What is a Church

If someone asked you to show them God, what would you do?  What would you say?  What would you show them?

The Bible says Jesus is "the image of the invisible God."  Through the records of the life of Jesus we can see God. But for us today, we can no longer see Jesus physically.  But one of the most common images for the NT church is the "Body of Christ."  This means that when people see the church, they are to see Christ.

Ephesians 2:17-22 gives a clear picture of what the church is to be:

1.  Those far away, and those near
2.  Children of God, fellow citizens, no longer strangers and aliens
3.  Built on the foundation of the Apostles and prophets
4.  Fitted together by God, the master builder
5.  Growing into maturity

We think of the church as a building, or a place.  But Scripture is clear that God is building a people, not a place.