Romans 16:1 I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea.
Romans 16:5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my wellbeloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.
Phebe was a servant of the church and the church met in their house. In the sixteenth chapter of Romans, Paul mentions at least 36 people. The church is not a building – it is the people of God. We need to get his down. A church is a group of saved people who meet together regularly to encourage one another, pray, preach and study the Word of God and work together to fulfill their part of the Great Commission. We need to serve one another in the church like Phebe did.
Galatians 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
A church must handle its business but it is not a business. A church is a corporate body but it is not a corporation. The closest things we can compare the church to in our world is a body and a family. The church is called the body of Christ. It is made up of many different members and they all form together with Jesus Christ as the head.
The church is made up of brothers and sisters with God as our Father. We are a family and as a family, we are called to love and serve one another. As a family, the church spends time together and works together. As a body, we are all interconnected and dependent upon one another.
Recently a man told me how he preferred a big church to a small church because of the benefits. He thought the smaller churches just couldn’t do what they were supposed to do as churches. I immediately thought of the New Testament churches that met in someone’s house. How big were those churches? Did they not fulfill what God had for them? That just goes to show how much thinking about the church comes from the world and not the Bible. Size is irrelevant. Jesus said two or three could constitute a body in which he would be in the midst (Matthew 18:20). The church will be what God wants when we do three things:
1. Love Jesus Christ with all we are.
2. Love and serve one another.
3. Preach the gospel to every creature.
In Christ,
Rody
