Confirming Faith Week Six: The Church

This week we are looking at what is meant by “church”. Jannice will be leading the discussion and so the questions may not relate directly to this article, which provides some background information for reference.

The word “church” in English (similar to Scottish Kirk or German kirche) comes from the Greek kuriakos meaning belonging to the Lord (kyrios). The church, therefore, consists of those who belong to the Lord. French and Spanish words for church come from the Greek ekklesia meaning an assembly (ek=out and kaleo meaning called). Ekklesia was used for any assembly, not only Christian ones. It is similar to the word synagogue which is used to describe a Jewish gathering for worship and teaching.
In the New Testament, “church” never means a building, the clergy, or a denomination, but rather, it referred to the people of God (a) meeting in someone’s house, (b) in a city or region, or (c) all Christians throughout the world. It was also sometime used for a secular gathering or for God’s people Israel.
In the first chapters of Acts we read about Christ’s followers meeting in homes and also in the Jerusalem temple court. The earliest Christians were nearly all Jewish and therefore attended worship in the temple and the synagogue as well as breaking bread (celebrating communion) in each other’s homes. Around 70 AD Messianic Jews were finally evicted from the synagogues and the tragic break with Judaism occurred. Christians continued to meet in homes until the fourth century when purpose-built church buildings patterned on the Roman basilicas first began to be used.
Additional terms used for the church in the Bible:
· body of Christ: we are all different parts of the one body (1Cor 12) with Christ as the head (Eph 5:23).
· bride of Christ. Marriage as a picture of Christ and his church. (Ephesians 5)
· family or household of God. (Eph 2:19) He is our father; we are joint-heirs with Christ. (Eph 3:6)
· people of God (Heb 4:9)
· temple of the living God (2 Cor 6:16), a building made of living stones (1 Peter 2:5), with Christ as the cornerstone(Eph 2:20).
· pillar and ground of truth. (1 Tim 3:15)
It is God who adds to his church (Acts 2:47) and Jesus who will build it (Matt 16:18). The gates of Hell will not prevail against it.
The Kingdom of God (everywhere His rule is exercised) and the church are not the same thing but both have Christ as their centre. Christ is King. The church is the assembly of those who have accepted the good news of the Kingdom and are its ambassadors. Christians have dual-citizenship: in their country and in Christ’s Kingdom. Their first allegiance is to Christ.
Jesus said that wherever two or three are gathered in his name he is there with them. Wherever his disciples gather there is the church.
The Kingdom of God.
The Church
Christ
The Nicene Creed refers to the Church as
· One: meaning that all who belong to Christ belong to the church. Separate denominations are not what Christ intended.
· Holy: meaning set-apart for God.
· Catholic: a botanical term meaning “to be in accord with the whole”. It was used, for example, to describe a true oak tree as opposed to one which looked like an oak tree but was another species.
· Apostolic: meaning continuing to believe and practice what the apostles taught.
We become part of the church through faith in Christ and being baptised. The word laos (from which we get the word “laity”) refers to all Christians: the whole people of God. All Christians are given spiritual gifts to serve the whole church. Some Christians are called to serve as deacons; some deacons become presbyters (pastors) and some presbyters give oversight to others as bishops (shepherds). Different denominations use different terms for their leaders.
The early church recognized the functions of (a) apostles (pioneering church-planters) who traveled around starting new churches and giving oversight to multiple local churches, (b) prophets, who had an authoritative role in proclaiming God’s message, (c) evangelists, who were effective in leading others to Christ, (d) pastor-teachers, who looked after and taught the local congregations. There were also deacons who looked after the poor and widows or visited the sick. Elders (presbyters/bishops) could have any of these functions but chiefly the role of pastor-teacher. By the time the last of the original Apostles died, the term “bishop” came to mean the senior pastor who oversaw other pastors and served as a point of unity between different local congregations.
Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox each claim to be the one true church (they cannot both be right!). Some sects or cults make similar claims about themselves. Protestants tend to distinguish between the “invisible “church, which is all Christians everywhere and the “visible” church (the denomination or congregational organization ) recognizing that the visible church will always have belonging to it some people who are not true believers. Anglicans make no claim to be the one true church, but rather, to be only a part of the one church and are thus committed to ecumenical co-operation.
Hands: service in the world
Feet: shod with the gospel: evangelism
Feet: shod with the gospel: evangelism
Hands: service in the world.
Christ is the head . His disciples form the body..
Fellowship in the church, with Worship as the heart of the Church
(The picture model would not post on this blog) Above is a model of the local church as a body with limbs reaching out into the community.
The five purposes of the local church are: worship, fellowship, service, evangelism, and discipleship. These are summed up in a different order in COOL’s Mission Statement:

To serve the people of the Comox Valley, introducing them to Jesus Christ, welcoming them into His family, equipping them to follow Christ's example, and loving Him with all that we are.

Sunday at Five, October 23, 2005

Discussion and Holy Communion at five pm this Sunday, followed by potluck supper, at 2087 Beaton Ave, Comox, BC.

Confirming Faith Week 5 The Holy Spirit

Confirming Faith Week Five. The Holy Spirit.

Who is the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is a Person, not a thing or an impersonal force. He is the third Person of the Godhead (the Trinity) and proceeds from the Father through the Son (or, at the Son’s request). He does not draw attention to Himself. He draws us into a relationship with the Father and glorifies the Son. He is present in scripture from the second verse of Genesis to the last chapter of Revelation.

What was His role in the Old Testament?
He was present at Creation and at various times rested upon or filled individuals so that they could be empowered for God-directed action or to speak God’s message. He inspired the prophets and the authors of the books of the Bible.  In the OT it was only special people who had the HS and then only for specific purposes.

What was His role in the New Testament?
Before Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was active in people such as Mary, Elizabeth, Zecharias, John the Baptizer, and in Jesus. He came upon Jesus at his baptism and led him out into the wilderness. John the Baptist predicted that Jesus would baptize people with the Holy Spirit. Jesus told his disciples to receive the Holy Spirit and to wait in Jerusalem until the Spirit came. We are told that it was the Holy Spirit’s power that raised Jesus from the dead, thereby proving that the Father had accepted His sacrifice.

At Pentecost (Acts 2) all the gathered followers of Jesus were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in languages they did not understand but which were understood by people of various nationalities who overheard them. Peter preached to the crowds that they too would receive the HS if the repented, believed in Jesus and were baptized. Subsequently, the HS was received by a number of individuals and groups including Samaritans, Gentiles and others.

What does He do today?
He does what he has done ever since He was given to the church at Pentecost.

1. Before we become Christians He convinces us of our need for God. He convicts of sin, righteousness and judgment (John 16:8). Nobody can truthfully confess Jesus as Lord without having the Spirit (Romans 8:9 and 1Cor 12:3).


2. When we become Christians we are “born again” or “born from above” (John 3:3-8 and 1John 5:8) and receive the Spirit of adoption by which we are assured that God is our Father (Romans 8:15). The Holy Spirit comes to live within us (1Cor 3:16).


3. He incorporates us into the Body of Christ which is the church. (1 Cor 12:13). Water baptism and baptism in/with/by the Spirit are two sides of the same coin but are not the same thing and may or may not occur at the same time.


4. He transforms our character by producing the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal 5:22-23).


5. He gives us gifts to be used for the benefit of the whole church. There are numerous lists of these: 1 Corinthians chapters 12 (three lists), 1 Peter 4, Romans 12, 1 Cor 7:2, Ephesians 4.


6. He helps us to understand the truth of scripture which He inspired. He is the Spirit of truth (John 14:17). See also: 1 Cor 2:10-13.

How to receive or be filled with the Spirit.
Becoming a Christian has four parts to it: repentance, faith in Jesus, baptism in water, and receiving the Spirit (Acts 2:38).  These may occur together or at different times and not always in that order.

If you are not sure whether or not you are a Christian, then the first thing to do is to do make sure you are. Pray a “sorry, thank you, please” prayer: confess your sinfulness, asking God to forgive you, thank Him for Jesus’ death for you, and ask him to give you His Spirit.

If you are already a Christian, confess to God any known sin that would interfere with the HS working in your life and to reveal to you anything which needs to be made right with Him. Then ask Jesus to fill you with his Spirit and to give you any gifts you need to serve Him. Praise Him and thank for doing so. Focus on God rather than on your feelings – the Giver is more important than the gift. Use your own language as well as any other language which comes to mind as you pray. You will probably find yourself praising Him in a language you have never learned. It’s that simple.

Conversion and baptism are unrepeatable, but repentance, faith and walking in/by the Spirit are a way of life. Remember, being filled with the Spirit is not a once only event. You need to be continually filled with the Spirit. At different times you may need or experience a special infilling, gift for a particular purpose.

What does it mean to be Baptized in the Holy Spirit?
This expression only occurs 7 times in the Bible, 5 times predicting that Jesus would baptize in the Holy Spirit in contrast to John baptizing in water. This came true for Jewish believers at Pentecost and for Gentiles when Cornelius (Acts 10) and his family were baptized in the Spirit. After Cornelius’s conversion Peter refers to those predictions to explain what had just occurred (Acts 11:16-18). The final time is the reference in 1Cor 12:13 which indicates that all Christians have been baptized by one Spirit into the one body of Christ. So some Christians understand the term to refer to being born again at which time one receives the Spirit.

Some Christians refer to a special experience, after conversion, of being filled with the Spirit in a very powerful way, usually accompanied by speaking in tongues, as being “Baptized in the Spirit.” Other Christians, while having a similar experience, prefer not to call it by that name because of the confusion which arises from the terminology.

Nowhere in the New Testament are Christians after Pentecost commanded to seek an experience called the Baptism in the Spirit. We are, however, commanded to go on being filled with the Spirit, to walk by the Spirit, to earnestly desire spiritual gifts, not to quench or grieve the Spirit. Not everyone has an identical experience but we are all expected to receive the Spirit and the gifts He wishes us to have. Nobody should be proud of their experiences or consider others less for not having the same experience. Nevertheless, Jesus intends for us to be filled with his Spirit and to have His power at work in our lives. We should not be afraid of asking the Father for this, as Jesus promised the Father will give the Spirit to anyone who asks (Luke 11:13).

Discussion:

1. What is the evidence that the Spirit is active in one’s life?


2. What are the gifts of the Spirit?


3. Should all Christians have the same gifts?


4. Why might people be afraid to ask God to fill them with His Spirit?


5. What metaphors for the Holy Spirit are there in the Bible?

At a subsequent time we shall discuss the connection between the Holy Spirit and water baptism and with public profession of faith (eg church membership or Confirmation).
As before, some of the material for this backgrounder was taken from Faith Confirmed by Peter Jackson and Chris Wright (published by SPCK). However most of it was drawn from other authors such as Nicky Gumbel, Michael Green and David Pawson.

New Dawn in East Africa: the East African revival - Christian History & Biography - ChristianityTodayLibrary.com

New Dawn in East Africa: the East African revival - Christian History & Biography - ChristianityTodayLibrary.com

Might the East Africa Revival have something to teach us in Canada?

Rick's Rwanda Road Map - Christianity Today Magazine

read these articles on how the Anglican church in Rwanda is helping heal the effects of Genocide.

Province of Rwanda

Confirming Faith Week 4 Jesus Death and Resurrection

Confirming Faith - Week 4.                Jesus’ Death and Resurrection

(A) HIS DEATH
Why Jesus Had to Die: There are several ways of looking at what Jesus achieved by his death and resurrection. All of these are true. Some Christians emphasize one over the others.

1. Atonement: this means to “make one” (at-one-ment). God made us for a relationship with him.  We are estranged from God through our rebellion against him. (sin). Christ came to restore that relationship. Only someone who was both fully man and fully God, and who was himself without sin, could bridge that gap between us and God.

Read Eph 3:16-19. The cross is a picture of the lengths to which God was willing to go to reach out to us and of the depth and breadth of his love. The vertical part of the cross represents restoration between us and God; the horizontal beam represents the ministry of reconciliation he has given us (Romans 5:6-11, 2 Cor 5:18-20).

2. Substitution: This means that Jesus took our place. He received the punishment we deserve so that we could go free. We are justified (declared righteous and not guilty) because he has taken our sin on himself. (2 Cor 5:21).  We exchange our sinfulness for his righteousness. The righteous wrath of God against evil was borne by him. Jesus experienced separation from God the Father so that we might be re-united with him and become his children. Essentially, he traded places with us. That is why he cried out: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” All the sacrifices of the Old Testament are pictures of the one final sacrifice of Jesus.

3. Victory over Death and Evil:
Man was created immortal. Death entered human experience after man rebelled. Jesus experienced death for us. His resurrection overcame the power of death.

4. Ransom: This metaphor is that of paying a ransom price to set free a kidnapped victim or a slave (man is enslaved by sin and under Satan’s influence). Jesus purchased our liberation with his own blood. We therefore now belong to him. (Matt 20:28, 1Tim 2:6)

5. Rescue: Christ’s incarnation, death and resurrection represent God’s rescue mission to planet Earth. He rescued us from Satan’s dominion and transferred us to God’s dominion, from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. (Col 1:13).

6. Example to follow: Jesus’ death was an example (1Peter 2:21) of self-less love and devotion, of willingness to lay down one’s life for others and of loving one’s enemies. We are called to follow in his footsteps. His death, however, was not simply one of a revolutionary dying for a good cause.

Think of different examples from history, your own experience or the news which illustrate these different ways of looking at the cross, eg. someone risking his/her life for someone else.

Through his conception, birth, life and death, Jesus identified fully with all that it means to be human. He assumed our nature so that we could become by adoption and grace, what he is by nature, namely sons of God and joint-heirs with Christ.

(B) HIS RESURRECTION
1 Cor 15:1-20 and 50-58) Christians believe, as we say in some liturgies, that: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.

• Jesus died; he did not merely swoon or appear dead.


• He was buried in a known and guarded tomb


• The tomb was empty on the first Easter morning.


• Jesus appeared to numerous people during the forty days before his ascension. They saw, touched and talked with him. He ate with them.

The significance of the resurrection:

• His predictions came true.


• His claims were vindicated by God. i.e. his resurrection proved him to be who he claimed to be.


• He has power over death.


• We can have confidence that we too shall rise.


• The same power which raised Christ from the dead is alive in us through his Spirit.


• We can experience the risen Christ.


• If he kept his promise to rise from the dead, we can rely on his promise to come back again.

Easter is thus the central feast of the Christian year. Each Sunday is a mini-Easter as we gather around the Lord’s Table to remember and receive him in the bread and wine.

What should our response to this be?

One of the paradoxes of the Christian faith is this: when we think we are free to do whatever we want by rebelling against the God who made us, we are actually enslaved by sin. When we voluntarily submit to the Lordship of Christ we are truly free to be all we were meant to be.

Acknowledgement: As with the other sessions in this series, this topic is based substantially on Faith Confirmed by Peter Jackson and Chris Wright (published by SPCK), supplemented with other material.

Sunday at five Oct 16th

Hi everyone.
Last week Jannice presented an excellent discussion on the life and ministry of Jesus.
This coming Sunday, October 9th (Thanksgiving Sunday) there will be no gathering. We next meet for communion, discussion and supper at 2087 Beaton Ave in Comox at 5pm October 16th.
See you there.