This is such a good question.  Let’s look at a few of the times when the word ‘church’ is mentioned.  We read in Matthew 16, a portion where the Lord Jesus asked His disciples about what other people were saying about Him…who they thought He was.  They pointed out that some thought that Christ was John the Baptist, or Elijah, or Jeremiah, or some other prophet.  The Lord then asked the disciples who THEY thought He was.  We read in Matthew 16:16-18, “And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”  It was not Peter upon whom the Lord would build His church, it was the profession and acknowledgement that Christ is the Son of the living God.  It is important to notice that the Lord’s words about the church were yet in the future.  “Upon this rock, I WILL build my church.”  Quite simply, this shows that the Lord’s church had not yet come into existence.  To read of the birth of the church, I encourage you to read Acts 2:1-21.

What is the Lord’s church?  The Greek word for ‘church’ is ‘ekklēsía’ and it means a called out company…an assembly.  When we speak of the church, we are referring to those who are truly saved by putting their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as their savior.  THESE are the ones who are truly in the Lord’s church.  We read in Acts 2:47, “And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” (NKJV).  What does this mean?  It means that whenever a person trusts Christ as his savior and is saved, the Lord automatically adds that person to His church!  We see that one cannot JOIN the church; he is added when he gets saved.

Colossians 1:18, speaking of the Lord Jesus tells us, “And he is the head of THE BODY, THE CHURCH: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.”  We read again in Colossians 1:24, “Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church.”  We see again here that the Church is the Body of Christ. 

In the Bible, when the word ‘church’ is used, it always refers to the universal church of which all believers are a part, or it speaks of a local representation of the universal church, such as in 1 Corinthians 1:2, “Unto THE CHURCH OF GOD WHICH IS AT CORINTH, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours.” (Read also 2 Corinthians 1:1, 1 Thessalonians 1:1, etc.).  For example, if the Apostle Paul wanted to write a letter to all the believers in Atlanta, he might address his letter to the church in Atlanta.  Of course, today, the church is split into so many denominations, sects, groups, etc. that it would literally be impossible to write a letter to the church in Atlanta. 

Is it necessary to join a church if you are already a member of the Lord’s church as found in Acts 2:47?  NO…that is not necessary at all.  The Lord certainly wants us to connect with other believers for ministry, prayer, the presentation of the Gospel, and for worship.  We are instructed in Hebrews 10:25, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”  Yes, we should be with other believers often, but we need not join ourselves to a group that would separate us from other faithful believers.  We are promised by the Lord in Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”  (CC)  (622.6)