Outline:
I. Description of the Church
A. Definition of the word, “ekklesia”
B. Universal and local churches defined
1. Universal church
2. Local church
C. Biblical terminology for the church
1. Body
2. Household/house
3. Temple
4. Dwelling
5. Bride
6. Field
7. Priesthood
8. Flock
D. The difference between Israel and the church
1. Their births
a. Israel
b. Church
2. Their characteristics
a. Israel
b. Church
3. Their futures
a. Israel
b. Church
II. Leadership in the church
A. Elder, deacon and deaconess
1. Their roles
a. The elder
b. The deacon
c. The deaconess
2. Their spiritual qualifications
a. Qualifications of an elder
b. Qualifications of a deacon
c. Qualifications of a deaconess
3. Their function
a. Function of an elder
b. Function of a deacon
c. Function of a deaconess
B. Evangelist and pastor
1. The evangelist
2. The pastor
III. Purpose of the Church
A. Glorification
B. Evangelism
C. Edification discipleship
D. Fellowship
E. Worship
IV. Function of the Church
A. Ministering the Word of God
B. Ordinances
1. Baptism
a. Spiritual baptism
1. Significance
2. Recipients
3. Mode
4. Spiritual baptism from the Book of Acts
b. Water baptism
1. Significance
2. Recipients (Believers, not infants)
3. Mode
2. Lord’s Supper
a. Significance
b. Recipients
c. Mode
C. Giving
1. Principle of giving
2. Frequency of giving
3. Attitudes of giving:
4. Ultimate issue of giving
D. Serving/gifts
1. Examples of our Savior
2. Attitudes of service in the body
3. Spiritual gifts and the body of Christ
E. Church discipline
1. Purpose of discipline:
2. Process for believers to deal with discipline
3. Ways for the church to deal with discipline
F. Relationships in the church (“One another” statements)
1. Colossians 3:12-17
2. Responsibilities to “one another” in the body of Christ
3. Things we are to do to strengthen the church (total of 7)
4. Things we are not to do in order to strengthen the church (total of 6)
V. Goals of the Church
A. Manifesting faith
1. The definition of faith — Heb 11:1-3
2. The kind of faith that pleases God — Heb 11:6; 10:37-39
3. The kind of faith that is our foundation for living — 2 Cor. 5:7; Jude 20
B. Manifesting hope
1. The definition of hope — 1 Cor. 9:10-11; Eph. 2:11-12
2. The reason we can have hope — 1 Peter 1:3
3. The focus of our hope — 1 Tim. 1:1; Col. 1:3-5
C. Manifesting love
1. The definition of love
2. The consequences of not having love
3. The strength of love
4. The necessity of love
D. Manifesting unity
1. The definition of unity
2. The importance of unity in the body
3. The necessity of unity
VI. Organization/administration of the church
A. Necessity for organization — Exodus 18:13-27
B. Necessity of administration — Acts 6:1-6
VII. Being an effective Church
A. Being a culturally-relevant church
B. Being a church that manifests the truths from this study
VIII. Congregations’ responsibility to their leaders
BODY
V. Goals of the Church
1 Corinthians 13:13:
“But now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these
is love.”
These three qualities are the measuring stick that the Apostle Paul used
to determine the spiritual maturity of a church. These qualities in
conjunction with unity in the body create an environment in the church
that sets us apart from the rest of the world as disciples of Christ. We
will stand out as unique and these will be the backdrop to effective
evangelism to the lost world around us.
Faith, hope, love and unity — four qualities that God must see in the
local church if we expect to please Him and live a meaningful life for Him.
A. Manifesting faith
1. The definition of faith — Heb 11:1-3
a. Definition of faith — vs. 1
1. It is the assurance of things hoped for — vs. 1a
2. The conviction of things not seen — vs. 1b-2
b. Example of faith — vs. 3
2. The kind of faith that pleases God — Heb 11:6; 10:37-39
a. Without faith it is impossible to please God — Heb. 11:6
b. Without faith God takes no pleasure in us — Heb. 10:37-39
3. The kind of faith that is our foundation for living — 2 Cor. 5:7;
Jude 20
a. We are to walk by our faith and not our sight — 2 Cor. 5:7
b. We are to use our faith as our foundation for living — Jude 20
B. Manifesting hope
1. The definition of hope — 1 Cor. 9:10-11; Eph. 2:11-12
a. Something we look forward to — 1 Cor. 9:10-11
1. Initial definition of hope.
2. Completed definition of hope.
b. Something only Christians can have — Eph. 2:11-12
2. The reason we can have hope — 1 Peter 1:3
a. Because we have been born again.
b. Because of the resurrection.
3. The focus of our hope — 1 Tim. 1:1; Col. 1:3-5
a. Jesus Christ — 1 Tim. 1:1
b. Heaven — Col. 1:3-5
C. Manifesting love
1. The definition of love — vss. 4-6
a. What love is
1. Love is patient — vs. 4a
Or long-suffering toward those who have wronged you.
2. Love is kind — vs. 4b
Or benevolent toward others, goodhearted.
3. Love is not jealous — vs. 4c
Or not envious toward others, what they have, their
position, etc.
4. Love is not arrogant — vs. 4e
Or not haughty or full of pride over one’s position,
status or possessions.
5. Love is not provoked — vs. 5c
Or is not easily brought to anger by someone or against
someone.
6. Love rejoices with the truth — vs. 6b
Or is glad with or about the truth and things that are
true.
b. What love is not
1. Love does not brag — vs. 4d
Or does not boast or elevate oneself, their position or
possessions.
2. Love does not act unbecomingly — vs. 5a
Or does not act rudely toward others.
3. Love does not seek its own — vs. 5b
Or does not desire to please only oneself and not others.
4. Love does not take into account a wrong suffered — vs. 5d
Or does not keep any record of wrongs.
5. Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness — vs. 6a
Or does not rejoice in the sin, evil or wrongdoings of
others.
2. The consequences of not having love — vss. 1-3
a. I am destitute — vs. 1
b. I am unimportant — vs. 2
c. I am profited nothing — vs. 3
3. The strength of love — vss. 7-8a
a. Love bears all things — vs. 7a
Or to protect or cover others from wrongful things.
b. Love believes all things — vs. 7b
Or to have faith and trust in others.
c. Love hopes all things — vs. 7c
Or to have confidence in, thinking and looking for the best in
others.
d. Love endures all things — vs. 7d
Or to stand alongside someone no matter what.
e. Love never fails — vs. 8a
Or love is never insufficient or lacking in any situation or
task.
4. The necessity of love
a. In our relationship with believers — 1 John 4:7-8
b. In our relationship with unbelievers — John 13:34-35
D. Manifesting unity
1. The definition of unity — Eph. 2:14-18
a. Having oneness — vss. 14a, 15b
b. Having no barriers or dividing walls — vs. 14b
c. Having no enmity — vs. 15a
d. Having peace evident — vs. 15c
e. Having been reconciled through the cross — vs. 16
f. Having cohesion through the Holy Spirit — vss. 17-18
2. The importance of unity in the body
a. It is to be protected — Eph. 4:3; Titus 3:10-11
b. It is foundational to our faith — Eph. 4:4-6
c. It is to rule in our hearts — Col. 3:14-15
d. It is good and pleasant — Psa. 133
e. It is pleasing to God — cf. Pro. 6:16-19
3. The necessity of unity
a. For believers — Eph. 4:12-13
b. For unbelievers — John 17:21-23
EXAMPLE OF A CHURCH THAT MANIFESTS THESE CHARACTERISTICS:
Church: Thessalonian church
References: 1 Thes. 1:1-10; 3:4-13; 4:9-10,13
FAITH:
HOPE:
LOVE:
UNITY:
WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF THESE CHARACTERISTICS IN RELATIONSHIP TO
EVANGELISM AND COMMUNITY REPUTATION:
References: Matt. 5:16; John 13:34-35; 17:21-23; Acts 2:44-47; 2 Cor. 3:1- 6; Eph. 4:1; Php. 1:27; 2:12-16; Col. 1:10; 1 Thes. 2:12
1. We are to let our light shine before men in such a way that God will
be glorified — Matt. 5:16
2. We are to love the brethren in such a way that the world will know
that we are Christ’s disciples — John 13:34-35
3. We are to be unified so that the world will know that God sent Jesus
and we are His — John 17:21-23
4. We are to live in the body in such a way that by our relationships
people desire to come to Christ — Acts 2:44-47
5. We are an open letter for all to read — so we need to be careful how
we live — 2 Cor. 3:1-6
6. We are to walk worthy according to our calling — Eph. 4:1
7. We are to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel — Php.
1:27
8. We are to live blamelessly and innocently in this perverse world —
Php. 2:12-16
9. We are to walk worthy in all respects to please Him, bear fruit and
increase in knowledge — Col. 1:10
10. We are to walk worthy in a manner of our God who called us — 1 Thes.
2:12
SUMMARIZE THE STATEMENTS ABOVE AS THEY RELATE TO EVANGELISM AND
THE BODY OF CHRIST:
Christians are to be like fish in a fish bowl for all to admire. What
they see in the body is love for each other and unity as well as our faith
manifested through our good works. As open letters, all that know us will
read us and see if our faith is real or phony. What they should see are
believers that walk holy, blameless, pleasing to God, bearing much fruit,
and walking in a manner worthy of our God. As a result these things
should draw the unsaved to Christ, not drive them away.
VI. Organization/administration of the church
A. Necessity for organization — Exodus 18:13-27
ORGANIZATION DEFINED: A systematized structure of people holding
various positions for the purpose of carrying out a specific
goal.
1. Original organizational structure — vss. 13-16
2. Problem with the original organizational structure — vss. 17-18
3. Proposed reorganizational structure — vss. 19-23
4. Reorganized organizational structure — vss. 24-26
CHURCH ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES
PASTOR CONGREGATION ELDERS
OVERSEES OVERSEES OVERSEE
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CHURCH ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
1. To facilitate order in the church — 1 Cor. 14:33,40
2. To have people in position to carry out specific functions and
share the workload — cf. Exo. 18:25-26; Acts 6:3; Heb. 13:17
3. To give people within the church a sense of order and stability —
cf. Acts 6:5
4. To facilitate efficiency in accomplishing the organization’s
goals — cf. Exo. 18:14, 25-26
5. To have a structure in place to deal with problems — cf. Exo.
18:21-22; Acts 15:1-2
B. Necessity of administration — Acts 6:1-6
ADMINISTRATION DEFINED: The process of planning, supervising, organizing, controlling, delegating and motivating others to a specific goal.
1. Administrational problem — vs. 1
2. Solution to administrational problem — vss. 2-4
3. Implementation to correct the administrational problem — vss. 5-6
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CHURCH ADMINISTRATION FUNCTION
1. To have people and systems in place in order to handle specific
needs — Acts 6:1,5
2. To facilitate planning so that goals and tasks will be
accomplished — cf. 2 Tim. 2:2
3. To oversee the organization so that the organization’s principles,
goals and purpose are met (Paul’s concern for Timothy) — cf.
1 Tim. 4:12-16; 2 Tim. 4:1-5; 1 Pet. 5:2-3
4. To oversee those in the organization and be there to assist them
when necessary — cf. Heb. 13:17; Exo. 18:26
VII. Being an effective Church
A. Being a culturally-relevant church (From “Sharpening the Focus of the
Church,” Getz)
KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE THINGS THAT ARE:
FUNCTION FORM
THOSE THINGS THAT ARE THOSE THINGS THAT ARE
ABSOLUTE AND SUPRA- NON ABSOLUTE AND CULTURAL
CULTURAL
Function or principles or truth Form or patterns, tradition or
from Scripture must be obeyed! methods that we see in the
They are absolutes that are Scriptures accompanying function
supracultural (above the culture) — though usually incomplete.
They are non absolutes
cultural — things that can be
changed as needed.
We need to be able to tell the difference between those things that are
function and form so that we do not become like the Pharisees, supporting
non absolutes and not biblical absolutes (cf. Mark 7:1-13).
WHAT IS FUNCTION AND WHAT IS FORM IN THESE PASSAGES?
FUNCTION FORM
Acts 6:3 Administration by deacons Undefined
1 Cor. 11:23-25 Lord’s Supper Undefined
1 Cor. 16:2 Principle of giving Undefined
1 Thes. 5:17 We are to pray Undefined
1 Tim. 4:13 Ministry of the Word Undefined
James 1:22 Application of the Word Undefined
B. Being a church that manifests the truths from this study
We have looked at many things in this study to apply, and if you do
that, you will take big strides toward having an effective church. So
study these truths and make them a reality in your church.
VIII. Congregations’ responsibility to their leaders
A. They are to pay them for their work — 1 Cor. 9:14
B. They are to appreciate and highly esteem them in love — 1 Thes.
5:12-13
C. They are to pray for them — 1 Tim. 2:1-2; 1 Thes. 5:25
D. They should pay them well if they are laboring diligently — 1 Tim.
5:17-18
E. They are not to accuse them unless there are two or three witnesses
— 1 Tim. 5:19
F. They are to publicly rebuke them for sin as an example to all —
1 Tim. 5:20
G. They are to obey them and not make their task of overseeing
difficult — Heb. 13:17