The Base of Operations

1. The Base of Operations Christian Foundational Truths Lesson 9

2. The “Church” Age What does the word ecclesia mean? ek-klay-see'-ah • Strong’s Definition: • a callingout, • a popular meeting, • especially a religious congregation • Jewish synagogue, • Christian community of members on earth • Saints in heaven. • Muslims gathering in their mosque • The barangay captain and the councilors gathering for a meeting

3. The “Church” Age “ECCLESIA” Of the 65 times ecclesia, translated “church,” as found in the epistles of Paul it means the “Body of Christ” ONLY 14 times. 9 times in Ephesians 2 times in 1 Corinthians 3 times in Colossians 122 in the entire New Testament 5 times translated “assembly/assemblies” 117 times translated “church/churches” 65 times in Paul’s epistles THAT MEANS THAT IN ALL OF THE OTHER 103 TIMES ECCLESIA APPEARS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT IT DOES NOT MEAN THE “BODY OF CHRIST”!

4. Christendom Lutheran Four Square Iglesia ni Cristo Baptist Catholic 90% plus are not truly christian Episcopalian El Shaddai Mormon UCCP Charismatic Orthodox Church Methodist Church of God Alliance Assembly of God Westliyan Jesus, Name above all Names SDA Jehovah’s Witnesses Church of Christ Anglican Dating Daan Pentecostal Jesus Is Lord

5. The Biblical Church The biblical church is not a building. The biblical church is not an organization. The biblical church is a spiritual entity. The biblical church does not have members. The biblical church has disciples (learners). The biblical church is local, regional, and universal. The biblical church consists of born-again Christians.

6. The Biblical Church • The biblical church has a sovereign: Jesus Christ as its Head. • The biblical church is the Body of Christ: born-again Christians. • The biblical church has a Shepherd: Jesus Christ. • The biblical church has an Under-Shepherd: Pastor-Teacher; Bishop. • The biblical church is an unregistered church.

7. The Biblical Church The biblical church is non-taxable. The biblical church is not aligned with the State or Federal Government. The biblical church takes its marching orders from the Bible, not the government.

8. The Church ejkklhsiva (ekklesia) from ek meaning “out” and kaleo meaning “to call” • The local church is our base of operations, • the place IN WHICH we are trained, • the place FROM WHICH we are sent out to carry truth to Satan’s world • the place TO WHICH we retire to recuperate and find healing from the wounds of battle.

9. “When did the ‘church’ begin?” “sometime back in the Old Testament” “with the baptism of Jesus Christ” “the church began with John the Baptist” “the church began with Peter” “the church began under Constantine in the 4th century” “the church began on Pentecost 30 AD” “the church began with Paul in Acts 9” “the church began in Acts 11 in Antioch,” When did Christianity begin? 9

10. Acts 1:4-8 And gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, "Which," {He said,} "you heard of from Me; for John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." And so when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, "Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?" He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." (NAS) Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. (NASB)

11. Acts 1:8 . . . . you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." (NAS) Matthew 28:19-20 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (NAS)

12. The Early Church • The disciples were to be witnesses to those Jews who had scattered throughout the Roman empire that the man Jesus was in fact the promised Messiah. • They were to water baptize those who believed in accordance with Jewish law. • They were to teach those who believed and became disciples that they might continue the process.

13. The Early Church PRIORITIES Acts 2:42 And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. (NAS)

14. priorities priorities • Teaching. • Study of the Word is the foundation of everything that comes out of the local church. • If teaching of the Word is not of first importance, then the church has the wrong priority and will not succeed in the work to which God calls it. • Fellowship. • The second thing they did was apply the teaching in their lives and in the world. • They set out to fulfill the commission Jesus had given them, to accomplish their mission and they did it as a team.

15. priorities priorities • Teaching. They STUDIED. • Fellowship. They WORKED TOGETHER. • Breaking bread.They KEPT REMINDING EACH OTHER OF THE NECESSITY TO FOCUS ON JESUS • Prayer.They SPENT TIME IN PRAYER • Believers must appreciate the importance of discipline and endurance in prayer • “Breaking of bread” refers to the celebration of the Lord’s supper, as a reminder that they needed to keep their focus on Jesus Christ.

16. priorities • Pressure inflamed the believers with greater courage and clearer focus. • They responded with joy to their suffering. • If we are yielded to the Holy Spirit, we will inevitably meet suffering with joy. • They increased their study. • They intensified their evangelism.

17. The Early Church • Qualifications for deacons are the same today as they were then: • Good reputation, • evidence of being full of the Spirit then, yielded to the Spirit today, • evidence of spiritual wisdom, • ability to be trusted with authority. “the word of God kept on spreading” • The believers were willing to do whatever they could to make it possible for the apostles to study and teach.

18. The Church • Every local church is a team with a mission that comes from the authority of God. • The two-fold mission – evangelism and edification – must have priority. • When a church loses sight of the priority, it will suffer. • When a church stays focused, it has phenomenal potential for bringing glory to God in time and in eternity.

19. The Spiritual Body of Christ Formation • Paul tells us that the mystery truths related to the spiritual body of Christ were given only to him. • The beginning of the spiritual body of Christ did not occur until Paul understood the teaching given to Him by glorified Lord Jesus Christ • the baptism of the believer INTO Christ • the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit

20. The Spiritual Body of Christ Formation Nature • The spiritual body of Christ is a spiritual organism, not a physical or human organization. • At the moment of salvation, every believer is baptized by the Holy Spirit into union (organic connection) with Christ. • The local church supposed to be the geographic assembly of saints, the spiritual body of Christ. • While the universal spiritual body of Christ is made up of every Christian since Paul.

21. The Spiritual Body of Christ Formation Nature Function • The two-fold mission of the spiritual body of Christ is edification and ambassadorship. • At salvation, through the power of the Holy Spirit, every believer is given a unique spiritual gift for the purpose of accomplishing God's plan. • Though there are different gifts, there is no such thing as superiority or inferiority in the spiritual body of Christ.

22. The Spiritual Body of Christ Formation Nature Function Necessity • Apart from involvement in the local church, no believer can achieve the greatness in the spiritual body of Christ for which he or she was designed by God. • The local church is the training ground, the classroom for spiritual advance • The local church is the place where the Word of God is taught • The local church is the place of preparation for service • Therefore, no local church, no spiritual greatness.

23. The Spiritual Body of Christ ejndeivknumi (endeiknumai) “to display, to bring to light.” • It has the idea of proving, or showing beyond question. What does He want to show? “The surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”

24. Seven Figures of Christ and the Church • The Shepherd and the sheep pictures the utter helplessness of all believers and the extent of the Lord's tender love. John 10:2-16; John 21:15-17 • Christ is the Shepherdwho provides for the sheep life, liberty, sustenance. • As the Good Shepherd, the crucified Lord laid down His life for the sheep. John 10:11

25. Seven Figures of Christ and the Church • The Shepherd and the sheep pictures the utter helplessness of all believers and the extent of the Lord's tender love. John 10:2-16; John 21:15-17 • As the Great Shepherd, the resurrected Lord sustains and supplies believers with every good thing in the plan of God. Hebrews 13:20-21 • As the Chief Shepherd, the returning Lord is the source of eternal blessings and eternal reward for those who followed Him. 1 Peter 5:4

26. Seven Figures of Christ and the Church Romans 11:16-21 If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too. But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.“ Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. John 15:1-7 "I am the true vine and My Father is the vinedresser. "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every {branch} that bears fruit, He prunes it, that it may bear more fruit. "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. "Abide in Me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither {can} you, unless you abide in Me. "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing. "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned. "If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it shall be done for you. (NAS) • The Shepherd and the sheep • The Vine and the branches pictures the all sufficiency of Jesus Christ and the production in our lives that comes from communion with Him. • Jesus Christ is fruitful through the branches that draw their life from Him. • All life flows through the vine; the branch can do nothing on its own. • Only in Christ can we bear fruit. • Only when yielded to the Holy Spirit can we bear fruit.

27. Seven Figures of Christ and the Church • The Shepherd and the sheep • The Vine and the branches • The Chief Cornerstone and the stones of the building pictures the invisible, spiritual temple being built by Jesus Christ. • Israel had a temple in which the Shekinah glory resided, each member of the spiritual body of Christ is a temple, “a dwelling of God in the Spirit.” • The stones themselves do not do anything, except allow themselves to be fitted together by the builder.

28. Seven Figures of Christ and the Church Romans 12:1 I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, {which is} your spiritual service of worship. (NAS) Romans 15:16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, so that my offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. • The Shepherd and the sheep • The Vine and the branches • The Chief Cornerstone and the stones of the building • The High Priest and priests of the temple pictures the relationship of service shared by Christ with believers. • The function of Old Testament priests was to represent the people before God. • Jesus Christ is our High Priest. He is a priest forever. • As priests, we are to offer worship and sacrifices of praise, of intercession and of ourselves to God.

29. Seven Figures of Christ and the Church • The Shepherd and the sheep • The Vine and the branches • The Chief Cornerstone and the stones of the building • The High Priest and priests of the temple • The Head and the body

30. Seven Figures of Christ and the Church • The Head and the bodyis the most often used description of Christ and the spiritual body of Christ. • It pictures the unity of Christians and the authority of Christ. • In the human body, each part has a specific and individual function. • The Church is one body, the spiritual body of Christ. • Every believer is placed “in Christ” at the moment of salvation • all are exhorted to live as one.

31. Seven Figures of Christ and the Church • The Shepherd and the sheep • The Vine and the branches • The Chief Cornerstone and the stones of the building • The High Priest and priests of the temple • The Head and the body • The Last Adam and the new creation pictures the risen Christ as the head of a new race, a new species of creation. • The first Adam brought sin and death • The Last Adam brought righteousness and life.

32. Seven Figures of Christ and the Church • The Shepherd and the sheep • The Vine and the branches • The Chief Cornerstone and the stones of the building • The High Priest and priests of the temple • The Head and the body • The Last Adam and the new creation • The Bridegroom and bride X X X X X X X X X X X This metaphor is NOT related to Christ and the spiritual body of Christ in any way.