Lesson 6: Experiencing the Family of God
Purpose: to help the person understand the importance of the
church and to help them become involved in a church
if they are not
Objectives:
1. to define the church
2. to briefly describe what the church does
3. to show the need to be involved in a local church
4. to challenge the person to become involved in a local church
Introduction:
So far we have learned about God and about
how we can grow in Him. Today we're going to discuss the church.
We will see that it is a very important
part of God's plan for us.
Q. How would you define the word church?
A. [Let them answer.] Two literal definitions
are "those called together" or "those called out to an assembly." These
definitions both point to the fact that a
church is people and not a building.
Read Hebrews 10:24, 25
Q. What are believers told to do in this passage?
A. They are told to assemble themselves together
regularly especially as Christ's second coming draws nearer, in
order to spur one another on toward love and
good works.
Q. Have you ever had an experience like this
where being around Christians has motivated you to live for Christ and
to love and encourage others?
A. [Have them give an example if they can. If they can't, then give an example from your life.]
Read Acts 2:42-47
Q. These verses describe what the early church
did when they met together in Jerusalem. According to v. 42, what
did they do?
A. They devoted themselves to the teaching
of the apostles, they fellowshipped together, they ate a meal together,
and they prayed together.
Q. Before looking at these four elements further,
what do vv. 43-47 have to say about when and where they did
these things?
A. They met everyday in the temple courts.
They did not have any buildings at that time so they met where it was
most convenient when they met all together.
The fact that a real revival was taking place also explains why a
popular meeting place like the temple was
used and why they met so often. Eventually the church met together as a
whole once a week on Sunday (Acts 20:7).
Read Acts 4:32-35
Q. What did the Christians do that showed their love for each other and their faith in Christ?
A. They did not trust in their wealth but helped those who were in need.
Read Romans 8:14, 15
Q. How is God described and how are believers described in this passage?
A. God is call ed our Father and we are his sons (and daughters).
Read Luke 8:21
Q. Who does Jesus say are His real family?
A. Those who hear the Word of God and do it.
Thus, the picture painted by Scripture is
that the church is one large family with God as their Father and everyone
else as brothers and sisters.
Q. How did your family provide the kind of atmosphere to help you grow up as a child?
A. [Let them answer.]
Q. How do you think the church might provide
the atmosphere you need to help you grow up spiritually as a child of
God?
A. [Let them answer, and share from your own experience.]
Let's look a little further at the different elements of the church pictured in Acts 2:43-47
Q. The ones doing the public teaching in Acts
2 were the apostles, but the original apostles are no longer alive, and
even among the New Testament churches could
not be everywhere. Who did the public teaching in those places?
Read Ephesians 4:11, 12
A. Jesus ("He" in v. 11) has given not only
apostles to the church but also prophets, evangelists, and pastor-teachers
to equip and teach His people. So even though
the original apostles are no longer with us, God continues to raise up
leadership to lead His church. 1 Timothy 3:1-13
gives us the characteristics of those leaders so we can recognize
them.
Q. What does the term fellowship mean?
A. The term means "sharing of life."
Q. What are some of the ways the early believers shared their lives with one another?
A. We have already seen that they shared meals (thus time), possessions, and prayed together.
Q. Have you ever seen this kind of sharing
before? What kind of impact do you think it would have on you and on
others?
A. [Let them answer. Share an example from your life.]
Read Colossians 3:16
Q. What other ways can we share together according to this verse?
A. All believers, not just teachers, are here exhorted to share the Word of God together and sing together.
Q. Are you presently involved in a church where
you are learning the Word of God, worshiping God with others, and
experiencing the love and encouragement of
other believers?
A. [If they are not, help them to see they
are part of God's universal church, but tell them they need to become a
part of a local congregation. Invite them
to come to church with you and/or to a small group fellowship.]
Involvement in a local
congregation is part of God's plan for His people. He wants us to be a
part of a family. In
fact, those believers
who do not become involved in a local church in a meaningful way usually
do not grow very
much spiritually. They
need the stimulation that comes from experiencing the family of God.
Assignment: Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-13:13 and write out what
you learn about how the church should function and how
Christians should act.