Forsaking the Church?

Acts 11: telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord. News reached the ears of the church Told to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. Met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

All Authority Jesus has it all (Matthew 28:18) To reject his teaching and authority is to forsake the Lord—not the church. The church has no ruling power and no authority to impose its will. When a person forsakes the rules of a church that are not the rules of Christ, they have forsaken a church, but not Christ.

Forsaking the Lord Matthew 25:31 – 45 John 13:35 "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." John 15:12 – 14 "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. 13 "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. 14 "You are My friends if you do what I command you.”

Forsaking the Lord 1 John 3:10 – 14 By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother. 11 For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; …13 Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death.”

Forsaking the Lord (James 2:2 – 4) “For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, 3 and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, "You sit here in a good place," and you say to the poor man, "You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool," 4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?

Body of Christ “For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. 4 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another…”

Body of Christ 6 Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly:… 7 if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; 8 or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. 9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.” (Romans 12:3 – 9)

Body of Christ Activities of the body: to serve one another encourage one another love one another correct one another comfort one another rejoice with one another and weep with one another

Part of the Body (1 Cor. 12) The “foot” cannot say that because I am not the “hand” I am not of the body and I am not responsible to it. Nor can the “eye” say to the “hand” I have no need of you.

Part of the Body (1 Cor. 12) “24 But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.”

Body Work “to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ…we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” (Eph. 4 – NIV)

The Assembly Acts 9:26 “When he came to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.” James 2:2 “For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes,…”

Coming together as a church 1 Cor. 11:18 “For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that divisions exist among you; and in part I believe it.” 1 Cor. 14:19 “however, in the church I desire to speak five words with my mind so that I may instruct others also,” 23 “Therefore if the whole church assembles together and all speak in tongues, and ungifted men or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are mad?”

Come to the Table Acts 2:42 Teaching fellowship Lord’s supper and prayers

Forsaking the Lord and His Body This people is his body. He is the head over it. He, as Lord, directed His followers to stick together And assemble and show care one for another. (cf. 1 Cor. 12:25). “should have equal concern for each other.”

Are you a part of God’s Family? Acts 18:8 – 10 “Crispus, the synagogue ruler, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard him believed and were baptized. 9 One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: "Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. 10 For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city."