What We Believe As Baptist

Week #9 What We Believe About The Church

Matthew 16:13-19

Power Point

 

Article six: The Church

“A New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the two ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, exercising the gifts, rights and privileges invested in them by His Word, and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth. Each congregation operates under the Lordship of Christ through democratic processes. In such a congregation each member is responsible and accountable to Christ as Lord. Its scriptural officers are pastors and deacons. While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.”

 

“The New Testament speaks also of the church as the Body of believers which includes all of the redeemed of all the ages, believers from every tribe, and tongue, and people and nation.”

 

Matthew 16:15-19; 18:15-20; Acts 2:41-42,47; 5:11-14; 6:3-6; 13:1-3; 14:23,27; 15:1-30; 16:5; 20:28; Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 3:16; 5:4-5; 7:17; 9:13-14; 12; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 3:8-11,21; 5:22-32; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:18; 1 Timothy 2:9-14; 3:1-15; 4:14; Hebrews 11:39-40; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Revelation 2-3; 21:2-3.

 

ekklesia meaning those who have been called out or called out ones.

 

  1. The Head of the Church

Matthew 16:13-19, 1 Corinthians 3:11. Colossians 1:18,

Ephesians 2:19-20

 

  1. The Characteristics of a Church

 

  1. The members of His church.

 

  1. Saved Baptized Believers

 

  1. A believer must bear fruit that testifies to their testimony.

Matthew 7:16-18

 

  1. Covenant

 

  1. The ministry of His church.

 

  1. Preaching the word of God

2 Timothy 4:2

 

  1. Observing the Ordinances.

Matthew 28, 1 Corinthians 11

 

  1. Disciplining its members.

Matthew 18:15-17, Galatians 6

 

  1. Exercising its gifts.

1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12:4-8, Ephesians 4

  1. The Churches Structure.

 

  1. Government (Polity – Governance)

 

  1. Congregationalism

Acts 6:3, Acts 13:2-3, Acts 15:22,

1 Corinthians 5:1-5

 

  1. Autonomous

 

  1. Offices

 

  1. Pastor

 

  1. Episcopos

Episcopos means an overseer.

 

  1. Presbyteros

Presbyteros means elder.

 

  1. Poimainein

Poimainein means Shepherd.

Hebrews 13:17

 

  1. The office of pastor is reserved for men.

1 Timothy 2

 

  1. Deacon

The word for deacon is the word the Greek word Diakonos.

The word Diakonos was used to describe a household servant.

Diakonos means an attendant, or a waiter at a table or waiter in other everyday duties.

 

  1. Deacons are to take care of physical ministry.

Acts 6

 

  1. Deacons are to strive for the unity of the body.

Acts 6

 

  1. Deacons are to support the ministry of the pastors.

 

III. The Mission of His Church

Matthew 28:19-20

 

  1. We are to go everywhere lost people are.

 

  1. We are to make disciples.

 

  1. We are to baptize new disciples in the local church.

 

  1. We are to teach all that Jesus commanded.

 

  • We exist for those who have not yet come.

 

  • As a church our mission is to spread the gospel and expand the kingdom of God, in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the world.

 

  • The church is not a place, but a people; not a sacred building, but a band of believers; not an organization, but a spiritual organism, whose life is drawn from the living Lord, Jesus Christ.