Welcome to the Church
Notes
Transcript
The human body is awesome!
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: Marvellous are thy works; And that my soul knoweth right well.
Our bodies are so complex that we are still learning and discovering new things about ourselves.
We often think about the major parts of the body:
Arm
Leg
Hand
Fingers
Foot
Toes
Eye
Torso
Heart
Lungs
Stomach
We can go even deeper than that:
I did some research, and, from what a myriad of science journals speaking to the incredible nature of the human body, there is estimated to be about 30 trillion cells in the one’s physical body.
Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; And in thy book all my members were written, Which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
Before each of our 30 trillion cells were even made, God had them all recorded
Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
God sees life in the womb - the very moment we are conceived, life begins according to God
The Lord didn’t see just a glob of cells when you were in the womb, but rather He saw you. He saw me.
For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
Our body is one, yet many, many members, and yet we are still one
Paul uses our body and the trillions of members to illustrate Christ.
The Church is Christ’s Body
The Church is Christ’s Body
For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
So also is Christ
Christ has a body with many, many members
Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
Christ is the head of the church and the body is the church
At this time, there many local churches that believe the Gospel.
Jesus speaks to John about 7 local churches:
Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;
And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;
And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;
And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;
And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.
And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;
And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
There are many local churches around the world today that are preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ
One day, when Jesus returns in the rapture, the church past, present, and future will be called together to be with Lord.
And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
The Welcoming into the Church
The Welcoming into the Church
For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Stuart, Liam, Connor - spiritually born-again
Adam choose to sin death entered the picture
This is how we are born:
And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:
We are born spiritually dead
We hear the Gospel
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved
The HS then does the what only the power of Christ in the Gospel can do:
And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Our spirit is quickened, made alive, and we are born again
It is the same HS that all believers are born into the family of God through:
Then the HS:
For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
Baptised - immersed
Just as we are born into our family and immersed into the lifestyle, culture, and atmosphere of the family
The HS immerses us into the body of Jesus Christ, the church
Every child of God will one day be part of the church of God
Now we are part of the local churches designed by God to give us a taste of what it will be like when Jesus is our Prophet, Priest, and King
No matter who is saved, ALL are immersed into the body of Christ
Jew or Gentile
Bond or free - societal standing - Servant or being served
Jesus teaches us about drinking of the Spirit:
In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
As we come to Christ, the HS teaches us what Jesus wants us to do
Think for a moment of the human body. The basic unit in the human body is the cell. Each cell comes complete with a copy of the master plan that controls its particular function in the body. The blueprint, often called “the code of life,” is carried in large chemical molecules known as DNA—deoxyribonucleic acid. It is the DNA that tells the cellular components how to behave. It is this code that makes us different from everyone else.
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Along with the DNA there are companion molecules of RNA that decipher the code in the DNA so that the various parts that make up the body can be built.
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Wonderfully the HS puts each of us into the exact place that best furthers the news of Jesus:
For the body is not one member, but many.
The HS knows what cell needs to placed where
The body is to work together
The local church is God’s way to further Jesus Christ. We welcome you to become part of God’s designed plan.