The Preeminence of Christ in the Church

Tonight we’re going to be talking about the church. Why should we care about the church? We should care about the Church because Christ bought her with His blood

“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.”- Acts 20:28

Before we can talk about the church we have to know what the church actually is.

Group Question 1 What is the Church?

Colossians 1:18, 21-23

The Church is Made up of Those Who Have Been Reconciled to God. (verse 21-22)

The church is the body of Christ made up of all of the people who have put their faith in Jesus Christ from every tribe, tongue, and nation.

The Church is not a place but a people.

Only Christians can be a part of the church. Jesus because you attend a church doesn’t mean you are a part of a church

Universal vs Local Church

Explain church membership and its importance

Pastor are accountable to God for you

Group Question 2: What does it mean that Christ is head of the Church.?

Christ is the Head of the Church (verse 18)

Ephesians 5:22-23

“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.”

Christ is the head of the church, not man. No man, no human being could ever be head of the church or direct the church.

Why? Because Christ is head of the church for 2 reasons. Colossians says that he is head of the church because he created her and holds her together. Ephesians says He is the head of the church because He is her Savior. No human being can be head of the church or direct the church because no human being has created the church and no mere human is the Savior of the Church...only Jesus. That means as the church, we must submit to Jesus.

We should love the church as Christ loves her. That means giving up our lives to serve Christ in the Church. This doesn’t just mean going into the ministry. This means striving to grow the church by sharing the Gospel with the world, loving those in the church well, serve in the church, caring for your coworkers to help them see the love of Jesus, and so on.

Christ Rules and Reigns over the church and will never let her fail. Talk about Church history (early church fathers, reformation, as much of the church in America grows unhealthy and another sect of the American government God is growing the church in amazing ways in Latin America, africa, and Asia, especially China, etc.). The church has actually grown best and healthiest under persecution.

Charlie Dates quote. We don’t even have the power to collapse the church because God is in control of it.

The Church Helps People Endure in the Faith (verse 23)

Baptism

Lord’s Supper

Do this remembrance of me

Weddings

Prayer

Worship

Sermons

Caring for those in the church

Sunday morning services are first and foremost for believers, not unbelievers. Often times we invite people to church so that they can hear the Gospel rather than telling them the Gospel ourselves. That’s actually wrong. It’s PAstor Merle’s job to share the Gospel with all of our friends. It’s our job. Those we invite to church should hear the Gospel from us before the ever step in the doors of the church. We want them to hear the Gospel at church too, but not at the expense of us sharing it with them. We hear the Gospel at church first and foremost because we continually need to hear it and be encouraged so we can go out and tell our friends the Gospel and endure the hardships of life.

Paul wants unbelievers to come to church, that’s why he gives rules for speaking in tongues in 1 Corinthians, but when Paul talks about the church in the New Testament, he is always first referring to believers.

Don’t just come to be encouraged. You can encourage someone at church too.

Worship with one another

Summerfest moments.

Church Discipline

Matthew 18:15-17-“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

Different kinds of church discipline

Excommunication

Explain what it really means and why it is loving

The Church Makes Christ Preeminent in All Things