Church

 

What is the Church?

The Church of Jesus Christ consists of you and me.  When we get born again we get baptised in the blood of Jesus into the Church.  Just like your body has many parts that are crucial for your body to operate effectively so does the Church have many parts which consist of born again believers.

1 Corinthians 12:12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body.  So it is with the body of Christ. 13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free.  But we have all been baptised into the body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. 14 Yes the body has many different parts, not just one part.  27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.

 

Just like your arm can not operate on its own without your body, so you cannot operate without other believers.  All body parts are needed for the body to work together.  These scriptures make it quite clear that we belong to the body of Christ and have a responsibility to one another.

Romans 12:4 just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, 5 so it is with Christ’s body.  We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.

 

The function of the church is to equip you and me to fulfil Mark 16:15-18.  I heard people say so often that the pastor of the church must do everything in the church because he or she gets paid for it?  This is not how God designed His Church.  It is the born again believers job to go out there and get the lost saved.  The church has to teach us how. (Ephesians 4:11-12)

 

Why must I go to church? I can serve God on my own?

I have come across many people that feel that they can serve God on their own.  Their argument is that they can read their Bible and pray by themselves.  They will also argue that God loves them just the way they are and they don’t need to go to church.

 

It is true that God loves you just the way you are.  It is also true that you can read your Bible and pray on your own.  The question you must ask yourself is:  will I grow into spiritual maturity without getting taught the Word of God?  Can I effectively lead an unbeliever to Christ, Baptise them in water and the Holy Spirit, lay hands on the sick and they recover etc?  Can your hand operate without your arm? (Romans 10:14-15)

 

You are called to mature in Christ so that you can go out and do the work of the ministry.

A local church is a celebration centre, where believers get together and celebrate the fact that they are saved by the blood of Jesus.  They celebrate each other’s fellowship.  They carry one another in prayer.  Believers carry one another in love through hard times, help one another to overcome.  They learn together, grow together.

 

A local church is you spiritual home.  You have a responsibility to the leadership as well as your fellow believers. Hebrews 10:24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.  25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near.

 

If you look at lions hunting buffalo you will always find them isolating a baby.  The same is true when you don’t go to church, it is very easy for the enemy to isolate you and attack and hurt you.  The local church covers you by means of teaching and prayer.

 

The Jesus@Work book is designed to answer all possible questions that you might have on the subject.  This book is also pocket size and is specifically designed to get people saved and to serve as a tool that will enable all of us to do the work of the ministry just as Jesus commanded in Mark 16:15-18. Please note that this is only a summary, The Church – Body of Christ is explained in full detail in the book.