1. JACKSON STREET CHURCH OF CHRIST PLEASE TURN OFF CELL PHONES
WELCOME TO THE
JACKSON STREET CHURCH OF CHRIST
PLEASE TURN OFF CELL PHONES

2. Ephesians 5:22-33 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord
Ephesians 5: Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. (23) For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. (24) Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. (25) Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, (26) that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, (27) that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. (28) So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. (29) For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. (30) For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. (31) "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." (32) This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. (33) Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

3. WHY THE CHURCH IS IMPORTANT

4. THE CHURCH IS IMPORTANT
Many in the religious world today want to play down the importance of the church in our relationship to God.
Many want a relationship with Christ outside of the church.
I even saw an article recently entitled “Why You Shouldn’t Go To Church.”
Is it important to be a part of the church?
Can you be a Christian and not be a member of the church?

5. I. IT IS THE BODY OF CHRIST
Ephesians 5:30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.
1 Corinthians 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.
Ephesians 5:23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.
Ephesians 1: And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, (23) which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

6. II. IT IS THE PLACE OF THE SAVED
Acts 2: So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, (47) praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

7. III. IT IS THE HOUSEHOLD OF GOD
1 Timothy 3:15a but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God,

8. IV. IT IS THE CHURCH OF THE LIVING GOD
1 Timothy 3:15b but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God,

9. V. IT IS THE PILLAR AND GROUND OF THE TRUTH
1 Timothy 3:15c but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

10. VI. IT WAS PURCHASED BY CHRIST’S BLOOD
Acts 20:28 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.

11. VII. IT WAS BUILT BY JESUS
Matthew 16:18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

12. VIII. IT IS MADE UP OF THE SANCTIFIED SAINTS
1 Corinthians 1:2 To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:

13. IX. IT IS A SOURCE OF WISDOM
Ephesians 3:10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places,

14. X. IT IS A SOURCE OF CHRIST’S LOVE AND CLEANSING
Ephesians 5: Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, (26) that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, (27) that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

15. XI. IT IS NOURISHED AND CHERISHED BY CHRIST
Ephesians 5:29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.
Colossians 2: Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, (19) and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.

16. XII. ITS HEAD IS CHRIST
Colossians 1:18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

17. XIII. IT IS THE HOME OF THOSE REGISTERED IN HEAVEN
Hebrews 12:23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,

18. XIV. IT IS THE PLACE OF UNITY IN CHRIST
Romans 12:4-5 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, (5) so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.
Ephesians 2:16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.

19. XV. IT IS A PLACE OF EDIFICATION
Ephesians 4: And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, (12) for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
Ephesians 4:15-16 (15) but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ-- (16) from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

20. IF THE CHURCH IS SO IMPORTANT, HOW DO I GET INTO IT?
1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.
Romans 6:3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?
Galatians 3: For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (27) For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
The only way the scriptures ever say we can get into the church or body of Christ is through baptism.

22. TONIGHT’S SERMON WALKING PROPERLY