What Is the Church?

Every member of Christ’s body is filled and enabled by the Holy Spirit to go and make disciples.

October 5, 2024

Colossians 1:18

When most people hear the word church, the first thing they think of is a certain type of building. But it’s so much more than that.

In Matthew 16:18, Jesus said, “I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (KJV). He had something much greater in mind than a mere architectural structure. He was referring to the whole body of Christ, which is composed of all believers. The church began on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came and anointed a group of Jesus’ followers (Acts 2:1-47). And it has continued ever since then as the Lord has been adding more believers—“living stones”—to create “a spiritual house for a holy priesthood” (1 Peter 2:5).

The church is not merely a place for social action or fellowship, though these are important aspects of its ministry. Rather, the church is the entire body of Christ, corporately and individually filled and enabled by the Holy Spirit to carry out the task designated by Jesus Himself. In other words, the church’s purpose is to bring people to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and to make disciples, instructing them and growing them up in the things of God (Matthew 28:19-20).

This week, spend some time asking the Lord what role you should be playing in the ministry of the church.

Bible in One Year: Matthew 8-10

ALSO READ: CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW US ON TWITTER ⊗ OPEN HEAVEN ⊗ JOEL OSTEEN DEVOTIONAL⊗ ABOVE ONLY ⊗ OUR DAILY BREAD ⊗ SEEDS OF DESTINY ⊗ JOYCE MEYER DEVOTIONAL ⊗ RHAPSODY OF REALITIES ⊗ JOHN HAGEE ⊗ MFM DAILY DEVOTIONALUTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST⊗DCLM DAILY MANNA ⊗ JOHN PIPER DEVOTIONAL ⊗