From Grace to Grace Bible Studies

by Kermit Hall

Lesson G

What is the Church?

Seven is often referred to as the number of God, meaning completion. In the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, the Lord sent 7 letters to 7 angels to give to 7 churches. Isn’t it interesting that the church is mentioned 77 times in the New Testament? God established the church-building so his church could be strong and complete. The building is the center of worship, and the heart of the person in the church is the center of worship.

Reading Acts 2:47 will allow us to understand the importance of the church. Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. Those that belonged to the church were praising God and found favor with those out of the church; and God added more to the church. The joy and peace that comes from worship attracts people. Though the carnal man may think different, the truth is churches that worship with enthusiasm grow.

The church of God is a holy place and must be respected; this is easily to understand when we read about Ananias and Sapphira trying to deceive Peter by lying to the Holy Ghost. They dishonored themselves by making false s glorifying themselves instead of glorifying God. This angered God. As a result, Ananias and Sapphira were slain on the spot and then carried out of the church gathering place. They became examples that would bring fear, respect, and honor into the church for future saints. Acts 5:11 And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things. This taught all the saints to honor and respect the house of God and his people.

Paul Asked A Good Question: Do You “Despise the Church of God”?

1 Cor 11:18-22 For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it. For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you. When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper. For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.

Paul Called their Gathering together a Church. It was common and understood that the called of God gathered in a place for worship. We often refer to the place of worship as a church-building. Some people were meeting there to showoff their wealth and in doing so brought division among the saints. The church isn’t for bigheads and show-offs; it is for all the called of God to come together having all things in common, to fellowship and to worship God.

Paul looked at these people that showed off their wealth, talents and skills, as people that despised the church. It is detestable for people to utilize the house of God for self-glory. The church is a place of learning, encouragement, and edification for all, not just a few. It is a place where the called become unified in salvation.

1 Tim 3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. Paul clearly points out the church is the house of God, and the Christians that attend should behave with respect toward it. Paul explains the assembling of the church (the people) is the post or pillar that supports the people spiritually. Without a post, the building will become weak and fall. The post (or the church) is essential for stability of salvation. The church is also the ground, meaning it is the base for truth. By assembling in a church, a person has a base or ground to stand on for protection. When a person strays from church it is difficult for them to continue to stand in truth.

As the pastor, Timothy was to overseen the church Paul was writing to, so the letter was addressed to the pastor and the pastor would use the letter as a reference for guiding the church. It is in the church where pastors and elders instruct the called of God. Hungry souls assemble in the house of God to fill their hearts by the preaching of the word, and to be strengthened by fellow saints. In the gathering of the saints, people consider one another and provoke love and good deeds.

If a person is not in fellowship, they no longer think about each other as they should. They begin to drift away from the truth and become weak and discouraged in the faith. People can easily fall into sin and depression if they become weak and discouraged. Like the saying goes, “Miss church for a week and you’ll become weak,” and “out of sight, out of mind.” Heb 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. Some forsake Christ because they forsake the church.

Notice How the Next Verse Parallels with 1 Timothy 3:15. Hebrews 10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. If people fail to assemble themselves in the house of God with others of like faith, they do not have a base for strength and they will fall because they are weak without a pillar. In these verses, the writer clearly explains that without assembling with other Christians in a building, a person will not be able to resist sin. Going to Church is relevant to getting saved and staying strong in the faith.

People who Assemble together, Deny Selfishness, and Follow Christ Receive a Reputation of Being Christ-Like. Acts 11:26 …And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. The church is the place where people assemble to worship the Lord, honor the Lord, and to learn about the Lord; it is those that assemble in the church that were worthy to be called Christians.

It is at the Church where God Received a Petition to have Peter Released.

Peter was in prison on death row. It wasn’t because he had harmed anyone, but because he loved Christ and wanted the world to know what Christ had done. Heaven was stirred when prayers came from a small house where the saints of God were assembled. These intercessory prayers left the mouths of the Christians, broke through the walls of the home, rocketed through the atmosphere, across the universe into the very boardroom of God. God immediately dispatched an angel to the scene to rescue one of his witnesses. Church is a gathering place for prayer warriors to fight for the freedom of those imprisoned by addictions, hopelessness and afflictions.

Matt 16:18-19And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Peter was of more value to God on earth than in heaven. God's plans for Peter had not yet been completed; Peter was still needed to strengthen the brethren. Because of the prayer meeting, neither the gates of hell nor the gates of a prison could hold Peter back from fulfilling God’s plan and purpose. In the church God will reveal his a plans for your life through the preaching of the word.

Acts 12:1-5 Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.) And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. 5 Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.

If it had not been for the church coming together as one, what would have happened to Peter? If it had not been for the church, Peter would have come to an early death. It was the church coming together to pray that brought about Peter's release from prison and freedom from death. How many souls have been rescued from prison and spared from hell because God’s people came to a house of prayer?

The Church is One of the Greatest Gifts To Be Given To Man.

It cost Jesus more than anything of value on the earth. It cost him his life, his blood; all that he could give he gave for the church. Eph 5:25 Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; Eph 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. Eph 5:29 ...nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church. Christ loved the church and refers to the church as his precious bride. When a man realizes how much Christ was willing to give so his church could be protected and made beautiful from the ugliness of sin, that man will value his wife in the same way. Christ gave us the perfect example of how a man is to love his wife. That is the best marriage counseling in the world.

How many marriages do you know that do not have a house for the couple to dwell, learn of each other, and grow up together in? For the husband and the wife to be strong, they need a hide-a-way: A home. What if the husband showed up at the house to meet his wife and the wife came whenever she felt like it? That would be a heartbreaking relationship.

God wants men with backbone to stand up and to rule his house. If a man rules him home well then he is fit to lead the church. 1 Tim 3:5For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church. This verse tells us that God has established a place of worship, and the overseer (the pastor) must be called by God and appointed by God as a gift unto the congregation. One of qualifications of the pastor is he must have his own house in order first, then must carefully oversee the house of the Lord – not as a ruler but as a servant leader. The servant leader will understand God’s house must be respected and honored, and will lead the people into holiness and knowledge of Christ.

It is in the Church where Just Men are Made Perfect.

Heb 12:23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect. The congregation of Christ as a whole has its name written in heaven by the judge of all men, and by his grace he gave gifts unto men. In Eph 4:8-13, Christ “… gave gifts unto men. …he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ”

In Revelation, Chapters 2-3, Christ sends 7 letters to 7 very different churches. Each assembly received a letter expressing Christ’s concerns for their behavior, his love toward them, and his judgment if they fail to correct the problems. What if a person was part of the problem, but wasn’t in church to receive the letter and therefore was never warned? Would the person know of the problem and be able to correct it? God chose the assembling of the saints to perfect and encourage the saints in righteousness.

If the person wasn’t aware of the problem, could he or she solve the problem? God is very organized, he is the greatest leader that ever existed and he will address the congregation with both warnings and promises through his ministerial gifts. It is vital to our spiritual being that we gather together in the house of God to receive all the knowledge of Christ that can be obtained in order to prevent division. Many people come into the church not knowing how to behave as Paul told Timothy. Timothy in turn was to teach the congregation to live correctly and bring unity into the congregation.

1 Cor 1:2-4 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ...

Questions

  1. Acts 2:47 “______God, and having ______with all the people. And the Lord _ _ _ _ _ to the church daily such as should be _ _ _ _ _ .”
  1. These people failed to respect the House of the Lord 1 Cor 11:22 “ ______ye the church of God, and _ _ _ _ _ them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I ______you not.
  1. 1 Tim 3:15 “ that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to ______thyself in the house of God, which is the ______of the living God, the pillar and ground of the _ _ _ _ _.”
  1. True or False: Paul said the house of God is the church of the dead.
  1. Heb 10:24 And let us ______one another to provoke unto _ _ _ _ and to good _ _ _ _ _ : 25 Not ______the assembling of ourselves together...
  1. Heb 10:24 “as the manner of some is; but exhorting one ______: and so much the more, as ye see the _ _ _ approaching.
  1. Acts 11:26 And it came to pass, that a _ _ _ _ _ year they ______themselves with the ______, and ______much people.
  1. Acts 11:26 And the disciples were called ______first in Antioch.
  1. True or False: Peter received the keys to the Kingdom of heaven.
  1. True or False: Acts 12:1-5 Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.
  2. Eph 5:25 Christ also loved the ______, and gave ______for it...
  1. Eph 5:27 That he might present it to ______a glorious ______, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be _ _ _ _ and without ______.
  1. Eph 5:29 “… nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the ______:”
  1. True or False: Christ gives us the perfect example of how a man is to love his wife. That is the best marriage counseling in the world.
  1. 1 Tim 3:5 For if a man know not how to _ _ _ _ his own house, how shall he take care of the ______.
  1. Heb 12:23 To the general ______and ______of the firstborn, which are ______in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made ______.