Title The Glorious Church / Ephesians 5:22-33
No one, including the disciples of Jesus, other apostles, and early church leaders, explained ecclesiology as clearly as Paul. It is not that the other apostles did not mention the ecclesiology at all, but none of them revealed what the church was like as Paul did.
Originally, Paul was not a Christian. Rather, he was a persecutor of Christians. Seeing that Christianity was the force that threatened Judaism, the traditional religion at that time, he took the lead in persecuting Christianity.
In Acts 9, he was on his way one day to arrest Christians who had been scattered to escape persecution. Suddenly, a strong light shone on him, and a voice called out to him, “Saul, Saul!” Astonished, he fell to the ground and asked, "Who are you, Lord?" The answer he heard was, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting."
Acts 8:3 says, “Saul was destroying the church, and he went into every house, dragged men and women, and delivered them to prison.” But 9:5 says, "Why are you persecuting me?" And in verse 5, it says, "It is Jesus whom you are persecuting."
This is where the importance of the church lies. To love the church is to love Christ. To criticize and neglect the church is to condemn and neglect Jesus. To go out and serve and love the church diligently is to serve and fellowship with Christ Jesus. Let's look at Paul's ecclesiology as revealed in Ephesians.
1. He called the church his body.
Ephesians 1:22-23 says, "He was given as head over all things to the church, which is his body." Jesus Christ is the head of the church and the church is his body. Ephesians 5:30 says, “We are members of that body.” The head, body, and members are not separate members. It is one body through tendons, through blood vessels, through bones, and covered with leather. Jesus, the church, and I are one body. If I curse, Jesus will be cursed, and the church will be cursed. When I receive praise, the church goes up and the glory of Jesus is revealed.
However, criticizing the church and stating its weaknesses as if he himself has nothing to do with the church is an act of ignorance of church theory. When your fingers hurt, your head hurts. Wearing a jewelry ring on your finger raises your shoulders and makes you feel better. If you wash your feet when you are tired, your whole body will be relieved and you will feel refreshed. Because it is a body and an organism.
2. It is said to be a community that we build together.
In Ephesians 2:21, it says, "In him every building is joined together to become a temple in the Lord." In 2:22, it says, "It is being built together in Jesus." We should note the word "connected to each other" here. It means, as mentioned above, that they are one body and are interconnected because they are an organism. Not even a single nail, the smallest member of the body, should fall off.
And we should pay attention to the words “it is becoming a temple” and “it is being built”. The church is not a finished product. We will continue to strive to become a church that is like a church. And the perfect church is made in heaven. Solomon began construction of the temple in 957 B.C. and completed it in 950 B.C. However, the temple was destroyed by fire in 587 B.C. by the Babylonians.
Then, in 515 B.C., those returning from Babylon rebuilt the temple. However, the temple also rotted and deteriorated. After repeating this many times, it was completely destroyed by the Roman invasion in AD 70. Now, only the ruins of the Temple in Jerusalem remain. Church buildings can be new or demolished. But the invisible church must continue to be built and never fall.
To "build" means to move toward the completion of the future. Therefore, it is unreasonable to search for the perfect church, the perfect church on earth. There may be relatively good churches and relatively prosperous churches, but there are no perfect churches. It is the task of the church on earth to strive and strive to become a good church and a perfect church.
It happened at the American Immigrant Church. There was a person who had been immigrating for 20 years. Before I left Korea, I attended a church of 800 people, but there was a problem in the church and a fight broke out. He was deeply hurt in his faith, and he thought that he should go to a perfect church. Then he immigrated to the United States and settled in New York. He started looking for a church. And I registered with the parent church, which is the best church. However, one day after about a year, when I heard a rumor that there was a better church, I quietly went to see it, and the preaching was better, the choir was better, and the Bible study was more diverse than the church I am attending now. So I moved to a better church.
One day, about 7 months ago, I heard a rumor that there is a better church. I slowly looked for it. Everything seemed better than the church I attended. So I moved it. One day, about a year and a half ago, I heard a rumor that there was a better church in New Jersey and went to see it. It was really good. And I couldn't move. He moved 18 churches in 20 pages. One day, I heard a rumor that there is a really good church. So, I looked for a church, and it was the same church that I left 20 years ago in search of a better church because it was not interesting.
If I become a good member, the church will become a good church by itself. If I choose only bad things, the church will become a bad church by itself. Because I am the finger and toe of the church.
3. It was called a glorious church.
Ephesians 5:27 says, "He set before him a glorious church, that it might be holy and without blemish, without spot or wrinkle or such."
The final glory of an athlete is the moment of victory. And the moment when you hang a gold medal around your neck is the highest honor. The glory of the church will also come on the last day of victory.
The early church suffered savage persecution from Rome. The medieval church suffered blood-stained persecution from the Catholics. The Korean church was persecuted by Japanese imperialism and communists. But the church does not disappear. Missions organizations established by people will disappear. But the church does not disappear. Therefore, if you are a normal believer, you should not devote your time, material, and energy to missions agencies or similar gatherings rather than churches. We must give glory to the church and serve the church.
In the case of the Korean church, there were mission groups outside the church that criticized the church and denied the need for it. You don't have to go to church, the church is rotten. There were leaders who sold the church because they didn't need to pay tithing. However, they are slowly forming a denomination and a church. Mission agencies are temporary, but the church is an eternal community.
This church will be taken up as it is and will be moved to heaven. So it's glorious. Here's a lesson you should definitely check out. That is, when I exalt and glorify the Lord, I am also glorified.
One morning last week, on KBS TV, the story of Miss Lee Hee-ah, who has only four fingers since she was born, was being aired. Hee-ah is 14 years old this year. When Hee-ah's mother, who did not know she was pregnant, took cold medicine and was born, Hee-ah was a deformed child with only four fingers and no legs. Her mother, Kang-sun Yoo, started teaching piano when Hee-ah was 6 years old, feeling that she should let her hold a pencil in her hand. One year after I started playing the piano to get blisters on my delicate fingertips, I started winning awards at the national competition.
However, when I am sad that there is no academy that accepts Hee-ah, Mi-kyung Cho took care of her and has been teaching Hee-ah for 9 years.
The victory of Hee-ah overcoming obstacles is tearful. Whether she wants to earn a lot of money and do filial piety to her parents, or to succeed by playing the piano to give dreams and hopes to the disabled... Heeah's words were mature and proud. However, the words of thanks were the words of the mother and Hee-ah, “Thank God”. The decisive force that helped Hee-ah overcome her mental and physical pain was her faith. And the faith of a little girl who exalts and gives thanks to God will surely be left with great blessings and rewards.
There are people who earn a lot of money and live in trouble, but they do not give thanks to God once and do not give glory to Him once. There are people who can't even say a word, "Thank you, God," even though they have attained a career and a higher position. There are people who live a life full of health and happiness, but do not say thank you.
On the other hand, there are people who give thanks and glorify God even in the depths of despair, pain, and defeat. God is on their side. He protects and sustains them. And you say “Because you exalted me, I will exalt you. Because you loved me, I will love you. Since you have told me, I will testify of you. Since you have not left me, neither will I ever leave you anywhere.
4. You said you are protecting the church.
In 5:29, it says, “As Christ nourishes the church.” Nursing is about nurturing, protecting, and protecting. Although the Lord Himself nourishes the church, He does it as if he were caring for and protecting himself as a parent raises a child.
Japanese and American media are reporting that a crisis will come to the Korean Peninsula in March or May. The Korean Peninsula is not only in crisis in March or May. It was always a crisis until half a century after the end of the war. Despite the government's Sunshine Policy, those people are developing nuclear weapons, weaponizing the economy as a political weapon, breaking spy ships, and plotting division of Korea's public opinion in various ways.
Nevertheless, it is by the grace of God that war has not occurred until today. Because God has protected this country and people. God is a God who protects. You are protecting the church, you are protecting your family, and you are protecting my soul. And protect the country.
Psalm 121: 7-8 says, “The Lord will keep you from all trouble; He will guard your soul; the Lord will keep your going in and out from now on to everlasting.”
God who keeps
Please protect this country.
Please protect this nation.
Please protect this church.
Please protect my home and me.
Amen