A. INTRODUCTION
1. The first mention of "the church" in the Bible came from the lips of our Lord Himself. It is found in this morning's text passage, the obvious starting point for any study of what has been called the "Body of Christ." The Greek word translated throughout the New Testament as "church" is ekklesia, a perfectly common term which referred to any public assembly of citizens. In fact this same Greek word is used in the Septuagint -- the first Greek translation of the Old Testament -- to refer to the "congregation" of Israel which was constituted at Mt. Sinai and assembled before Jahweh at the annual feasts in the persons of its representative males. But by the end of the first century A.D. the term had become almost exclusively Christian, used to identify those who were baptized as followers of Jesus Christ and who assembled for teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer in towns and cities throughout the Roman Empire.
2. In God's purpose there is only one church, one gathering of all believers under the headship of Jesus Christ. This great, eternal assembly has come to be known as the "catholic" church, the Church U __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __. All of us who recited the Apostles' Creed during our worship service confessed to being part of "one, holy, universal ( catholic ), apostolic church." It is made up of all true believers -- those justified by God on the basis of faith -- including those of past generations as well as the present ones, from all cultures and societies.
3. There is also, of course, the Church P __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __: those individual bodies of Christians who worship together as the communio sanctorum, the "communion of saints." They make up what Saint Augustine called the "V __ __ __ __ __ __ church," whose task it is to make the invisible kingdom of Jesus Christ visible to the secular world by bearing witness to Him in their local communities.
4. The purpose of this sermon series is to re-orient ourselves toward God's original purpose for those who have come together as the communio sanctorum known as The Church of the Saviour at Myersville, Maryland. Our church began as a group of believers earnestly seeking to become a true New Testament church presence in Frederick County, free of all denominational and traditional trappings. We started with a Bible study called "Becoming a Church," immersing ourselves in the pages of the New Testament, learning as much as we could about God's original design and purpose for the local church. Much of what we learned changed our understanding of ministry, accountability and Christian duty, and the Church of the Saviour was chartered in October of 1994 in order that we might serve God as an authentic Community of Saints. He saw fit to plant us here in Myersville and we rolled up our sleeves and went to work. So much of this was completely new for so many of us! In some ways our church has exceeded our expectations; in some ways we have struggled awkwardly. Our desire has ever been to serve God faithfully as a local body of believers. Let us "refresh" ourselves with what God's Word says about the local church. Let us honestly evaluate our progress and our effectiveness. Let us be refined by the Holy Spirit as we study, re-committing ourselves to the work of the ministry. Let us begin!
B. The Origin of the Church
1. Most Christians believe that the church of Jesus Christ came into existence on the D __ __ of P __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __, as described in Acts 2:1-47.
2. Many Reformed theologians insist that the church, since it is in essence a Community of Faith,
originated much earlier, with A __ __ __ __ __ __, who is considered the father of the faithful.
ref: Genesis 15:6
Hebrews 11:8-10
3. Standing between these in history is Jesus Christ, the h __ __ __ of the church. The first use of the term "church" in the New Testament ( Greek ekklesia ) is recorded in Matthew 16:13-19 as part of an extraordinary conversation between our Lord and His disciples, particularly Simon Peter.
a. Peter's bold confession acknowledges Jesus' unique relation to God the Father. It is Christ, God the Son, incarnate as the Son of Man, which will always be the foundational doctrine of the church.
ref: 1 Timothy 3:15-16
1 John 4:1-3; 5:6-13
b. Most of us are familiar with the play on words which Jesus initiates in changing Simon's name: "...thou art Peter { Greek "petros" } and upon this rock { Greek "petra" } I will build My church...." According to the Study Notes to this passage in The New Geneva Bible, there are four leading interpretations of this play on words. The rock upon which Christ will build His church is either:
(1) Peter's c __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ that Jesus is the Christ ( Messiah );
(2) J __ __ __ __ Himself ( Peter apparently believed this; see 1 Peter 2:5-8. See also Acts 4:10-12 and 1 Corninthians 3:9-11 );
(3) Peter, as a representative apostle, is a foundation of the church ( Ephesians 2:20-21 and Revelation 21:14 ); or
(4) Peter represents by his confession the type of person on which the true church will be built.
c. Note that Jesus here is pointing to the future. The purpose for His incarnation was not to build His church, but "to save that which was lost" by becoming the sacrificial Lamb of God, offered on the cross at Calvary.
(1) "The building of this spiritual temple did not begin until after He had ascended to heaven, and the Spirit of God came as the promised Comforter." - H.A. Ironside: Expository Notes on the Gospel of Matthew
(2) "This was to be something new and different, for in His church, Jesus Christ would unite believing Jews and Gentiles and form a new temple, a new body." - Warren W. Wiersbe: Be Loyal
C. The Purpose of the Church
1. Matthew 28:18-20
a. This passage has come to be known as the G __ __ __ __ C __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __.
b. It is given to all disciples on Christ's a __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __.
c. Those who would follow Christ are taught not only what to b __ __ __ __ __ __, but how to b __ __ __ __ __.
d. The importance of b __ __ __ __ __ __ as essential part of the Great Commission cannot be over-stated. Along with the Lord's Supper, it is one of the two visible signs of the believer's covenant relationship with God.
e. The "work of the ministry" for all believers is to m __ __ __ d __ __ __ __ __ __ __.
2. Ephesians 4:11-16
a. The purpose of the local church in the Great Commission is set forth in this passage.
(1) The church is to e __ __ __ __ believers for this work of ministry and, thereby,
(2) to e __ __ __ __ ( "build up" ) the body of Christ toward:
- u __ __ __ __ of faith;
- k __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ of the Son of God;
- Spiritual m __ __ __ __ __ __ __; and
- the exercise of l __ __ __.
b. A snapshot of a fully functional local church is revealed in v.15-16. Under the h __ __ __ __ __ __ __ of Christ, faithfully exercising its God-given responsibility, the "w __ __ __ __ body," working together in Spiritual maturity, strengthens itself. God's goal for ministry in His church is the full participation of every member!
c. We will undertake a full study of this passage, God-willing, on June 22.
D. The Power of the Church
1. John 15:26 - 16:15
a. As eyewitnesses, Christ's disciples, operating under the power of the Holy Spirit ( called here the H __ __ __ __ __ and the Spirit of T __ __ __ __ ) would provide the primary first witness to Jesus Christ for the church. In this manner, their ministry was uniquely foundational ( Acts 1:21-22 and Ephesians 2:20 ), and cannot be replicated.
b. "The church's present witness to Christ is dependent on the apostolic witness as it is written in the New Testament and illumined by the Holy Spirit." - Study Notes on John 15:27 in The New Geneva Study Bible
2. Acts 1:4-14
a. Again, the H __ __ __ S __ __ __ __ __ is promised to His disciples by Jesus Christ.
b. His power will make it possible for them to fulfill Christ's commission to them, to be w __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ to His truth throughout the entire world. This mandate, nothing more than a re-statement of the Great Commission, forms the apologetic for our church's involvement in international missions.
c. "The last question His disciples asked Him was, 'Will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?' They were still looking for a kingdom in this world. Jesus replied:
'It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
Jesus spoke of Pentecost, of the receiving of power. That power was given to fulfill the mandate to bear witness to Him. The task of the church, the mission of the community of faith, is to make the invisible kingdom of Christ visible. We bear witness to the truth. The timetable of the earthly manifestation of the kingdom belongs to God. Our task is to participate in the very vocation of Christ to "bear witness to the truth." - R.C. Sproul: "The Community of Faith," in the February, 1995 issue of Tabletalk magazine
E. Conclusions
1. The local church accomplishes God's purpose for it via regular a __ __ __ __ __ __ __.
ref: Hebrews 10:24-25
2. The foundation of the church is revealed in the focus of its ministry.
a. Jesus Christ, God's Son, Saviour is the L __ __ __ __ __ Word of God.
b. The "a __ __ __ __ __ __ __ and p __ __ __ __ __ __ __," along with the Gospels, form the w __ __ __ __ __ __ Word of God.
3. The purpose of the local church's focused ministry is two-fold.
a. The church is called upon to be a v __ __ __ __ __ __ manifestation in the world of the I __ __ __ __ __ __ __ kingdom of God, bearing witness to the T __ __ __ __ of God's Word, pointing the way to Jesus Christ. The marks of true church in this endeavor is expressed in two ways:
(1) faithful p __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ and t __ __ __ __ __ __ __ of the Word of God;
(2) obedient ministration of the s __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ of b __ __ __ __ __ __ and the L __ __ __' __ S __ __ __ __ __.
b. In the performance of its ordained purpose the church will e __ __ __ __ its members for the w __ __ __ of the m __ __ __ __ __ __ __ -- the work to which all believers are called by God -- m __ __ __ __ __ d __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __.
c. The source of the church's p __ __ __ __ to accomplish its God-given purpose is the H __ __ __ S __ __ __ __ __, indwelling every believer in the body, leading the flock into all t __ __ __ __, u __ __ __ __ __ __ __ the members in l __ __ __, providing them with
Spiritual g __ __ __ __ necessary for ministry.
d. Only when a local church is faithfully pursuing God's ordained work for it, and only when its individual members are fully involved in the work of the ministry in and through that church, and only when their participation is empowered by the Holy Spirt does that for which most people attend church issue forth:
- w __ __ __ __ __ __ in Spirit and in truth ( John 4:21-24 ) and
- authentic f __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __.
The process cannot be reversed. Worship and fellowship do not produce the mighty working of the Holy Spirit in community; they are the result of it!
(1) Surveys indicate that fellowship is the number one thing people look for in a local church.
(2) "The word for fellowship in the New Testament Greek, koinonia, literally means a communion, a participation of people together in God's grace. It describes a new community in which individuals willingly support one another and 'bear one another's burdens,' as Paul wrote to the Galatians, and to build each other up in relationship with the Lord.
"In Scripture, this koinonia embraces both the vertical and the horizontal. 'What we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, that you also may have fellowship with us and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ,' wrote the apostle John to the early church. It was a concept the early believers understood because it paralleled the Old Testament concept of God's people sharing together in the covenant community in which He Himself chose to dwell. Biblical fellowship involves serious commitment and obligations. - Charles Colson: The Body: Being a Light in Darkness
e. The tool by which even those churches which are most successful in pursuit of God's purpose sustain their ministry over the long haul is, of course, the p __ __ __ __ __ of its members and attenders. Let us each one commit to pray for the Church of the Saviour as we endeavor to remain faithful stewards of the ministry God has given to us.
D I S C U S S I O N G U I D E
1. Re-read this morning's text passage.
a. What was unique about Peter's confession?
b. What did Jesus mean when He promised that "the gates of Hell shall not prevail against" His church?
c. What was that business about the "Keys of the Kingdom?" What do you think Jesus meant by that?
2. Read 1 Corinthians 3:9-17.
a. How does the local church "build" on the "foundation" of Jesus Christ?
b. Does this have anything to do with a "building?" ________ Explain your answer.
c. CHOOSE A SIDE AND DEFEND YOUR ANSWER:
"The construction of a church building is a poor way to build on the foundation of Jesus Christ because ----
"The construction of a church building is a good way to build on the foundation of Jesus Christ because -------
d. How might God "reveal by fire" the "stuff" which a local church congregation has used to build on the foundation of Jesus Christ?
3. Read 1 Kings 8:1-13. God signified His presence in the temple which Solomon built by filling it with a cloud of His glory. How does God signify His presence in the local church today? Cite Scripture to support your answer.
4. In what way is the Church of the Saviour different from any of your other church experiences? If your experience at C.O.S is not different from another church experience, is that O.K. with you? Why or why not?
5. What would you like most to see changed at C.O.S.? Why?
6. Looking ahead to next week, describe a true "disciple of Christ." Use Scripture if possible.
