NEW LIFE LESSONS: A New Life For New Disciples

GETTING CONNECTED WITH YOUR CHURCH FAMILY

Your Church Family Fellowship Involvement What Is The Church? = The Church is People. Saved People!
I Corinthians 12:12-27 The church is the spiritual body of Christ on earth. Our baptism and the work of the Holy Spirit are linked. It is at our baptism in water that the Spirit acts to cleanse us making us born-again. (John 3:5) Christs body is composed of unique and individual members who are to work together as a team. Vs. 15-19 Envy of other body-parts is condemned. Be what you are. Use faithfully the abilities God has given you. Vs. 20-27 Pride over what you have been made is forbidden also. We are gifted with our position in the body by Gods grace. So, do not interfere with the service of the other body-parts so that they can not fulfill their God-gifted and intended purpose. Through our relationship to Jesus, we come into relationship with the Father through the work of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit then has made us citizens of heaven, family members of Gods household, and members of the temple of the God in whom the Holy Spirit dwells. (Because we are members of the family of God we often call one another brothers and sisters. Jesus! Yes! The Church! No! is not a biblical concept. The church is not an institution. It is the local members of the body through whom the manifold wisdom of God is to now be made known to all the world. You have probably gathered that the church is made up of imperfect followers of Jesus. (If it wasnt before I was added to it it is now.) Many evil and frankly embarrassing things have been done in the name of Jesus and His church over the centuries. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. (2 Cor. 5:10) Sadly, not everyone who claims to be a Christian really is one. (Matt. 7:21-23) The church of Jesus Christ is an organism of people organized so as to pool their talents, time and treasure to serve God. How? Through our worship and service to Him: by our worship assemble as a church, by extending the kingdom of God world-wide, by growing the local congregation numerically, by maturing the saints, by benefiting one another spiritually (the one-another commands), and by relieving the needy in the church, in our own community and around the world.

Ephesians 2:17-22

Ephesians 3:10

Titus 2:1-8

Prepared By: David A. Stathopulo

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NEW LIFE LESSONS: A New Life For New Disciples

I Peter 5:8 Titus 2:1-8

We are not to be lone-ranger Christians who are easy pickins for the devil to devour. (2 Timothy 3:1-9; 4:3-4) Those Christians who are more mature, older in the faith, are to teach, disciple, rebuke and encourage those who are younger in the faith. (I Timothy 4:6, 16; 2 Timothy 2:2; 4:2)

How Do People Join The Church? Cant!

Acts 2:47 Saved people are automatically added to the universal (catholic) church by the Lord Jesus Himself. Once saved from sin we must find a local family of brothers and sisters in Christ with whom to identify, serve, worship, be disciplined, etc. (I Cor. 12:12-13)

What Are The Ways The Term Church Is Used In The Bible? Three Ways The Term Church Is Used In The New Testament (Acts 19:32)

Gods intent for the Church is found in the mind of God & revealed in the New Covenant

Universal (All the saved Everywhere.) Matthew 16:17-18 Romans 16:16

Local (Assembly, fellowship congregation) I Corinthians 1:2 Acts 13:1

Ideal (Every ancient or modern local congregation was or is imperfect. Even so, our goal is Gods ideal.)

Prepared By: David A. Stathopulo

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NEW LIFE LESSONS: A New Life For New Disciples

Why Must I Be An Active Member Of The Local Church Family? Ephesians 3:10
1. Organized Organism I Corinthians 12:18-20, 27-31; Acts 14:23 ( The local congregation ) 2. Fellowship Hebrews 10:23-25; I Corinthians 11:33 ( Small Groups ) 3. Teaching & Equipping Disciples Matthew 28:20; Eph. 4:11-13 ( Bible, New Life, Ambassador, & other classes)

4. Ministry to God & Others Ephesians 2:10; 4:12 ( Individual service & worship )

5. Worship Together Acts 20:7 Hebrews 10:25

6. Build with our time, treasure & talents

Why Should You Attend And Be An Active Part Of The Local Church?
First of all for the six reasons listed above. Also: Hebrews 10:24 It is a primary way we are to help one another to love and do good. Hebrews 10:25 God commands our participation so we can encourage others and be encouraged. Keeps you from extremes in your thinking. You can tap the counsel of mature believers. Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron so one man sharpens another. Ephesians 4:4a "There is one body...." We are called to be a body of believers not individualistic and separate bodies of Christ.

What Does Being A Part Of A Local Congregation Say To Others?

It shows your support for what the local congregation does. It expresses your gratitude to Jesus whose body you are now a part. It confesses your faith that these people share together. It admits your needs for others. It tells others that you are dedicated to the Christ-like task of bringing the lost to Jesus, encouraging, assisting, and loving your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Prepared By: David A. Stathopulo

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NEW LIFE LESSONS: A New Life For New Disciples

Is The Church Jesus Built A Denomination? No!

It is not a denomination nor is it made up of several denominations put together. The New Covenant presents a nondenominational Christianity. It is the one universal apostolic church to which Christ Himself adds all saved people. (Acts 2:47) Denomination means a religious organization uniting local congregations in a single legal and administrative body.
(Webster)

I Corinthians 1:10-12 Ephesians 4:4

Matthew 28:18 Matthew 16:18

Denominationalism is wrong since it is a man devised means of division. Denominationalism is division by definition. There is ONE BODY not many. Denominations are less than the whole or believe that dividing the whole is OK. No one is first saved and then instructed to seek out the denomination of their choice in the Bible. No one can begin a new church because no one else has the authority to do so. Jesus claims the church as His own. It is not of man but originated with God.

Can I Be Just A Christian Without Being A Roman Catholic, Protestant Or Eastern Orthodox? Yes!
John 17:20-21 "I pray not only for my apostles, but also for the people who believe in me through their teaching. May all of them be united." (SE) I Corinthians 1:10-13 "Brothers and sisters, I beg you, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ: All of you must agree. Get together. Have the same attitude and the same purpose. There should be no divisions among you." (vs 10 - SE) I Corinthians 3:1-9 For when one says, I belong to Paul, and another, I belong to Apollos, are you not merely human. (vs 4 - NRSV) If you were to ask Paul if he were a Protestant what would he say? If you asked Peter, Are you a Roman Catholic? He wouldnt know what you were talking about. If you asked Apollos, Are you Eastern Orthodox? He couldnt answer the question. A basic goal of Jesus is unity among believers. He was not and is not please with dividing Christianity into Roman Catholic, Protestant or Eastern Orthodox nor into the numerous denominations that now exist. Our purpose is to work hard to fulfill Jesus' prayer by working towards unity as a nondenominational church. Our purpose is to be just Christians, no more no less.

Any church not as old as the New Testament church cannot be the apostolic church that Jesus built.

Prepared By: David A. Stathopulo

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