that’s what community can bring into our lives when we get people around us that help us become more effective in our lives. This kind of Godly community can be found within the church.

In the Message translation of the Bible, Ephesians 1:23 says, 

“The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ's body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence.” 

This verse shows us that the church is not to be seen as something separated from the rest of the world, but out of the church, the world can be impacted. This outward focus of the church is also expressed by Jesus in Matthew 28, where He gives all followers of Christ a mission to go out into the world and tell people about Him. Not only is the local church an environment where people come to find community and encouragement, but it’s also a gathering of people looking to positively shape the society they live in.

TAKEAWAY TIP

Get involved in your local church: Whether you have been a Christian for 5 minutes, 50 years, or not at all, there is a next step for you at church. That could be attending a crew (which is just a hang consisting of many people your age, on the same journey), getting involved in a team, or just coming along to an after-church hangout. Church is the environment where you will grow into all that God has planned for you.