The Church
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THE CHURCH
(Ecclesiology : Doctrine Of The Church)
SECTION 1: WHERE DID WE GET THE WORD CHURCH FROM?
* From the greek word
a. Ekklesia: called out assembly seperated from
b. Kuriakon: belonging to God
* It then translated to church
SECTION 2: REFERENCES OF THE CHURCH
1. An Assembly Called Out By God
Acts 7:37-38 This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear.
38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:
* Moses and the children of Israel are also referred to church
2. A Building
1 Corinthians 11:18 For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.
* They are gathering together in some place
3. Can Also Be Referred To A Bad Word
Acts 19:37 For ye have brought hither these men, which are neither robbers of churches, nor yet blasphemers of your goddess.
* This is referred to paganism
4. All Saved Christians
1 Corinthians 10:32 Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:
5. The Body Of Christ Is Called The Church
Ephesians 1:22-23 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
6. A Local Church
Acts 20:17-18 And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church.
38 And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons,
1 Corinthians 1:1-2 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,
2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
1 Thessalonians 1:1 Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
7. Spiritual Building
Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Ephesians 2:19-22 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
* Jesus is the chief cornerstone
* Jesus is the builder, He lays the foundation
8. Bride Of Christ
Ephesians 5:31-32 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
SECTION 3: DISTINCTIONS OF CHURCH
1. Invisible Church and Visible Church
* Invisible Church: all saved christians
* Visible Church: christians who we can see in the church
2. Local Church And Universal Church
* Local Church: local
* Universal Church: all churches everywhere together (all congregation)
3. Actual Church And Ideal Church
* Actual Church: those imperfect but striving for perfection
* Ideal Church: those who are perfect and in heaven with Jesus Christ
4. Church Militant And Church Triumphant
* Church Militant: the true church on earth
* Church Triumphant: the true church in heaven
SECTION 4: FOUNDING OF THE CHURCH
1. The Foundation Is Jesus Christ
Matthew 16:16-18 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
John 2:19-21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?
21 But he spake of the temple of his body.
1 Peter 2:5-8 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
* Peter admits Jesus is the rock
2. It Was Made Possible By The Cross
Ephesians 2:16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
* When Jesus raised himself
3. It Started At Pentecost
Acts 2:1, 4, 47 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
4. If We Are Not Baptised By The Holy Spirit We Are Not In The Church
1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
SECTION 5: PURPOSE OF THE CHURCH
1. Evangelising The Sinner
Acts 2:47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
* To make sure lost souls get saved
2. Edifying The Saints
Ephesians 4:11-12 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
* Trying to help christians to grow in the Lord
3. Exalting The Saviour
Ephesians 3:21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
* All glory goes to God
SECTION 6: HISTORY OF THE CHURCH (CALLED OUT ASSEMBLY)
A. NOAH
1. Noah Is A Preacher Of Righteousness
2 Peter 2:5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;
2. He Preached Over A Hundred Years
Genesis 5:32 And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Genesis 7:6 And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.
* He was warning the people about God's judment
3. He Only Had 8 Members (His Family & Himself Included)
1 Peter 3:20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
B. ABRAHAM
1. Abraham Was Called Out By God
Genesis 12:1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
* Get thee out: God called him out to a separate nation to start a new church
2. He Was Supposed To Go Alone But His Family Came With Him
Genesis 12:5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came.
3. Problems In Abraham’s Church
a. His Church Member Lot Became A Worldy Pedofile
Genesis 19:35-36 And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.
36 Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father.
* He had incest with his daughters
C. MOSES
1. Moses Was Raise Up By God
Acts 7:37-38 This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear.
38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:
* He had 2 million members
2. Problems In Moses’ Church
a. Criticism of Pastor's Wife
Numbers 12:1 And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman.
b. Sinning And Complaining
Exodus 32:1 And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.
c. Lack Of Trust In The Pastor
Numbers 14:2 And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness!
d. Church Members Going Against The Pastor
Numbers 16:1-3 Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men:
2 And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown:
3 And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?
e. Pastor Backslided Because Of Anger Againts His Own Members
Numbers 20:10-12 And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?
11 And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.
12 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.
* Moses backslide when he got angry to struck the rock
D. JESUS
1. Jesus Called Out 12 Disciples
Matthew 10:1 And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
2. Jesus Originally Had 70 Members
Luke 10:1 After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.
3. Problems In Jesus’ Church
a. One Of The Members Is An Infidel (Unbelief)
John 20:24-25 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
b. His Right Hand Man Cursed & Sweared And Ruin His Testimony
Matthew 26:69-74 Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee.
70 But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest.
71 And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth.
72 And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man.
73 And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee.
74 Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.
c. His Church Treasurer Was The Devil
John 13:29 For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor.
John 6:70-71 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
71 He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.