In this message we talk about our responsibility in the world as Christians, the business of preaching the gospel to the world. In our passage, as in Mt 28, going is the assumption, not the command. The activity to which we are called is preaching (heralding) where every task in the ministry of a church plays a part. And every creature is the opportunity. May God give us the courage and zeal to reach our world for Him.

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We begin a brief interruption of our Basic Theology series to look at the topic of Christian fellowship as taught in the Bible. This topic is largely misunderstood today, reduced to a bare notion of social interaction (coffee, lunch, potluck dinners). Fellowship is far more than that, it is selfless joint effort and communion with fellow believers in an exclusive cause: the ministry of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Read the notes as you listen. (Notes for both Part 1 and Part 2).

We begin a brief interruption of our Basic Theology series to look at the topic of Christian fellowship as taught in the Bible. This topic is largely misunderstood today, reduced to a bare notion of social interaction (coffee, lunch, potluck dinners). While the social interaction is a great blessing of church life, it flows from our fellowship, it doesn’t define it.

Read the notes as you listen. (Notes for both Part 1 and Part 2).

In concluding our series on the church, I want to return to what I think of as the foundational metaphor for the church in the Bible. ‘It’s a Building’ – this is the second message by the same name from essentially the same passage. As a building, the church requires organization. This implies efficiency and also sufficiency - the organization of the church should allow it to function efficiently and should also be sufficient to the task at hand in the ministry of each local church. How do we measure up?

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The Lord’s building … body … flock … is described by another Biblical metaphor, the grandest of them all: it’s a Temple. It does seem that little attention is paid to this today, but the church is truly the Lord’s temple. As such, it is intended to be a holy dwelling place for the Holy God. What implications for church life does this concept have? What implications for church behaviour and function? What implications for church purity?

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The Lord’s body is the church, growing up to be like Him, and growing up into Him. But the concept requires still more metaphors. Not only a building, not only a body, but also a flock. The flock of God. As a flock, the church needs shepherding. And shepherding is much more than leadership. In fact, leadership isn’t enough. Now, what does that mean?

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The Lord’s church is also His body, functioning by interdependence (servant-fellowship). As a body, the church is not static. It is going somewhere. It is growing. But which direction is a Biblical church supposed to be going and growing? It’s supposed to grow into the head by the ministry of the parts.

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The Lord’s church is built on a sure foundation according to an inspired organization. As such, one idea of the church is expressed, but the fulness of the church in God’s mind requires additional metaphors. The church – It’s a Body, a body that functions by interdependence. What do we mean by interdependence? Let’s try this term: servant-fellowship. Ok, pastor, so what does that mean?

Give a listen to find out.

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The church belongs to Jesus Christ. As his possession, it is also described in the Bible as a building. Jesus Christ is the cornerstone, the apostles the foundation, and on that foundation, the edifice (the church) is erected. It’s a building – it needs organization. So how should it be organized?

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The first in a series of messages defining the church according to Biblical metaphors. We start by establishing ownership – whose church is it anyway? Is it the pastor’s church? Is it the deacon’s church? Is it the congregation’s church?

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