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Elders Handbook: Purpose Of The Church
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The Church Is God's Idea
Page 13
God's work always involves organization, from the microscope to the macroscope.
"System and order are manifest in all the works of God throughout the universe" (Testimonies to Ministers P. 26)
God's forms of organization for saving sinners:
- Home and family - the patriarchal system
- Nation - People of Israel
- Community of believers - the church
Elder's are God's leaders, they must understand the church to love it and serve it intelligently.
Bible uses of the word church:
- Bible verses: (* [SDA Elder's Guide to the Purpose of the Church])
- [1 Cor. 1:2] - Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both their's and our's
- [1 Thess 1:1] - Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
- Matt 16:18 - And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
- 1 Cor 12:28 - And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
- Eph 1:22,23
- 1:22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
- 1:23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
- Eph 3:10 - To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
- Acts 7:38 - This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:
Page 14
Church plan is God's plan, a divine plan, not a human plan. God adds to the church those who are being saved.
"And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved." - Acts 2:47 - Implicit in this description of being saved is church membership.
The church is similar to Noah's ark: Despite the imperfections of being made up of humans, it does the job of helping God save His people when it is built after His plan.
"I testify to my brethren and sisters that the church of Christ, enfeebled and defective as it may be, is the only object on earth on which He bestows His supreme regard.... He comes personally by His Holy Spirit into the midst of His church" (E.G. White, Testimonies to Ministers p. 15)
The Church Was Founded By Christ
Jesus was speaking of Himself in Matt 16:18 - "on this rock I will build my church"
Christ is "head of the church"
- Eph 5:23 - For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
Jesus appointed it's leaders: Mark 3:14 - And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,
Jesus loves the church as bridegroom loves his bride.
- Eph 5:25-32
- 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
- 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
- 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
- 5:28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
- 5:29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
- 5:30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
- 5:31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
- 5:32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
While Adam slept in the Garden of Eden, Eve was taken from his opened side. The church emerged from Jesus (the second Adam) side while He slept at Calvary.
When you criticize the church, you are criticizing Christ's bride. No man takes this lightly, even if his bride deserves it.
Improve and reform the church, but not until you have first loved the church.
What really is a church? Four suggestions for answers to this question:
- 1. A church is a group of Christian people
- 2. A church is a group of Christian people called out from the world, learning to love God and each other
- 3. A church is a group of Christian people reaching out to the world, inviting others in
- 4. A church is a place for healing the hurts of life
Other sections in this chapter:
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Seventh-Day Adventist Elder Guide To The Purpose Of The Church