Meaning:
The Greek term for “church” is ekklesia (found 114 times in the New Testament). In the New Testament context, the word is employed in four senses:
- It represents the body of Christ worldwide, over which the Lord functions as head (Mt. 16:18; Eph. 1:22; 1 Tim. 3:15).
- The expression can refer to God’s people in a given region(Acts 9:31, ASV, ESV).
- Frequently, it depicted a local congregationof Christians (1 Cor. 1:2; Rev. 1:11).
- It could also signify a group of the Lord’s people assembledfor worship (1 Cor. 14:34-35).
The meaning of “I will build the church.” “I”
Let’s take the letter “I.”
“I will build my church.” Who is this “I” who made this promise?
To get a clear picture of who is this “I”, we focus our scene in heaven.
We are in heaven beholding the throne of God. In his hand is a scroll—the unfolding of the end of history and the destiny of the church of Christ. At first, no one is seen worthy to open the scroll, that is to bring history to its appointed to consummation. John weeps that none is found. Then one the 24 elders said:
(Rev.5:5ff) “Weep no more because the Lion of the tribe of Judah has conquered and is worthy to open the scroll.” Then the Lion-like Lamb and the Lamb-like Lion takes the scroll. And the elders and creatures around the throne sing,
“Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth” (Rev.5:9-10).
One person is worthy to bring history to its appointed consummation, the Christ, the Son of the living God who has a ransomed people in every ethnic group on the planet. And then two astonishing things happened: millions of angels and talking birds and horses and fish confirmed the greatness of Christ.
I heard the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands i.e. at least 2 million, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” And I heard every creature in heaven (birds and butterflies) and on earth (horses and tigers and squirrels) and under the earth (worms and moles and groundhogs) and in the sea (fish and squid and lobsters), and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
This is the one who said, “I will build my church.” It is going to happen.
When a person of this stature has called you to join with Him to build His church, will you say no?
“Will Build”
“I will build my church.” The church is not a building. It’s a people, with or without a building. The point is that this people has a builder, and the builder is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus builds the church.
How? By ripping down the gates that hold the human heart in hell-bent sin.