The Invisible Woman
Church Series (1/4)
Atlanta Taiwanese Presbyterian Church English Ministry
September 10, 1995
Oliver Tseng
Church Series Outline
Church
Leaders
Congregation
Denominations
Introduction
"The church is just a bunch of hypocrites"
"People that go to church just put on a facade"
"Why should I go to church? I don’t get anything out of it."
"The people that hurt me the most are the ones in church."
"The fact that there are so many denominations shows how Christians can’t work with each other."
These are things that we’ve often heard and possibly have said ourselves.
How are we to face these questions?
Or what about some other basic questions?
"What is the church?"
"Why should we go to church?"
"What is the church suppossed to be like?"
"What is the purpose of the church?"
Why should we go to Church?
Movies
If we look at the excuses of why some people don’t go to church, their excuses start to look lame if we look at their excuses in a different way. Let’s exchange movies for church in many of the excuses given why people don’t go to church.
"I know a person who grew up going to the movies and is no better than I am."
"I once had a really bad experience going to the movies."
"There are as many good people outside the movies as inside."
"I used to go to the movies when I was a kid."
"The only thing they want at movies is my money."
"I don’t like sitting still for 2 hours at the movies."
Is it possible to be a Christian and not go to church?
Let’s rephrase the question:
Is it possible to be a student without going to school?
Is it possible to be a soldier without joining the military?
Is it possible to be a football player without being in a team?
Is it possible to be a french horn player without an orchestra?
Is it possible to be a businessman without having a company?
The answer to all these questions is yes, it’s possible. But it’s difficult.
Illustration of the campfire
Have you ever looked at a campfire and noticed how the wood burns? If you take one of the pieces of wood out of the fire and just place it by itself, it’ll soon burn less brightly and then go out. But if you put it back into the fire with the rest of the wood, it’ll burn again.
With only one piece of wood, it’s difficult to get it burning. But with a lot of pieces of wood, it’s much easier to get it all burning.
Is it possible to build a fire with only one branch? Yes, it’s possible, but it’s difficult.
In countries where it’s illegal to have churches, people still meet secretly at the risk of being jailed. Why can’t they just be Christians at home? Can’t they worship God by themselves?
It’s because by themselves, the fire will go out. Only when people get together can the fire continue to burn.
What is the Church?
When most people think of church, they think of a building they has pews in it, a vaulted ceiling, a stage in front. It is led by a licensed minister that graduated from a seminary. It has a meeting from 10:30 to 12:00 every Sunday. And maybe a Wednesday night Bible study.
Or they think of a large, old cathedral that has large stained glass windows with pictures of Jesus everywhere.
When I went to Paris, I got to see European cathedrals for the first time. And when I went in there I saw why so many people don’t go to church. You know how some houses have rooms where everything is so nice that nobody goes in there. And some people call it a living room. But people don’t spend much time living in there. About the only time people go in there is when visitors come over. And you’re supposed to act prim and proper when you go in there. That’s how I saw the cathedrals in Paris. About the only people who go to the cathedrals are the tourists. As a matter of fact, more people go visit the cemetaries than the churches. And I think it’s because at the cemetaries you don’t have to act a certain way.
Stage production
Many people think of church as some sort of stage production. On stage is the main actor - the preacher. And he might have a supporting cast - the choir. The director is God. And the critics are the congregation.
Actually, in God’s eyes, the main actor is the congregation. They are the ones to be doing most of the work. The director is the minister. The minister helps and leads them to do the work. And the critic is God. He’s looking down with either his thumb down or up.
Ephesians 4:11-12 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Revelation 2,3 - God judges the 7 seven churches in their deeds
Etymology
In the New Testament it is the translation of the Greek word ecclesia, which is synonymous with the Hebrew _kahal_ of the Old Testament, both words meaning simply an assembly.
In the Bible, the emphasis is not on the building, but on the assembly, the people.
Colossians 4:15 Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house.
So the proper question is not ‘What is the church?’, but ‘Who is the church?’
Who is the Church?
There are 3 ways that the Bible refers to the church:
Temple of God, body of Christ, and bride of Christ.
Temple of God
Ephesians 2:20-22 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner [stone]; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
Body of Christ
Ephesians 1:22-23 And hath put all [things] under his feet, and gave him [to be] the head over all [things] to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
Ephesians 5:29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
Colossians 1:24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:
Romans 12:4-5 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, [being] many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
1 Corinthians 12:12 For just as the human body is one and yet has many parts, and all its parts, many as they are, constitute but one body, so it is with the Church of Christ.
Colossians 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all [things] he might have the preeminence.
Ephesians 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
Strong identification of Jesus with the church
Acts 9:1-5 Now Saul, whose every breath was a threat of destruction for the disciples of the Lord, went to the High Priest and begged from him letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, in order that if he found any believers there, either men or women, he might bring them in chains to Jerusalem. But on the journey, as he was getting near Damascus, suddenly there flashed round him a light from Heaven; and falling to the ground he heard a voice which said to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" "Who art thou, Lord?" he asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," was the reply.
Bride of Christ
Ephesians 5:24-27 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so [let] the wives [be] to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; in order to make her holy, cleansing her with the baptismal water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Revelation 19:7-9 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed [are] they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
Visible vs Invisible
Just because you go into a garage, it doesn’t make you a car.
Jumping into a pool doesn’t make you a swimmer.
Going into the capital doesn’t make you the president.
Going into symphony hall doesn’t make you a musician or even a fan of classical music.
Just because someone goes inside a church building, it doesn’t make that person a part of the church.
The church is often classified into the visible and invisibile church.
Visible
The visible is the part that we see enter and exit the church doors, the people that sit in the pews.
It is called "visible" because its members are known and its assemblies are public. Here there is a mixture of "wheat and chaff," of saints and sinners.
Invisible
This is a pure society, the church in which Christ dwells. It is the body of Christ. it is called "invisible" because the greater part of those who constitute it are already in heaven or are yet unborn, and also because its members still on earth cannot certainly be distinguished. The qualifications of membership in it are internal and are hidden. It is unseen except by Him who "searches the heart."
Because of invisibility, just because someone does not go inside a particular church, it doesn’t make that person not a part of the church.
I define the invisible church as the group of Christians that you fellowship with.
In my life right now, the visible church that I belong to is the ATPC.
But the invisible church is much different. I don’t fellowship with everyone in the ATPC. They aren’t part of my invisible church. And perhaps in time I’ll be able to once language and culture issues are overcome. But there are many other Christians that I fellowship with. Friends from my previous church. Friends from the Chinese church. People that I email with. People on the NTPC mailing list. Singles at First Baptist Missions Prayer meeting. Christians at work during a weekly Bible study. Missionaries that I support. Speakers that I hear on tape. Writers that I read from books and magazines.
I don’t primarily associate myself with the church visible, but the church invisible. It’s not the building that is the main focus of my life, but it’s the people that I associate with.
What is God’s desire for the Church?
Today, we see little examples of what the Church of Jesus Christ should be like. It’s commonly said that the church is the only place where it kills the wounded. Instead of helping people in the church, they are ostracized until they decide to leave.
How would our church react if a girl in high school got pregnent? What if a couple in the church divorces?
These are hard issues. And unfortunately, not a lot of churches handle these issues wisely.
We all have the concepts of what the ideal church is like. But the church cannot be built on human desires, but on what the Bible says.
Love one another
John 17:22-23 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
Encourage one another
Hebrews 3:13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
Unity
Psalm 133:1 <A Song of degrees of David.> Behold, how good and how pleasant [it is] for brethren to dwell together in unity!
Submissive
In submission to the head of the body, Jesus Christ
In submission to the church leaders
Built on revelations
Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Holy
Ephesians 5:25-27 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; in order to make her holy, cleansing her with the baptismal water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
What is the world looking for?
Sense of belonging. Purposefulness. Acceptance. Love. Justice.
It is in the church that all these things can be fulfilled.
I heard a good saying in a church bulletin, "No person is too bad to come in. No person is too good to stay out."
What is the function of the Church?
Keeper of the truth
1 Timothy 3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
Reveal God’s wisdom to the spiritual realm
Ephesians 3:10 concealed in order that the Church might now be used to display to the powers and authorities in the heavenly realms the innumerable aspects of God's wisdom.
Head of all things
Ephesians 1:22 And hath put all [things] under his feet, and gave him [to be] the head over all [things] to the church,
Wrap up
There is no perfect church. Wherever there is people, there’ll be problems. Yet, on the other hand, there is a perfect church. Or rather, there will be a perfect church.
God is preparing a perfect, holy, pure church to ultimately be married to Jesus. We will not be able to see it with our eyes, but it will be invisible.
In addition to God cleaning the Church, God has also placed high expectations and high responsibilities upon the Church. But God has also placed a high reward upon those who submit to Him. The reward is God Himself. A complete union with God not seen since the hint during first week of God’s creation.
It will be union between, not the visible church, but the invisible church and God. The Church whose members have Jesus as their head, those in the visible church who are God’s faithful children, those in the underground churches being persecuted for their faith, the prisoners who’d rather be incarcerated than deny Jesus, the lonely missionaries trying to build a church among the remote areas of Thailand, the orphans rejected by society but accepted by God. These are among the invisible church that will be granted the intimate fellowship with God.
Return to Oliver Tseng's Bible Study - Messages