Welcome!

“Every church is different. Every true church is a

thing of beauty in its own unique

way.”

Overview• #1- Jesus & The

Church• #2- The Gospel &

The Christian• #3- Beliefs &

Doctrinal Distinctives

• #4- Roots, Relationships & Rule

• #5- Mission & Ministries

• #6- Church Membership

Class Material Available Online

• INSTRUCTIONS:– Go online. Password is “grace4you” – Go to www.christourhopechurch.com – In Search bar, type & enter “connecting” – Click on “Continue Reading”– Each session is listed & downloadable– HINT: At the back of each lesson, there is

an Answer Key for all fill-in-blanks.

Session #1: Jesus and The Church

“And 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.”

– Jesus, in Matthew 16.18b

What did Jesus teach about The Church?

Caesara Philippi- the niches in the wall held images of the gods Pan, Echo & Hermes.

Here, Jesus Himself calls

attention to The Church’s… • PROFESSION• POWER• PROMISE• & PROPHECY

Jesus & The Church

• The Church is God’s IDEA.

– “I will build my church…”

– Ephesians 3.21

Jesus & The Church

• The Church is what God is DOING in the

world.

• The Church is central to God’s purposes.

– “I will build my church…”

– Ephesians 3.10

Jesus & The Church

• The Church is Jesus’s treasured

POSSESSION.

– “I will build my church…”

– Exodus 19.4-5, 1 Peter 2.9

Jesus & The Church

• The Church is on a MISSION, cannot be

stopped and is promised success.

– “and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it…”

– Ephesians 1.21-23

“Everything we do in the church has to be planned with the gospel as the center… This

concept is sometimes called the missional church, where

missions and evangelism are not just activities of the church or departments of the church

but everything is focused on the advance of the gospel.”

– John Frame

Understanding The Church

• The Church is primarily a spiritual ORGANISM with a mystical relationship with the Living God.

• the “new humanity” (John Stott)

• a “colony of heaven” (Edmund

Clowney)

The Kingdom of God:

KINGDOM OF DARKNESS

NO Kingdom:“Paradise Lost”

DARKNESS + LIGHT

PARTIAL Kingdom:“Now-but- Not-Yet”

ETERNAL KINGDOM

FULLY RESTORED Kingdom: “Heaven on Earth”

1 2

Church & Kingdom: What’s the Connection?

“He has delivered us from the domain of

darkness and transferred us to the

kingdom of his beloved Son”

- Colossians 1.13

• The Church of Christ is the fullest expression of the Kingdom on earth.

• The Church of Christ is the mission head-quarters for God’s Kingdom program to the world.

The Calling of The Church:

“The vocation of the local church could hardly be more exalted. Called out of the world to be a light in the world, to be a united family among the disunited families of earth, to be indwelled by Christ himself, to be the apple of God’s eye, to be graven on Christ’s hands, to be the glory of the image of the Holy Trinity, to be an embodiment of the infinite love of the cross, to be a collective portrait more beautiful than any other in the world- that is the church, the local church, the new people of God.”

– Timothy Savage, The Church: God’s New People

God’s Rich Images for His Church in the Bible:

• Bride of Christ (emphasizing delight & devotion)

• Family (emphasizing love & affection)

• Household (emphasizing purpose & order)

• Body of Christ (with Jesus as our loving Husband)

• Flock (with God as the Good Shepherd)

• Building (with God as Master Builder)

• Temple (the Holy Spirit’s dwelling place)

• Vineyard (Vine & Branches)

• Field (with God as a diligent Farmer)

• Treasure (with God as the proud Owner)

Where is The Church Located? The Visible & Invisible

Church

Visible Church (as

we see it)

Invisible Church

(as God sees it)

Where is the location of the Visible Church?

• HOUSE- The Church meets in homes.– “Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in

their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 16.19b)

• LOCAL- The Church assembles locally. – “The churches of Asia send you greetings. Aquila

and Prisca, together with the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord.”

(1 Corinthians 16.19)

Where is the location of the Visible Church?

• REGIONAL- The Church is also region or city-wide.– “So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee

and Samaria had peace and was being built up.” (Acts

9.31)

• UNIVERSAL- The Church is global & world-wide.– “And He [i.e. Christ] is the head of the body, the

church.” (Colossians 1.18)

Two Common Errors re: Church:Underappreciating…

the UNIVERSAL Church-• “I’m a Presbyterian/Methodist/ Baptist

(fill in the blank) and we got it just right.”

• But Jesus prayed of us all, “that they may all be one… so that they world may believe…” (John 17.21)

Underappreciating… The LOCAL Church-

• “I’m a Christian. And I know and love Jesus. Why do I need the local church?”

• But Jesus loves His Church, calling it His Bride.

• How can we love Jesus without loving practically what He loves so passionately?

• If we do love Jesus, we will learn to love what He Himself cherishes.

Next time:

SESSION # 2- The Gospel & The

Christian