TITLE: THE LOCAL CHURCH
LESSON: FIVE
INTRODUCTION: God wants you to be a member of a LOCAL NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH.
God has established three major institutions on this earth: the family, civil government, and the local
New Testament church. The local church has been commissioned by God to carry out His purpose in
training the believer to reach the lost, encouraging the saved, and various other service. God's plan
for a Christian will always be fulfilled in and through the local church. This is verified in the New Testament.
The purpose of this lesson is to impress upon the individual Christian the central role the local church
should play in his or her everyday life.
I. What is a local church?
A. It isn't a building. Acts 14:27
1. We are to worship God in spirit and truth. John 4:24
2. Our bodies are the Temple of God. 1 Cor. 6:19
B. It isn't a denomination or group of congregations.
C. The term "local" church distinguishes a specific body of believers (congregation) serving and ministering
in a particular geographical location.
1. 1 Corinthians 12:27. The Bible refers to the church at Corinth (and all other New Testament churches)
as the "body of Christ."
2. The Bible compares the church body to the human body. 1 Cor. 12:12-27
a. Each body is composed of many "members", verse 12.
b. Each member has a different function, verses 14-20.
c. No one member can function alone, verse 21.
d. Each member's contribution is important, verses 22-24.
e. A properly functioning body operates as a single unit, verses 25-27.
D. A good definition of the local church is "A body of baptized believers (Acts 2:41) in whom Christ dwells
(Revelation 1:13), under the discipline of the Word of God (Matthew 28:20) organized for evangelism (Mark, 16:15)
discipleship (Matthew 28:19), worship (Philippians 3:3), fellowship (Acts 2:41,42), education (1 Corinthians 4:17),
and the administration of the two ordinances (Acts 2:41, 42).
II. What is the function of a local church?
A. Jesus Christ organized the first church during his earthly ministry for the following purposes:
1. Evangelism *Acts 2:41
2. Teaching the word of God, *Acts 2:42
3. Fellowship with other believers or church members. *verse 42
4. Prayer, *verse 42
5. Observance of the two ordinances of the church: baptism-verse 41 and the Lord's supper-verse 42.
6. Praise, worship, and glorifying God, *verse 47
7. Missions worldwide, *Mark 16:15
B. A very important priority of the local church is to edify (build up) the saints so that they can serve the Lord as effectively as possible. *Ephesians 4:11-16
III. How does a church member function in the local church, the body of Christ?
A. There are three broad, general stages outlined in Ephesians 4:12.
1. The perfecting of the particular member -- spiritually maturing by submitting to the teaching of the word of God
and thereby being molded into the kind of person God wants him to be. *Matthew 11:28-30
2. Growing to the point where he can begin to serve and take on some basic functions or work, through already established ministries of the home church. *Matthew 4:19; James 1:22-25
3. Edifying the body of Christ, the local church. Ministering to others in the same way that others have ministered to him or her. *2 Timothy 2:2; 1 John 2:14-29
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