1.) In the first part of the chapter, the author discusses the church in early Acts. There are some similarities and also some differences between the church of Acts and the church of today. A similarity is in their purposes. The author outlines the main 8 purposes early in the chapter. These concepts are practiced by both the church of today and of yesterday. The church today does not give focus to the fear of the Lord. We often believe that God is holy, but don't live it out in our lives as a body of believers.
2.) I define "church" as a local body of believers who unite weekly together to study the Word and worship together in order to grow in the knowledge of the Lord, and then who unite as people-focused individuals to take the Gospel to the worl.
1.) The church of today still practices many of the activies of the earlies Christian community. We still preach the word, baptize, teach, fellowship, break the bread, pray, and praise God. How we do this, when we do this, and where we do this may look differently but the underlying specifics of the church are fairly close.
2.) I define church as a covenant local body of believers who are bound by their unity as followers of Christ. The see each other thought the highs and lows of life together and are together for the purpose of building each other up.
I would agree with your definition of the church; however in your wording of "people-focused individuals" I know what you mean but I might word it as people who are on mission and live a missional lifestyle in order that they may share the Gospel with the people the come into contact with daily.
I would agree that your conclusions about the wording of missional is much better sounding than what I had originally written. I think it better conveys the concept that I was trying to get across in my original post. Thanks for your thoughts on that!
I also enjoyed that you brought out the concept of covenant in your definition of what church is. Too often I think we forget the Biblical concept of covenant. When we join a church, we make a covenant with the Lord and with a body of believers to do life with them. I think this is why too many people don't find fulfillment in being part of a local church body. You only get out of something what you put into it. More people would probably get more out of their church experience, and their walk with the Lord in general, if they put more into the concept of "desiring God" and finding fulfillment in Him and in walking with His people.
1.) In the first part of the chapter, the author discusses the church in early Acts. There are some similarities and also some differences between the church of Acts and the church of today. A similarity is in their purposes. The author outlines the main 8 purposes early in the chapter. These concepts are practiced by both the church of today and of yesterday. The church today does not give focus to the fear of the Lord. We often believe that God is holy, but don't live it out in our lives as a body of believers.
ReplyDelete2.) I define "church" as a local body of believers who unite weekly together to study the Word and worship together in order to grow in the knowledge of the Lord, and then who unite as people-focused individuals to take the Gospel to the worl.
1.) The church of today still practices many of the activies of the earlies Christian community. We still preach the word, baptize, teach, fellowship, break the bread, pray, and praise God. How we do this, when we do this, and where we do this may look differently but the underlying specifics of the church are fairly close.
ReplyDelete2.) I define church as a covenant local body of believers who are bound by their unity as followers of Christ. The see each other thought the highs and lows of life together and are together for the purpose of building each other up.
Brian,
ReplyDeleteI would agree with your definition of the church; however in your wording of "people-focused individuals" I know what you mean but I might word it as people who are on mission and live a missional lifestyle in order that they may share the Gospel with the people the come into contact with daily.
Jonathan,
ReplyDeleteI would agree that your conclusions about the wording of missional is much better sounding than what I had originally written. I think it better conveys the concept that I was trying to get across in my original post. Thanks for your thoughts on that!
I also enjoyed that you brought out the concept of covenant in your definition of what church is. Too often I think we forget the Biblical concept of covenant. When we join a church, we make a covenant with the Lord and with a body of believers to do life with them. I think this is why too many people don't find fulfillment in being part of a local church body. You only get out of something what you put into it. More people would probably get more out of their church experience, and their walk with the Lord in general, if they put more into the concept of "desiring God" and finding fulfillment in Him and in walking with His people.