Macquarie Reformed Baptist Church

BOOK III The CHURCH

A Bit of Background

The eldership at Macquarie Reformed Baptist Church were preaching on the subject of the church and using Ephesians as the main Bible text.

The following is taken from sermon notes of a message preached on Sunday night the 19th of July 1975. The message was titled THE CHURCH.

Preach about the people of God as viewed under the designation ekklesia or what is more familiar to your ears, ‘the church’.

We hear much about ‘what are the marks of the church’ but very little about the content of the term church or what is the church.

The sermon used a way of remembering called a mnemonic:

1. PEOPLE

2. ASSEMBLED

3. VISIBLE

4. LOCAL

5. ONE TERM

6. VICTORIOUS

7. AREA OF ACTIVITY

The first letter of each heading spells

Are we splitting hairs? No! The Bible does not support denominationalism and I appeal to you to throw aside and dispense entirely with the adjectives Macquarie, Reformed, Baptist and return to Biblical usage.

Perhaps you should use an expression like this: Our church is the church of God in the Ryde area which happens to practise baptism and reformed [sovereign grace was meant but it was a reformed church] truths as essential and God given facts. Ryde is a suburb of Sydney though it was located in the suburb of Meadowbank. ‘Baptism’ means baptism is administered by water immersion upon profession of faith in the Lord Jesus.

Think Biblically next time you invite someone along or say I go to church. Give it back its personal and true meaning.

(b). People constitute the church and thus to be without elders does not render a church a non–church. Eldership is not of the essence of the church [or a mark of the

Therefore, church equals people and Christians are people. People are still inwardly corrupt and sinful so you will never find the ideal church on earth. You will have to wait until you are in heaven and Heb12:23 was quoted; To the general assembly and church of the firstborn ones, which are written in heaven … and to the spirits of just men made perfect.

2. ASSEMBLED means they meet together.

I Corinthians 11:18 says: For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.

Acts 14:27 says: And when they were come and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles.

The root meaning of ekklesia (the second e is pronounced as a long e) is those who have been called or summoned to meet. This becomes clear when one examines the three times it is used in Acts 19:32, 39, 41 of an ungodly ekklesia whose purpose for meeting was to get rid of Paul and his preaching.

Acts 19:32 says: Some therefore cried one thing and some another: for the assembly (ekklesia) was confused; and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together.

Acts 19:39 says: But if ye enquire anything concerning other matters, it shall be determined in a lawful assembly.

Acts 19:41 says: And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the