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It's alarming how so many misconceptions of the church exist. As a result, so many people, even Christians, will choose not to be part of a local community.

Many people believe that church is a once-a-week event that Christians have to attend to meet a religious requirement. Still others believe that the church is just a community of closed-minded bigots who always feel they are right and everyone else is wrong.

It's both undeniable and sad that these misconceptions come from what people see in many modern-day churches. People both in and outside of church have placed labels on the idea of church and what the world thinks of the community, but what does God say about the church? Jesus once said in Matthew 16:18, "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."

Jesus said that it is by His name and power that the church is built, not by a big weekend service with nice lights and powerful sermons (although those can help). He also said that the church is destined to be a prevailing movement that even the gates of hell cannot overthrow, not a building full of perfect people but a community of sinners who have been freed by the blood of Christ.

The Bible gives us three pictures of the church that will help us understand how we are to exist as a community.

1. Building

The church is more than just a building made of bricks and stones, but a spiritual construct made of people. 1 Peter 2:5 says, "you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." God means for us to be living stones that are connected to one another to build up His body.

2. Body

The second picture God gives us of the church is in 1 Corinthians 12 where he compares the church to a body. Because we are a body, we are to view every member as an important part just as every part of the body plays a function and role.

3. Bride

Revelation 19:7 gives us a wonderful picture of the inevitable glory of the church, "Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready..." The time and day will come that Jesus will return to claim the church as His radiant bride made whole and holy by His love and sacrifice.