PWC 2

What is the church?

​ ESVSo then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,

Key Truths:The church is a FAMILYA spiritual family Outlast your physical family God expects you to be a MEMBER of a church family. A Christian without a church family is like a person who says "I want to play NFL football but I don't want to be a part of any teamUniversal church vs local church. Word ‘church’ refers to universal church only 4x in Bible. Once you became a believer you are automatically a part of the universal church of God -- automatically, the moment you gave your life to Christ. But you don't become a part of a local church until you make that choice.A Christian without a church family is AN ORPHAN. Only in America do we have floating believers. Like a liver that moves from one body to next. It’ll shrivel up and die. God is looking for men and women who will commit themselves to Him and His church. ...That I will commit myself to CHRIST and to the PWC CHURCH FAMILY. What Makes Us A Family?Four things unite us:• Our Salvation (What God has done for us) • Our Statements Mission Statement (Why we exist as a church) Doctrinal Statement (What we believe)• Our Strategy (How we fulfill our purpose)

The Four Covenants:

1. The Membership Covenant...is a commitment to CHRIST_and ___THE CHURCH FAMILY“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.” “For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” 2. The Maturity Covenant...is a commitment to the__HABITS________________________ necessary for spiritual growth.“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” “Rather train yourself for godliness.” 3. The Ministry Covenant...is a commitment to discovering and using my God-given gifts and abilities in ___SERVING_______________God and others.“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” “and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; …Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” , 4. The Missions Covenant...is a commitment to _______SHARING___________________________the Good News with others.“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” “…always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” :15Why do we need these covenants?We Become What We Are___COMMITTED TO________________________________

Our Structure

18“For God is not a God of disorder, but of peace...Everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.”, How Our Church Is Structured19The structure of the church should not be determined by culture, business practices, or even denominational traditions.The nature of the church determines its structure. I. The Church Is A__ FELLOWSHIP __________________________________20“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” :42What is fellowship? The best definition is "Two fellows on the same ship."Fellowship is not just something the church is. It's something we do. We are all different. When we talk about unity, we have unity because we're all saved by Jesus Christ.A top priority in a fellowship is HARMONY and UNITY“...eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” “So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.” :19ANY attitude that causes disunity is sin., , , , ,, , , , , ,, , , ,, :1Implication: A good structure promotes unity and downplays____ DIFFERENCES._____“But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. 18 For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you” “Voting” tends to CREATE DIVISION.One side wins and the other loses. Soon you have a bunch of losers.The Early Church did not vote on anything, for example when they were looking for a replacement for Judas. They cast lots. The church is not a democracy; it is a theocracy.The majority is often wrong. Paul was taken prisoner on the ship to Rome and he told them, "God's told me, even though I'm the prisoner, not to set sail. If you do, we're going to run into a storm." But the majority of the sailors thought it would be good anyway so they left. And the ship wrecked. In the Old Testament the majority of the Israelites wanted to go back to Egypt and Moses said, "No, we've got to keep going. We've got to go to the Promised Land."We only vote on:• Annual budget and legal trustees• Purchase of land or buildings• Calling the senior pastor· Changes in the church constitution II. THE CHURCH IS A FAMILY21“Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.” :8Gal. 6:10, , :17SO WE OPERATE ON THE BASIS OF RELATIONSHIP NOT RULES.The greater the relationship, the fewer rules you need. The stronger the relationship you just trust people. So in this church we don't have a policy manual. We trust people in this church. “Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity. “He (a pastor) must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? -5Do you vote in your family? It’s not wise to give everybody an equal vote in the church. To give an equal vote to somebody that's been a Christian fifty years and another guy who's been a Christian twenty years and another guy who's been a Christian one year and another guys who's been a Christian one day and say you all have an equal vote. That's silly. The Bible says we're to value those who have been Christians longer than us and who are spiritually mature. How do you know who the spiritually mature are in a church? Simple. Look at their character. Look at their walk with the Lord. Notice the character that's required of the pastor. “He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. 5 (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?)” It's interesting that it says the pastor is to manage the church like a father and husband is to manage the family. An un-managed family is an unloved family. And an un-managed church is an unloved church. It says a pastor must manage the church like fathers manage the home.One of the qualifications for being a pastor it says he has to have a strong family life. Why is that? Not once in Scripture does it say that the pastor has to have a degree in business, know Greek and Hebrew, or have an earned doctor's degree. But it does say you have to have a strong family life. And you must have the skills to manage a family well because the church is a family, not a business. The same skills that I am to use with my family as husband and father, I am to use as the senior pastor of this church.How do I manage my family? As a dictator? Blow a whistle and everybody comes running in my home? Command them and tell them to do this? The Bible says that the husband is to be the spiritual leader of his home by laying down his life for his wife and children. It says, just as Christ laid down his life for the church that I am to give my life for my wife and my children. I am to put their needs ahead of my own, that I lead by serving them and by setting an example. That's what it means to be a leader. I'm to serve them and set an example and that's how I lead my family.How do I lead this church? By serving them, putting your needs ahead of my own, sacrificing and setting an example. III. The Church Is A BODY221 Cor. 12:27, , , , :19We are a body — not a business!We are an organism — not an organization!THEREFORE, WE FUNCTION ON THE BASIS OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS NOT ELECTED OFFICES.“For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them.” -6We serve at whatever we are good at.Each member belongs to all the others.In an organization, “maintenance” becomes the focus. But in an organism, “ministry” is the focus.“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” -12Our Structure• The people are the “Ministers_”.• The pastors are the “Administers”. IV. The Church Is A Flock.23(Jesus’ favorite description of the church), , :33Therefore, it is cared for and led by___________________________“He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” -17Three different terms are used in the New Testament to refer to the same church leaders:• “POIMEN” – Greek for pastor, shepherd. That means the feeders are the leaders -- the feeding aspect of ministry.• PRESBUTEROS” – elder. “Presbuteros” means "elder" in Greek. "Presbyterian" comes from this. Presbyterians call their leaders elders. It refers to spiritual maturity. • EPISCOPOS” -"Episcopos" is the word for "overseer" or "bishop". "Episcopalian" comes from this. "Epi" in Greek means "over". "Scopos" means "to see." Episcopos means "to oversee". Today, we call them a manager. Bishop means manager, supervisor, overseer, a manager. It refers to the managing aspects of church leadership.“So I exhort the elders among you, …2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you” “Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. …28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.” ,