Hello friends, welcome back to The Faith of Contemporary Believers.

After we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Saviour, is it a must that we attend church services? Can we just worship at home? Some Christians join a specific denominational church. Later, they move to a new area but there is no church that matches their original denomination. As a result, they stop attending church. Is this acceptable? Let us discuss this topic in detail today.

What is a church?

The Greek word for church is “Ekklesia”, which is composed of two words: Ek meaning “out of” and klesia meaning “to call”. That is, God calls us out from the world through the Holy Spirit to gather us together, this is the church. If it is understood in this manner, a church is not a building for worship and gathering. A church refers to “a group of Christians.” When you and I, and others who believe in the Lord, come together and worship God, this is a church.

Some Christians accept Jesus Christ but are yet to be baptised, and they are considered to be part of the church. Therefore, a church refers to the gathering of believers whether they are baptised or not. However, from the order and requirements, a believer must be baptised.

A church is called the body of Christ, which was spoken by Jesus Christ. Apostle Paul also clearly tells us in the Corinthian epistle that believers are all members of each other, and they form the body.

Denominationalism is the result of church history, and it should not be a burden to us today. Different denominations, yet all believing that Jesus Christ is our Saviour, and ascribing the Apostles’ Creed, then you and I are brothers and sisters, and are members of the body. We are all in one family, it does not matter if we carry different banners (Methodist, Anglican, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Baptist and so on). What matters most is whether you truly believe in Jesus Christ. If I am the Presbyterian, and you are the Methodist... we can still be friends with each other. We are in the same body. It is because of our relationship in Christ, that we are all brothers and sisters, and we are all part of the church.

So, a church is a group of people who are called out of the world by God. If I solely belonged to the world, I would ultimately perish. However, if I hear His call today and follow Him, I enter the path to heaven that Jesus Christ opened for me to walk. My ultimate goal is the eternal kingdom and the group of people who walk the same path towards heaven is the church.

The Function of the Church

Firstly, the aspect of God. Acts 2:46-47 say, “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” It is clear that they praise God in the temple. Therefore, a very important purpose of the church is this function of the church: we worship God as a community in the church, praising God, and giving Him glory.

Apart from this, what other aspects of God do we see in the church? In 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 say, “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” This is about offering. Paul said that when we go to church, we are to be prepared to give, and to give cheerfully. Cattle and sheep of the mountains all belong to the Lord, and all things belong to the Creator. God is not need of our offerings. However, He allows us the opportunity to express our gratitude through praise and offering. Therefore, we ought to be willing and cheerful as we give back.

Secondly, from the perspective of believers. Ephesians 4:11-16 say, “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”

It is clear that one of the functions of the church is to discover the different gifts among believers. Through preaching, teaching, counselling, intercession, training, fellowship etc, believers can work together to serve God and to be one in the truth (that is, through the Word, to know who and what we believe). We share the same faith and become mature spiritually, attaining together the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 

John Calvin, a French theologian, called the church the mother of believers. Therefore, the church should play the role of a mother, one who is to educate the children. Likewise, the main function of the church is to educate, so that children can be nurtured, trained, and equipped to be useful people who can glorify Christ. Their lifestyle makes people see that they are Christians. Brothers and sisters, it should be natural for people to feel that we are Christians as we radiate with a fragrance as believers.

One day, a Christian brother saw a peddler’s stall accidentally overturn and all his fruits fell. As the peddler panicked, the brother rendered a helping hand. Later, the peddler asked, “Are you Jesus?” It should be this obvious to the world that we are different from others. Let us lead a lifestyle that glories His name.

Thirdly, the function of the church to the world. Matthew 5:13-16 say, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Further, Matthew 28:18-20 say, “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

To the world, the church should be light and salt. Light and salt both have antiseptic and sterilizing functions. Therefore, Christians must not trapped by sin, and through light, or good deeds, allow people to see life as it should be. These days people of the world are often like parrots – echoing blindly. However, Christians need to tell the rest of the world that life is more than just eating, drinking, and having fun. There is another higher level - the spiritual level - makes us ponder in a deeper way. Christians need to be the light of the world that shines into these levels.

However, not everyone likes the light; some like it, some don't. People who live in darkness are used to darkness, and light could be shocking and bother them. Therefore, as Christians, even though the functions of our church may not be welcome, we should continue on, patiently, persistently, and with love.

People in the world need the gospel, so there is an urgency for the church to preach the gospel to the world. The Bible clearly says "Go!" An only in this way can the world "come" to believe in Jesus Christ and come close to the true Light. Therefore, we need to engage with the world as witnesses for the Lord. Call upon the Father to help us, continue to preach the gospel, and never slack.

Once when I returned to my home town to visit my mother. She told me that a relative, a single adult, was sick, so I decided to pay him a visit. The moment I stepped in to his home, the smell of a dead body filled the entire house. The Holy Spirit prompted and moved me to preach the gospel to him, so I pushed forward into the house and shared Jesus with him. In the middle of the sharing, I really could not stand the stench, I quickly took a deep breath outside the house, and went back inside to complete the sharing.

At the end, I asked him, “Uncle, do you want to believe in Jesus?” Unexpectedly, he responded “Yes!” So I invited him to repeat sinner’s prayer after me, and he accepted Jesus Christ. How wonderful it was! What joy I felt when I left that day.

This is the function of the church. It is God’s love that excites us and makes us a church. So, let us, as Christians, live our lives different from how others would, and be a witness to the world.

We hope you benefitted from today’s sharing. Please join us again next week.