The Real Church

The word translated church in the New Testament is the Greek word ekklesia. Ekklesia means a gathering of the called out ones.

The church is not the building.
The church is not the programs.
The church is not the ministries.
The church is the people.

In Ephesians 6:21-24 Paul shows us a beautiful picture of what the church really is.

Ephesians 6:21
Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing.

The church is fellowship.

Fellowship in the church is being devoted to each other (dear brother).
Fellowship in the church is faithful service to one another. (faithful servant)
Fellowship in the church is sharing life together (may know how I am and what I am doing).

 John 17:23
I in them and You in Me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me.

Jesus says unity is a mark to let the world know that the Father sent Jesus and that the Father loves us as He loves Jesus.

Fellowship is the visible sign of unity in the church.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is experiencing real fellowship with God and His people.

Ephesians 6:22
I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you.

The church is communication that encourages others.

We are to speak to our brothers and sisters with words that:
Encourage
Build Up
Comfort
Help

In Romans 8:1 we are told that there is no condemnation for people who are in Christ Jesus. Jesus does not condemn us. And we, the church, are not to condemn each other.

When God’s people, the church, are in godly fellowship with each other and speaking encouraging words to each other, they reflect the truth of God to the world and will draw people to Him.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is being an encouragement to our bothers and sisters in Christ.

Ephesians 6:23a
Peace to the brothers

The church is a people who are experiencing peace.

There are two aspects of peace that the church is to experience.

First, we are to be experiencing peace with God.

Peace with God is no longer being in rebellion against, and thus, not in conflict with God.

We need to remember that rebellion against God will always lead to our defeat. God wants us to experience victory. We experience victory when we surrender to God and follow Jesus.

Second, we are to be experiencing peace with fellow believers.

The keys to experiencing peace with fellow believers is:
To have peace with God
To not try to be God in other people’s lives
To let others be who God intends for them to be

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is experiencing true peace.

Ephesians 6:23b
And love

The church is people who are loved by God, who love God, and who love others.

The Bible makes it absolutely clear that God loves us.

The church is people who know beyond a doubt that God loves them.
The church is people who love God above anyone or anything.
The church is people who love others, both fellow believers and those who don’t believe.

God is love.

God loves us with an unconditional, no boundary, timeless love.

When we love like God loves, we reflect who God is to the world.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is living in God’s love and loving Him and others.

Ephesians 6:23c
With faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

The church is people who have faith in God.

It is not faith in:
Faith
Religion
Traditions
Rituals
Other People

God is the One Being in all creation that we can have complete trust in. We can have complete trust in God because He is:
All-Powerful
All-Knowing
All-Present
All-Loving

Raise The Roof and Remove the Walls is living in complete faith in God and God alone.

Ephesians 6:24
Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.

The church is people who have experienced grace from God, who live based on that grace and who extend that grace to others.

Grace is the fact God loves you just because you exist.
Grace is not based on you or anything you could ever do.
Grace is based on God.

When I look at my actions and my thoughts and my desires, I see no reason for God to love me. The fact that God loves me is GRACE!

I have to live based on grace or my life will become continual striving to do things to cause God to love me. I will become exhausted and give up.

I have to live extending grace to others because God has extended grace to me.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is experiencing, living in and giving out grace.

This is the church; and when this is the church, the church will be used to change our lives, our families, our communities, our nation, and our world.

As The Called Out Ones Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
                                                  Joe