“A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.” Revelation 12:1, NIV Revelation’s beautiful image of the church is easy to love. It is the image God shares with the Apostle John on the island of Patmos. God loves His … Continue reading –>
Read Raoul Dederen, “The Church,” pp. 538-581, in Raoul Dederen (ed.), Handbook of Seventh-day Adventist Theology; Ellen G. White, “‘Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods Before Me,’” pp. 361-364, in Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers; “The Church the Light of the World,” pp. 455-467, in Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5. “If a man is sanguine of his … Continue reading –>
Fourteen-year-old Veresa [veh-REH-sah] listened as the doctor spoke to his parents. “Veresa has a hole in his heart. But surgery can repair his heart and help him live a normal life.” Veresa tried not to worry about the surgery; he just wanted to be well. Veresa’s surgery was a success. His parents couldn’t stay with … Continue reading –>
[Thought questions for The Church: In Service to Humanity November 21, 2012] 1. The essence of church. When did you go to church last? Were you blessed by being there? Were you able to share Christian love with someone who was there? What is church? Do you think Satan goes to church every week? According to … Continue reading –>
“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Hebrews 10:25 Over the years, I have heard many people tell me they don’t need a church. They can just study the Bible for themselves. They don’t … Continue reading –>
Governance means getting things done. This is true of general social life, and it is also true of church life. Governance also involves organization, which means the organizing of things into a functioning, coherent whole with rules, regulations, and structures designed to facilitate a task at hand. Authority is also critical to governance. At the … Continue reading –>
Do you remember this song? We are one in the Lord We are one in the Spirit We are one in the Lord And we pray that all unity may one day be restored We will work with each other We will work side by side We will work with each other We will work … Continue reading –>
The church-depicted as the “called out” of God, the “people of God,” the “body of Christ” and the “temple of the Holy Spirit” – is fitted for service or mission. Unity is essential to the church because without it the church cannot successfully accomplish its mission. It is no wonder that the issue of unity … Continue reading –>
Key Thought : The church is not a human invention; it was created by God for the purpose of bringing sinners into a saving relationship with Him. [Teaching plan for The Church: In Service to Humanity November 26, 2012] 1. Have a volunteer read I Timothy 3:14,15. A. Ask class members to share a short thought … Continue reading –>
The church as ‘the body of Christ’ means that the church is to do what Christ would do if He were still on the earth ‘bodily’. It is for this reason that the church as an ‘assembly’ has been called out. The church does not simply have a mission; the church is mission. Read Matthew 28:19-20. How does … Continue reading –>
Besides the word ecclesia itself, the New Testament describes the church with several images that further explain its nature and function. Today we will look at just two crucial concepts regarding the church: the church as the people of God and the church as the body of Christ. 1. The “people of God” as a concept is applied … Continue reading –>
When we speak about the nature of something, we are usually interested in its origins, function, and purpose. Besides providing several images to depict the church, the Bible uses a particular word in reference to it, ecclesia, which means “called out” or “called forth.” In secular Greek life the word was used primarily to describe a group … Continue reading –>
