The Church

Light for Life: Home Group Study Guide – The Church. Reading: Colossians 1:1-21 From the FIEC statement of faith: The universal Church is the body of which Christ is the head and to which all who are saved belong. It is made visible in local churches, which are congregations of believers who are committed to each other for the worship of God, the preaching of the Word, the administering of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper; for pastoral care and discipline, and for evangelism. The unity of the body of Christ is expressed within and between churches by mutual love, care and encouragement. True fellowship between churches exists only where they are faithful to the gospel. Universal Church? The church seen from the perspective of eternity: All believers from OT times and this era; whether on earth now or already in Heaven! Wayne Grudem: The Church is the community of all true believers for all time. Local Churches? Local representative of the wider church, meeting in particular towns and districts. • After the missionaries had the joy of seeing churches planted, what did they return to do? Acts 14:21-23 Definition of a local church: see Acts 2:41-42 Local leadership & membership with eldership oversight, administering baptism the LORD’s Supper. Bible Teaching and response in heart and action. [Praise, prayer & behaviour] Fellowship life; working as a body to grow in depth through discipleship and to grow through mission. Some of these aspects could be done as individuals or through involvement with para-church or international Christian organisations, especially today with use of the internet. We could stay at home and never meet! ☹ • Why do local Christians meeting physically as local churches really matter? Read Colossians 1:15-20 • How do we see the universal church here [Col. 1:15-21] in the landscape of history and GOD’s saving plans and purposes? • How must JESUS, the SON of GOD view us, the Church? Read 1 Timothy 3:14-15 • This is a job for the universal church overall, but how are local churches essential for the purposes in 1 Tim. 3:14-15 to be fulfilled? • How does this support the extract from our Statement of Faith? “…True fellowship between churches exists only where they are faithful to the gospel.” We are committed to the independence of the local church [churches with local leadership, not subject to a denominational HQ or an area Bishop or Archbishop]. That does not mean isolation from other local churches, hence our affiliation to FIEC, joint prayer meetings and personal friendships with lots of Christians from a range of backgrounds. • What is the potential weakness of a strong independence? • What are the potential dangers being part of a bigger organisation or denomination? Read Colossians 3:1-17 Instructions for the local church at Colossae: Greek word for church: ekklēsia. It denotes a group of people ‘called out’, a body of people gathering for a specific purpose in distinction from people in general. [ek, "out of," and klēsis, "a calling" (kaleō, "to call")] • How does ‘called out’ tally with what you have read in Colossians 3? • Again, from the passage, why is unity in practice to be such an important aspect of church life? • From vs.12-17 How would you sum up the aim for a local church’s life together? What are the barriers or stresses on strains on this being a reality? • Do you agree with and / or can you concisely modify the simple statement: “There are 2 main purposes for a local church: to Grow Up and Grow Out – until JESUS comes or calls.” • What have you missed from our time of social isolation so far? Has there been anything you have learned or any reminders impressed upon you; things that you will look forward to when this is over? Prayer points: