The Church

MAP

Q: What is the Church?

A: The Church is the body of Christ

SW:

PREAMBLE

Plan for evening

INTRODUCTION (Relevance Persuasion | Resonate)

Brief recap

Session 1 - The Gospel: All about Jesus.

God's gift.

Son of God comes into the world to save sinners

Session 2 - The Bible: Because Jesus central the bible is centre.

God's gift is a person

Truth is a person.

He was seen, heard and touched by the apostles

We fellowship with Jesus through the testimony of the apostles in the bible

Because Jesus is central the bible is central.

Session 3 - The Church.

But what is the church? How do we understand who we are gathered here? How do all of us relate to Jesus?

1 Corinthians 12:27 “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.”

ARGUMENT (Texture | Unity | Coherence | Development)

The Church is the Body of Christ

Many metaphors used to describe what church is in the bible

Body, Bride, Temple / Architectural, Household / Family, Flock, Agricultural, Priesthood / Lampstands, Prophets

Dominant image: body.

Spend the next hour meditating on this and what it means for us at Grace Church.

(L) to bodify it.....

(A) Write your name into the body. Fill up the spaces.

Here’s mine. The Church. We are the body of Christ.

(L) Three implications to flesh out

2. The head is Christ

Head is the most significant part of the body

Life source.

Control centre.

Authority.

(A) Army. Jungle survival course. Kill animal in survival situation. Kill a chicken. flapping.

Church without Christ is headless chicken.

V - Simple litmus test to distinguish between true and false church? True or false Jesus.

There are many true churches who recognise Jesus as head. But there are some that don’t.

Simple examples:

Even though muslims recognise Jesus has a historical person, even elevated, a prophet, why are they not Christians

Because they believe in a false Jesus.

Why are JWs and Mormons not part a true church?

Because they believe in a false Jesus. That he is NOT God. A super divine human being, but not God himself.

V - Jesus Christ, the promised king, the son of God, the second person of the trinity, God from God, of the same essence as the Father.

Died, historically crucified on a roman cross.

But on the third day, rose again, in accordance with the scriptures.

Ascended into heaven, right now seated at the right hand of the Father.

And will come again to judge the living and the dead.

If any rejects the biblical Jesus. The head. They are like a headless chicken. Severed from the body.

The head is Christ.

(L) but what about the body? Next implication:

3. The body is one

1 Corinthians 12:12 “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.”

(A) This may go horribly wrong. Decide who is irrelevant in your group. Find their name written on the body. Tear that part off. Ready? you have 5 seconds. 5,4, 3, 2, 1. ok stop.

You cannot do that. Deliberately not enough time so you won’t do it.

You do not go around dismembering your own body.

Every part of the body matters.

When one part of the body suffers all suffers.

(A) Mr / Mrs X. Recent operation. How big an impact did it have on you?

Same point. When one part suffers. All suffers.

one rejoice all rejoice.

And the converse is true. When all parts are working, they work for the common good.

You never think

“I want to be really good at playing the piano… so my hand will be famous”

“I want to be really good at kicking a ball… so that my foot will be famous”

Each part of the body. Works for the body. The body is one.

V - We’ll think about more implications later but if the body is one then we all work for the common good.

(A) People who went to others services - pip, Gilliams, small group (nick leading student group)

(A) Sunday is not the only example of the body but

Sunday new. up front. Music team. Service leader. Preacher. Kids talk.

but so much goes behind the scenes. Serving the common good.

Rotas. Set up/down. Welcome. Refreshments. PA. Prayers. Reading. Planning of services. Music. Personal invites. Hospitality. One to one conversations. Finances. Everyone who comes, participates, listens, sings. All serves the common good.

Why? because the body is one.

What is the church? The church is the body of Christ.

First - Christ is the head.

Second implication: The body is one

(L) Third implication:

4. The body is made up of many and different members

1 Corinthians 12:12 “the body is one and has many members

1 Corinthians 12:27 “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.”

Again, obvious implication if the church is the body.

There are many parts. Not only one limb. organ.

Many diverse parts. Arms, legs, nose, mouth, Philtrum (indentation between nose and lip)

No use?

Primarily functions as a mobile reservoir of skin that aids in oral movements like smiling or crying.

(A) Put up a man. With all names in one body part.

Imagine we had all put our names into one body part.

You wouldn’t look at that and say… that’s a body.

No! it’s arm! that’s not a body.

Likewise, you wouldn’t look at a church like that and say, that’s a church.

V - we have different roles to play. Not all of us plays the same role.

(A) I can’t sing. Tone deaf. So I don’t try to fight for a position on the music team.

(A) Different skills. music. IT. Design. Finance.

We serve the head in different ways. God has enabled you,

(A) Chloe. evangelism. Can’t speak like you. Korean dramas.

made up of many and different members

Christ is the head.

The body is one

The body is made up of many and different members

Have you had personal experience of observing a church functioning well or not functioning well as a body with Christ as the head?

You may be new to Grace Church but have you had a personal experience of observing / participating in these truths at Grace Church so far? Share your experience.

Jesus as the head?

The body as one?

The body as many and different?

MAP

What this means for Grace Church (and for you if you join us!)

We all ultimately seek to serve Jesus our head

Gospel - Jesus. Truth - Jesus. Head.

In whatever capacity that you are here to join us - Jesus that you’re ultimately serving

Creche. Sunday school. Welcome. Folding service sheets. Just being present.

Do it for him.

Not any of the pastors, friends or family. But because of Jesus.

Sometimes we will forget, do it for wrong reasons.

reputation. obligation. compulsion.

Okay. realign. Serve him.

Keep reminding each other that we ultimately serve him.

We are committed to modelling the body In each congregation

Because we believe that the body is made up of different parts, the leadership has made decision to structure the services in a way that it encourages a diversity of individuals in each congregation

For example, when thinking through the decision of service timings, we intentionally did not decide to set up an evening congregation where there would mostly be young individuals.

Instead, 10/11am/4pm almost mixing of different people from different life stages from different ethnicities

We want each church to reflect the diversity within the body.

We also want each church to reflect the diversity of the locality.

There tends to be more Asians in Canada Water than in Eltham for whatsoever reason. And we would expect the church to reflect each locality.

Not like companies where we need an equality - equal racial mix in all services. important some of you

And if you join us, we hope that it does indeed enrich your Christian walk.

Interact with Christians who have been walking with the LORD for 50-60 years.

Interact with Christians from a completely different upbringing and culture.

We all serve the common good of the body under our head

We speak the gospel to each other to grow the body (Ephesians 4:15-16)

Common good is growth of the body. So we grow by speaking truth to one another.

Formal ways. Grace Groups. After the sermon.

Informal ways. Encourage. text. 1-1s.

Speaking the truth to each other.

We serve the body in various ways

Being part of the body means serving and functioning as a body part

You may still be deciding whether you’ll like to join our church or not. But if you do, we’ll love for you to get involved.

Simple ways, being present on Sundays. Coming on time. Begin to have concern for the person next to you.

Not just slipping in late and then slipping away.

Be part of the body and not just observing the body from a distance.

If you already consider yourself part of the body regulars this is a way that we can all serve the body

Come on time.

Newcomers, tend to be early. Come early to serve them.

Doesn’t distract the service leader. music team. Leader.

Person next to you.

Come early.

leave late. Be willing to engage with others.

V - if you’re new, it may be quite scary to jump two foot in. And that’s okay. We’d love for you to join us but you may need time to decide.

But if you do decide, we’ll love for you to be part of the body.

Lots of other ways to serve: Welcome, Set up and set down, music, PA, Creche, refreshments.

Or if you think something needs fixing, don’t grumble about it, come up with a solution, chat to your Grace Group leader, ministry team.

Serve common good.

V - There’s a sign up form here that you can put your name down.

We give financially

You may notice that we don’t regularly talk about giving on Sundays. No offering box.

Why? we don’t want money to be a stumbling issue. There’s no “membership fee” to join the body.

The gospel is a gift. From God to you. Not from you to God.

But if you become part of the body, we will encourage you to give.

Why? Two reasons:

God does tell us to give.

Not because he needs our money, he owns everything, but rather as a recognition that what we have comes from him.

Give because it’s his.

ii. But also, giving is a key way to play your part in the body. Think of it as a partnership

There is a financial cost to run the church. Giving to serve the body is a way of partnering in the common good.

It’s been suggested that 10% is a good indicator of how much you could give. But whatever you give is between you and God.

We don’t know who gives or who doesn’t.

V - If you aren’t decide whether to be part of Grace Church, I want to categorically say, we don’t want your money. We are here to serve Jesus and not here to build up our bank balance.

But if you do want to be part of the body, we’ll encourage you to consider giving to serve the common good.

We each play different roles in the body

Men and women have different roles and are both highly valued - The church as the household of God

In other parts of the bible, the church is described as the household of God.

And by analogy, each member of the household play different roles.

The husband is called to lead the family.

The wife is called to partner in that leadership.

And by analogy, each individual is highly valued.

You can’t say the wife is more valued or the husband is more valued. Both have different and significant roles.

Likewise in church, overall leadership in the church is a role for men.

Particularly in the areas of teaching scripture and leadership.

However, women’s involvement in other areas are highly valued

Always female voice heard in the team.

Grace Group - bible study, speaking truth to one another, unlike preaching. We encourage women to participate alongside men.

not to mention many other ways that women serve in valuable ways across the church

V - again this may be something that you’re still working through and we’ll love to answer any questions you might have.

But we’re seeking to represent what the bible says

We care for all parts of the body

The primary means of pastoral care is in our grace groups

Reality is that the pastors at church cannot support every single individual.

Grace Groups is not merely a bible study group. Grace.

Should be the primary means of pastoral care.

encourage you to be part of a grace group

Everyone matters

Aware that different people have different issues. Seek to support various individuals.

Fellowship fund. Apply. Financial need.

Safeguarding. we take safeguarding very seriously at Grace Church.

Discussion:

Which implication you encouraged by? Need to think through more?

Ways to serve the common good? Where do you think you’re able to serve.