1 / 14

The Local Church of Christ

The Local Church of Christ. (Bible Authority, Part 9). Failure to Understand the Church Contributes to…. Denominationalism Devaluing of the church “ Choosing the church of your choice ” Many other corruptions. Many in Churches of Christ do not Understand the Church.

aziza
Download Presentation

The Local Church of Christ

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. The LocalChurch of Christ (Bible Authority, Part 9)

  2. Failure to Understand the Church Contributes to… • Denominationalism • Devaluing of the church • “Choosing the church of your choice” • Many other corruptions

  3. Many in Churches of Christdo not Understand the Church • Liberal view: “Whatever the individual can do, the local church can do” • Looses where the Lord has not loosed • Factious view: “Whatever the local church cannot do, the individual Christian cannot do” • Binds where Lord has not bound

  4. What is the Church? ekklesia: “to call out of” … “the called out ones” Assembly of Saved “Called out” of darkness by God, by the gospel 1 Pet. 2:9-10; 2 Ths. 2:14 The Redeemed Matt. 16:18 An Assembly -Israel, Acts 7:38 -Gov’t body, Acts 19:39 -Riot, Acts 19:32, 41 4

  5. To Understand “Church” We Must Think People, not Institution Acts 2:47 • Disciples, Acts 6:1, 7 • Believers, Acts 5:14 • Those of “the way”, Acts 9:2 • Saints, 1 Cor. 1:2

  6. “Church” is a Collective Noun • Applied geographically, Acts 9:31; Gal. 1:2 • Applied to those who compose it, Rom. 16:4; Col. 4:16 • Applied possessively, Matt. 16:18; 1 Cor. 15:9; Rom. 16:16

  7. { CHRIST Enrolled In heaven Baptized into CHURCH(Universal)Heb. 12:23 { CHURCH(Local)(elders, deacons, saints) Acts 14:23; Phil. 1:1 On earth Local Church Acts 11:22 Local Church Rev. 2:1 Churches of ChristRom. 16:16

  8. The Universal Church • God’s people wherever they are found, Matt. 16:18; Eph. 5:23-27 • Relation with God and brethren without organization, 2 Cor. 6:16-18; 1 Pet. 2:17 • No worldwide organizational structure, oversight or action • No organizational work or treasury to fund it • Functions distributively (each Christian) • Composed of Christians, not churches, Eph. 1:22-23; 5:23, 30; Acts 2:47

  9. The Local Church • Independent congregation of Christians, Acts 8:1; 9:31; 11:22, 26; Rev. 1:11; 2:1 • A relationshipand a functioning organization, 1 Cor. 12:25-27 • A unit (group) with Christ-given work and responsibilities: • Preach the gospel to the lost, 1 Ths. 1:8 • Edify the saints, Acts 11:26; 1 Cor. 14:26 • Relieve needy saints, Acts 6:1-6

  10. The Local Church • Not regional, national or international in its organization, Acts 14:23; 1 Pet. 5:2 • Local: • Organizational structure, Phil. 1:1 • Local oversight, 1 Pet. 5:1-2; Acts 20:17, 28 • Local treasury to fund its work, Acts 4:34-37; 1 Cor. 16:1-2; 2 Cor. 11:8; Phil. 4:15-16

  11. The Local Church • Local church regulates its membership: • Who it accepts, Acts 9:26-28; 18:27; Rom. 16:1-2 • Who it refuses, Rom. 16:17; 1 Cor. 5:4-7 • Implies responsibilities (1 Cor. 12:14-25) • It is an assembly of saints: • “Come together as a church,” 1 Cor. 11:18 • Whole church “comes together”, 1 Cor. 14:23 • “In the church” (assembly), 1 Cor. 14:28

  12. Universal Church Added to by the Lord, Acts 2:47 Entered by baptism, 1 Cor. 12:13 None but the saved, 2 Tim. 2:19 Satan cannot prevail against it, Matt. 16:18 Local Church Join oneself to it, Acts 9:26-28 Accepted, received by brethren, Acts 18:27 Some sick and some “sleep”, 1 Cor. 11:30 Satan can prevail against it, Acts 20:29-30; Rev. 2:5 Contrasts

  13. Universal Church Relationship with Christ, Eph. 1:22-23 No functional organization, over-sight or treasury Distributive (individual) action, Eph. 5:24 Local Church Relationship with other Christians, Ac 15:22-23 Functional organization with oversight and treasury, Acts 20:28; 1 Pet. 5:2; 1 Cor. 16:2 Collective (group) action, Phil. 4:15 Contrasts

  14. Denominationalism • Subdivides “the church” into groups never identified in the Scriptures • Universal church is all the saved without reference to time and place, Heb. 12:22-23 • Local church is a specific group of Christians in a given location with organization and work • Can cease being a faithful church of Christ, Rev. 1:20; 2:1, 4-5

More Related