1. 2019 Theme
Lights in a Dark World
Philippians 2:15

2. Seeking First God’s Kingdom (4)
The Church (1) We Need Each Other

3. The Church In God’s Pattern
What is the church?
Universal – the body of all who are saved (spiritual relationship)
Local – a group of Christians in a given location who join together to do the work He has given us to do collectively

4. The Church In God’s Pattern
Following God’s word, together we engage in:
Worship
Evangelism
Edification
Limited benevolence

5. The Church In God’s Pattern
The importance of the church
Ephesians 3:10-11 – eternal purpose
Matthew 16:18 – belongs to Christ, Acts 20:28
Acts 2:47 – saved added to it
1 Timothy 3:15 – the pillar and ground of truth

6. The Church In God’s Pattern
The importance of the church
The New Testament is our pattern
Within its pages, we learn of her organization, work, worship, name, terms of admission and doctrine

7. The Church In God’s Pattern
The church and the world –
What does the world see? The universal in our salvation The local in our conduct
We are designed to stand out and project the light of Christ to a lost world. We ought to be concerned about our individual conduct, but we should also be concerned about the church collective.

8. The Church In God’s Pattern
The importance of the church
The church and the world –
The world sees who we are 1 Thessalonians 1:6-9 Revelation 3:8 – the church with an open door
We cannot let what others think keep us from doing the right thing. Are we reflecting God’s word?

9. How important is the church to me?
God wants me to be part of His church!
Both the body of the saved, and a local church
Most letters written to churches
Examples of brethren joining churches - Acts 9:26, 11:26, 13:1

10. What can the church do for me?
NOT in a selfish way
Catering to my desires
Understanding her, should compel me to ask what I can do for her
Yet, we need to understand the local church serves a purpose as part of our lives

11. What can the church do for me?
It can ground me in the faith
One work of the church is teaching
Ephesians 4:11-16
1 Timothy 4:6
2 Timothy 4:2-3
This is why we emphasize teaching so much

12. What can the church do for me?
It can give me a spiritual family to turn to with my struggles
The world can produce struggles and disappointments in many ways
Our brethren are there for us
Philippians 2:20
Galatians 6:2, Romans 12:10, 15
Hebrews 12:12-13
1 Thessalonians 4:9-10

13. What can the church do for me?
It can be a place of refuge from the carnal ways of the world
We desperately need refuge from filthy entertainment, worldliness, ungodly worldviews, etc.
Acts 4:23-24, 31
Acts 12:5, 12-17
This is why we have a mid-week assembly! Hebrews 10:24-25, 3:12-13

14. What can the church do for me?
It can help bring me closer to God
Draw near to Him James 4:8, Hebrews 10:22
By worshipping in spirit and in truth (John 4:24) Hebrews 13:15-16

15. What can the church do for me?
It can hold me accountable
Am I headed in the right direction?
What if I’m not? What if I’m struggling
DON’T avoid brethren. We need to be held accountable Galatians 6:1, 1 Thessalonians 5:14
This is NOT a bad thing!

16. What can the church do for me?
Such things will only be helpful if I am truly seeking first the kingdom of God
The church IS the kingdom! (cf. Matthew 16:18-19)

17. How important is the church to me?