• The church belongs to Christ.
    • Acts 20:28 - Jesus purchased the church with His own blood.
    • Matthew 16:13-18 - Jesus built His church.
    • Colossians 1:13-18 - Jesus is the head of the church.
    • Ephesians 1:20-23 - Jesus is head over all things to the church.
    • Ephesians 5:23-32 - The church is subject to Christ.
  • “Church” refers to all people who are in a saved relationship through Christ.
    • “church” (Greek transliteration: ekklesia) - “a calling out”
    • Ephesians 5:23 - “Savior of the body”, “holy and blameless”
    • Hebrews 12:22-24 - “who are enrolled in heaven”
    • I Peter 2:5 - “a spiritual house”, “now you have received mercy”
  • The word “church” used in three ways:
    • In the singular sense:
      • “I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18
    • In the plural sense:
      • “All the churches of Christ greet you” (Romans 16:16
    • In the assembled sense:
      • “Therefore if the whole church assembles together”(I Corinthians 14:23
  • How do we get into the saved relationship, and thus, the church?
    • Acts 2 - Beginning of the church!
    • We get into Christ and His church the same way they did that day: hear, believe, repent, confess, and be baptized.
  • Baptism
    • Galatians 3:27
  • What is we just went back to the Bible?
    • There would only be:
      • One church
      • One “type” of Christian
      • New Testament worship
      • New Testament church work (I Corinthians
      • Elders, deacons, and members