The Church

Is the Current Church what God intended?

Currently the Church:

Admires the world

Appeals to the world

Has nothing to give the world

The church has nothing left to give because it follows the world. It is like the world.

Divorce in the world and church are about the same, roughly 50%.

Not everything that goes by the name church, can justly be called the church.

If the bible states something as sin and a group that calls themselves a church celebrate that sin, they are not a church. They are in active rebellion against God.

What is the Church?

Is the church an organization?

Is the church an organism?

Is it both?

We are to be in the world, not of it.

John 17:14–16 ESV

14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

Who is “They?”

What makes us different?

John 14:15 ESV

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

John 15:10–14 ESV

10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. “

John 15:10–14 ESV

14 You are my friends if you do what I command you.

Should we be:

Legalistic? Why/why not?

Liberal? Why or why not?

If we should not be either, what way should we be?

Balanced? How can we be balanced?

The church is more than the sum of it’s parts.

We are called Ekklesia - the called. Called by God into community. How do we do?

The church has 2 purposes united in one call.

We are called to:

Missions and Ministry

We are called to missions. Missions are an outward focus on evangelism, taking the gospel to others in the world.

The church is to minister to others. Ministry is an inward focus to believers, from nursery to assisted living.

We are called to be part of a family focused on inward and outward works to complete the call God has given us.

read matt 6

We are the body, moving and doing what Christ directs.

1 Corinthians 12:27 ESV

27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

We are the temple of the Holy Spirit.

1 Peter 2:5 ESV

5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

in the Old Testament only one family was in the priesthood. In Christianity we are all in the priesthood.

We are soldiers of Christ. We follow the orders of the commander.

Who is our commander?

Christians join the family by rebirth. Their re-birth brings membership and the reward is eternal life in perfection, in the presence of God. I can’t wait.