THE CHURCH: CHRIST'S BODY

10/28/90
THE CHURCH: CHRIST'S BODY
EPHESIANS 4: 11 - 16
(PAGE 1710 COME ALIVE BIBLE)
JESUS CHRIST said, "I will build my church and the gates of hell
shall not prevail against it."
Ever since His resurrection, by His Spirit, He has been busy
building His church universally and locally. I believe in the
local church because it is what Christ called His "body."
Some contemporary thinkers speak in grandiose terms of belonging
to the church universal, that is, the invisible church. They
profess they don't believe in or belong to the local church.
Their involvement is with the invisible church. To them I would
like to say, "That is so wonderful that I would like to
contribute some invisible money to help your invisible church."
Those who declare their belief in the universal but not the
local church need to go outdoors and look around. As they stand
basking in the sun, they might say I believe in the sun
universal. Take away the sun local and there would be no sun
universal. Take away the local church and there would be no
church universal.
I believe in the local church because Christ believed in it. I
believe in the local church because the Greek word for church is
used 85 times in the New Testament to refer to the local church.
It is spoken of by Christ as His "body." To me one of the most
distinct evidences of His love and sense of intimacy with the
church is found in the life of Saul of Tarsus. Saul had
beenappointed by the Sanhedrin to investigate the accounts of
the resurrection of Christ. The Scripture describes him on his
way to Damascus to interrogate by intimidation and if need be
death Ch ...

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