Getting to gripswith the Church

Session 1:What is Church?

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What’s the first word that comes to mind when you think of ‘church’?

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“I'm completely in favor of the separation of Church and State. My idea is that these two institutions screw us up enough on their own, so both of them together is certain death.”

George Carlin, American comedian/actor

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“Sailors ought never to go to church. They ought to go to hell, where it is much more comfortable.”

H. G. Wells, Author/Journalist

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“The local church is the hope of the world, and its future rests primarily in the hands of its leaders.”

Bill Hybels, Pastor/Author

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“The Church is the only society that exists for the benefit of those who are not its members”

William Temple, former Archbishop of Canterbury

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“A church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints”

Abigail Van Buren, Journalist/Agony Aunt

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“…the church is not an institution, a museum, or private club, but rather the community of those who have been and are being healed.”

Alison Morgan, Author

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“Church isn’t where you meet. Church isn’t a building. Church is what you do. Church is who you are. Church is the human outworking of the person of Jesus Christ. Let’s not go to Church, let’s be the Church.” Bridget Willard, Author

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So what is Church really all about?

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Act 1: Creation

Act 2: Rebellion

Act 3: Israel

Act 4: Jesus

Act 5: Church

Act 6: New creation

The Bible as a 6 act play...

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Act 3: Israel – God chooses a people

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Act 4: Jesus – Jesus builds

church (people)

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Ekklesia “called out ones”

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“The task of the church is to be the irrefutable demonstration and proof of the fact that God is love.”

Steve Chalke, Leader/Author

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What should the church look like?What should it look like in practice for the church to be the “irrefutable demonstration and proof of that fact that God is love”?

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Session 2:Being the church Part 1

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- A building (1 Corinthians 3:9)

- A body (Romans 12:4-5)

- A family (Hebrews 2:11)

- A bride (Revelation 19:7)

The church is like

Acts 2:42-47

“They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

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The early church was a bible-loving church

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The early church was a praying church

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The early church was a worshipping church

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The early church was a fellowshipping church

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The early church was a witnessing church

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Sharing communion

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Session 3:Being the church Part 2 - A united church

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We need God and we need each other

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Fellowship

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True fellowship is ‘koinonia’ – deeply connected and committed

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“I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

John 17:22 -23

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Jesus prayed that the church would be one

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus”

Galatians 3:28

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Paul understood this

“Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.”

1 Peter 3:8

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Peter understood this

“And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.”

1 John 3:23

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John understood this

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The church – where no-one stands alone

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- Supporting each other (Galatians 6:2)

- Inspire each other (Hebrews 10:24)

- Encourage each other (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

- Confess our mistakes to each other (James 5:16)

Live out the ‘one anothers’

- Forgive each other (Colossians 3:13)

- Love each other (1 John 3:16-18)

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Live out the ‘one anothers’

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“I am thoroughly convinced that if Christians practiced the ‘one anothers’ to any degree at all, 90% of my Christian clients wouldn’t need me – and all the others – Christan or non-Christian – would flock to the church where it was happening”

Psychologist

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Session 4:Being churchPart 3 - A witnessing church

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The Great Commandment of Matthew 22 challenges us to Love God and Love People wholeheartedly.

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The Great Commission in Matthew 28 challenges us to go into all people groups and make disciples of Christ.

Jesus’ final words in Acts 1:8 remind us that we are sent as witnesses to the ends of the earth – beginning with our own communities – in the power of the Spirit.

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“It’s not the church of God that has a mission, but the God of mission who has a church”

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“God says, Can’t stand your religion – it turns my stomach. I detest your meetings. Yeah, fine, you bring me your offerings by the book, but I’ll throw them back in your smug faces. You bring me your peace offerings, but they mean nothing; so I’ll ignore them. Oh, and your songs: just shut up; they’re doing my head in! If I hear one more tambourine, I’m going to scream. What I want to hear is the roaring river of justice sweeping through your towns. What I want is for the right things you do to wash away the dry, hard, crusted build up of evil”

Amos 5:21-24 (The Word on the Street)

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Do you have beautiful feet? Romans 10:13-15

“…the great tragedy in the church is not that rich Christians do not care about the poor but that rich Christians do not know the poor”

Shane Claiborne, Author

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“These are extreme times…The question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate or for love?”

Dr Martin Luther King, Political Activist

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“The greatest cause of atheism is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, then walk out the door and deny him with their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply find unbelievable”

Brennan Manning

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- They were filled with awe (Acts 2:43)

- God did wonders and miraculous signs (Acts 2:43)

- Needs were met (Acts 2:45)

- They enjoyed the favour of people (Acts 2:47)

When the early church lived like Jesus, the impact was absolutely amazing:

- People got saved everyday (Acts 2:47)

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Decision time: Will you build up

or pull down the church?

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Consider these questions…

- What are the needs in our community that need to be met by the church?

- What does it mean for the church to be a relevant, counter-cultural witness in our community?

- How can the churches in my community work together to achieve more?

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