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As part of this study, we will look at the things that we should do as a church, the things that we should do as individuals within the church, the message of the church, the duty of the church, the fellowship of the church, discipline within the church, the commission of the church, and the power of the church. Using these findings, we can then objectively evaluate if the local body that we are called to be a part of is faithfully and accurately fulfilling its role.

Read Hebrews 10:19-25, Ephesians 4:1-14, and the other passages noted below; and respond to the following:

1. Read Hebrews 10:19-25. Can you list each thing that we are to do as a church? (I noted four distinct things.)
   1. ANSWER 1: Draw near to God with a sincere heart.
   2. ANSWER 2: Be repentant, come with a clean and pure heart. Read 1 John 1:9.
   3. ANSWER 3: Encourage one another to love and accomplish good deeds as we are commanded to.
   4. ANSWER 4: Meet, gather, as a body of believers.
2. In Ephesians 4:1-6, how are we commanded to live and relate to one another within the church body? List some specific examples cited in these verses. Do we do this within the church today?
   1. ANSWER: Paul lays out a tall order for us to follow: we are to be humble, gentle, patient, in one spirit, and we are to do all we can to encourage unity within the body of believers who follow Christ. This means putting our own desires and needs aside for the sake of the body—something that can at times very difficult to do. When the church is united it glorifies God and his son Jesus. Conversely, when we follow after our own desires and our own wisdom, divisions occur within the body—not unity. This of course is not glorifying God, nor advancing the Gospel.
3. In Ephesians 4:11-12, Paul tells us that Christ appoints pastors, teachers, and evangelists. For what purpose?
   1. ANSWER: "To equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up."
4. In Ephesians 4:13-14, we are led by our pastors, teachers and evangelists to attain unity in faith and grow in the knowledge of God. If we are faithful in doing this, what do these verses tell us will happen as a result?
   1. ANSWER: We will mature as believers—no longer little children easily swayed by every kind of false doctrine.
5. Can we then infer from Ephesians 4:11-14 that one of our primary individual responsibilities (as led by teachers, pastors and evangelists) is to become mature, deep-rooted, Christians who do works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up? Is it also reasonable for us to then expect these gifted ones within the church to fulfill that role, as we are commanded to fill ours? Are you becoming the type of person that these verses call us to be?
   1. ANSWER: (Your personal response here.)
6. Read Matthew 18:15-20. Is this process followed within your local body? Is this still something that we should do today, or was it more so addressing the cultural issues in the Early Church? Is there any benefit associated with following this process?
   1. ANSWER: Clearly this teaching is something every local church is expected to follow, but sadly this rarely happens. Politics, cliques, societal norms and personal desires within the church often dictate how the sinner within the body is addressed. Compromise and neglect often surface in this environment—not wanting to rock the boat is often the rule rather than the exception. If we are to distinguish ourselves as followers of Christ and not followers of this world, then we are to follow Jesus’ teachings and not man’s. This is what sets us apart from the world around us. In John 8:23 Jesus tells us that he is "not of this world." If we are to follow him then we are not to be of this world as well. Only through following Jesus and his teachings can we set ourselves apart from this world and accomplish his will. Matthew 6:33 tells us that we are to "seek first His kingdom and His righteousness." When trouble comes into the church in the form of sin, we must seek His kingdom and avoid the ways of the world.
7. Read Acts 2:38-47. In this passage, you will find the message of the church, the duty of the church, and the fellowship of the church. List what they are, and within which passage you found each of them.
   1. The Message of the Church
      1. ANSWER: Verse 38, preach the Good News, the Gospel!
   2. The Duty of the Church
      1. ANSWER: Verse 42, devoted to teaching, studying, and fellowship.
   3. The Fellowship of the Church
      1. ANSWER: Verse 44, all were together sharing everything in common.
8. Perhaps some of the most well-known verses about the church and our individual responsibilities within the kingdom are the verses known as the Great Commission, Matthew 28:18-20. There are three things that the church is commanded to do. What are they? Is your local church doing all three? Are you?
   1. ANSWER 1: Go and make disciples everywhere and in every nation.
   2. ANSWER 2: Baptize new believers in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
   3. ANSWER 3: Teaching all believers to "obey everything" that Jesus commanded.
9. Local churches often get themselves into serious dilemmas when they forget the real source of their power. Christ tells us in his letters to the churches contained with the book of Revelation that he hates a lukewarm church, and that the church should return to its first love. In Acts 1:4-8, Christ personally gives the church instruction about the power of the church; and in Acts 2:17-21 we are witnesses to it. Does the church draw its power from the Pastor, its leadership team, its membership size, or the size of its budget? Of course not! The church’s sole source of power is the Holy Spirit, built on the foundation of Christ’s death and resurrection. Led by the Holy Spirit, we are empowered to accomplish the work of the kingdom and to worship God as we await the day when our Savior Jesus the Christ returns for us. Read the above passages in Acts, and write down some specific observations about Christ’s words regarding the Holy Spirit and the role of the Holy Spirit within the church. Do you see the Holy Spirit at work in your local church today? Is he at work in your life today? If not, why not?
   1. ANSWER 1: Acts 1:4-8 asserts that we are baptized with the Holy Spirit. He gives us the power to be witnesses for Christ anywhere and everywhere that the Holy Spirit leads us.
   2. ANSWER 2: In the end times (the "last days" leading up to Christ’s return), God will pour out his Holy Spirit; and we will see signs and wonders beyond anything that we can imagine—and yet Jesus will still be rejected as the Savior.
   3. ANSWER 3: Clearly our power comes from the Holy Spirit and not from man; we need to remember this in the coming days.

Christ told his disciples that salt that has lost its savor is good for nothing, and that no one can see a light hidden under a bushel basket. I submit to you that this is true of the church as well. It is only a reflection of the members who form the body of it. If we have lost our drive to spread God’s word, if we have grown weary of well-doing, if we have relegated our role to someone else, then God is not pleased with us, and the church to which he called us will suffer as a result.

Today, more than ever, we are closer to Christ’s second coming. We can see the signs all around us: the fields are ripe for harvest and the needs of the lost in the communities that surround our local churches are overwhelming. Christ is calling all of us to redouble our efforts, reaching out with love to meet the needs around us, to grow in fellowship and spiritual maturity, and to run the race that is set before us.

Let us pray this week for revival and a renewed desire to once again be on fire for the Lord, so that our light and our church’s light will shine brightly. As Christian songwriter Bill Maxwell so aptly put it: "Light the fire in my heart again!"

Have a great week everyone, and may God richly bless you as you continue to study with us.

In Christ,

Wes

[2021]

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