The Church 101   What Is The Church?   God’s Family   The NT word means “those who are called out.” The church is made up of those who have been called out of the world to become His children. Anyone who has placed their faith in Christ for salvation has become a member of the family of God. It is made up of all God’s children all over the world.   As children of God (our Father), all Christians are brothers and sisters. The same Holy Spirit dwells within each of us. We are more related than even flesh and blood relations.   Ephesians 4:4-6 4 There is one body and one Spirit… 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.   We are all members of the same family and our love for one another proves we belong to Christ.   John 13:35 "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."   God’s Temple   Because Israel wanted the presence of God with them they built a Temple for Him.  But God is now building His own temple. It is the church.   Ephesians 2:19-22 19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.   We often refer to a building as “the church” but the church is really made up of people. We are the building material of God’s dwelling on earth. God lives in us!   1 Peter 2:5  NLT And now God is building you, as living stones, into his spiritual temple. What's more, you are God's holy priests, who offer the spiritual sacrifices that please him because of Jesus Christ.   The Body of Christ   1 Corinthians 12:12-13 NLT 12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up only one body. So it is with the body of Christ. 13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into Christ's body by one Spirit, and we have all received the same Spirit.   Even though Jesus has ascended to Heaven His work continues on the earth. The church is His Body being indwelt by His Spirit.   Just as physical bodies have many parts with different functions so does the Body of Christ.   1 Corinthians 12:18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.   All of us have different roles and jobs according to where God places us. Everyone is needed and only together can we do what God has called us to do.   The Bride of Christ   Ephesians 5:25-27 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.   We are called the Bride of Christ because He loves us and wants to be in united with us in intimate relationship that bears fruit for Him. We are to be faithful, loyal and pure. Nothing should steal our affection for Christ (sin, the world). We must faithfully await His return for us.   What about all the different churches?   There is only one true church of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is of God and includes all who are Christ’s by faith. It is an organism as opposed to being an organization. Church rolls may have a place but what is supremely important is that your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. All who are written there are His church.   The one true Body can be called the church universal. The universal church finds its expression through the local church. Local churches may be part of denominations or organizations but there is still only one Body of Christ. Unfortunately there is division within the Body but this is not God’s will. He is glorified when His people fellowship and work together.   What Does the Church Do?   It ministers to God   The church is called to worship. We are to be a people of praise.   1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;   The church is to assemble regularly together for the purpose of uniting in worship of our God. We should praise Him in song and testimony. He is worthy of our praise and we should consider it our privilege to do so.   It ministers to believers   The church is called to edification. We are to use our gifts to serve and build up one another so that we can grow into Christlikeness.   Ephesians 4:11-16 11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ-- 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.   This growth takes place in different ways.   Acts 2:42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.   We minister through our praying for one another.   We minister through the Word. Through anointed teaching and preaching we are transformed.   We minister through fellowship. We are to encourage each other and bear one another’s burdens.   Hebrews 10:24-25 24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.   It ministers to the world   The church is called to witness. We have the responsibility to proclaim the message of Christ locally and to the world at large.   Matthew 28:19-20 19 "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, 20 "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." Amen.   We are to bear witness through word and deed, explaining and demonstrating the truth of the Gospel. Our love and unity are powerful testimonies to the reality of Christ.   We are His Body on the earth and we are to continue and complete the ministry He began.   John 14:12 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.   You need the local church.   We all belong to the universal church of Christ but we can only experience what this means as a part of a local fellowship. It provides nurture, instruction, encouragement, and protection. We pray, laugh, cry and live together.   A body part separated from the body would die and as members of His Body we cannot function alone. Our purpose and destiny is communal.   The local church needs you.   It needs your ministry. You are needed. You have a unique contribution to make.    It needs your prayers. It needs you to pray with them and for them.