• Lesson 1:
  • The church universal and local
    • Church universal:
      • Made up of all saved people
      • General relationship
      • No organization
      • Independent function
      • No collective oversight
    • Church local:
      • Made up of people in a local area who agree to work and worship under a common oversight
      • Special relationship
      • Collective function
      • A joined fellowship
      • An overseen fellowship
      • Only authorized structure
    • The church

Universal

Local

Lord adds

Membership

Man joins

Vertical

Fellowship

Horizontal

Christ removes

Discipline

Church removes

Eternal

Duration

Time, death

Independent

Function

Joint action

Independent

Oversight

Elders

• For a correct conception of a local church, two things are necessary:
  • Recognition of Bible authority
  • Respect for Bible authority
• Religious institutions of men are founded upon the Bible plus human creeds.
  • Bible + Baptist manual will make a Baptist every time.
  • Bible + Methodist Discipline will make a Methodist every time.
  • Bible + Pope will make a Catholic every time.
  • Bible only will make a Christian every time.
• Therefore, a church of the Lord is founded upon the Bible, which states:
  • There is one body – Ephesians 4:4
  • Only one body – I Corinthians 12:27
  • The body is the church – Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18
• Therefore, there is but one church that exists with the approval of God. This one church is the saved relationship or saved people.
• God has willed that His people who live in a locality agree to worship and work together in spiritual matters, under a common oversight, and pool their resources to finance the work He has assigned to be done under that common oversight. This is the local church.
  • Each local church is to teach and practice the same things – Galatians 1:2-9
  • Each local church is independent – Acts 20:28; I Peter 5:2-3
• New Testament church – it’s creed (source of authority):
  • We must of necessity put aside all creeds that have begun since the days of the apostles.
    • Nicene Creed (325 A.D.) – over 200 years too late
    • Apostles’ Creed (500 A.D.) – over 400 years too late

• Genesis 2:18-24
• I Corinthians 7:2
• Once a man and woman are married, they are bound by God’s law. This law cannot be broken without sin.
• God’s law is: One man and one woman for life.
• God’s law
  • Have a deep respect for God’s marriage law.
  • Have a sincere love for one another.
    • Philippians 2:3
  • Rather than asking: “Is my mate treating me right?” ask: “Am I treating my mate right?”
  • With these three things in place, a marriage cannot fail.
• Man has devised many schemes to try to circumvent the strictness of God’s law:
  • Alien sinner is not amenable to God’s law. – E.C. Fuqua; Homer Hailey
    • I Corinthians 6:11; 5:9-11
  • All sins forgiven at baptism. – Luther Dabney
  • Guilty party has right to marry another. – Lloyd Moyer
    • Matthew 19:9
  • Divorce is a sin, but no law against marrying another. – Jerry Bassett
  • Man marry man; woman marry woman.
    • Romans 1:26-27, 32
  • In spite of man’s schemes, God’s law stands: one man, one woman for life.
• I Corinthians 7:1-11

• James 5:7-11
• The farmer waits: some things can’t be rushed (Romans 5:1-5)
  • Spiritual maturity – Ephesians 4:1-3; Hebrews 5:14
  • Developing into a Bible student/teacher
  • Becoming a shepherd
  • Loving your family
• Strengthen your hearts: replace pride and selfishness with the Lord and love (James 5:7-9)
  • Romans 12:19
  • I Corinthians 13:4
• Take the prophets: quit acting like worldly people (Hebrews 6:11)

• Follow:
  • How does following resemble leading?
  • What differentiates a good follower from a bad follower?
  • What are some examples in scripture?
  • How can we make ourselves better followers?
  • Old Testament Hebrew terms:
    • אַחַר (ʾ__ǎ__ḥǎr) - the hind part; generally used as an adverb
      • Often used in combination with another word which specifies its proper use.
      • I Kings 18:21; Ezekiel 13:3
    • הָלַךְ (h__āl__ǎḵ) - to walk (literally and figuratively); along, apace, behave one’s self
      • Deuteronomy 13:4; Leviticus 20:23
      • Uses:
        • Pursue (with hostile intent) – Jeremiah 48:2
        • To pursue (without hostile intent) – Jeremiah 18:12
        • To follow along – Exodus 13:2
        • To follow as a disciple or devotee – Deuteronomy 13:4
      • New Testament Greek
        • ἀκολουθέω (akolouthe__ō) – to be in the same way with; to be a follower (specifically as a disciple)
          • Matthew 9:9; Luke 22:10
        • μιμέομαι (mimeomai) – to imitate
          • II Thessalonians 3:7-9
        • Special combination
          • ὀπίσω (opis__ō) – to the back, aback – with –
          • δεῦτε (deute) – imperative: come hither, come follow
          • Matthew 4:19
        • Modifications on ἀκολουθέω (akolouthe__ō):
          • ἐξακολουθέω (exakoloutheō) - follow up or out to the end – Matthew 4:25
          • ἐπακολουθέω (epakolouthe__ō) - follow after or close upon – I Peter 2:21
          • κατακολουθέω (katakolouthe__ō) - follow closely behind or intently after – Acts 16:17
          • παρακολουθέω (parakolouthe__ō) - accompany side by side – Mark 16:17
          • συνακολουθέω (synakolouthe__ō) - follow along with; accompany a leader – Mark 5:37
        • Is following important?
          • Deuteronomy 13:4; Acts 11:26
            • What is a disciple?
            • What is a Christian?
            • Does a Christian follow?
          • What does much of the “Christian” world teach?
            • Does grace exclude following?
            • Does teaching that we should follow degrade grace?
            • What does it mean to follow?
          • Follower qualities, skills, and traits
            • Embrace vision of leadership – II Thessalonians 2:13-15
            • Integrity – Ephesians 4:14-16

• Conclusion
  • God loves us!
    • Isaiah 59
    • Romans 5:8
    • John 3:16
    • If God is so loving, why do so many people today see Him and the Bible as hateful?
  • God is faithful!
    • Genesis 12:1-7 – God’s promises to Abraham
      • Acts 7:2-8 – Stephen recounts how God’s promise of a great nation was fulfilled.
      • Acts 7:35-45 – God fulfilled the promise of the land inheritance.
      • Acts 3:17-26 – God’s promise of all mankind being blessed is fulfilled.
    • Prophecies
      • Deuteronomy 18:15
      • Isaiah 7:14; 9:6-7 – prophecy of Jesus
      • Jeremiah 31:31
      • Daniel 2:44
      • Joel 2:28-32
      • Malachi 4:5-6
      • Acts 13:32-33
      • Galatians 3:16
      • Galatians 3:29
    • God is just!
      • Ezra 9
      • John 5:28-30
      • I Peter 1:13