What A Congregation Is
Phil. 1:1-2
When Jesus spoke of the church He would build, He spoke of only
one - Mt. 16:18.
2. But sometimes in the New Testament the word church
appears in the plural.
a. The churches of Galatia Gal. 1:2; The seven
churches which are in Asia, Rev. 1:4.
(A) Does Christ have one church or does He have several?
There is no contradiction if we see that church is
used in two senses in the New Testament:
(a) The universal sense.
The local sense.
But we may understand the basic difference between the church
universal and the church local and still not have an adequate
understanding of exactly what a local church is supposed to be.
What is a local church? And more specifically, what are we as
a local church?
We are a group of Christians who congregate = We come together
to accomplish Gods assignment to us.
(B) Church comes from the Greek --- ekklesia assembly,
gathering.
Acts 19:32, The term is used in reference to non-religious assemblies.
The word is used in the New Testament to an assembly of Christians.
It defines a physical assembly of the Lords people in the Old
Testament, Acts 7:38, Moses and Israel in the wilderness.
Acts 8:1, The persecution of Spiritual Israel.
One of the primary characteristics of the local church is that
it congregates or assembles, Acts. 14:27, Paul and Barnabas mission
report, Now when they had come and gathered the church together,
they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had
opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
The church is not the church just when assembled.
1 Cor. 11:18, When you come together as a church, I hear
that there are divisions among you... As a member of the
church I am the church when I am somewhere away from the assembly.
b. But the assembly is important. We tend to underestimate the
importance of the
assemblies of the congregation. Some members of the congregation
do not come when the
congregation assembles.
(1) Some members show a lack of appreciation for the assembly
itself. That was also true in the first century, 1 Cor. 11:17,
Now in giving these instructions I do not praise you, since
you come together not for the better but for the worse.
(1) Neglect (in whatever manner) of the assembling of ourselves
together is a very serious matter - Heb. 10:23-25, Let us
hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He
who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order
to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of
ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one
another.
(a) Eph. 11:4-16, why we are not to forsake the assembly. The
assembly is the place where come to be fed and nurtured spiritually.
And to encourage eachother.
(b) Acts 20:7 The first century church came together on the first
day of the week.
(1) How many first days of the week are there? Answer that by
asking how many weeks are there? There are 52 weeks in a year.
That means that the church came together 52 times a year, or every
time there was a first day of the week.
(2) What was the purpose of these assemblies? Served a very important
purpose.
(1) To be strengthen and encouraged by partaking of their covenant
meal that had been established, ordained by Jesus in Matt. 26:26-29.
(2) Paul talked about this in 1 Cor. 11:17-34. Partaking of this
covenant meal every first day of the week is an ordained observance
given by Christ Himself.
(3) We come together for fellowship and together we praise, honor,
and remember what Jesus did on the cross. It is our covenant meal
in which we give honor and glory to God for our salvation. It
is commanded by God, how could we dare forsake this hallowed,
sacred, commanded observance?
(2) We are members of the Body of Christ. As Gods Family
we have a common bond to one another. We have a pure relationship
to a common Father and to one another.
(1) 1 Jno. 1:3, says, We have fellowship with one another
and our is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.
We are to honor God and Jesus by putting our fellowship above
all others.
(1) Rom. 12:5, We, being many, are one body in Christ, and
individually members of one another.
(2) Rom. 12:10, Be kindly affectionate to one another with
brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.
(3) Rom. 12:16, Be of the same mind toward one another.
Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble.
Do not be wise in your own opinion. That means that you
dont put any one in the world above your brother or sister
in Christ. Dont be high minded toward another Christen who
has less education, less wealth, wisdom, prestiege or less anything.
(2) God, Christ, the Church ( your Brothers and Sisters in Christ)
come first, above all other relationships and obligations in this
life.
(1) The ChurchYou and I are members of Christs Body.
Understand that!
(2) If any member of the Body is weak, ill, in need in any way
we had better respond to that need.
(3) Acts 2:41-47. The first congregation of Christians on earth
lived their lives for God and each other.
(1) Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus
from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood
of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work
to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight,
through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Heb 13:20?21.
(2) Acts 20:32.
Spur - 07/22/2001 am
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