Lesson Objective
To enable believers to clearly articulate the church’s biblical identity through essential Scriptural images - such as the Body of Christ, the Family of God, the Temple of the Holy Spirit, the Bride of Christ, and the Royal Priesthood - and to inspire them to incorporate these profound truths into their daily lives and the vibrant life of the congregation. When many people hear the word “Church,” they think of a building. However, the Scriptures consistently describe the Church as a living community – Jesus Christ’s body, His bride, God’s household and temple - made up of ordinary people whom God has called to Himself in Jesus Christ. In this lesson–study, we will explore what the Scriptures say the Church is, so that we can see ourselves not as spectators at a religious service, but as a people who belong to God, indwelt by His Spirit, and sent together for His purposes in the world.
The Church Defined (What is the Church?)
The Church is a dynamic community of believers called together by God through the love and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. This unified body is actively formed and guided by Jesus Christ Himself, by the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit. In short, the Church is people called by God, formed by Jesus Christ, and empowered by the Holy Spirit!
Scriptural References
1 Peter 2:9-10 (MSG): “But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do His work and speak out for Him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference He made for you - from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.”
Ephesians 2:19-22 (ERV): “So now you non-Jewish people are not visitors or strangers, but you are citizens together with God’s holy people. You belong to God’s family. You believers are like a building that God owns. That building was built on the foundation that the apostles and prophets prepared. Christ Jesus Himself is the most important stone in that building. The whole building is joined together in Christ, and He makes it grow and become a holy temple in the Lord. And in Christ you are being built together with His other people. You are being made into a place where God lives through the Spirit.”
Matthew 28:18-20 (CEV): “Jesus came to them and said: I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth! Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be with you always, even until the end of the world.”
