By Pastor Dave Hentschel | April 27, 2025
When you hear the word church, what comes to mind?
A building with a steeple? A Sunday event? Maybe even memories of a place where you were hurt? In our new sermon series, A Divine Blueprint: Practical Wisdom for Building Healthy Churches, we’re returning to the basics to rediscover what the church is truly meant to be.
We have launched into the book of 1 Timothy — a letter from the Apostle Paul to his younger protégé, Timothy — and we asked a simple but foundational question:
“What is a church?”
Vince Lombardi, the legendary NFL coach, used to start each season by holding up a football and declaring, “Gentlemen, this is a football.” Even professional athletes needed regular reminders to focus on the basics. In the same way, we as Christians sometimes need to be reintroduced to the basics of what church is all about.
The Purpose of 1 Timothy: Why This Letter Matters
Paul spells out the purpose of his letter in 1 Timothy 3:14-15:
“I am writing these things to you so that… you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.”
The church isn’t merely a building, an event, or an organization — it’s a living organism, a family of believers called out of the world to worship Jesus and steward the gospel. The Greek word for church, ekklesia, means “the called-out ones.” We are the people of God, gathered together to display His glory to the world.
Paul reminds us that the church is like a building with pillars and a foundation — something that must be built with care, following God’s divine blueprint. If we veer off course, even with good intentions, we risk building something unstable that can’t withstand the storms of life.
In our fast-paced, consumer-driven culture, it’s tempting to think newer is always better. New strategies, marketing techniques, and flashy programs can be alluring. But when it comes to building the church, we don’t need gimmicks — we need the Word of God to guide us.
Our calling isn’t to reinvent the church. It’s to rediscover it.
The People of 1 Timothy: Paul, Timothy, and the Church at Ephesus
The letter of 1 Timothy is deeply personal. It’s written by Paul — under the command of Christ — to Timothy, his “true child in the faith.” Timothy was a young pastor in the bustling, complicated city of Ephesus. He faced enormous challenges, including false teachers infiltrating the church and a congregation struggling with confusion and division.
Timothy’s background reminds us that strong spiritual leadership often begins in the home. His mother and grandmother taught him the Scriptures from a young age, planting seeds of faith that would bear fruit in his ministry. (Moms and grandmas, take heart: you may be raising the next Timothy!)
Ephesus was a major city in the ancient world, and its church was significant — but it was also vulnerable. False teachers were gaining influence, and Timothy’s job was to guard the truth and lead the people back to sound doctrine.
The Priority of 1 Timothy: Guarding the Gospel
Right out of the gate, Paul charges Timothy to “instruct certain people not to teach false doctrines.” (1 Tim. 1:3)
Some in the church were promoting myths, endless genealogies, and speculations instead of the simple stewardship of God’s truth by faith. Paul warns that these distractions only cause division and confusion.
At the heart of Paul’s charge to Timothy is a goal:
“The aim of our instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith.” (1 Tim. 1:5)
Love is the mark of genuine Christianity. Right doctrine isn’t just about intellectual correctness — it’s about producing lives of love, integrity, and authentic faith. Paul describes a love that flows from:
- A pure heart — undivided and unobstructed by selfish motives.
- A good conscience — integrity that unites our beliefs and actions.
- A sincere faith — without hypocrisy, real and vulnerable before God.
False teaching, by contrast, leads to spiritual confusion and moral corruption. Paul gives a sobering list of sinful behaviors that arise when truth is abandoned, reminding Timothy (and us) that what we believe deeply affects how we live.
Why This Matters for Us
Today, just like in Timothy’s time, churches face challenges:
- Confusion about truth
- Distraction by fads and worldly philosophies
- Temptations to compromise for popularity or growth
We must remember:
The church is not a human invention. It’s God’s idea.
It is His household, built according to His blueprint, entrusted with His gospel.
And that means we each have a role to play. Whether you’re a pastor, a small group leader, a parent, or simply a faithful Christian, you are a steward of the gospel in your time and place.
Our church isn’t a stage show or a spiritual consumer product. It’s a family of believers — real people living real lives of love, committed to Christ and to one another. That’s why membership matters. That’s why presence matters. That’s why guarding the truth matters.
As we move forward in this series, we’ll continue to ask hard questions:
- How do we stay faithful?
- How do we love well?
- How do we build a church that will last another 175 years, if the Lord tarries?
But for today, it starts with remembering:
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is a church.”
Let’s commit together to rediscover God’s original design for His people — and to build faithfully according to His divine blueprint.
