We are continuing in our study on the Great Bible Doctrines. Tonight we will discuss the Kingdom of God, the church. God’s church is an important subject, and it is necessary to have an understanding of the church.
As we talk about the first part of this lesson this evening, we point out the fact that the Kingdom of God on earth is the church. Certainly there is one and only one. The Lord, as the King over His Kingdom, does not rule over many kingdoms. He only has one. The church plays a vital and absolutely necessary role in God’s plan of salvation. Many people in the world today believe that the church is not very important. Many people believe that the church is an “after thought” of God’s, that His original plan was foiled by the Jews when they rejected Jesus and had the Romans kill Him. They believe that God had to develop some kind of “fall-back plan,” and that plan was the church.
But the church is integral to God’s overall plan for man. It has been that way from the beginning. We see in Acts 2, verse 47, that those who are being saved are “added to the church” [“praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”]. That verse points out a very important aspect of the church. What would people be added to, or what would they belong to, if there was not the church?
THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS PRESENTED IN THREE PHRASES:
Phase 1: The Kingdom, Or Church, In Prophecy.
Phase 2: The Church In Preparation.
Phase 3: The Church In Perfection.
Phase 1: We can go back and look and see THE KINGDOM, OR CHURCH, IN PROPHECY. It has been in God’s mind from the beginning.
God foretold the coming of the Kingdom on the earth in the Old Testament. He was very specific about it. He revealed that it would come during the time of the fourth worldly kingdom after the Babylonian empire of Nebuchadnezzar. That proved to be the Roman Empire. That prophecy is contained in Daniel, chapter 2, verses 31 through 45 [see verse 40, “And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others.” See also verse 44, “And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.”].
If we turn to the New Testament and look at Luke, chapter 2, verses 1 and 2 [“And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.”], and Luke, chapter 3, verse 1 [“Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene…”], we see that, in fact, when Jesus came to the earth, and during the time of His earthly ministry, what was the empire of the day? It was the Roman Empire. And, of course, we know that it was during that period that the Kingdom was established. We will look more at this point later.
But to continue in our thought of prophecy, Isaiah said that this Kingdom would come in the “last days,” Isaiah, chapter 2, verse 2 [“Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the LORD’s house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it.”]. Isaiah even told that the place of its establishment was Jerusalem, Isaiah, chapter 2, verse 3 [“Many people shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the Word of the LORD from Jerusalem.”].
So Daniel speaks of the time of the establishing of the Kingdom, and Isaiah speaks of the location where the Kingdom would be established.
God also revealed the scope of His Kingdom as a world-wide Kingdom. It would be for all people, Isaiah, chapter 2, verse 2 [see above]. Of course, this concept would be quite foreign, and, in fact, would be objectionable, to the Jews to think that the Kingdom would be open to all people, as they were thinking in an “earthly” sense Yet, Isaiah in the long ago said that it would be.
Also in Daniel, God foretold the nature of the Kingdom, that it would be an eternal Kingdom. It was something that was not physical in nature, or temporal, but would be eternal and last forever, Daniel, chapter 2, verse 44 [“And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.”].
And God foretold that this Kingdom would have a world-wide mission, that being to teach all nations, Isaiah, chapter 2, verse 3 [see above].
These are certainly not all of the references regarding the prophecies concerning the church in the Old Testament, but this gives us a flavor of those prophecies. So God had the church—the Kingdom—in mind from the very beginning!
Jesus also made predictions and promises concerning the coming of the church. He promised to build the church. He would be the founder of the church, Matthew 16, verse 18 [“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”]. And as the Son of God, Jesus would be the rock upon which the church would be built—the foundation, if you will. Of course, in Matthew 16, verse 18, that’s what He says, “upon this rock,” that is, upon the confession that Peter had made that He was the Christ, the Son of God, Jesus would build His church. And so it was upon that foundation that the church would be built.
Jesus promised that the church would come with power, Mark 9, verse 1 [“And He said to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power.’”] and with the coming of the Holy Spirit, Acts 1, verse 8 [“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”]. We’ll see in just a moment that this prophecy was fulfilled in just that way.
As for the time of the coming of the Kingdom, the church, Jesus said it would be in the lifetime of those who were there as He spoke to them, Matthew 16, verse 28 [“Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”]. Now this gives a number of people today a difficult time. Many have a problem with Matthew 16, verse 28, for example, the Jehovah’s Witnesses who say that the Kingdom is yet to be established. On more than one occasion, I have pointed out this reference to one of them as they were trying to persuade me of their belief, and it is stunning to see the “gyrations” they go through in trying to explain this, if they’re even aware that it is there at all!
So, not only did Jesus say He would build this Kingdom, be the founder of it, and that it would come with power and with the Holy Spirit, but He also said that it would come soon, because some to whom he spoke on this occasion would still be alive when the Kingdom, the church, came (was built, was established).
Jesus also spoke about the mission of the church, that it would be to teach the Will of God to man, Matthew 28, verses 18 and 19 [“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…’”]; Mark 16, verse 15 [“And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.’”].
Jesus taught His disciples to pray for the coming of the Kingdom, Matthew 6, verse 10 [“Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”]. You recall there in that Scripture (commonly referred to as the “Lord’s Prayer,” actually the “Lord’s Model Prayer,”) that He was teaching His disciples to pray. He said, “Your Kingdom come.” When I was in grade school (and perhaps even younger), my grandmother taught my Bible class. She urged the children in class to learn that section of Scripture. I remember that she said “Now, when you say, ‘Your kingdom come,’ remember that the kingdom has already come!” I thought that was very astute.
So this is the church in prophecy—the Kingdom in prophecy.
Phase 2: Next we’ll discuss THE CHURCH IN PREPARATION. Obviously, the church originated in the mind of God, not in the mind of man. As we have just seen, God foretold its coming, when it would come, and where it could begin.
But Jesus Christ, God’s Son, did the actual work to bring about the establishment of the church on earth. Yes, it was in God’s mind. Yes, it was God’s plan. Yes, God directed the prophets of old to speak about this coming Kingdom. Yet, it would be Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah, Who would actually make this come to pass through what He would do. And He did this through His teaching and also through His work of redemption, Acts 1, verse 1 through 3 [“The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen,to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.”].
Jesus taught with authority, Matthew 7, verses 28 and 29 [“And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.”]. On one occasion, some observed Him and said, “No man ever spoke like this Man.” [John 7:46: “Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, ‘Why have you not brought Him?’ The officers answered, ‘No man ever spoke like this Man!’”] Jesus taught with wisdom, Matthew 13, verse 54 [“When He had come to His Own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, ‘Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works?’”]. And He amazed people with what He taught and the way He taught it, Mark 1, verses 21 and 22 [“Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught. And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.”].
The four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, are filled with His teachings. They are filled with the Good News of His coming to earth and the account of His work. They are full of His mission here on the earth. He was born to man, bearing God’s message of salvation. The message Jesus He brought from God was, first of all, to convict them of their lost condition, and then to tell them what they must do to escape that condition—to obtain salvation, to enter the Kingdom. Later, He sent the Holy Spirit to continue this teaching and instruction regarding the Kingdom through the apostles. [John 6:45—“It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.” John 8:2—“Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them.” John 8:28—“Then Jesus said to them, ‘When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.’” John 18:20—“Jesus answered him, ‘I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and in secret I have said nothing.’” Luke 24:44-48—“Then He said to them, ‘These are the Words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.’ And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. Then He said to them, ‘Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His Name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things.’” Acts 1:4, 8— “And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, ‘which,’ He said, ‘you have heard from Me…But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.’”]
But Jesus’ greatest work was that of bringing redemption to man so that man could enter this Kingdom. The idea of a Kingdom is something that we can relate to. We don’t live in a kingdom here in our nation, but we know from history, and even now, that, for example, Britain is set up in a kingdom system. There is a king or a queen, who has subjects, and there is a territory that he or she rules over, and so on. In order to be in that kingdom, you have to meet certain requirements. Not everybody is in that kingdom.
The idea of the Kingdom of God carries with it the same concept. There is a King over the Kingdom. There is a territory, which is the church. There are members—people who make up that Kingdom—who are subjects. Who are they? They are members of the church, those who have done what is required to become members of the church, citizens of the Kingdom. Man, in his sinful condition, cannot be part of God’s Kingdom because God does not have fellowship with sinners. So Christ’s work of atonement was to provide man with the Way to come into that Kingdom, to become citizens of that Kingdom.
Christ chose the way of the cross to establish the church, as He purchased the church with His Own blood, Acts 20, verse 28 [“Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His Own blood.”]. Christ’s death is a sacrifice for our sins. His burial and His resurrection from the dead prepared the Way for the Kingdom to come, for the church to be established on earth.
Phase 3: So we’ve looked at God’s prophecy (the prophecy concerning the Kingdom), the church in preparation and now, thirdly, we’ll look at the CHURCH IN PERFECTION.
All of the Old Testament prophecies and the work of Christ culminated in the coming of the church, the establishing of the Kingdom, on earth. That is recorded for us in Acts, the second chapter.
We know the account very well. It’s familiar to us, but let’s review the establishing of the church. Remember now, this is the culmination of all these things we have made mention of, coming all the way from the beginning prophecies of the Old Testament, then the promises made by the Lord, and the things He did during His earthly ministry. Now they all come together!
The apostles were all gathered in one place. Where was that place? Just where Isaiah said it would be, in the City of Jerusalem, Acts 2, verse 1 [“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.” See also verse 5—“And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven.”]. On that occasion, the Holy Spirit came upon them and they were overwhelmed, they were “baptized,” if you will, in the Holy Spirit. There were three manifestations of the Spirit on that occasion. You’ll remember that was one of the things Jesus said, that His Kingdom would come with power and with the coming of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit came. To make His presence known, there are three manifestations: the sound of the mighty rushing wind, verse 2 [“And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.”], the tongues of fire that sat on the heads of each of the apostles, verse 3 [“Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.”], and their ability to speak in other tongues, other languages that they had never learned, verse 4 [“And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”].
And then Peter stood up and preached the first Gospel sermon, Acts 2, verses 14 through about verse 36. The assembly was made up of Jews who had been there for the Passover and were staying until the Pentecost. Peter told those Jews on that occasion that this outpouring of the Holy Spirit was the fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel in the Old Testament [Joel 2:28a— “And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh…”]. He told them that they had killed the Son of God, but that God had raised Him up from the dead to rule on the throne of David and to establish that spiritual kingdom, Acts 2, verse 30 [“Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him [David] that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne…”]. Peter declared that Jesus now was sitting at the right hand of God in Heaven reigning as Lord and Christ, Acts 2, verse 36 [“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, Whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”].
What was their reaction? Well, we are told in verse 37 that many who heard this message were convicted of their wrongdoing. They were “cut to the heart,” and they wanted to know what they needed to do [“Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?’”]. Then Peter responded in verse 38, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
And on that day, three thousand obeyed Peter’s command and were baptized for their remission of sins, verse 41 [“Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.”]. It was at that time that the Kingdom of God was established on earth. From that time onward all who obey the Gospel have been, and continue to be, added to that Kingdom by God, Acts 2, verse 47 [“praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”]. Paul writes in his epistle to the church in Colosse, “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,” [Colossians 1, verse 13].
It is also from this point on here in Acts, the second chapter, that the church is spoken about in the present tense because it has already been established. It is already in existence. We can look at Acts 5, verse 11 [“So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things.”]; Acts 8, verse 1 [“Now Saul was consenting to his [Stephen’s] death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.”]; Acts 11, verse 22 [“Then news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch.”]; Colossians 1, verse 13 [“He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love…”]; and Revelation 1, verse 9 [“I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the Word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.”].
We see here that there is a clear demarcation, a clear point in time when all of this prophecy, all of these actions came to pass and were culminated when the church was established in Jerusalem, on the Day of Pentecost, and when the Roman Empire was at its height.
The Kingdom of God on earth, that is, the church, will continue until Jesus comes again to return it to the Father. Turn over to 1 Corinthians, chapter 15, verse 24. Paul here, speaking of the end times, says, “Then comes the end, when He…” (Jesus) “…delivers the kingdom…” (what is the Kingdom?—it is the church!) “…to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.” When a person today hears the Gospel preached about Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection from the dead, when that person believes and obeys by being baptized for the remission of his or her sins, God adds that person to the same church, to the church of Christ, the church that belongs to Christ, which is the Kingdom on earth.
So we have seen that the Kingdom of God is the church. We’ve seen this in prophecy, in preparation and finally in perfection.
Now let’s look at THE BODY OF CHRIST. Of course, there are several different ways that the church is referred to euphemistically, or, in descriptive terms, in different ways. Perhaps the most descriptive and the most instructive of all of these is the term “body.”
Let’s turn to Ephesians, chapter 1, verse 20 through 23, and read: “Which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His 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 age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,which is His body, the fullness of Him Who fills all in all.” We could also look at Colossians 1, verse 18, in that regard [“And He is the head of the body, the church, Who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.”].
Turn over to 1 Corinthians, chapter 10, and let’s begin in verse 14. “Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.” Here, referring to the Lord’s supper, Paul is making a connection between the body of Christ, which we commemorate every Lord’s Day as we partake of the unleavened bread, and the fact that we are members of that body. Of course, not His physical body, but the body of the church. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12, verse 20, “But now indeed there are many members, yet one body,” and he, of course, makes that great analogy there of the church and the physical body. Christ is the head of the body and He controls the body as its head, Colossians 2, verse 19 [“and not holding fast to the Head, from Whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.”]. Therefore the body is to be one in purpose. [Ephesians 4:15-16—“but, speaking the Truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him Who is the head—Christ—from Whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” Ephesians 5:22-24—“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.”]
Individual Christians are members of the body of Christ, Romans 12, verses 4 and 5 [“For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.”]. We are all baptized into “one body,” 1 Corinthians 12, verse 13 [“For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.”]. And God adds us to that body when we obey, Acts 2, verses 41 and 47 [verse 41—“those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.” Verse 47—“praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”].
As a member of the body, we need to recognize that there are differing roles and differing functions in the body. Refer back to 1 Corinthians 12, beginning with verse 12 through 31. Here again is the analogy that Paul makes of the parts of the body. The analogy is that there are different parts in the human body that have different functions. They have a different purpose, but they work in harmony one with another. So it should be in the body of Christ. Not everyone is an ear; not everyone is an eye; not everyone is a preacher; not everyone is a song leader; and not everyone is a Bible teacher. But we put to use those things that we can do, and we work harmoniously one with another. We must accept our God-given place in the church and work there to glorify God, without being envious of others in their roles.
Now let’s look at THE PURITY OF THE CHURCH. In Ephesians 5, verses 25 through 27 [“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the Word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.”], Paul points out six characteristics of the church—what the church ideally should be. It is to be sanctified, that is, set apart for God’s special use. It is to be cleansed, or purified. It is to be a glorious church, it is to be without spot or wrinkle, that is, perfect, mature, spiritual. It is to be holy, as God is holy. It is to be without blemish, that is, free from sin.
The point that I would make here is, that in order for the church to be like this, the responsibility lies on the shoulders of the evangelist, the elders, the deacons, and the Bible class teachers. But ultimately, it rests on each one of us individually! As members of the church, a church that is to be all of these things—set apart for a special purpose, without spot or blemish, without sin—we’ll either “make it” or we’ll “break it.” Each of us has a responsibility in that regard. So we must do what we can do to keep ourselves unspotted from sin. Should we fall into sin, as we all do from time to time, we need to seek forgiveness of those sins. We need to pray for God to forgive us, Acts 8, verses 20 through 24 [“But Peter said to him, ‘Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.’ Then Simon answered and said, ‘Pray to the Lord for me, that none of the things which you have spoken may come upon me.’”]. We must seek the forgiveness that is available to us as Christians through the blood of Christ, 1 John 1, verse 7 [“But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”]. James tells us that repentance and confession of sins by Christians are necessary for forgiveness, James 5, verse 16 [“Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”].
The final point that we’ll look at is THE PURPOSE OF THE CHURCH. What is the purpose of the church? Why is it in the world? What is the mission, the goal among men today?
The church is the haven for the saved. It is a place for worship, a place for fellowship, a place for edification, a place for teaching, and a place for consolation. There are a number of Scriptures you can turn to that confirm those statements: [Acts 2:47—“praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” Colossians 1:13—“He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love…” Ephesians 5:22-23—“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.” Acts 2:41-42—“Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.”]
Also, the church is God’s agency to make known the Truth of God to man, in preaching and evangelism. We see several Scriptures supporting this: [Ephesians 3:8-11—“To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God Who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord…” Mark 16:15-16—“And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.’” Matthew 28:18-20—“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.” 1 Timothy 3:14-15—“These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the Truth.”]
The church is to glorify God among men by Christian living, benevolence, and upholding His Word in all things. [Ephesians 3:20-21—“Now to Him Who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Colossians 3:17—“And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” 2 Peter 3:11—“Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness…”]
There are many other things that the Scriptures have to say about the church. We haven’t covered them all, but I think this lesson at least covers some of the major points, as we think about this Great Bible Doctrine, about what the Bible teaches or instructs about the church. It is the Kingdom of God. It is absolutely essential. It cannot be ignored. It cannot be replaced. It is part of God’s plan!