Turn in your Bibles to Ephesians chapter 5, verse 25, and as you're finding your place, I want to ask you something to encourage deeper reflection. Have you ever walked into a room and wondered if you truly belong there? Maybe you felt like everyone else had their life together while you were still trying to figure yours out. Perhaps you've carried some hurt, some history, some baggage that has made you question whether there's even a place for you.

I want you to hear me today because I’m not just speaking to those who have it all together. I am talking to everyone in this room—the broken, the searching, the skeptical, the humble, and the righteous. There is a place for you here, and today I want to show you from the word of God why this isn’t just a nice sentiment but a deep theological truth.

The passage of Scripture we are about to read is usually used in weddings or for marriage counseling, but I believe there is something deeper that God is revealing about the church. In Ephesians chapter 5, beginning at verse 25, the Bible says:

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

“In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church — for we are members of his body.

“For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is a profound mystery — but I am talking about Christ and the church" (Ephesians 5:25-32).

I want to talk to you today about the Church as the bride of Christ. And I have to tell you, I didn't just grow up around church; I grew up in church. I grew up Catholic, so when I say we were in church, I mean we were there whenever they opened the doors. If there was a holy day of obligation, we were there. If it was time for confession, we were in line. CCD, religious education, catechism classes—we were there. And on Friday nights, my family was part of a charismatic prayer meeting that would make some Pentecostals blush. And that’s when things really started to get interesting because, even though I was raised Catholic and came from a long line of Roman Catholics on both sides of my family, the Holy Spirit took hold of me in a way I couldn’t ignore.

And so, I understand what it’s like to grow up in a tradition where the church calendar guides your life. I know what it feels like to kneel and pray. I know the smell of incense. I understand the rhythm of the liturgy. And I also know what it’s like when the Holy Spirit shows up and blows the roof off everything you thought church was supposed to be.

Now, I don’t know what your tradition was or what your custom was growing up. Maybe you were raised Catholic like me, or perhaps you were Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, or Pentecostal. Maybe you have no church background at all, and you are wondering what this whole church thing is really about, especially since it seems like everyone at CCC is super excited and passionate about it. And so, first, let me reassure you that I didn't come up with this idea.

In fact, it was Jesus who was the first person in the New Testament to talk about the church. In Matthew 16:18, Jesus speaks to his disciple, Peter and says, “On this rock I will build my church.” That word “church” comes from the Greek word ekklesia, which means “called-out assembly” or “gathering.” I love that word because Jesus is talking about a gathering or an assembly of believers.

In other words, church is not a place. The church is a people. Church is not about where; it is about who. So Jesus is introducing something new—a people called out and built around Him.

And so, what is the purpose of the church? The purpose of this gathering of believers worldwide has always been threefold. First, it is a ministry to God because when we gather, we seek to praise and bless the name of Jesus.

That’s why we start our gathering here at CCC with praise and worship. This isn’t a concert for you and me; it’s a concert for our God. And how many of you know that when we praise God, when we lift up his name, things begin to change. The psalmist said,

"O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together" (Psalm 34:3).

And he was declaring a powerful truth, because as I magnify the Lord and lift up the name of Jesus, his presence grows bigger in my life.

And so the question we must ask ourselves today is: what are you magnifying? The problem or the answer? Because the answer is Jesus.

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

The purpose of the church is not only ministry to God, but also, second, it is ministry to believers.

In other words, what I am doing right now is called teaching or preaching. Preaching means proclaiming, and that is what the church all over the world is doing right now—listening to someone open up God’s word and declare his truth. In fact, the Bible says that God gave some to be pastors and teachers,

“To prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up” (Ephesians 4:12).

And so, the church is a ministry to believers. In fact, the Bible says,

“The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God" (1 Corinthians 1:18).

In other words, God is so immense and powerful that no matter where you are in your faith journey, he can speak directly into your life at any point. And so, you and I gather on Sunday, and the Scripture says in Hebrews chapter 10, to encourage one another (Hebrews 10:25).

Thirdly, the purpose of the church is to serve as a ministry to the world. And so, we gather for a pep rally, praising Jesus, encouraging each other, and then we disperse into the world for the rest of the week to be the church at home, at work, at school, and in our communities. That’s what Jesus intended when he said,

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8).

In other words, God is calling us, as the church, to be bold, Spirit-filled, and aggressive in love, so much so that we are literally rescuing people from the grip of darkness. Or as Jude tells us, “Snatching them from the fire” (Jude 1:23).

And so, the role of the church is to equip believers for ministry to the world because the Bible says,

“God reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18).

And so, we represent Christ, and we minister to the world,

“As though God were making his appeal through us” (2 Corinthians 5:20).

Therefore, we should be proud to be Christ’s ambassadors—not afraid or ashamed—but bold and courageous as we step into the world with the good news of Jesus Christ. And we can minister to the world with that kind of confidence because Jesus promised,

“I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (Matthew 16:18).

When you start studying God’s Word, you realize how powerful that promise truly is, because the Holy Spirit provides us with several vivid images to help us understand what the church really is.

He describes the church as the body of Christ, saying, “You are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it” (1 Corinthians 12:27).

He also describes the church as a building, “like living stones, being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood” (1 Peter 2:5).

But one of the most beautiful and deeply meaningful pictures in all of Scripture is that you and I are called the bride of Christ. It says,

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25).

This is more than just a metaphor. It emphasizes love, covenant, devotion, and intimacy. Christ doesn’t simply leave or build the church; He loves the church and gave his life for it.

Last August, I celebrated 37 years of marriage to Dana. She is my bride, my wife, my partner, and she means everything to me. We’ve been doing life together since we were teenagers, but wouldn’t it be strange if someone came up to me and said, “Hey, John, I love you, I’m committed to you, and I support you, but I have to be honest with you, I really don’t want anything to do with your wife.”

How many of you realize that would be a problem because you can’t love me and not like my wife?

But I can’t tell you how many Christians I’ve met who say, “I love Jesus, I pray, but I don’t like the church.” I mean, seriously, I hear it all the time. People say, “You don’t have to go to church to be a Christian. Church is boring. Or church is full of hypocrites.”

But I think if we stop and reflect on who we are as the church, we would never say those things because if we are the bride of Christ, you cannot say you love Jesus and not like the church. That’s like saying, “I love you Jesus, but I do not like your bride.”

Now, I know you don’t have to go to church to be a Christian, but it’s a very narrow, sheltered, unfulfilling existence, because if you love Jesus and belong to Him, why wouldn't you want to be with his people? After all, these are the same people you'll spend eternity with in the new heaven and new earth.

Or to say that church is boring, that’s just weird because the church is not a place; the church is you and me. The church is a living, organic thing. It is active; it is the body of Christ on earth right now. And I refuse to believe that what God has called, what Christ died for, and what the Holy Spirit is building is boring, because we are called to serve, passionate about ministry, engaged and full of purpose.

And then, claiming that the church is full of hypocrites isn’t really a newsflash because the church is made up of people, and people tend to say one thing and do another. So, yes, we are hypocrites—that’s why we’re here, we are all in need of a Savior.

In fact, Paul said this about his own struggles,

“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do” (Romans 7:15).

In other words, Paul was saying, “I cannot fix myself. I need a Savior.” And that is the good news for all of us, because we do not serve a God who rescues us and then leaves us to figure things out on our own. We serve a God who is faithful, who came to save us, who empowers us, and always keeps His promises.

That's why, when I come to worship, I am not here to be reminded of my weaknesses. I already know where I fall short. I come to be reminded of his strength. I come to remember that His grace is enough. As Paul said,

“Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

And so, God gives us the grace we need to walk faithfully in this journey of faith as members of his body and part of the Church.

Before we close, I want to share three reasons why Scripture refers to you and me as the bride of Christ. The first is intimacy. God chose the image of a bride because he desires a close, personal relationship with you.

Now, some of you might be thinking, Pastor John, this is starting to feel a little strange, this idea of God romancing me and if you’re a guy, I get that. But this isn’t meant to be taken literally. It’s a picture. God is using the strongest example we have of love, closeness, and covenant to show how close he wants to be to you.

In other words, this isn't just about attending church and going through the motions. God wants to see the real you, with bad breath and no makeup, not the version you try to show others, but who you truly are. And he invites you to know him in that same sincere and personal way as your bridegroom.

The second reason is protection. The Scripture says:

“Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, cleansing her… through the word, to present her to himself… without stain, wrinkle, or any other blemish, but holy and blameless” (Ephesians 5:25-27).

That is the kind of love he has for you. Jesus covered you, he protected you, and stepped in your place. He took your sin, carried your shame, and gave his life for you. Because of what he has done, you are now called righteous, blameless, and clean. Not because you earned it, but because he gave it. He has already stepped in, protected you, and covered you, and that is grace.

And the third reason we're called the bride is that we have rights through Jesus. We are one with him, and therefore, we have privileges and authority.

I remember one time the bank called for me, and my wife, Dana, said, “He’s not here, but you do not need to speak to him, because you are speaking to Mrs. Talcott.” In other words, she was saying, when you are talking to me, you are talking to him, because I carry his name, I carry his authority, and I have the right to handle this.

That is the picture Scripture provides when it describes the church. Paul writes in Romans that if we are children of God, then we are heirs, and that we may also share in his glory (Romans 8:17). In other words, because of Jesus, when you place your faith in him, you inherit what belongs to him. You are no longer standing on your own, but you are the righteousness of God through Christ Jesus.

The Bible says, “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16). Because you’re not approaching God based on your own goodness. You come through His righteousness. And so when you pray, heaven responds, because you have access, authority, and rights because you belong to him.

So, here’s where I want to wrap this up. I started by asking if you’ve ever walked into a room and wondered if you belonged. Today, I want to answer that question once and for all, because the church isn't a country club for perfect people or a place for the spiritually elite. It is a gathering of people that Jesus chose— the hurt, the broken, the healed, those who have been here for years, and those who just walked in today. The ones who grew up in church and the ones who didn’t know what to expect when they arrived. Every single one of us got here the same way, not by earning our place, but by his grace.

There is a place for everyone here, not because this is a perfect church, but because we have a perfect Savior. And through him, you can have intimacy with the Father who wants to know the real you. You are protected because Jesus stepped in front of everything meant to destroy you. And you have rights, because when you carry his name, you carry his authority.

I believe with everything in me that God is not finished with Christ’s Community Church. And what God is doing in this place is not meant to stay in this room. It will reach beyond these walls and into our community because we are the called-out ones, the ecclesia, and we are his bride.

We share intimacy with God, have protection, authority, and a future because Jesus loves the church and gave his life for it. And one day, Scripture tells us in Revelation chapter 19, he is coming again for his bride. And so,

“Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready” (Revelation 19:7).

Graphics, notes, and commentary from LifeChurch, Ministry Pass, PC Study Bible, Preaching Library, and Sermon Central. Scripture from the New International Version unless otherwise noted.