The Church

What do we mean by the term “church”? Three common terms: 1. Universal – all believers worldwide 2. Church in the United States, etc. – all believers in a given country. 3. Local church – group gathering in one locality, ie. Oak Hills Wesleyan.

Church Government There are two main forms of government: Physical – LBA Local Board of Administration Spiritual – Five-fold ministry Ephesians 4:9-11 a. Pastor – shepherds and guards the flock of God; Acts 20:17-28, I Peter 5:2, Titus 1:5-7, John 10 Since the responsibility is ultimately his, the final authority is also his. b. Apostle – Lays foundational truths, establishes new assemblies, Eph. 2:20, I Cor. 9:1-2 c. Prophet – Lays foundational truths, Eph 2:20, exhorts, confirms and counsels the brethren Acts 15.32. d. Evangelist – has a special ministry to the lost Acts 8:5-8, e. Teacher – builds upon the foundation laid in order to establish the saints and to give them roots.

Five-Fold Ministry – Ephesians 4:9-16 Often called the “Hand Ministry” Pastor – guarding Teacher – grounding Evangelist – gathering Prophet – guiding Apostle – governing

What does this mean to us? We are the bride of Christ and God has made provision for us. We are the church demonstrating the life of Christ through our lives. The Body of Christ is similar to a human body: one body, many parts; many parts, many functions. Being part of His Body requires unselfish love for God and others. A good test of our will is the question, “Does it have eternal value?”