What Makes a True Church?

What makes a true church? It’s become almost cliche to point out that the church is not a building, it’s a people. And while that’s an obvious truism, it’s still a bit misleading, though, isn’t it? Because there are of course many groups of people who identify as Christian, even many Christian groups that gather together that are not, biblically speaking, a church.

This was a live question for the hundred plus-year period of church history known as the Protestant Reformation. What, actually, biblically defines a true church? Is it the priesthood? Apostolic succession? Or something more fundamental? As this question was debated and considered, more and more voices began to search the Scriptures to try to understand and distill down what the essence of a true church is, and with a very broad and unified consensus, the Reformers came up with this answer: A true and biblical church is formed anywhere there is 1) the right preaching of the gospel, 2) the right observance of the two ordinances given to us by Christ: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and 3) by necessary implication of these two elements, biblical order and discipline.

So, yes a true church church is not a building, it is a people. But it is a specific kind of people. It is a people united under the preaching of the true gospel. It is a people who observe Christ’s commandment to baptize and regularly observe the Lord’s Supper together in connection with the gospel. And it is a people who, under the gospel, observing these two ordinances, institute a clear biblical order and discipline together in carrying these things out.

And it is for this reason that we often say around here, if you’re newer, that the most important thing about us as Emmaus Church is the very same thing that we have in common with every single true church in existence. We’re not trying to be unique, or build our own brand. We’re trying to be true and faithful to what every true church is.

Why do I bring this up to you this morning church as a word of exhortation? Because, Emmaus church, I want to remind you that you are Emmaus Church not because of a building, not because of some pastors, but because of God and obedience to his gospel. And that gospel is manifested and demonstrated through our collective response to it and our collective responsibility under it as his assembled people. We must recognize together that this is why we are, together, a true church.

We will no doubt at some point affirm more elders. We will at some point no doubt have to discipline some members here, barring them from participation in the Lord’s Supper and our life together here until they repent. There may even be times when we as your pastors make mistakes—we sin or commit error even. Some of the forms and ministries here may change over time. It is your job in all those moments for you as the church to be the true and biblical church. It is the gospel that creates us as a people. It is the Ordinances that show and define us as a people. And it is our discipline and order that protects these things and keeps them central.

I wonder if you have had a low view of your membership here? How have you cared for the church lately, and by that I mean the people? Have the people that you’ve united with here been among the top priorities for you as you consider the things you spend time thinking about and praying about?