The Church

The church universal

There is a distinction between the catholic (universal) church and the local church.

The church of Jesus Christ is not an organization, it is an organism. Its not a building with offices, it is a fellowship that includes all believers. It is not a program with various activities; it is the body that has individual growth. The focus of the church is not administration, but ministry. Evangelism and discipleship.

The church is seen as the body of Christ

Christ is the head

Eph 5:23 “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.”

The body is made up of those called by God

Col 3:15 “15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.”

Christ baptizes the believer with the Holy Spirit and places them into the body of Christ.

1Cor 12:13 “13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.”

Each believer has a unique function within the body.

1 Cor 12:12-27 “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. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. 14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the …”

The church is seen as a family

We are all children of God

John 1:12 “12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,”

We are all brothers and sisters

1 Cor 7:15 “15 But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace.”

God is our Father; Christ is our brother

Heb 2:11 “11 For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers,”

Have you ever experienced closeness and unity with other believers whom you had just met?

The local church

The local church is a smaller group of believers that come together to worship, fellowship, receive teaching from the Bible and evangelize in a local area. Our model is based upon looking at the priorities and structure of the early church during the time of the apostles.

Where did the believers meet before they had church buildings?

Rom 16:5 “5 Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia.”

1 Cor 16:19 “19 The churches of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord.”

On what day of the week did they meet?

Acts 20:7 “7 On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight.”

Priorities of the early church

Teaching

The early church was devoted to the apostles’ teaching.

1 pet 2:2 “2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—”

God gave the church gifted pastors/teachers for the equipping of the saints

Eph 4:11-12 “11 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,”

Fellowship

The early church was involved in each other’s lives, ministering to one another in a bond of unity.

Communion (breaking of the bread)

Prayer

Structure of the early church

Gifted men given to the church

apostles (apostolos)

apostle is literally “one sent on a mission”

Qualifications (strict sense)

chosen directly by Christ

having seen the resurrected Christ’

In wider sense, apostle “sent on mission” could refer to Barnabas, Silas and Timothy et al.

prophets (prophetos)

Not really for-tell, but forth-tell

evangelists (e yon gelly stce)

one particularly gifted in proclaiming the gosep.

pastors/teachers

Pastor is one who shepherds, cares for, and protects God’s people. Teaching is a primary function of a pastor.

office of elder/overseer

Elders were appointed in every church

Acts 14:23 “23 And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.”

Titus 1:5 “5 This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you—”

Elders are to rule

1 Tim 5:17 “17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.”

lead, care for

Elders are to oversee and shepherd (poimino, same root as rule)

1 pet 5:1-2 “1 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly;”

The members are to obey and submit to their leaders.

Heb 13:17 “17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.”

obey: as persuaded, convinced or won over. Not blindly follow

Qualifications of elder

1 Timothy 3:1–7 ESV

1 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He 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? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.

Titus 1:6–9 (ESV)

6 if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. 7 For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, 8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. 9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.

Office of deacon

Deacons were those who served the needs of the church under the direction of the elders.

Qualifications

1 Tim 3:8-13 “8 Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. 9 They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. 11 Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. 13 For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.”

Example Acts 6:2-4 “2 And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.””

Members of the body

Its not enough to show up at church on Sundays. As christians, we are called to be faithfully part of a local church so that we can minister our spiritual giftedness for the growth of the body.

How would you chose a good church?

Right criteria

Church should be focused on scripture

teaching sound doctrine

evangelistic

loving

promote worship in the believer’s lives.

Godly and qualified elders with no tolerance for immorality

Wrong reasons

music style

programs

service times

Fellowship