The Church
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
We know Satan is against anything God has created.
A. That includes the church.
B. Paul made that very clear in the book of Ephesians
Ephesians 6:11 (KJV)
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Ephesians 6:16 (KJV)
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
2. Satan has bitterly opposed the work & workers of God.
A. The battle with Jesus began in the Garden of Eden.
Genesis 3:15 “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”
B. It continues throughout the O.T.
C. In the N.T. Christ death & burial.
D. Satan thought he had won.
E. Then the resurrection.
3. Church established (Acts 2).
A. Satan has continue his attack against the church.
B. First - The doctrine of Christ deity.
C. 2nd - The doctrine of justification by faith
Defeated by Martin Luther.
D. 3rd - The attack on the inspiration of Scripture.
Late 19 century and early 20th century school of scripture like Moody Bible Institute counter attacked.
E. Our current battle that we all are experiencing.
All out war against the church.
The most disturbing part is, the devil has successfully deceived many followers.
“If I Were the Devil”
Willmington's Complete Guide to the Bible: Introduction to Theology Introduction > The Doctrine of the Church
I would continue to attack it from the outside (just to keep in practice), but would concentrate the bulk of my evil efforts from within. “The church is dead” would become my creed and cry. If I were the devil I would do my utmost to convince professing Christians that the local church is finished! Not weak, not ineffective, but dead and decaying! I would encourage them to dig a hole, carve an epitaph, and bury it as quietly and quickly as possible. “Christianity” could then proceed to new glories where private cell groups would replace Sunday assemblies, and sermons would be set aside for buzz sessions! (Baptist Bulletin, Dec. 1971)
The Meaning of the Word Church
N.T. work ekklesia.
A. Comes from ekkaleo.
B. “ek” means out.
“kaleo means to call or summon.
C. The literal meaning is “to call out”
2. This term is used for any assembled group of people.
A. People called together for;
Town Hall meeting.
A ball game.
Neighborhood watch program.
B. In the N.T. we see a deeper meaning of the assembly.
Out of the 114 times church is used it has a designation for the “people of God”
There are only 5 exceptions out of this 114 uses.
The Origin of the Church
Matthew 16:13–20
Question - Where did the church actually begin?
There is many views on this question.
A. There is only one Biblical answer.
3. Different views.
A. Genesis 3 - Adam & Eve’s encounter with the serpent.
B. Genesis 12 - Covenant with Abraham.
C. Matthew 3 - John the Baptist.
D. Matthew 10 - Calling the 12 Disciples.
4. In Matthew 16 Jesus gave us a picture of the Church
A. Walk through Vs. 13-20.
5. Acts 2:1-6
A. The birth of the church.
6. Results of the Holy Spirits Baptism
A. 1 Cor. 12:12-13
For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
