February 27, 2022

THE DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH

February 27, 2022

Pastor Jonathan Falwell

 

Goals in life are not just made at New Year’s—we often plan to discipline ourselves to do something that will require persevering. Then something, whether a bitter word, an antagonistic friend or a million other excuses causes us to quit. Can someone share?

As we continue our series on the basic doctrines of the Christian faith, we see that the founding fathers of Thomas Road Baptist Church drafted a doctrinal statement of beliefs that covers all that is necessary to lay the foundation for the existence of a local church. Each week we have quoted a portion that applies to a different doctrine, as we do today concerning the local church body: “We affirm that the church is a local assembly of baptized believers, under the discipline of the Word of God and the Lordship of Christ, organized to carry out the commission to evangelize, to teach, and to administer the ordinances of believer’s baptism and the Lord’s table. Its officers are pastors and deacons, and it is self-governing. It functions through the ministry of gifts given by the Holy Spirit to each believer.”

What is the church?

  • The Ekklesia. Read Acts 2:41-42. How did Luke define the beginning of the church? What does ekklesia mean? What are we “called out” from?
  • Those are Called Out for a purpose. What did the church look like during this time? Where were they meeting?

What is the church supposed to do?

Reach: organized to…evangelize

  • What was the first thing listed in the doctrinal statement above that the church was to do? Read Acts 2:41 again. What was the main function of the church? What do communion and baptism represent? Read Matt. 28:18-20. Who was Jesus speaking to? Why is this command as relevant today as it was at that time?
  • What is the only thing that will limit the reach of the church of God? How can we make sure we are not lukewarm in carrying out His command in Matt. 28:18-20?
  • Is our God whom we serve today in 2022 the same God who drew souls by the thousands in the days of the apostles?

Teach: and…administer the ordinances

  • Read Acts 2:42a. What do we need to be teaching? Read 2 Tim. 2:15. How can we accurately tell others if we are not saturated by the Word in our own lives?
  • Read Eph. 4:14. How does this illustrate the lives of those who never read God’s Word? Why is it so important that we share the gospel with unbelievers?

Serve: submitting to God and Christ…

  • Read Acts 2:44-45. Why did the new believers do the things listed in these verses? What were some reasons they were pulling together as one in this manner? What is our responsibility today to other believers? Read Gal. 6:10 and Phil. 2:3. Is this how Paul saw our service in meeting the needs of others?
  • What are some of the ways we are currently serving God by being a servant in our church and community? Is this possibly what Jesus meant in Matt. 10:42?

Fellowship: ..a local assembly of baptized believers

  • Read verses 42b and 46. As we read about the fellowship of these believers, we realize their inability to travel far often created problems we do not have. How do today’s local churches pull together in similar ways? What are some hindrances we incur? How does God desire to use the local church today?
  • What are some ways our church meets the need for friendship with people around us? Do we tend to congregate with our “own kind” (clique, money, etc), shutting others out?

Worship

  • What are some acts of worship that we perform collectively as a church body?
  • What are some of the ways we worship God in private? Read Psa. 29:2, 95:1, John 4:23, 9:31. What can be some personal ways to worship?

Close

What does the local church body mean to you personally? Take another look at the doctrinal statement as to the purpose of the church, asking yourself, ‘as a member of (whatever local church), do I do each of these things, or do I have areas where I am lukewarm, or unconcerned, or lacking in skills that I can learn? Do I congregate with those who are like me (money, status, etc.) to the exclusion of those who make me uncomfortable?’ Make it a priority to be friendly to those you don’t know, and learn a new name each week. Remember our mission statement: “Love God, love people.”

Do you attend a church that is everything a church should be? Does the pastor preach God’s Word with authority, or does he focus on unimportant illustrations or stories? Ponder this as you study this lesson, being certain your church is above all, solid in doctrine, as well as involved in reaching the lost of your community, meeting the needs of those around you, and spreading the gospel to other places. If it isn’t, be the catalyst!

Churches today should be a sanctuary for anyone who comes. They should be a place to embrace worship, to see opportunities to serve, to teach those who need guidance, to make friends, and to exercise the gifts that encourage and edify others. They should be ready to love the addicted, the rejected, and the lost. They should be like a large family where people are accepted for who they are, and their habits or differences become part of the diversity. Color should not matter, habits should not irritate, and love should always be in plentiful supply. You should look forward to going to your church with as much enthusiasm as you would exhibit if you were going to visit a beloved part of your family. Help your church become a role model in your community!

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