Membership: Grandeur and Glory of the
Church
INTRODUCTION: The succeeding five lessons are devoted to "What It Means to Be a Member of the Church.“ The Church of God does not occupy the place in the hearts of men that it should occupy until they realize that by staying outside of the Church they rob themselves of 1ife‘s greatest blessings and of the hope of eternal life. The Church is incomparably greater than all human institutions, sectarian or fraternal.
I. God Is Its Author: It Is Therefore Divine (Heb. 3:4):
1. It is God's Temple (I Cor. 3:16).
2. His dwelling place (Eph. 2:19-22).
3. Must be built according to His directions (Heb. 8:1-5).
4. Jesus the builder (Matt. 16:18-20).
5. Must take heed how we build (I Cor. 3: 10-15; Psalms 127:1).
6. God refuses to recognize any but His own (Matt. 15:13).
7. To wear God‘s name (Eph. 3:14-16).
8. It is God‘s institution (I Cor. 1:2).
II. Christ Is Its Savior And Head:
1. Gave himself up for it (Eph. 5:25-27).
2. Savior of the Body (Eph. 5:23).
3. Head ofthe Body, which is the Church (Col. 1:18; Eph. 1 :22).
4. Christ our representative in Heaven(Heb. 10:19-25; I Jn. 2:1-2).
III. Glorious In Its Mission:
1. Saving of souls by the preaching of the gospel its design.
a. Pillar and ground of the Truth (I Tim. 3:14-15).
b. Sending agency (Rom. 10:11-15; Acts 13:1-3).
2. Wisdom of God made known through the Church (Eph. 3:10).
3. God glorified in the Church (Eph. 3:21).
IV. All Spiritual Blessings Are Therein:
1. The Church is the "Fullness of Him that filleth all in all" (Eph. 1:23).
2. All Spiritual Blessings are in Christ (Eph. 1:3).
a. Christ's Body and the Church are one (Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1:18).
b. Christ and the Church are inseparably united (Eph. 5:28-32).
c. Therefore through the Church we enjoy every spiritual blessing provided for us in
Christ Jesus.
3. We are reconciled unto God in the Body of Christ, which is the Church (Eph. 2:16; Col. 1:18-20).
4. We get into Christ and the Church upon the same conditions and by the same process
(Gal. 3:26-27; Acts 2:41-47).
Questions For Discussion:
l. Who is the builder of all things?
2. Who built the Church?
3. Show how God and Christ are inseparable in the Church.
4. What is the relation of Christ to the Church? Christ, as the Head, the Body, the members, etc.
5. What is the glorious mission of the Church; show that it is God's only missionaiy society on
the earth?
6. In whom are all spiritual blessings?
7. How then, are the blessings enjoyed?
8. Where did Christ reconcile Jew and Gentile unto God?
9. Prove that one enters Christ and the Church on the same conditions.
l0. Does one "join the Church?".