Sermon Cloud

“What is the Christian Church”

Big Idea: I belong in God’s family and I have a responsibility to it

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done” acts2/42>43

The Assumption of Understanding:

Nicene Creed: “we believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church” (during the First Council of Constantinople, AD 381)

Cyprin: “The Unity of the Church”; AD 251

Wycliffe: “The Church”; AD 1378

The change in the 16th century: Protestant Reformation

“ekklEsia”: public assembly; riot (acts19); assembly of Israelites; local and global Christian Church

“qAhAl”: assembly of God’s people

“kyriakon”: “the Lords”; later it came to mean “Lord’s house / building” but no where in the New Testament does “church” in any form refer to a building.

Biblical Characteristics of “Church”:

1) “Regenerated church member”

2) Qualified Leadership

3) Preaching & Worship

4) Rightly Administered Sacraments

5) Spiritual Unity

6) Holiness

7) Great Command to Love

8) Great Commission to Evangelize & Disciple

The Church is NOT:

A worldwide clerical hierarchy: (1peter2/5>9)

The Administer of God’s grace through the sacraments

The mediator between the individual and God (1timothy2/5)

My Responsibility to the Church:

I Will Protect the Unity Of My Church

*By acting in love toward others / *By refusing to gossip

*By following the leaders

"Live in complete harmony with each other - each with the attitude of Christ toward each other." 1peter1:22gn

"Obey your leaders and submit to their authority….Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be no advantage to you." hebrews13/17

I Will Share the Responsibility Of My Church

*By praying for its growth / *By inviting the unchurched to attend

*By warmly welcoming those who visit

"Go out into the country... and urge anyone you find to come in, so that My House will be full." luke14/23lb

"So, warmly welcome each other into the church, just as Christ has warmly welcomed you; then God will be glorified." romans15/7lb

I Will Serve the Ministry Of My Church

*By discovering my gifts and talents / *By being equipped to serve by my pastors / *By developing a servant's heart

"Serve one another with the particular gifts God as given each of you..." 1peter4/10phillips

"God gave...some to be pastors and teachers to prepare God's people for works of ministry, so that the body of Christ may be built up..." ephesians4/11>12

I Will Support the Testimony Of My Church

*By attending faithfully / *By living a godly life / *By giving regularly

"Let us not give up the habit of meeting together...but let us encourage one another." Heb. 10:25

"Each one of you, on the first day of each week, should set aside a specific sum of money in proportion to what you have earned and use it for the offering." 1corinthians16:2

"A tenth of all you produce is the Lord's, and it is holy." leviticus27/30