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Church Principle: Together for the Better

Introduction

  • Read: 1 Corinthians 11:17-22

1 Corinthians 11:17 ¶ Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse.

In the Church of the Living God is a miniture from that represents the greater reality of the Body of Our Lord.

The body of Jesus was born of mary (Josephs son), many who touched or were touch by the body of Jesus were healed, delivered and saved, and the body of Jesus resurrected and ascended into heaven.

    1. The church in a place gathers at a place ("the city") as a church. - Revelation 2 & 3; Ac 8:1 "which was at Jerusalem" <-- identifiable, "city on a hill", Noticeable "influential"

  • Acts 13:1; Titus 1:5 "ordain elders" 6 ¶ If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. ... -- ; Matthew 18:20 [each local church makes up the entire Church body]

    1. and the church is seated in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6).

Ephesians 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

1. A Church is a GATHERING of the Church IN a CITY: Church in, at, of:

Acts 11:26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. 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.

  • Place: Ac 8:1; Ac 13:1; Ac 18:22; Ro 16:1,27; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 1Co 14:35; 2Co 1:1; 1 Peter 5:13;

  • Elders in the CITY

  • Acts 11:22 "ears of the church" (people have ears, but to to "ALL SEND" necessitates at some point a coming together) ... they sent forth

  • "OF THE CHURCH AT" Acts 13:1

  • Ac 14:23 And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.

  • Ro 16:5 "the church that is in their house"

1Co 11:33 Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another. 34 And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.

2. GATHER IN CHRIST's NAME

A. NOT SCHISMS

1Co 11:18 For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.

ADAM CLARKE: They had scismata, schisms, among them: the old parties were kept up, even in the place where they assembled to eat the Lord's Supper. The Paulians, the Kephites, and the Apollonians, continued to be distinct parties; and ate their meals separately, even in the same house.

HERESY: it is a word of distinction, and may receive either a good or bad colouring from the persons or opinions designated by it. It signifies a sect or party, whether good or bad, distinguished from any other sect. (Acts 24:5 "sect")

  • PREFERENCES and DIFFERENCES are to be set aside when it comes in sharing the Lord's table.
  • Language,

B. (Gathered Together, Fellowship, Community, Family)

Matthew 18:20 — For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. [in a prophets name, sandals and holy ground]

1 Corinthians 5:1 ¶ It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife. 2 And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you. 3 For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?

3. GATHERED PECULIARLY

To Understand The Church, Churches or even Church We must understand the Meaning and Manner of the Keeping of the Lord's Supper (Backsliding form the Extraordinary to the Ordinary)

1 Corinthians 11:17 — Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse.

they appear to have celebrated it precisely in the same way the Jews did their passover.

  • That, a regular meal, accompanied with certain special ceremonies: eating bread, solemnly broken, and drinking a cup of wine called the cup of blessing.
  • Now, it is certain that our Lord has taken these two things, and made them expressive of the crucifixion of his body, and the shedding of his blood, as an atonement for the sins of mankind.
  • perverted the whole of this Divine institution; for the celebration of the Lord's Supper appears to have been made among them a part of an ordinary meal. The people came together, and it appears brought their provisions with them; some had much, others had less; some ate to excess, others had scarcely enough to suffice nature. One was hungry, and the other was drunken, meyuei, or was filled to the full; this is the sense of the word in many places of Scripture. At the conclusion of this irregular meal they appear to have done something in reference to our Lord's institution, but more resembling the Jewish passover. These irregularities, connected with so many indecencies, the apostle reproves; for, instead of being benefited by the Divine ordinance, they were injured; they came together not for the better, but for the worse.

A. A SANCTIFIED PLACE: 1 Corinthians 11:22 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.

B. A Place for Judgment: 1Co 6:4 set them to judge & binding and losing

C. TEACHING in THE CHURCH (as well as TO the church): 1 Corinthians 4:17 ¶ For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church.

2.

Introdution

  • TEXT: Jeremiah 31:31-36 law in their hearts

  • Deuteronomy 31:12 gather people together; Acts 2:43 continued s; Matthew 16

  • Finding the church

  • Gods name

  • gods people

  • gods spirit

  • Spurgeon and the down grade

  • warm, warmer,red hot

The Local Church - The Formal Gathering of the Church

1Ti 3:14 ¶ These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: 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. 16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

  • temple of God and family of God

Romans 16:1 — I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea: (16:27)

1 Corinthians 14:35 — And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.

2 Corinthians 1:1 ¶ Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia:

1 Peter 5:13 — The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my son.

  1. Part of one holy universal churcg, the body of chtist, the instrument of building gods kingdim.

  2. Sunday school & bible study (7mderstqnding and anchoring)

  • the preeminebce og gods word
  • the work of the spirit
  1. Plurality of elders, growth
  • Pillar and ground of the truth
  • Hather yourselves together, organize
  1. Prayer meeting

The church and staee How english speakers use chyrch the word

......................................
1 in, 6 out of church

The Church, this church, and church

The Church: Universal, Local, and a House

Funxtion as a body.

  1. Meeting place: time and place. Order. Staple. - practical - lighthouse, hospital, lifelines, keep the light on, a house of prayer isaiah 56:7 - elders in the city - a house - organization - temptation of gimmicks

  2. Local church: Continued in prayer and apoatlrs doctrine: a community of faith. - those called out - human "the prayers of tge saints" -- mathew 18:17 discipline : acts 2:47 added to yhe church - acts 7:38 called out of egypt chinwil ... acts 8:3 havick in the church. Acts 12 1 vex certain - elders in the church - rom 16: 5 the church in the house - a household of fsth - organism - sinners

3.Universal: in christ, filled with spirit resisting evil and occupied with Gods business. - spiritual body - abiding in christ - light of world - the holy Spirit in the Church - spirtitsl felowship - jer 31:31 - saints - changed hearts

Conclusion

Christina and maria in brazil.

  • My the church always be a place of refuge, a people that truly love and be a vessel of God's heart to be poured out.
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