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#8: Church
What is the church? Russ Blowers is a minister who is active in his local Indianapolis Rotary club. At club meetings each week a member gives a brief statement about his job. When it was his turn, Russ said: "I’m with a global enterprise. We have branches in every country in the world. We have our representatives in nearly every parliament and boardroom on earth. We’re into motivation and behavior alteration – changed lives is our main product. We run hospitals, feeding stations, crisis pregnancy centers, universities, publishing houses, and nursing homes. We care for our clients from birth to death. We are into life insurance and fire insurance. We perform spiritual heart transplants. Our original Organizer owns all the real estate on earth plus an assortment of galaxies and constellations. He knows everything and lives everywhere. Our product is free for the asking, because there’s not enough money to buy it. Our CEO was born in a hick town, worked as a carpenter, didn’t own a home, was misunderstood by his family, hated by enemies, walked on water, was condemned to death without a trial, and arose from the dead—and I talk with him every day."
WORSHIP PLAN:
MUSIC: The Church’s One Foundation – w/ Scripture and reading
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9
Some things that the Church is NOT:
The Church is not a political Kingdom.
The Church is not a building
The church is not an exclusive club
Sin: Damaged people’s nature, damaged society, damaged creation.
Wilcox: God’s grand plan – Restoration of Holy People, holy society, and holy creation.
The first was accomplished by Jesus, the second by the church, and the third at the New Heaven and New Earth.
That’s how and where we fit. As the church, we are a “called out assembly.”
The word “ekklesia” In greek means “a called out gathering.”
We are a group of people from various backgrounds, genetics, races, economic levels… brought together by our love for Jesus, our common salvation, and our desire to work together with Him for His Kingdom.
This is why we are to pray “Your Kingdom come, your Will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
Pictures of the church:
1. Flock: It is to follow in submission and trust.
2. Temple: It is to be a spiritual dwelling place for God.
3. Family: It is to live in love and relationships.
4. Body: It is to work in unity and diversity, to be the hands of Jesus.
5. Bride: It is to grow in beauty and holiness, to be ready at all times.
Three foundational truths about the church:
1. There is a difference between A church and THE Church.
“…I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”
Matthew 16:18
Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior…
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.
Ephesians 5:23, 25-27
Theologians have always distinguished between the “church visible”, the organization we call the church here on earth, and the “church invisible”, the true company of those who are truly saved.
This means:
A church may have hypocrites, but there are no hypocrites in THE Church.
A church may close, but THE Church will not.
A church may be selfish, but THE Church is not.
A church may be from a denomination, but THE Church is universal.
You can be a member of A church, and NOT be a member of THE Church.
2. The Church is all those who follow Jesus.
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"
They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"
Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. Matthew 16:13-18
What is the “Rock” Jesus will build His Church on?
Not Peter, his name is Petros, and Jesus uses a different word for rock (Petra).
Petros: A stone, cut from a quarry.
Petra: THE stone, the quarry.
The ROCK is the belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Everyone who acknowledges that with not only their mouth, but their life, is a member of the Universal Church.
3. The church will last forever.
No other organization in the world will last forever. Nations will rise and fall. Companies will be started, and go bankrupt. Political parties will be created, and fall apart – but the church will never cease to exist. The USA has only existed 10% of the time the church has existed.
The Church exists to glorify God by:
Living the Kingdom’s values. (Discipleship)
Worshiping the Creator’s _______________. (Worship)
Showing the Father’s Love. (Ministry)
Loving the Family’s members. (Fellowship)
In the prologue to his book, Max DePree tells this story: “Esther, my wife, and I have a granddaughter named Zoe, the Greek word for life. She was born prematurely and weighed one pound, seven ounces, so small that my wedding ring could slide up her arm to her shoulder. The neonatologist who first examined her told us that she had a 5 to 10 percent chance of living three days. When Esther and I scrubbed up for our first visit and saw Zoe in her isolette in the neonatal intensive care unit, she had two IVs in her navel, one in her foot, a monitor on each side of her chest, and a respirator tube and a feeding tube in her mouth. To complicate matters, Zoe’s biological father had jumped ship the month before Zoe was born. Realizing this, a wise and caring nurse named Ruth gave me my instructions. “For the next several months, at least, you’re the surrogate father. I want you to come to the hospital every day to visit Zoe, and when you come, I want you to rub her body and her legs and arms with the tip of your finger. While you’re caressing her, you should tell her over and over how much you love her, because she has to be able to connect your voice to your touch.”
It was the experience of connecting the voice of love and the touch of love that saved her. When God came in Christ he had already spoken his love to us in his Word, then he came to love us with his touch. Jesus was always touching people. It is essential for human life. People all around us need us to speak the words of love and encouragement. We need to build up instead of tear people down. And they also need to connect our voice with our touch. There are so many people dying for the touch of love. It is what makes life real and worthwhile. We can do it for each other. The church can be an intensive CARE unit where we are loved to health and life.
Let the people of God love and forgive. Let them love with kindness. Let them love with word and touch.
Spreading the Gospel’s message. (Evangelism)
THE STORY OF THE FOUNDING OF THE CHURCH
Acts 2:41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.
44 All the believers were together and had everything in common.
45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.
46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,
47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
This Is My Church It is composed of people just like me. It will be friendly if I am. It will do a great work if I work. It will make generous gifts to many causes if I am generous. It will bring others into its fellowship if I bring them. Its seats will be filled if I fill them. It will be a church of loyalty and love, of faith and service. If I who make it what it is, am filled with these, Therefore, with God’s help, I dedicate myself to the task of being All these things I want my Church to be. Anonymous SOURCE: Sermoncentral.com
This is a little old, but probably still as true in many churches today… Singer John Charles Thomas, at age sixty-six wrote to syndicated columnist Abigail Van Buren: “I am presently completing the second year of a three-year survey on the hospitality or lack of it in churches. To date, of the 195 churches I have visited, I was spoken to in only one by someone other than an official greeter—and that was to ask me to move my feet.” [Cited by “Eutychus and His Kin,” Christianity Today, June 3, 1977]
___________________________________________________________
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Peter 2:9
Some things that the Church is NOT:
The Church is not a political Kingdom.
The Church is not an exclusive club.
The Church is not a building.
God’s grand plan – Restoration of Holy People, holy society, and holy creation. The first was accomplished by ____________, the second by the ____________, and the third at the New Heaven and New Earth.
Some biblical pictures of the church:
1. ________________: It is to follow in submission and trust.
2. _________________: It is to be a spiritual dwelling place for God.
3. __________________: It is to live in love and relationships.
4. ___________: It is to work in unity and diversity, to be the hands of Jesus.
5. ___________: It is to grow in beauty and holiness, to be ready at all times.
Two foundational truths about the church:
1. There is a difference between ___ church and ________ Church.
“…I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”
Matthew 16:18
Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior…
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. Ephesians 5:23, 25-27
2. The Church is all those who ____________________.
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"
They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"
Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter (Petros), and on this rock (Petra) I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. Matthew 16:13-18
What is the “Rock” Jesus will build His Church on?
Petros: A stone, cut from a quarry.
Petra: THE stone, the quarry.
The ROCK is the belief that Jesus Christ is the ________________________.
The Story of the First Church:
Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.
All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.
Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:41-47
The Church exists to glorify God by:
Living the Kingdom’s ________________. (Discipleship)
Worshiping the Creator’s _______________. (Worship)
Showing the Father’s _____________. (Ministry)
Loving the Family’s _________________. (Fellowship)
Spreading the Gospel’s ________________. (Evangelism)
