The Communion of the Saints Part 1 What

The Communion of the Saints Part 1: What is the Church?

Introduction n “Jesus--Yes! Church--No!” So read a placard carried by a student. In this spiritually hungry age, the interest in the person of Jesus is unmistakable…. At the same time the popular image of the church is that of empty and decaying buildings. Thus the growing enthusiasm for Jesus seems tragically offset by the almost total disenchantment of the church. ” --David Watson

Introduction n Gallup pole: q q q Almost 8/10 Americans identify with a religion, In 2016: 89% of Americans believe in God. In 1937: 73% of “Christians” were a member of a church. In the 1980 s: 60% were members In 2015: 54% were members

Introduction n “I believe in the holy catholic church: the communion of saints. ” q catholic (lower case “c”) means universal

The Apostles’ Creed n n n n I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth: And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord: Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary: Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried: He descended into hell: The third day he rose again from the dead: He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty: From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead: I believe in the Holy Ghost: I believe in the holy catholic church: the communion of saints: The forgiveness of sins: The resurrection of the body: And the life everlasting. Amen.

The Apostles’ Creed 1. I believe in God the Father Almighty 2. And in Jesus Christ 3. I believe in the Holy Ghost 4. I believe in the holy catholic church: the communion of saints

Introduction “I’m spiritual but I’m not religious” = I believe in God, but I don’t believe in the church n

DISCIPLINES OF SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY n Major Topics/Disciplines of Systematic Theology: q q q q q Theology Proper—the study of God Christology—the study of Christ pneumatology—the study of the Holy Spirit Bibliology—the study of the Bible anthropology—the study of man hamartiology—the study of sin soteriology—the study of salvation ecclesiology—the study of the church eschatology—the study of future things

Our Series: The Communion of the Saints n The Doctrine of the Church: q q q q q What is the Church? The Mission of the Church The Case for Church Membership The Role of Doctrine in the Life of the Church Baptism The Lord’s Supper Understanding the Theology of the Lord’s Day The Corporate Worship of the Church The Government of the Church

Our Series: The Communion of the Saints n The Practice of the Church: q q q Fellowship, Love and Liberty The Unity and Diversity of the Church The Purity of the Church Use of Spiritual Gifts in the Church Tithing and Giving for the Church When the Church Disappoints: Dealing with Church Hurt

Introduction n What is the Church? q q q Identity Precedes Duty Being Precedes Doing Who we are must determine what we do

The Identity of the Church Communion of the Saints Community Union Community of the Saints In Union with Jesus Christ

The Identity of the Church n Definition of the Church: q Greg Allison: “The church is the people of God who have been saved through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ and have been incorporated into his body. ”

The Identity of the Church Apostles’ Creed Community Greg Allison “The church is the people of God” Of Saints “who have been saved through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ” In Union with Jesus Christ “and have been incorporated into his body”

The Identity of the Church Apostles’ Creed Community Greg Allison “The church is the people of God” Of Saints “who have been saved through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ” In Union with Jesus Christ “and have been incorporated into his body”

The Identity of the Church n The church is a community q q Jesus died to create A people The Bible speaks more frequently of Christ dying for His corporate people than Christ dying for individual people

The Identity of the Church Apostles’ Creed Community Greg Allison “The church is the people of God” Of Saints “who have been saved through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ” In Union with Jesus Christ “and have been incorporated into his body” n Only “saints” (believers) are a part of the church

The Identity of the Church Apostles’ Creed Community Greg Allison “The church is the people of God” Of Saints “who have been saved through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ” In Union with Jesus Christ “and have been incorporated into his body”

The Identity of the Church n n 1 Corinthians 12: “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. ” At conversion believers are united to Christ and to His body, the church

The Identity of the Church n The church is pictured as: q q q a holy and royal priesthood offering spiritual sacrifices to God (1 Peter 2: 5), a chosen race belonging to God (1 Peter 2: 9) a separate nation whose King is the eternal God (1 Peter 2: 9), a temple indwelt by the Spirit of God (Eph 2, 1 Peter 2: 4 -8), a set of branches connected to Jesus Christ as the Vine (John 15: 5)

The Identity of the Church n The church is pictured as: q q q a flock led by the Good Shepherd (John 10), a household or family sharing the common life of the eternal Father (Hebrews 3: 6), a body of which the Lord Jesus is the Head (Eph 1: 22 -23, 1 Cor 12: 12 -27), the New Humanity of God (Ephesians 2: 15), the Bride of Christ (Eph 5: 25 -32)

The Vocabulary of the Church n English term “church” q q q From Scottish word Kirk, and the German Kirche From Greek word kuriakon = “belonging to the Lord. ” 1 Corinthians 11: 20: Lord’s Supper Revelation 1: 10: Lord’s Day So church means: the people belonging to God

The Vocabulary of the Church n Biblical term “Church” (as translated in the Bible): q q q NOT from kuriakon, but from “ekklesia” Meaning “the called out ones” 1 Peter 2: 9: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. ”

The Manifestation of the Church n “ekklesia” occurs 109 times in the New Testament with reference to the church The Church Universal Local

The Manifestation of the Church n Definition of the Universal church: q The London Baptist Confession of Faith: “The catholic or universal church, which may be called invisible, consists of the whole number of the elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one, under Christ, the head thereof. ”

The Manifestation of the Church n The Universal Church: q q q The true Christian church in all times and in all places Colossians 1: 18: “He is also head of the body, the church. ” Ephesians 5: 25: “Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her. ”

The Manifestation of the Church Universal Local Invisible Visible catholic (lower case c)

The Manifestation of the Church n n The Local Church: a gathered congregation of believers in one location “ekklesia” is nearly always used to describe a local church q q 1 Corinthians 1: 2, “the church at Corinth” Galatians 1: 2: “the churches of Galatia. ” 1 Thessalonians 1: 1: “the church at Thessalonica” Galatians 1: 22 “the churches of Judea. ”

The Manifestation of the Church Universal Local Invisible Visible catholic (lower case c)

The Manifestation of the Church n The Invisible Church q q q Wayne Grudem: “The invisible church is the church as God sees it. ” God infallibly knows who is a true believer and who is not. 2 Tim 2: 19: “The Lord knows those who are His. ”

The Manifestation of the Church Universal Local Invisible Visible catholic (lower case c)

The Manifestation of the Church n The Visible Church q q q Grudem defines the visible church as: “The visible church is the church as Christians on earth see it. ” Includes all who profess faith and give evidence of salvation But is fallible—We cannot tell who is a true believer and who is not

The Manifestation of the Church Universal Local Invisible Visible catholic (lower case c) “I believe in the holy catholic church. ” catholic = universal

The Manifestation of the Church n Roman Catholic Church literally means “Roman Universal Church”

The Marks of the Church n What makes a church?

The Marks of the Church n The distinction between true and healthy False Churches True Churches Less healthy More healthy

The Marks of the Church The Right Doctrine of the Word of God The True Church The Right Administration of the Ordinances The Right Exercise of Church Discipline

The Marks of the Church n Augsburg Confession: “the Church is the congregation of the saints in which the gospel is rightly taught and the sacraments are rightly administered. ”

The Marks of the Church n n The 39 articles of the Anglican Church: “The visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men in which the pure Word of God is preached and the sacraments be duly administered, according to Christ’s ordinance. ” Calvin: “Wherever we see the word of God sincerely preached and heard, wherever we see the sacraments administered according to the institution of Christ, there we cannot have any doubt that the Church of God has some existence. ”

The Marks of the Church n The Belgic Confession Article 29: “The true church can be recognized if it has the following marks: The church engages in the pure preaching of the gospel; it makes use of the pure administration of the sacraments as Christ instituted them; it practices church discipline for correcting faults. ”

The Marks of the Church The Right Doctrine of the Word of God The True Church The Right Administration of the Ordinances The Right Exercise of Church Discipline

The Marks of the Church n Doctrinal Purity q 1 Timothy 3: 15 says that the church is: “the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth. ”

The Marks of the Church The Right Doctrine of the Word of God The True Church The Right Administration of the Ordinances The Right Exercise of Church Discipline

The Marks of the Church n The Ordinances: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper q Given to the local church to perform

The Marks of the Church The Right Doctrine of the Word of God The True Church The Right Administration of the Ordinances The Right Exercise of Church Discipline

The Marks of the Church n Church Discipline q q 1 Peter 2: 9: “a holy nation. ” 1 Peter 1: 16: “You shall be holy, for I am holy. ”

The Marks of the Church The Right Doctrine of the Word of God The True Church The Right Administration of the Ordinances The Right Exercise of Church Discipline

The Marks of the Church True Doctrine The True Church True Practice True Holiness

The Purpose of the Church Exaltation Edification Education Evangelism