The Ecclesia (Universal Church vs Local Churches)

This morning we're going to be looking at What the Bible says about the Ecclesia.

What's that? Well, we're talking about the church Have you ever noticed when going through the Bible? The scripture talks about the church

Singular, but it also talks about churches plural So this is from the

Morris Corner Church statement of faith This is article 3 section

L on the church says we believe that the church which is the body and espoused bride of Christ is a spiritual organism made up of all born -again persons of this present age and then the second part says we believe that the establishment of and Continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the

New Testament Scriptures, so let's look up the references. Let's first turn to Ephesians chapter 1

So go ahead and turn They are Ephesians chapter 1 but did you notice in that that first statement it mentioned the church singular and Then the second statement churches

Plural in Matthew chapter 16 when Jesus said I will build my church.

What was he talking about? Yeah, he was talking about the church

Singular, but then there's many places that talk about the local church and we know that there are many many countless

Local churches, so we have to kind of explain What's going on there but in Ephesians chapter 5 when the

Apostle Paul wrote husbands love your wives Just as Christ also loved the church What's he talking about there?

local churches or the one Universal church well, sometimes it's not always clear.

Jim mentioned the term the Universal Church who's familiar with this term the

Universal Church who knows what the word there's another Synonym for universal

What is it? Right The word

Catholic means what? Catholic means universal so I believe in the universal

Church You believe in the Catholic Church people like well, yeah, I'm not so sure

Well Catholic means universal So there's all these terms out there and what we're concerned about is what does the

Bible say? What is the scripture teach? So in one sense just to make it clear in one sense.

There is only one church and The word church means assembly, but we're not going to all be assembled together until until heaven

In the meantime, there are local churches. So there's Morris Corner Church.

There's North Leverett Baptist down the road There are many Bible believing churches around so Let's take a look at this this passage in Ephesians 1

Look at Ephesians 1 22 and 23 It says and he put all things under his feet and gave him that is

Christ to behead over all things To the church, which is his body the fullness of him who fills all in all so the first part of this statement is that the church is the body of of Christ So I want to kind of dig a little deeper because you think in any local church you have people

He assembled right here this morning in churches some of them.

There's Thousands of people sitting in that, you know church building

Is every person sitting in a church? born again No, okay.

We know that that's not really the case, right? We can't always know the heart but God does so within every local

Assembly, and I pray that that's the case and I I feel good that Just about everybody or the majority of people who attend

Morris Corner Church. I know are born -again believers But there are other churches where maybe it's it's half and half

The point is we don't really know but with any local assembly you have all all the people

They're part of the local church, but how many are part of that one true?

Universal church that will be in heaven. So you don't actually know until you Get to heaven.

So there's the universal body of Christ where everybody's saved Everybody's a true believer.

Then you have local churches where you know, that's just not necessarily the case any

Comments or questions so far? Okay, this is all pretty standard, right?

Okay Now here at Morris Corner we believe in what is called regenerate church membership

Okay, regenerate church membership So when somebody becomes a member of Morris Corner Church, they don't just walk through the door and say hey

You know, I I like this place I want to be a member. Okay, you're in that's it doesn't really work like that What does that mean regenerate church membership?

born -again Right, we want to make sure that everybody who's on the membership list everybody who's an actual member of Morris Corner Actually knows

Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior Not all churches practice regenerate church membership

Some are just concerned about numbers and they will literally take Anybody now at the same time anybody is welcome to come through the front door

I don't care if they're the most lost Person in the world, they're welcome and we want them to come in and join us

And we want them to hear the gospel, but as far as church membership We believe in regenerate church membership, right?

Because the church is what the body the body of Christ It's the espoused bride of Christ So to be the bride of Christ and the body of Christ you must be in Christ and unfortunately the majority of people in in this society are not

In the body of Christ, so let me just read this statement One more time.

Oh, what is it? What do you call a church that doesn't practice regenerate church membership?

Where the where the members are not actually born again Yeah, yeah, well it's apostate but you know, we would call those social clubs

And I don't say that with any, you know, I'm not trying to be mean but if they're not if they're not actually born again

They're not truly part of the body of of Jesus Christ Marcus Maybe you'll get to it later, but the issue of baptism many churches,

I would think that practices Membership being of regenerate folks, right also want for the person to be willing to publicly display that Event that's happened in their life publicly

Those are Baptist churches, right? And is it a policy of this church also that someone needs or on or is required to Be baptized by immersion publicly before membership, right?

There's a few requirements to be a member of Morris Corner Church. And this is generally true for all

Bible believing churches you have to be saved and you have to be baptized and Then there are certain

Expectations that go along with membership like you're you're going to attend and in give and serve

And pray and be in submission and all all of the rest but yes, and at the same time is it's important to stress to any individual that Baptism or full immersion baptism is not a requirement for Regeneration that you can be part of God's Universal Church Without that so that's true

That's true, but you are baptized into Christ. You're baptized into his body.

So The thing is if somebody says I want to be a member of your church, but they're refusing to be baptized

I mean, that's a glaring issue So yeah, so people who have not been or don't want to be baptized, you know, we love them.

We we pray for them We hope that they do get baptized, but you know, there really can't be any just glaring issue where yeah

Jesus says to do this and I refuse that's not the way you want to start, you know church membership, obviously

Okay, so Reading again. We believe that the church is the body and the espoused bride of Christ and it is a

Spiritual organism, I'm gonna define that a spiritual organism made up of all born -again persons of this present age in Ephesians 1 22 and 23 again, and he put all things under his feet and gave him to behead over all things to the church, which is

His body that's the point that the Bible says the church is his body the body of Christ What is living organism that's look at that that's kind of a strange thing to say

What does that mean that the church is a living organism? Well the word regenerate

Can be defined as a living organism, right? We're alive. The the church is alive.

We are alive towards God. He has given us New spiritual life as opposed to those who don't know

Christ who are spiritually what? right spiritually dead So through faith in the gospel

God the Holy Spirit has given believers new life now flip over to chapter 2 verse 1

Ephesians chapter 2 verse 1 speaks to this He says and you

Speaking to church members. He you he made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins.

So People were once dead spiritually and now the

Lord has made them made us Alive, so this is all very basic if you've been taught

Someone who's never been, you know spent any time in a local church and taught

Doctrine and taught from the scriptures this you can't assume that people know and understand this so Hopefully this is familiar to most of you and if it's not

I mean, this is why this is why we need to go over this Why is it yes

Jim, that's okay. Go ahead. No, I want you to go Thank you

Also in Ephesians chapter 2 verse 14, I think that's calling It's actually identifying the living organism by the joining of the

Jews and the Gentiles What verse is this? 14 20 why don't you read it through 18?

For he is our peace who have made both one and have broken down the middle wall of partition between us

Having abolished in his flesh the entity even the law of commandments contained in ordinances for to make in himself of twain one new man as making peace and Then he might reconcile both

God in one body by the cross having slain the entity thereby And came and preached peace to you which were far off and is them that were

Not but through him we both have access to one spirit onto the body okay, so I think that kind of defines what what the

What the organism is, okay Yeah, and again, we're talking about something that is alive now flip over to Ephesians chapter 5

You've heard of dead churches, right How Do you define a dead church?

I think when some people talk about that It's very subjective and they they kind of show up and they get a feeling

Well, they're feeling might be right or off base. I mean that a feeling doesn't necessarily prove anything some people might define dead as You know, everyone's just sitting there

You know a church that's alive people are you know shouting and waving their arms and they're getting up and running up and down the aisles

And that's how some churches define alive versus dead. We're talking about spiritually though You can tell when someone has no interest in the things of God.

You can tell when someone really has no Interest and understanding of of what the gospel is

Being alive Means you you know the gospel you you care about the Lord and the scriptures and you want to live for him and you want

To serve him. So that's how that's what we're talking about a dead church versus a

Living church a living church is active Right. Okay Ephesians 5 Verses 25 through 27.

I know this sounds like it's addressing, you know families and husbands and wives which it is

But there's a bigger point that Paul is trying to make He says husbands love your wives

Just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for her

And I believe it's talking about the you the universal church or the one true church, but it still applies to local churches just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for her that he might sanctify and Cleanser with the washing of water by the word that he might present her to himself a glorious church

Not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing But that he should be holy or she should be holy in without Blemish, so the church is not only referred to as the body of Christ.

It is also spoken of as It's the body and also the bride right the bride of Christ so Christ is the head of the church

The body of Christ may be your gift The illustration be if your gift is helps

You're like the hands of Jesus, right? I'm I I preach and teach so maybe like I'm his mouth

If you're a missionary and you're going out with the gospel, you're like his feet So the body of Christ metaphor is pretty clear

We all have different gifts where to exercise them and for us to be effective all the body parts need to be working together

Right, so that that's kind of the illustration with the body. But what's the illustration with the bride?

Well, the bride of Christ analogy speaks of our relationship With him just as a husband is the head of the home

Christ is the head of the church. I know we live in the 21st century

Oh, you know, I don't like that and some people throw that out the window the husband being head of the home

Well, just don't be surprised if you throw that out the window People who do that often throw

Christ as the head of the church out the window Too so we are the analogy here is we are to obey

Christ we are to be faithful to Christ in marriage an

Absolute necessity in marriage for it to work. Is that the two people be faithful to one another?

Right, and this is what we're talking about in Christianity in our relationship with the Lord. We know he's faithful to us

There's no question about that. So really the issue becomes are we?

Faithful to him, so that's what is Talking about what he's talking about here in the book of James James refers to unfaithful

Believers as what is it in James chapter 4? adulterers and adulteresses

So that's what he's calling unfaithful believers Why does he say that?

Because people who are unfaithful to the Lord have committed a spiritual adultery basically there are many churches and and Christians who will willfully neglect and even deny some of the just the basic things of God So they can

Fit in better with the world Compromised with the world they're really in bed with the world.

So whatever the world does whatever is popular They do whatever they have to do to kind of get along in the world and in the process they're being unfaithful to Christ can anyone come up with an example of How that's happening in 2022

America Marcus Yeah, right,

I mean that is one of the most obvious examples of being a spiritual adulterer or an adulteress

There's no question What the Bible teaches on that issue? There is no question whatsoever but you know, we've had one or two people leave this church because we refuse to break

The commandments of God basically like you passed I had somebody tell me

You need to change on this issue if you want your church to grow now

I Don't care that kind of went in one ear and out the other But that's what a lot of people are doing what they see they see how this is all going

They see where this country is going. They see where the majority of people are and what's popular and what?

Unfaithful shepherds are doing and I could give you examples Some of you know of local examples where this played out in plain view

They slowly try to bring their church into a compromised position to fit in with the world

When they're clearly going against what the Bible says What is that that's spiritual adultery?

Yes Marcus And important to point out I think that God loves LG Yeah God loves them just like he loves us

We are all sinners and I've had you know an argument with people that say no,

I'm not a sinner anymore. I'm a saint Mm -hmm. I'll say it. Well, do you hike?

Yeah. Well, you're a hiker. Do you bike? Yeah. Well, then you're a biker Do you walk? Yeah, you're a walker. Do you sin?

Home on the same Well, we're all we're all fallen and God the good news is that God loves sinners, right?

Yeah, the Bible says 1st Timothy 1 15 Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners and that's you and it's me

And it's everybody else So there's no one sin, you know We don't bring that example up to single this group out as you know, they're especially bad

That's not the point but that's just it's the kind of the big issue of our day of where Churches and pastors and Christians are compromised but yeah, everyone is a

Everyone has sinned Jim well, I was gonna say Romans chapter 1 brings that to very

Succinct Point but also I you asked a question

I think people that claim to be believers and Will show up at church

Maybe not every Sunday maybe periodically however long that is

They are Putting them in a position of adultery because they're coming to church claiming to be believers, but yet they're not

Doing what scripture has us would have us do as believers Yeah, okay, let's turn to 1st

Corinthians 12 And we do need to be careful about developing a judgmental attitude where okay

I I've grown to this point in my Christian life Therefore that gives me the right to judge everybody who hasn't reached my status, you know, we don't want to do that Because guess what there's you're here there's somebody who's up here and they can just as easily judge you

Because until you've come to a state of perfection, which will never happen in this life

You know, we point is we don't want to develop that kind of judgmental attitude. That's why we say anybody is welcome to come in I don't care what you know sin they're involved in who you are no matter what you've done

Unless you're a fugitive from justice or something, you know And this an escaped serial killer, you know, we want you to come in and sit through a sit through a service

I didn't mean that to be judgmental. I'm just bringing up a point No, I I know but that's that's how it's perceived and I'm not saying you in your comment, but you know, that's how

Unbelievers or people can perceive believers right as being judgmental

So we just have to be, you know careful about that so from the pulpit or Sunday school

We're teaching what the Word of God says When we have personal interactions, we're gonna handle it a little differently we're gonna still bring forth what the

Word of God says, but you're gonna be kind and compassionate to people you

Come into contact with right? All right, first Corinthians 12 verses 12 through 14

She's talking about spiritual organism made up of all born -again persons of this present age says for as the body

Verse 12 for as the body is one and as many members But all the members of that one body being many are one body

So also is Christ for by one spirit We were all baptized into one body whether Jews or Greeks whether slaves are free and have all been made to drink into one spirit for in fact, the body is not one member, but many and then 2nd

Corinthians 11 verse 2 He says for I am jealous for you with godly jealousy

For I have betrothed you to one husband that I may present you as a chaste

Virgin to Christ so once again, we see this analogy and there is there is a call to what purity

Right. There's a call to faithfulness and a call to purity What put someone into the true spiritual body of Christ or what put someone into the

Universal Church as as it's called We just read it in 1st

Corinthians 12 Verse 13 for by one spirit we were all what?

Baptized into one body. So the thing that puts you into the true Church of Christ Is not your water baptism.

That's not what he's talking about. He's talking about spirit baptism So you are not a member of the true

Universal body of Christ unless you have been baptized by the Spirit in other words

The Holy Spirit has to be within a person right and then you get baptized by water

To symbolize what happened in the spirit Does everybody understand that?

Okay All right now let's move on to the second to the second part and again when talking about the

Universal Church We need to be a little careful how many of you have heard of the

Apostles Creed Maybe you attended a church where the Apostles Creed was read or repeated every

Sunday. It said we believe in the Holy Catholic Church By the way, the

Apostles Creed wasn't written by the Apostles Just just to say that Well, do

I believe in the one true Universal Church? Yes Do I believe in the

Holy Catholic Church? Well, the church is holy it is set apart Do I believe do

I recognize there is a universal body where we will all be gathered together in heaven? Yes, I Kind of cringe at the word

Catholic though. I have to be maybe that's the Baptist within me that cringes at that word But again, we just have to be careful because when people hear

Catholic they think Roman Catholic that's the bottom line people hear that So as long as we have these terms understood

I Can affirm that statement? Just with a clarification Catholic means universal.

We're not talking about Roman. Okay. Yeah, I saw a hand Well, just one last comment on that these controversial issues we of course we have to go on the infallibility of the scriptures and Isaiah 5 20 says woe to those who call evil good and good evil

Who put darkness for light and light for darkness, etc, etc It keeps going.

Yeah, the real issue is well, it is The the authority of the

Bible and what the Bible describes right as sin I mean, there's plenty of sin in there that That I'm guilty of right

But to say that it's all right To get drunk or something.

Yeah, I'm not drunk with wine. Oh So stories as well. How about whiskey? Yeah There's lots of things that right and that sexuality is is is evil well, and Since you made one last comment, let me let me make one last comment anyone who's ever

Come and attended Morse Corner Church, whether once or twice or whether for weeks months or years

Anyone who's ever attended here knows that we do not have a judgmental spirit towards sinners

People can come and they're they're treated respectfully. They're treated, you know kindly

Again, we want people to come and hear the gospel So we do not have that spirit here, but at the same time we're just not going to compromise what the

Word of God says Here's what it says This is what we believe and and we're gonna preach it and what you do with it is between you and God Ultimately that has to be our approach but talking to individuals, especially those who are lost.

I mean, they're lost What do you what do you what do you expect? So, yeah, we do not have that judgmental spirit here

All right. Let's move on to the second part the second statement

Says we believe that the establishment of and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the

New Testament Scriptures, so let's turn now to 1st Timothy chapter 3. We've talked about the church singular the universal church now, we're going to talk about local churches

And as you're turning there, let me just read from one verse from Acts 14 Acts 14 27 you can just listen to it

And I'll ask you a question Acts 14 27 says now when they had come and gathered the church together

They reported all that God had done with them and that he had opened the door of faith to the

Gentiles So that's the verse listed at 14 27 Is that a reference to the universal church or is that a reference to a local church?

Local right, how do we know because they gathered the church together and that was a local assembly of 40 people 140 who knows but it wasn't all believers from from all ages

Obviously, so now we're talking about local churches So what is

Morse Corner? We're a local church, right? And Don't take the bait when somebody asks you which church is the one true church don't take the bait

What are they asking Well, because some people say the Eastern Orthodox Church is the one true church or the or the

Baptist. They're the one true There is no such thing as the one true church here on earth as far as an institution

Don't take the bait the whole premise of the question is wrong. There are born -again believers in all denominations or most most all denominations

When we get to heaven, there's gonna be all sorts of people up there then some of them you probably didn't expect to see perhaps

Right, right Before we read from 1st Timothy 3 during the Protestant Reformation The Reformers came up with three marks of a true church or we could say three marks of a true local church

What does it take for it for you to have a church? I mean, obviously you need an assembly of people But three and I agree with this this

I can't show you chapter and verse From the Bible. So if you want to disagree with this,

I guess you're free to do it But the Reformers said there are three marks of a true church.

Number one. The gospel is preached We all agree with that. I mean that that absolutely is is necessary number two.

The ordinances must be administered So there's going to be baptism in the Lord's Supper and the third one

I think is the point that some people would disagree on Church discipline must be practiced

Why because the church is the body of Christ made up of born -again baptized believers

If you don't practice church discipline, or you don't have a regenerate church membership over time

The the sheep, you know the sheep the flock starts to turn into a goat farm if you won't

Put anyone out if there's no standards, right? So verse one first Timothy three now, we're talking about a letter that was written to Timothy who is a pastor of a

Local church. We're getting into some of the details now Paul writes this is a faithful saying if a man desires the position of a bishop

He desires a good work who knows

What the term bishop is in in Greek? Does anyone know?

Yep, that's what it means. That's the definition but the Greek term for bishop Episcopal, I'm probably mispronouncing it.

Where does that sound familiar? Episcopal? Well, that's where you get the word

Episcopal and you've heard of Episcopalians, so the Episcopal Church is a church that is run by bishops

Okay, so they say the church should be run by Run by bishops.

Is that true? well their understanding of what a bishop is is they think a bishop should be

One man or of course they ordain women bishops, but that's a whole other story

They believe a bishop should be a regional director basically in charge of potentially hundreds of churches

Who's Paul writing to is he writing to the church universal? No, he's writing to Timothy who is ministering in a local church

Timothy is what a he's a bishop and Timothy was the pastor of one church the

Church of Ephesus So look at first Timothy 3 Starting verse 1 again.

This is a faithful saying if a man desires the position of a bishop he desires a good work

Bishop then must be blameless the husband of one wife temperate sober -minded a good behavior

Hospitable able to teach not given to wine not violent not greedy for money

But gentle not quarrelsome not covetous one who rules his own house Well having his children in submission with all reverence for if a man does not know how to rule his own house

How will he take care of the Church of God not a novice lest being puffed up with pride?

He fall into into the same condemnation as the devil moreover He must have a good testimony among those who are outside lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil so this is the these are the guidelines for a

We call them pastors, but the biblical term would be a bishop Which means as you heard it means

Overseer, here's one thing about this. These are the qualifications for a bishop. Okay, every

Christian man And Christians in general should be trying to live up to this standard

Not everyone is going to be apt to teach not everyone is going to have the desire to be a bishop

But we should try to live up to this standard Should we should

Christians be greedy for money? I Don't I don't think so, right?

Should we Hold to the mystery of the faith with the pure conscience

Only pastors need to do that. No. No, I mean these are things that generally we should all try to live up to Okay.

Now, let's turn to another passage Titus chapter 1 and Then he goes on in chapter 3 to talk about Deacons and the the list for deacons the requirements for deacons are very similar

There's one main difference between a pastor in a deacon one main difference. Does anyone know what it is?

Teaching right a deacon you can be a deacon without being apt to teach

But to be a pastor bishop or as we're gonna see an elder you need to be apt apt to teach

All right, so Titus chapter 1 Speaks of elders now, we're kind of getting into the the role of church government.

I find this topic really interesting I know that some of you probably don't but What are some of the ways churches are run?

And operate we already talked about the Episcopal right the Episcopalians they believe

In bishops that rule the whole region. So it's like one person

Controls all of New England or something, you know something like that. They have a diocese We we don't believe that's biblical.

What are some of the other ways churches are run? Okay by denomination so you have a body off somewhere

Making your decisions for you You know, I'm not looking to fight denominations

But I don't see denominations of the Bible, I mean, I don't know am I wrong here are denominations in the

Bible We believe in the autonomy of the local church. So there are local churches that are pastor led there are some churches that are

Deacon led right where the Board of Deacons they call all the shots and then there are

What we're in Titus one. What's the other category elder? Led so these are the two you're likely to come across a pastor led church and an elder led church

What's the difference between an elder and a bishop? Well, let's look at Titus one look at verse 5

Paul says to Titus for this reason I left you in Crete that you should set in order the things that are lacking and appoint elders in every city as I Commanded you now the

Greek word translated elder is Presbyteros, so we have the

Episcopos The Episcopalians now we have presbyteros. What word does that make you think of?

Presbyterian so the Presbyterians believe in guess guess what they believe in what type of church government

Elders, right? They believe the church should be elder Led or ruled by a board of elders now this gets into the whole debate of church government

You don't have really time to get too much into that Do you think

Paul was telling Titus one thing in Timothy? opposite Two different words elder and Bishop Two different denominations have come from these words.

That's what they named their old denomination after Do we really believe Paul is saying contradictory things?

I Don't I don't think so. So how do we understand this? Let's keep reading says for this reason

I left you in Crete that you should set in order the things that are lacking and Elders in every city as I commanded you if a man is blameless and here's the requirements again the husband of one wife having faithful children not accused of dissipation or Insubordination for a bishop must be blameless as a steward of God not self -willed not quick tempered

Not given to wine not violent not greedy for money, but hospitable lover of what is good sober -minded just holy and Self -controlled holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convict

Those who contradict so you can see the qualifications are very very similar

So in a local church, here's what I have concluded that a local church is to be led by bishops

Now what about what's an elder though, is that a different office? No elders are

Bishops, it's the same thing a bishop is an overseer The pastor is a bishop.

The pastor is also an elder Now, what does the word elder mean?

Well, it means someone who's older right It could talk about a spiritual maturity

But the word itself the plain meaning is someone who's a little older Here's actually what

I think was happening and I'm in a small minority on this. I believe that in Crete Paul wanted

Titus to appoint men who were Elders they were more mature

These are men that people looked up to until they could maybe finally get a bishop installed permanently

I can't prove that but generally speaking elder bishop Overseer pastor, it's all the office.

So We're running out of time We believe in pastor led churches and there's two offices in a local church.

What are they? Pastor and deacon if you go back to first Timothy three, that's exactly what you see pastor and deacon and then

You have the church the church membership and the church members again

We believe in regenerate church membership. I believe going forward.

This will be one of the most important Things churches need to pay attention to to make sure they have a regenerate church

Membership because ultimately whatever happens here at Morris Corner Church, whatever happens it depends on the members

Because the members vote and the direction of this ministry to a large degree will depend on the church

Church members if you have a church where 80 % of the members are are not regenerate

If I preach a sermon that is biblical But I decide not to compromise maybe on that issue that you mentioned or some other issue guess what the church members can do they can vote the faithful shepherd out and that's what's happening in a lot of Assemblies all over all over the u .s.

So if the pastor isn't staying faithful preaching the word

That's necessary if the members aren't regenerate that can cause a church to collapse, too

So these these are very important issues and in order to get it, right in order for a church to be healthy