Transcript Document 7754044

Who is Jesus?
Why did Jesus die?
How Can I Be Sure of my Faith?
Why and How Should I Read the Bible?
Why and How Do I Pray?
How Does God Guide Us?
The “AwayDay”
Who is the Holy Spirit?
What does the Holy Spirit Do?
How Can I Be Filled With the Spirit?
How Can I Make the Most of My Life?
How Can I Resist Evil?
Why & How Should We Tell Others?
Does God Heal Today?
What
about
the
Church?
What
about the
Church?
“If all the people who fell
asleep in church on
Sunday morning were laid
out end to end …
they would be a great deal
more comfortable!”
Abraham Lincoln
hard pews … unsingable tunes …
enforced silence … excruciating boredom?
What is “church”?
a profession?
an institution?
architecture?
What
about the
Church?
The people of God
 the church is made up of people
 baptism - a sign of belonging
 “ekklesia” (Greek word for church)
means assembly, gathering
 Banbury Baptist Church Centre
 all those worldwide and down
the ages who profess or have
professed the name of Christ
What
about the
Church?
The people of God
 1,700,000,000 adherents
 254 countries
 32.9% of world population
 in some countries, 80% of
population
 in some places, persecuted
and “underground”
 in the West, numerical decline
What
about the
Church?
The people of God
Different “dimensions” …
Celebration - at New Wine
special - inspiring - vision
What
about the
Church?
The people of God
Different “dimensions” …
Congregation - at the Church Centre
local - know most people - acceptance
What
about the
Church?
The people of God
Different “dimensions” …
“Cell” - small group
closest friendships - intimacy - accountability
What
about the
Church?
The family of God
What
about the
Church?
 all who receive Jesus become children of
God …
John 1 12
 … so we belong to one another
 the relationship cannot be “undone” even
when there are differences!
 Jesus prayed “that they may
be one”
John 17 11
 Paul says “make every effort
to keep the unity of the
Spirit”
Ephesians 4 3
The family of God
What
about the
Church?
“On necessary matters, unity;
on questionable matters, liberty;
in everything, love”
Rupertus Meldenius, 1582 - 1651
“One Church …
many congregations”
Banbury Christians Together
The family of God
What
about the
Church?
“When you travel by air and the
plane lifts off the ground, the
walls and hedges which may seem
large and impressive at ground
level, at once lose their
significance … seated with Christ
in the heavenly places, the
differences between Christians
can often seem petty and
marginal”
David Watson
The family of God
What
about the
Church?
“koinonia” - sharing, having in common
“The New Testament knows
nothing of solitary religion”
John Wesley
“At home in my house there
is no warmth or vigour in
one, but in the church
where the multitude is
gathered together, a fire Martin
Luther
in kindled in my heart and it
breaks its way through”
The body of Christ
What
about the
Church?
“Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
Acts 9 4
 picture of the church as the
body of Christ in 1 Corinthians
 many parts, different gifts,
different working
 all have something to give
 all need each other
The body of Christ
John Wimber
What
about the
Church?
A Holy Temple
What
about the
Church?
 the only church building the New
Testament speaks of is made up of people
Ephesians 2 22
 … and Jesus is the “cornerstone”
Ephesians 2
20
 all Christians are “priests” and have
“access” to God
 sacrificing priests are no
longer needed - we
remember one final sacrifice
A Holy Temple
What
about the
Church?
 looking back with thanks
 looking forward with
anticipation
 looking around at family
 looking up in expectation
“Do this
remembering
me”
The Bride of Christ
What
about the
Church?
 Paul uses the analogy of husband
and wife to describe the
relationship between the church
and Christ
Ephesians 5 25-27
 this speaks of intimate union and
mutual love
 the church is becoming what it
shall be!
 the picture continues in Revelation
Revelation 21 12