Lesson One: Pattern

In this lesson we will seek to define what the Church is.

 Our definition of something will often determine how we use it or misuse it. A $5000 computer could be used as a boat anchor, but that’s not what it’s designed for. A $150,000 thoroughbred could be used to pull a plow, but that’s not what its bred for. A $100,000 Mercedes Benz could be used for hauling garbage, but it would be a terrible misuse of a great car.

 

A poor farmer found a beautiful rock in his garden. He brought it into his house and over the years he used it to crack walnuts, hold down papers and as a doorstop. A stranger, while visiting the man in his home, insisted that the rock might be of some value. The farmer didn’t think much about it, but decided to put it in a place where visitors could admire its beauty. A few months later, the old farmer fell on hard times and decided to sell the rock, if he could. It turned out that the rock was a emerald worth over three-million dollars.

 

To some folks the Church is merely a place where they go on Sunday morning or an outdated expression of formal Christianity. Many view the Church as a stained glass building on the edge of town and do everything in their power to avoid it. Unfortunately, like the old farmer, far too many have failed to experience the glory of the Church because they do not know what it is.

 

What is the Church?

 

I. By Terminology

A. The English Term Church - The English word "church" originated from the Greek word kuriako", "belonging to the Lord." In early Christianity it was used to identify the place where the Church, or ejkklhsia, gathered.

 

Today, the term "church" is used to describe a building where believers meet (e.g., "we are going to the church"), a denomination (e.g., "my church teaches baptism by immersion"), a regional or national religious group (e.g., "the Church of England), a local congregation (e.g., "I attend First Church) and, all born-again believers (e.g., "the Church"). This broad use of the term often results in a dilution of the meaning that Scripture gives to the "Church."

 

B. The Greek Term Ejkklhsia - The Greek word translated "Church" in the English Bible is ejkklhsia (ekklesia, pronounced ek-clay-see-uh). This word is compounded from the preposition ejk, "out," and the verb kalew, "to call." Hence ejkklhsia originally denoted a group of citizens called out and assembled together for a specific purpose. "The Greeks never used ejkklhsia to refer to religious fellowships." Jesus broke with Greek usage in Matthew 16:18, where He said, "Upon this rock I will build My Church (ejkklhsia, called out assembly)."

II. By Imagery - Scripture uses several metaphors to describe the church. These images help us to understand the Church.

 

A. The Temple of God (1Cor. 3:16; Eph. 2:21,22; 1Pe. 2:5). The Church is an inhabited community.

B. The Jerusalem From Above or The Heavenly Jerusalem (Gal. 4:26; Heb. 12:22). Both of these terms illustrate the freedom that Christ has brought to the believer. The church is a liberated community. A church that is made to under the law has forfeited the blessings of grace. Far too many churches have been liberated from the "yoke of bondage" (Eph 5:1), only to be brought into cultural and social bondage. "A church that is captive to its culture, merely echoing the values of the larger society, cannot be prophetic or truly evangelistic." (Wallis, p. 26)

C. The Bride of Christ or Christ's Betrothed (Eph. 5:25-32; 2 Cor. 11:2). These titles refer to the love and loyalty existing between Christ and believers. The Church is a beloved community.

D. The Body of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1:18) It is a living community of related people who are partakers of the same life and who express the same mind.

E. A Candlestick (Mt. 5:16; Eph. 5:8; Rev. 1:20). The church is an illuminating community.

F. A City (Mt. 5:14; Gal. 4:26; Heb. 12:22). The Church is a diverse community. It is a group of people dwelling together in Christ. In his book, Agenda For Biblical People, Jim Wallis wrote:

 

"The New Testament sees the Christian community as the place where, first of all in its own shared common life, the cycle of the world begins to be broken. By rendering impotent those things that oppress and divide people (race, class, gender and economics), the Christian community demonstrates the victory of Christ..." (Wallis p. 4)

 

 

III. By Chronology - While the term "church" is used to describe a variety of "assemblies," there are several reasons why I believe the "Church" referred to by Jesus began after His death, burial and resurrection. Here are two of those reasons.

 

A. Jesus Spoke Of It As Something Yet to Be - In Matthew 16:18, Jesus declared, "Upon this rock I will build my Church." The phrase "I will build" translates the Greek verb oijkodomhsw, which is first person, singular, future, active, indicative of oijkodomew.

 

B. The Foundation Of The Church

1. Jesus declared that the Church was to built upon the revelation, which He referred to as "this rock," that He is the Son of God--"Upon this rock I will build my Church." This revelation didn't become real to His followers until after His death, burial and resurrection.

2. Paul declared that Jesus is the chief cornerstone of the Church (Eph. 2:20). Again, the existence of the Church is dependent upon the finished work of Christ. Therefore, the Church could not exist prior to the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus.

C. The Church Is Called The Body of Christ (Col. 1:18) - This is a term unique to the New Testament. As such it could not have existed prior to His death, burial and resurrection.

D. Believers Are Baptized Into The Body by The Spirit (1Cor 12:13) – This is a unique NT event.
    1. The Church Was Purchased By The Shedding of Blood (Acts 20:28) - It could not have existed prior to being purchased.

 

Conclusion

 

  1. The church is a multi-membered community. No one member is the Church.
  2. The church is a called out community.
  3. The church is a gathered together community.
  4. The church is a community inhabited by the presence of God.
  5. The church is a community of liberated believers.
  6. The church is a community of people loved by God.

 

A Simple Definition: The Church is a multi-membered community of redeemed believers who have been called out of the world unto God.

 

Lesson Two: Purpose

In this lesson we will discuss why the Church exists. Why are we here?

 

Review

The Church is a multi-membered community of redeemed believers who have been called out of the world unto God.

 

Introduction

Win Arn surveyed members from nearly one thousand churches asking the question, "Why does the church exist?" The results? Of the church members surveyed, 89 percent said, "The church’s purpose is to take care of my family’s and my needs." Only 11 percent said, "The purpose of the church is to win the world for Jesus Christ." If I asked you, "Why does the church exist?", how would you respond?

 

One of the task that often fell to me as a boy was that of taking clothes to the cleaners. I distinctly remember a sign that was displayed near the cash register. It said, "We do not cash checks and the bank does not clean clothes." That statement not only defined what they did, but it also defined what they didn’t do.

 

If you were opening a restaurant, would you buy a dentist chair for your business? If you were opening a beauty shop, would you buy a set of pipe fitting tools for your business? Why not? Simply put, they have nothing to do with your business objective. Knowing why the Church exist is as important as knowing what the Church is.

 

Churches often operate like banks that clean clothes and laundries that cash checks. The reason? They do not know God’s purpose for their existence. Again, WHY DOES POINT ASSEMBLY EXIST? What is our purpose or reason for existing?

There is no way to know if we’re doing what God intends for us to do, unless we understand what we’re supposed to be doing.

 

 

If we don’t know what our purpose is, then how do we know if we’re accomplishing it? If we’re all committed to different overall objectives, then we will be hindered in accomplishing anything. If, on the other hand, we know the purpose for our existence, then we can focus our energies on accomplishing that purpose.

 

Our objective is not to create a purpose for our existence, but to discover God’s purpose for His Church and then fulfill it!

 

Why are we here?

 

  1. THE MINISTRY OF JESUS. What did Jesus do while He was here? What would He do if he were here today?
    1. Serve – "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45)
    2. Seek and Save – "For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." (Luke 19:10)
    3. Preach the Kingdom – "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent." (Luke 4:43)
    4. Preach the gospel – "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor" (Luke 4:18)
    5. Heal the sick – "He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted" (Luke 4:18)
    6. Proclaim liberty to the captives (Luke 4:18)
    7. Proclaim recovery of sight to the blind (Luke 4:18)
    8. Set at liberty those who are oppressed (Luke 4:18)
    9. Proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord (Luke 4:18)
    10. Do good and heal the oppressed – "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him." (Acts 10:38)
    11. Destroy the works of the devil – "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil." (1John 3:8)
    12. Teaching, preaching and healing – "And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people." (Matthew 4:23)
    13. Discipling – Jesus spent the last three years of His life training his disciples.

 

II. THE COMMANDS OF JESUS

    1. Love
      1. Your God – "Jesus said to him, "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all you mind." (Mt. 22:37)
      2. Your Neighbor – "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Mt. 22:39)
      3. One another – "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34-35)
      4. Your enemies – "You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you." (Matthew 5:43-44)
    1. Worship – "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:23-24)
    2. Preach the Gospel – "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." (Mk. 16:15)
    3. Make Disciples – "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 28:19)
    4. Teach – "Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:20)

 

III. THE LIFE OF THE EARLY CHURCH

    1. They Prayed (Acts 1:14, 24; 3:1; 13:3)
    2. They Preached the Gospel (Acts 4:2; 8:5; 9:20; 14:21)
    3. They Praised (Acts 2:47)
    4. They Prophesied (Acts 13:1-2)
    5. They made Disciples (Acts 14:21)
    6. They taught (Acts 20:20)
    7. They fellowshipped (Acts 2:44-46)

 

Conclusion

 

If we compile a composite list of Jesus’ ministry, Jesus’ command and the life of the early church, it contains the following…

 

Who is affected by each of the following ministries?

 

#

Ministry

Is it directed to God, Body or World?

1.

Evangelism

World

2.

Healing

World and Body

3.

Deliverance

World and Body

4.

Teaching

Body

5.

Loving

God, Body and World

6.

Discipling (training)

Body

7.

Praying

Ministry to God for Body & World

8.

Worshipping

God

9.

Prophesying

Body and World

10.

Fellowshipping

Body

11.

Preaching Gospel

World

 

While our list is not exhaustive, it does provide enough material to help us determine why we exist.

 

 

A Simple Purpose Statement: We exist to worship God, evangelize the world, develop disciples into mature saints and equip them for ministry.

 

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