What Does “Church” Really Mean?
In the Bible, the word “church” translates the Greek word ekklesia, which means an assembly or gathering of people — not a building. The word is built from ek (“out”) and kaleo (“to call”), which is why the church is often described as “the called-out ones.” Jesus is the first to use the word in the New Testament, in Matthew 16:18, when he promises, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
That promise raises an honest question. If Jesus said his church would be unstoppable, why does so much of the church today feel tired, divided, and shrinking? At Christ’s Family Church in Davenport, we began our Future Church series by facing that question head-on.
Where does the word “church” first appear in the Bible?
The word “church” first appears in the New Testament in Matthew 16, at a place called Caesarea Philippi. Jesus asks his disciples what people are saying about him. Then he makes it personal:
“He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter replied, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.’” — Matthew 16:15–18 (ESV)
Notice two things. First, Jesus doesn’t let the disciples hide behind other people’s opinions. The question is still personal today: Who do you say Jesus is? Second, Peter’s answer isn’t something he figured out on his own. Jesus says the Father revealed it to him. Faith in Christ is God’s gift — something no church can manufacture, pressure, or scare into existence.
It’s on this rock — the revealed truth of who Jesus is — that Jesus says he will build his church.
What does ekklesia mean?
Ekklesia means an assembly: a people gathered together. When Jesus says “my church,” he isn’t talking about a building on a street corner. He’s talking about you and me, gathered around him.
Because the word combines ek and kaleo, the church is often called “the called-out ones.” So what are we called out of? Called out of sin and brokenness. Called out of the ways and thought patterns of the world. Called out of the desire to fit in, the trance of digital distraction, and the craving to be comfortable and happy rather than holy. Most of all, we’re called out of death and into life — out of separation from God and into fellowship with him.
As Pastor Zachary put it: you don’t get called out of this world by trying harder. You hear the voice of God, and you obey him.
Why doesn’t the church look like this today?
Honesty comes first. You don’t go to the doctor sick and pretend everything is fine — but churches often do. Many congregations are closing. Some argue more about budgets than about ministry, or fund outreach without ever personally welcoming the people they’re trying to reach.
The church has never been perfect. Even the early churches received letters of correction from Paul and from Jesus himself. But in this sermon we named two drifts that have left much of the Western church weak.
We stopped living as a called-out people
For years, many churches chased relevance: look like the world, sound like the world, make Sunday feel like a concert. It worked for a while. But the church was never meant to feel like everywhere else. Scripture calls God’s people sojourners — living here now, but walking toward home.
The church of today focuses on relevance. The future church focuses on transcendence — the presence of God among his people, the kind of moment Peter had when the Father revealed who Jesus is. Jesus taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” His called-out people are how he brings heaven to earth.
2. We made it our church instead of Christ’s
It’s easy to treat church like a product we consume. We want community that affirms us rather than corrects us. We want comfort more than Christ. We pray for a good day instead of a godly day.
But read Jesus’ words again: “I will build my church.” Jesus never promised that our church would withstand the gates of hell. He promised that about his church. Pastors, members, and longtime attenders alike have to lay down the idea that the church belongs to us — and ask what Jesus wants it to be.
What does a Christ-centered church look like?
A community built by Christ has four marks:
Radical. It goes back to the root and obeys Jesus even when it doesn’t make sense — like launching a college ministry, even though, as one pastor pointed out, “college kids don’t tithe.”
Unapologetic. It is kind and sensitive to others, but clear that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. If we make perfect sense to the world, we should ask what we’re doing.
Authentic. We’re all broken and sinful. The future church doesn’t run on hype; it depends on the Holy Spirit.
Christ at the center. Everything was made by Jesus, through Jesus, and for Jesus (Colossians 1:16). He is the center of it all.
Who is Christ for us today?
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German pastor who refused to stay silent while much of the church went along with the Nazi regime, wrote from a prison cell a question that still presses on every church: Who is Christ for us today? Before we can ask what the future church will look like, we have to answer that question — together, and honestly.
Three questions to pray this week
Here’s the invitation from this message. Take some time in prayer this week and ask God:
What kind of church does the world want?
What kind of church do I want?
What kind of church does the world need now?
It may feel a little strange. That’s okay. The called-out people of God were always meant to be a little peculiar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the church a building?
No. In the Bible, “church” (ekklesia) refers to a gathered people, not a structure. Buildings are tools; the church is the community of people Jesus calls to himself.
Does ekklesia really mean “called out”?
The word is formed from ek (“out”) and kaleo (“to call”), and in everyday Greek it described an assembly of people called together. Christians have long used “the called-out ones” to describe the church because God calls his people out of darkness and into his light.
What did Jesus mean by “the gates of hell shall not prevail”?
Jesus was promising that the church he builds on the truth of who he is cannot be overcome. It’s a promise about his church — a people founded on him — not a guarantee for any institution that drifts from him.
Where can I visit a Bible-teaching church in the Quad Cities?
Christ’s Family Church meets at 4601 Utica Ridge Road in Davenport, Iowa, serving Davenport, Bettendorf, Moline, and Rock Island. Sunday services are at 9:00 and 10:40 AM.
Come find out what Christ’s church can be
Wherever you are with Jesus — curious, skeptical, returning, or ready to go deeper — you’re welcome at Christ’s Family Church. Join us any Sunday at 9:00 or 10:40 AM in Davenport. Click below to plan your visit, watch the full Future Church message, or Find a Family Group where you can wrestle with these questions alongside others.