What is a Church?
Not a building! Not an institution!
A church is NOT a place I go to, nor an event I attend. It is a SPIRITUAL FAMILY THAT I BELONG TO
"Those who believed . . . were baptized and added to the church . . . They joined with the other believers and committed themselves to the apostles' teaching, and to the fellowship . . . They worshiped together regularly at the Temple courts and met in small groups in homes for communion, and shared meals with great joy and thankfulness." Acts 2:41-42, 46 (NLT/LB)
DEF: "A CHURCH is a group of baptized believers who've joined together in a commitment to help each other fulfill God's five purposes for their lives."
WHY IS THE CHURCH THE MOST IMPORTANT GROUP ON EARTH?
1. THE CHURCH IS GOD'S FAMILY
"God has given us the privilege of being born again so that we are now members of God's own family." 1 Peter 1:3
"That family is the church of the living God, the support and foundation of the truth." 1 Timothy 3:15 (NCV)
2. It's the REASON GOD CREATED THE UNIVERSE
"Long ago, even before he made the world, God chose us to be his very own through what Christ would do for us." Ephesians 1:4 (LB)
"His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure." Ephesians 1:5 (NLT)
3. God is using his church FOR HIS ETERNAL PURPOSE
"God's intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to all the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord." Ephesians 3:10-11
"Through Christians like yourselves gathered in churches, this extraordinary plan of God is becoming known and talked about even among the angels!"
Ephesians 3:10 (Mes)
4. JESUS DIED FOR HIS CHURCH
"Christ loved the church and gave himself for it . . . He died so that he could give the church to himself like a bride in all her beauty. He died so thatthe church could be pure and without fault . . ." Ephesians 5:25, 27 (NCV)
5. IT'S THE ONLY THING ON EARTH THAT WILL LAST FOREVER
"Glory will belong to God in his church and in Christ Jesus for all time and eternity!" Ephesians 3:21 (GW)
". . . we will be with the Lord together forever!" 1 Thessalonians 4:17
6. It'S the ONLY group JESUS SAID WOULD SUCCEED
Jesus: "I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it!" Matthew 16:18 (NLT)
7. It's the ONLY group BIG ENOUGH TO SOLVE GLOBAL PROBLEMS
"By his mighty power at work within us, God is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope!" Ephesians 3:20 (NLT)
8. The greatest privilege IN LIFE IS TO BE PART OF GOD'S CHURCH
"God has given us the privilege of being born again so that we are now members of God's own family." 1 Peter 1:3
"Don't you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?" 1 Corinthians 3:16
Action Plan: Read chapters 1 and 2 of the The Purpose Driven Church. Click here to purchase a copy if needed.
WHAT IS A "PURPOSE-DRIVEN" CHURCH?
Drive = to guide, control, or direct
"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but is it the Lord's purpose that prevails." Proverbs 19:21
A FEW OF THE MANY BENEFITS OF BELONGING
TO A PURPOSE-DRIVEN CHURCH FAMILY
1. IT WILL HELP ME FOCUS ON GOD
2. IT WILL HELP ME FACE LIFE'S PROBLEMS
3. IT WILL HELP ME FORTIFY MY FAITH
4. IT WILL HELP ME FIND MY PLACE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
5. IT WILL HELP ME FULFILL MY LIFE MISSION
Action Plan: Of the 5 benefits listed above, identify which one resonates the most with you. If it's 1, make sure you attend CLASS 201 if you haven't in a while. If it's 2, make sure you are in a small group that regularly meets. If 3, watch Foundations online. If 4, Attend CLASS 301 to discover your unique fit