The Church
Pastor Cole Parlier
New Relationships
16Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
MATTHEW 16:16–18
Through a revelation of the Holy Spirit, Peter confessed the true identity of Jesus, the Son of the living God. Jesus said this truth would be the foundation stone that His church would be built on. He also described the type of church He would build, a victorious church that would overcome the kingdom of darkness. Jesus and Paul used the word church in reference to the people of God. Church never referred to a religious building. Following are four benefits of being part of a local church.
The Greek word for church is “ekklesia”.
This means “assembly”. Also, to be “called out”.
Assembly of the called out ones.
Assembly:
School assembly
Assembly line
The body of Christ
“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.”
1 Corinthians 12:12-13, 26-27 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/1co.12.12-27.ESV
God’s temple
“Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.”
1 Corinthians 3:16-17 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/1co.3.16-17.NIV
Jesús will build His Church.
This is a reminder of Exodus 19-20 assembly of Israel at Mt. Sinai. God visited his people and then continued to visit them as they gathered at the temple. As a foreshadowing of thr gathered church this links God’s presence with his gathered people.
Jesus will be in the midst of his church.
“Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.””
Matthew 18:18-20 ESV
God’s grace comes through the Spirit filled Church.
FRIENDSHIP
Real friends. Everyone needs them. Few find them.
The best place to look for a real friend is in the church, the people of God. True friends are those who have our best interest in mind. They stick with us through thick and thin. Real friends never lead us away from God. Instead, they provoke us to godliness
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
PROVERBS 17:17
A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
PROVERBS 18:24
FELLOWSHIP
If a piece of burning coal is removed from the fire, it will cool off. If it is put back in the middle of a pile of red-hot coals, it will burn again. The same is true of Christians.
If a Christian is removed from fellowship with other red-hot Christians, he will cool off spiritually. If a Christian stays in fellowship, he will stay on fire for God.
42And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. . . . 44And all who believed were together and had all things
in common. 45And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts . . .
ACTS 2:42, 44–46
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?
2 CORINTHIANS 6:14
WORSHIP
God is looking for sincere worshipers. Worship is simply the expression of our love, devotion, and commitment to God.
23“But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
JOHN 4:23, 24
DISCIPLESHIP
The last command Jesus gave His followers before He ascended to heaven was to go and make disciples, to baptize these disciples, and to teach them how to obey God’s Word. Therefore, we should first be disciples or followers of Jesus, then we should teach others to follow Him.
19“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
MATTHEW 28:19, 20
. . . and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
2 TIMOTHY 2
Second City Church - Pastor Rollan Fisher