Recent polls have revealed that church attendance in America is going down drastically. It is reported that an estimated 4,000 churches close their doors every year, and that about 3,500 people are leaving the church every day!

What does this say about our triumphant Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? Is He failing to build His Church – the one that He declared that the very gates of hell could not withstand?

Or are we really looking at the same church He spoke of, the one depicted in the New Testament?

First let’s look at the word “church.” In our English translations of the New Testament, this word is translated from the Greek word, “ekklessia.” In the First Century it was used to describe an assembly of people that was called together for various occasions. In one example from Acts 19:32 we see the word used to describe an angry mob. Then in verse 39 the crowd is told to return later to meet in a lawful, “ekklessia” or assembly.

In time then, we see how this word ekklessia came to be the common word used to describe gatherings of the people of God in different cities or locations. These are local expressions of the one Church which Jesus calls His own, that Universal Church which encompasses all locations and periods of time! When we read the various passages, it is important that we discern from the context if they refer to the Universal Church, or to specific local churches.

What constitutes a church? In Acts we see a brief portrait of the early days of the Church at Jerusalem in Acts 2:41-47:

“So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.

And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.”

NASU

Churches in other locations are described in Acts 14:21-23:

“After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”

When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.”

NASU

So, in a very practical sense, New Testament churches are gatherings of believers, who are in fact a community within the society where ever they happen to live. Because they were all saved by the same faith in Christ, they cared for one another, strengthened one another in the faith, and simply wanted to be together because of Him!

But don’t let the simplicity of this picture mislead you! These simple gatherings of humble believers in Christ are God’s means of transforming the world! Within the first 3 centuries after the appearing of Christ, the Roman Empire was largely converted to Christianity, or at the least greatly influenced by the values of Christ.

Today we have orphanages, hospitals, and a greater sense of equality among people mainly because of the influence of the Church of Jesus Christ!

Some of us even need a greater revelation of Jesus and His purpose for His people in the earth….Ephesians 1:15-23:

“For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the s[...]