LESSON EIGHT (8) - THE CHURCH
“And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love
and good works, not staying away from our meetings, as some habitually do, but
encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:
24-25 (NIV)
This lesson will
help you understand what the church is and why Christians gather to worship and
fellowship with the people of God. You will find answers to the following
questions, which are common to everyone who has decided to follow Jesus:
What is the church?
Why do Christians gather together?
Why is unity necessary in the church?
What is the mission of the church?
Why does Christ want to make you part of His church?
The word church literally means “assembly” and it appears 109 times in the New Testament, mostly in Paul’s letters. Only in 17 of these passages does church refer to the whole people of God; in the rest of the references it describes a local congregation of disciples.
1. The Nature of the Church
a.
On whom is the
church founded, according to Matthew 16:16-18?
………………………………………………………………
Read 1 Peter 2:9. How does Peter describe Christians?
a. ………………………………………………………………….
b. …………………………………………………………………
c. …………………………………………………………………..
d. …………………………………………………………………..
These terms
describe what the church is and they mean:
1)
Chosen people: family, race, descendants
2)
. Royal priesthood: priests
that serve before the King of Kings (Jesus).
3)
Holy nation: people that are
cleansed from sin and live according to the will of God.
4)
A
people belonging to God: the people of God that have been bought by the
blood of Jesus
a.
What did God
establish His church for, according to 1 Peter 2:9b
………………………………………………………………
b.
According to 1
Corinthians 12:27 and Ephesians 5:23, what is the relationship of Christ with
the church?
………………………………………………………………
Read Ephesians 5:25-27 and explain in your own words;
c.
How important is
the church to God?
……………….........................................................................
d.
In what ways has He shown this?
……………………………………………………………….
2. The Unity of
the Church
In
John 17 we read the prayer Jesus prayed for all His disciples (including you).
a. Reading verses 20-23, who did Jesus pray for?
………………………………………………………………
b.
Did Jesus also
pray for you?
……………………………………………………………..
c.
What did Jesus
ask the Father to do for His disciples?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
d.
Why is it
important for Christians to get together and develop bonds of friendship?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Read Acts 2:43-47 and consider the following questions.
e.
Is it possible to
be a disciple of Jesus without being part of His local church?
Yes…………………………… No …………………
f.
Where were the
two meeting places for the first Christians?
……………………………….………………………………………………………………………
g.
Why did they
gather according to verses 46 and 47?
……..………………………………………………………………………………………………….
h.
What did they
experience when the Christians were together?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
i.
Read the
following passages for more reasons that Christians should gather:
I.
Ephesians 5:18-20
……………………………………………………………
II.
Acts 1:14 and
12:5
……………………………………………………………
III.
Acts 2:44-45
………………………………………………………………..
3. The Mission of the Church
The reason why
the church exists is the same reason why Jesus also came to the world. He now
shares this mission with us; we are His church in our time (1 Cor. 6:19),
wherever we live. There are two key passages in the New Testament that
summarize the mission of Jesus for His church in the world.
During His
ministry with the 12 disciples, Jesus taught and modeled the mission of the
church to them in different ways.
a)
According to the
following passages, what is the mission of the church?
i.
Matthew 5:13-16
……………………………………………………………
ii.
John 15:1-5
……………………………………………………………
iii. Matthew 28: 19-20
……………………………………………………………
iv. Acts 1:8?
……………………………………………………………
v.
2 Corinthians 5:18-19,
………………………………………………………………
vi. What did Paul say we are in 2 Corinthians 5:20?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
b)
According to Acts
1:8, what do we need to receive before fulfilling our mission as a church?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Finally, we learn
about the mission of the church as we observe how the first Christians
developed their ministry.
c)
According to Acts
2:42, in what did they devote themselves to?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
The mission of
the church is to become the type of church that God can use to reconcile the
world to Himself. We need to be faithful disciples of Christ through the
ministry of the church and be actively involved in its life and mission. What a
great privilege we have to take active part in what God wants to do in and
through His church in the world!
In view of the
above, it behoves on every believer to belong to a Christ believing local
church, attend services regularly, and participate in all that the church does.
As a new believer
in the Church of Pentecost, you should participate in all church activities
including Sunday Church Services, Home Cell meetings, Evening Church Services,
weddings, funerals and anything that involves the church. You must be a member
of at least one of the ministries: Evangelism, Women, PEMEM (Pentecost Men’s
Ministry) and Youth. When you are firmly established you could opt to be a
teacher or assist in the work of the Children’s ministry.
Conclusion
You have done
well to complete yet another insightful topic about the church. The church has
a big role to play in your progress as a Christian. God wants us to continue in
fellowship with other believers in the local church and contribute meaningfully
to their growth and ours too. Answer these questions as they apply to your
study on the church.
1.
Why do you have
to join a local congregation of believers?
2.
What should be
your responsibility in your local church?
3.
How can you put
into practice what you learned?
4.
Would you
encounter any obstacles incorporating these principles into your life? If yes,
how could you overcome them with the help of the Lord and your discipler?
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