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Understanding Church

Understanding Church. church noun 1. a building for public Christian worship. church –noun 2. public worship of God or a religious service in such a building.

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Understanding Church

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  1. Understanding Church

  2. church • noun • 1. a building for public Christian worship

  3. church –noun 2. public worship of God or a religious service in such a building

  4. “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?…God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.” 1 Cor. 3:16-17 “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” 1 Cor. 6:19

  5. An Insider’s Perspective

  6. Outsiders’ Perspective • Antihomosexual (91%) • Judgmental (87%) • Hypocritical (85%) • Too Political (75%) • Sheltered (72%) • Too focused on GETTING converts (70%) • “We have become famous for what we oppose, rather than Who we are for.” D. Kinnaman, unChristian; p. 26

  7. Image Problem! • “One outsider put it this way: “Most people I meet assume that Christian means very conservative, entrenched in their thinking, antigay, antichoice, angry, violent, illogical, empire builders; they want to convert everyone, and they generally cannot live peacefully with anyone who doesn’t believe what they believe.” unChristian, p. 26 • “Only a small percentage of outsiders strongly believe that the labels “respect, love, hope, trust” describe Christianity.” unChristian, p. 27

  8. What is wrong? • We have forgotten what church is. • Church is community (1 Pet. 3:8; 4:8; Jn. 13:34) • Church is love (1 Thes. 3:12, Col. 3:14) • Church is fellowship (Heb. 10:24-25, Ps 133:1) • Church is unity (1 Co. 1:10, 1Pet. 3:8, Eph. 4:2b) • Church is service (Jn. 13:14-15, Gal. 5:13; 6:2,10)

  9. Church has a mission • Twofold Mission (Matt. 28:18-20) • Make disciples • Teach them to obey • Is this something we can do by meeting once a Sunday? • The answer is obvious… • NO!

  10. Wisdom of Jethro • Exodus 18 • V. 1-13 – Jethro visits Moses in wilderness and sees a problem • V. 14-23 – Jethro hears Moses situation and offers his advice • V. 24-27 – Moses applies Jethro’s advice

  11. Example of Jesus • He chose twelve (Mk.3:13-19, Lk. 6:13-17) • Mk. 3:14-Then He appointed twelve,[a] that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach • Follow me John 1:43 • Come and see the master John 1:46 • Come and follow me and I will make you fishers of men Mark 1:17 • Follow me Mark 2:14

  12. They were with Him • Often times they would leave the excitement of the crowd and Jesus would take them on retreats. • They went to Dalmanutha- Matt. 15:39 • Caesarea Philippi – Mk. 8:27 • Spent a few months with them east of the Jordan - Jn. 10:40-11:54 • On the way to Jerusalem for the last time he esp. kept the twelve close - Mk. 10:32, Matt. 20:17

  13. They were with Him • On the way to Jerusalem for the last time he esp. kept the twelve close - Mk. 10:32, Matt. 20:17 • During the Passion Week – He scarcely let the disciples out of his sight… Even when He prayed alone in Gethsemane, his disciples were only a stone’s throw away. Luke 22:41R. Coleman, TMPOE p.44 • Ten times Jesus appeared after His resurrection and every time it was to His followers and especially the twelve

  14. What did they do when they were with Him? • Examples of prayer • Opportunities for service (Lk. 10:1-8, 10:5) • See how to use Scripture • First hand on “how to” on evangelism (see the Gospels) • His method of teaching (see the Gospels) • Jesus gave them opportunity to ask questions (Mk. 4:1-25, Lk. 8:4-18, Mt, 13:1-23)

  15. What did they do when they were with Him? • Examples of prayer • At Baptism (Lk. 3:21) • Choosing the twelve (Lk. 6:12) • Healing (Mk. 1:35, 7:34; Jn. 11:41) • Feeding 5,000 (Mt. 14:19, Lk. 9:16, Jn. 6:11) • Feeding 4,000 (Mk. 8:6, Mt. 15:36) • Blessing children (Mk. 10:16) • Those who nailed him to the Cross (Lk. 23:34)

  16. What did they do when they were with Him? • Using of Scripture • Jesus testified that Scripture was from the Holy Spirit (Mk. 12:36, Mt. 22:43) • Jesus testified that Scripture was the word of God (Jn. 10:35, Mk. 7:13, Mt. 15:6, Lk. 8:12) • Jesus testified that Scripture bears witness of Him (Jn. 5:39, Mt. 5:17-18) • Jesus used Scripture for public teaching (Lk. 4:17-21, 24:27, 32, 44, 45)

  17. They were with Him • “He actually spent more time with His disciples than with everybody else in the world put together. He ate with them, slept with them, and talked with them for the most part of his entire active ministry. They walked together…they visited together…they sailed and fished together on the Sea of Galilee; they prayed together in the deserts and mountains, and they worshiped together in the synagogues and the Temple.” R. Coleman, TMPOE, p. 45

  18. The Apostles promoted “time together” • Acts 14:3, 21; 15:41 • 2 Tim. 2:2 –and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also Is this not what Jesus did? • 1 Thes. 3:10 -as we pray most earnestly(A) night and day(B)that we may see you face to face and(C) supply what is lacking in your faith • 2 John 1:12-Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink.(B) Instead I hope to come to you and talk face to face,(C) so that our joy may be complete

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