The Nature of the Church The Eternal Nature of the Church The church was in the “eternal purpose” of God (Eph. 3:10-11) Jesus promised to build His church (Matt. 16:18-19) God had a specific plan for His church, from the beginning

The Nature of the Church The Essential Nature of the Church Those who obey the Lord’s commands are “saved” (2:21, 38, 40, 47) The “saved” are “added” by the Lord Himself to His church (2:41, 47) The Lord’s church, then, is composed only of those who are saved (Eph. 5:23) The church is people—Without people being saved, there would be no church (1 Cor. 12:13) There is only one church in the plan and authorization of God (Eph. 4:4; 1:22-23), and it is inextricably linked to one’s salvation (Acts 2:38-47)

The Function of the Church The church continued steadfastly in Worship (2:42) They continued steadfastly in THE APOSTLES’ DOCTRINE = Preaching Doctrine emphasizes an “authoritative teaching” In their preaching, there was a standard of authority (cf. Matt. 28:20) In their preaching, “doctrine” was important (1 & 2 Tim, Titus) They continued steadfastly in FELLOWSHIP = Giving In general, fellowship involves common interest and sharing, mutual participation and encouragement In particular, fellowship involved contribution (Rom. 15:26; 2 Cor. 8:4; Heb. 13:16)

The Function of the Church The church continued steadfastly in Worship (2:42) They continued steadfastly in THE BREAKING OF THE BREAD = The Lord’s Supper The definite articles “the” set this apart as a specific “supper” – to be distinguished from the common meal in 2:46 “Continuing steadfastly” shows a constant, regular observance (cf. 20:7) They continued steadfastly in PRAYERS = Praying Prayer was a vital part of their daily lives Prayer was a vital part of their public assemblies (1:14; 4:31; 12:5; 1 Tim. 2:1-8; 1 Cor. 14:14-17 + 1 Tim. 2:1) They continued steadfastly in PRAISING GOD = Singing (2:47) Singing was a way to “offer the sacrifice of praise to God” by “the fruit of our lips” (Heb. 13:15)

The Function of the Church The church continued steadfastly in Evangelism (2:43, 47b) There was a continual preaching of the word… accompanied by miracles… leading to deep reverence…and continual conversions (2:47b) The church continued steadfastly in Edification (2:44, 46) Early Christians found joy and strength in one another’s company They purposefully “kept themselves together” They wanted to be with one another on a “daily” basis The church continued steadfastly in Benevolence (2:44-45) They voluntarily helped one another “as anyone had need” There was a spirit of generosity that characterized the early church, which was surely a factor in its explosive growth