ecclesia

That’s the Greek word for church.

ecclesia is a compound word made up of two Greek words:

• ek – out of
• kaleo – to call

ecclesia literally means “the called out ones” or the “called out congregation”.

Notice – the church is a singular noun but you cannot have a church that is made up of a single individual. That’s an impossibility.

The church is the “called out ones” or the called out congregation”. The very word church implies many individuals gathered and called out for a purpose. That’s why Jesus promised, “Where two or more gather in my name, there I am. with them” (Matthew 18:20).

So all who think they can be lone ranger Christians. Sorry. That’s an impossibility. There ain’t no such thing as a solitary Christian.

The church only exists when two or more are gathered in Christ’s name. That’s why the only way you can be church is to be a part of called out gathered people.

A single bee is not a swarm
A lone wolf is not a pack
A solitary ant is not a colony
And, you by yourself, are not the church

By: Mark Penrith

“Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from the land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake” (Matthew 14:22-25).

There’s a reason why Jesus made the disciples get into the boat to go on ahead of him to the other side without him. There’s a reason why Jesus waited until it was considerably later and until the disciples were being buffeted and tossed around by the wind and the waves. Some of these men had spent their entire lifetime on the lake and knew exactly what to do in such situations. This wasn’t their first storm on the water.

But THESE men were scared for their lives. 

It was when THESE men had done everything they knew to do, and still they were failing against the storm that Jesus began walking out to them. Of course Jesus was going to rescue them. But this miracle wasn’t only to show them that Jesus can save them from the storms of life. It wasn’t even about how the winds and the waves obeyed his commands. 

Jesus walked on the water to show them that Jesus is one who walks on top of the very thing that was trying to swallow them up. 

Storms in life may come. And, we know that when the disciples were facing persecution and death they would indeed suffer and die. They were not rescued from death. But the lesson the disciples learned when Jesus walked on the water to them was that even death could not swallow them up. Jesus conquered death. 

The Apostle Paul would later confess, “No, in all the things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:37-39). 

Do you know him? Do you know the One who walks on water?

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).

Most of us go through life with the self at the center. Everything happening in life is viewed through the lens of how it impacts us personally. I don’t think we do this because we are egotistical monsters. It’s just the only way human beings know how to process life.

But as we grow and mature, we learn to see life through the lens of others. We realize that life isn’t just about us, that there is more to life and everyone experiences life differently. That is exactly what it means to grow up and mature – we gain the capacity to put ourselves in the shoes of others. When we do, the question shifts. The question in life shifts from “Why?” to “What?” 

Instead of asking “Why is this happening to me?” we gain the capacity to ask “What am I to learn from this?” And when you start growing as a Christian, instead of asking “Why is this asking to me?” we learn to ask, “What is God trying to teach me through this?”

As we mature we move from “Why?” to “What?” that shift makes all the difference in the world. 

Change your question and change your life.