Young Adults' Group

The Church As The Body Of Christ

by Pastor Mark
May 24, 2018

The divine idea of the church

Last Saturday, we thank God that we were able to have a combined fellowship groups meeting. This was important as we do not want to just focus on our own individual fellowship groups but that we should also come together to worship and fellowship as a church. Pastor Charles taught us about the divine idea of the church. While this may be an old idea, it is a divine idea that God has given to us. It is a good idea that transcends time and should not change. Today, there are many churches who have moved away from this divine idea of the church. Bethany is committed to this divine idea and will seek to hold on to this idea that has been revealed in the Scriptures.

The design of the church

“And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” (Eph 1:22,23)

Pastor taught us that when God designed the church, He had fullness in mind. The word “gave” is written in the Greek perfect tense. This means that God had already given Christ to be the head and the effect is that His fullness has filled the church, His body. All that Christ is…His wisdom, His power, His glory and much more can be seen in the church. It is an amazing thought to consider that what we see in the church, we are meant to see Christ. If we see the church doing the things that Christ did, we would be able to see the Lord Jesus reflected in His body. If we truly submit ourselves to the headship of Christ, the body would become just as the head is. It is wonderful that we can come to understand what the Lord’s design of the church is meant to be. Through this design, we see how greatly blessed we are.

The Lord’s blessings of the church

1. A picture of the fullness of blessing

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,” (Eph 1:3)

Paul presented the church as a picture of the fullness of the Lord’s blessings. God blessed the church with every spiritual blessing. There is fullness of blessing that has already been given to us. Let us recognise how greatly blessed we are in Christ as a church.

2. The profundity of being chosen

“just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,” (Eph 1:4)

It is wonderful to think of how we have been specially chosen by God before the creation of the world. This is something most profound that we cannot fully comprehend. Yet, we have been chosen to become part of the church…to fit into the church with the gifts that God has given to us. When we are all added together, we form what the church is meant to be.

3. The privilege of being adopted as sons of God

“having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself,” (Eph 1:5)

Let us also appreciate how greatly blessed and privileged we are to be called sons of God. This is a privilege and right given to us when we accepted the Lord Jesus. (John 1:12) We are meant to serve as sons of God. In the body of Christ, we practise sonship. We gather together as sons and we work together as sons. Let be challenged to always live and serve as sons of God…as a church to reflect the fullness of Christ.

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