What about the church
What is the church?
Some misconceptions are:
- Church = services
- Church = buildings
The church is any form of a gathering of believers in Jesus. That can be a denomination, a mission agency, or a local fellowship of believers, including seekers. Greek word for church in the Bible is koinonia, which means fellowship.
Question 1
To which category do you belong?
Friends (John 15:15)
a) Friends with Jesus, because Jesus said I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you 我不再称你们为仆人，因为仆人不知道主人所作的事；我已经称你们为朋友了，因为我从我父那里听见的一切，都已经告诉你们了。 wǒ bù zài chēng nǐ mén wéi pū rén ， yīn wéi pū rén bù zhī dào zhǔ rén suǒ zuò de shì ； wǒ yǐ jīng chēng nǐ mén wéi péng yǒu liǎo ， yīn wéi wǒ cóng wǒ fù nà lǐ tīng jiàn de yī qiē ， dū yǐ jīng gào sù nǐ mén liǎo 。(John 15:15).
b) Friends with one another (Hebrews 10:25)
Family (1 John 5:1)
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 凡信耶稣是基督的，都是从 神生的，凡爱那生他的，也必爱那从他而生的。 fán xìn yé sū shì jī dū de，dū shì cóng shén shēng de，fán ài nà shēng tā de，yě bì ài nà cóng tā ér shēng de。(1 John 5:1)
• God as our Father (John 1:12)
• Brothers and sisters to each other (1 John 4:19 – 5:1)
• Importance of unity
• Jesus prayed ‘… that they may be one’ (John 17:11)
Becoming a Christian involves:
a) Something God does – He forgives you and gives you the Holy Spirit
b) Something you do – you confess your sins, repent, and believe
c) Something the family of believers does - Bible study, prayer, and baptism
Baptism is the visible mark of being a regenerated Christian, part of the church or fellowship. Baptism signifies:
• Cleansing from sin (1 Corinthians 6:11)
• Dying and rising with Christ (Romans 6:3–5; Colossians 2:12)
Home (Ephesians 2:19 –22)
19Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit 19这样看来，你们不再是外人和客旅，而是与圣徒一同作国民，是 神家里的人了，20并且建造在使徒和先知的根基上，基督耶稣自己就是奠基石，21整座建筑都靠着他连接配合，渐渐增长成为在主里面的圣所。22你们在他里面也一同被建造，成为 神借着圣灵居住的所在。 19zhè yàng kàn lái，nǐ mén bù zài shì wài rén hé kè lǚ，ér shì yǔ shèng tú yī tóng zuò guó mín，shì shén jiā lǐ de rén liǎo ，20bìng qiě jiàn zào zài shǐ tú hé xiān zhī de gēn jī shàng，jī dū yé sū zì jǐ jiù shì diàn jī shí，21zhěng zuò jiàn zhù dū kào zhuó tā lián jiē pèi hé，jiàn jiàn zēng cháng chéng wéi zài zhǔ lǐ miàn de shèng suǒ 22nǐ mén zài tā lǐ miàn yě yī tóng bèi jiàn zào，chéng wéi shén jiè zhuó shèng líng jū zhù de suǒ zài。 (Ephesians 2:19 –22).
a) Old Testament – physical temple was God’s home; for Jews that’s still the case. The Jews in Israel are preparing their third temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
b) New Testament – a ‘building’ made up of people, living stones (Ephesians 2:21–22)
- Jesus as the cornerstone (verse 20)
- Indwelt by God’s Spirit (verse 21) ‘a holy temple’
- A place where people are loved, accepted and welcomed home
Jesus (1 Corinthians 12:1–27)
• We are the body of Christ through whom the world will see Jesus (verse 27)
• Universal church (Ephesians 3:10,21; 5:23,25)
- Unity (John 17:20–21)
- Diversity (Ephesians 4:7–11)
- Mutual dependence (verses 14–26)
Love (Ephesians 5:25–27,32)
• Jesus loves the church; Jesus loves you (verse 25)
• The church should be famous for its love
Mother Theresa, a Catholic missionary in India, once said ‘You can do what I cannot do, I can do what you cannot do; together we can do great things’
Question 2
What have you learned during the Alpha Course?
What is the church?
Some misconceptions are:
- Church = services
- Church = buildings
The church is any form of a gathering of believers in Jesus. That can be a denomination, a mission agency, or a local fellowship of believers, including seekers. Greek word for church in the Bible is koinonia, which means fellowship.
Question 1
To which category do you belong?
Friends (John 15:15)
a) Friends with Jesus, because Jesus said I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you 我不再称你们为仆人，因为仆人不知道主人所作的事；我已经称你们为朋友了，因为我从我父那里听见的一切，都已经告诉你们了。 wǒ bù zài chēng nǐ mén wéi pū rén ， yīn wéi pū rén bù zhī dào zhǔ rén suǒ zuò de shì ； wǒ yǐ jīng chēng nǐ mén wéi péng yǒu liǎo ， yīn wéi wǒ cóng wǒ fù nà lǐ tīng jiàn de yī qiē ， dū yǐ jīng gào sù nǐ mén liǎo 。(John 15:15).
b) Friends with one another (Hebrews 10:25)
Family (1 John 5:1)
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 凡信耶稣是基督的，都是从 神生的，凡爱那生他的，也必爱那从他而生的。 fán xìn yé sū shì jī dū de，dū shì cóng shén shēng de，fán ài nà shēng tā de，yě bì ài nà cóng tā ér shēng de。(1 John 5:1)
• God as our Father (John 1:12)
• Brothers and sisters to each other (1 John 4:19 – 5:1)
• Importance of unity
• Jesus prayed ‘… that they may be one’ (John 17:11)
Becoming a Christian involves:
a) Something God does – He forgives you and gives you the Holy Spirit
b) Something you do – you confess your sins, repent, and believe
c) Something the family of believers does - Bible study, prayer, and baptism
Baptism is the visible mark of being a regenerated Christian, part of the church or fellowship. Baptism signifies:
• Cleansing from sin (1 Corinthians 6:11)
• Dying and rising with Christ (Romans 6:3–5; Colossians 2:12)
Home (Ephesians 2:19 –22)
19Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit 19这样看来，你们不再是外人和客旅，而是与圣徒一同作国民，是 神家里的人了，20并且建造在使徒和先知的根基上，基督耶稣自己就是奠基石，21整座建筑都靠着他连接配合，渐渐增长成为在主里面的圣所。22你们在他里面也一同被建造，成为 神借着圣灵居住的所在。 19zhè yàng kàn lái，nǐ mén bù zài shì wài rén hé kè lǚ，ér shì yǔ shèng tú yī tóng zuò guó mín，shì shén jiā lǐ de rén liǎo ，20bìng qiě jiàn zào zài shǐ tú hé xiān zhī de gēn jī shàng，jī dū yé sū zì jǐ jiù shì diàn jī shí，21zhěng zuò jiàn zhù dū kào zhuó tā lián jiē pèi hé，jiàn jiàn zēng cháng chéng wéi zài zhǔ lǐ miàn de shèng suǒ 22nǐ mén zài tā lǐ miàn yě yī tóng bèi jiàn zào，chéng wéi shén jiè zhuó shèng líng jū zhù de suǒ zài。 (Ephesians 2:19 –22).
a) Old Testament – physical temple was God’s home; for Jews that’s still the case. The Jews in Israel are preparing their third temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
b) New Testament – a ‘building’ made up of people, living stones (Ephesians 2:21–22)
- Jesus as the cornerstone (verse 20)
- Indwelt by God’s Spirit (verse 21) ‘a holy temple’
- A place where people are loved, accepted and welcomed home
Jesus (1 Corinthians 12:1–27)
• We are the body of Christ through whom the world will see Jesus (verse 27)
• Universal church (Ephesians 3:10,21; 5:23,25)
- Unity (John 17:20–21)
- Diversity (Ephesians 4:7–11)
- Mutual dependence (verses 14–26)
Love (Ephesians 5:25–27,32)
• Jesus loves the church; Jesus loves you (verse 25)
• The church should be famous for its love
Mother Theresa, a Catholic missionary in India, once said ‘You can do what I cannot do, I can do what you cannot do; together we can do great things’
Question 2
What have you learned during the Alpha Course?