God’s Story: The Church
Pastor Tim defines the church not as a building but as a community of believers who trust in Jesus for forgiveness and strive to live according to God's will. He emphasizes the church's mission to make disciples who love God and others, propagating faith through growth and outreach. Using biblical examples, he underscores the importance of this mission, contrasting the church's role with worldly influence and urging listeners to actively participate in spreading God's word. We are all encouraged to reflect on our roles in fulfilling the church's purpose.
Deep Dive Podcast
Study Guide
Short Answer Quiz
According to the speaker, what is the church not?
Define the church based on the speaker's explanation.
What are the two main functions of the church mentioned in the sermon?
Where does the speaker go to find answers about the church’s purpose?
What was the early church's activity according to the book of Acts?
What three actions does the church exist to help people with?
What does the speaker say about the relationship between a church and its surrounding culture?
What is the significance of Christians being called a “royal priesthood”?
According to 1 Peter 2:9-10, what is the purpose of being “chosen”?
What is the motivation behind the church’s mission, according to the speaker?
Answer Key
The church is not a building or a Sunday service; it is something bigger than those things.
The church is made up of people who have come to trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins and are living for God's purposes.
The two main functions of the church are helping people become disciples who are growing and declaring the praises of God.
The speaker goes to the Scripture to find answers about the church’s purpose.
According to the book of Acts, the early church was involved in teaching, prayer, communion, and fellowship.
The church exists to help people become disciples who are growing to love God, love others, and make more disciples.
The speaker says the more the church looks like the surrounding culture, the weaker it is, and the more it stands in contrast, the stronger it is.
Christians, as a royal priesthood, are intermediaries who call people to engage with God and invite them to know and follow Jesus.
According to 1 Peter, Christians are chosen to declare the praises of God, who called them out of darkness into his wonderful light.
The motivation behind the church's mission is the love and mercy of Jesus, inspiring a sense of worship and a desire to share that with others.
Essay Questions
The speaker emphasizes that the church is not a building but a gathering of people. How does this distinction affect the way we understand and participate in church life, both individually and corporately?
Explain the three-part mission of the church as presented by the speaker: to help people become disciples who grow to love God, love others, and make more disciples. How do these elements relate to one another, and how can they be practically lived out?
According to the sermon, how does the church balance its identity as being “different” from the culture while also being called to engage with that same culture? How can this be accomplished without falling into either irrelevance or self-righteousness?
The speaker uses the metaphor of Christians being a “royal priesthood.” How does this idea connect the Old Testament role of priests to the modern role of the church, and what responsibilities does this entail?
Discuss the connection between God's mercy and the church's mission. How does the understanding of forgiveness and redemption influence the church’s actions and goals, and why is remembering this connection essential to its purpose?
Glossary of Key Terms
Church: Not a building or a Sunday service, but the community of people who have trusted in Jesus for forgiveness and are living for God's purposes.
Disciple: A follower of Jesus who is growing to love God, love others, and make more disciples.
Covenant: A promise or agreement made by God to a specific group of people, through whom the hope of Jesus would come to the world.
Koinonia: Deep, meaningful fellowship among believers, based on a shared purpose and relationship with Christ.
Royal Priesthood: The idea that Christians are called to be intermediaries, connecting people to God through their actions and witness, as priests did in the Old Testament.
Holy: Set apart; distinct. Used to describe God and the nature of those who follow God.
Mission: The work that the church exists to do, namely to help people become disciples who grow to love God, love others, and make more disciples.
Doxology: A liturgical expression of praise to God.
Gospel: The good news of salvation through Jesus Christ.
Persecution: The mistreatment or hostility experienced by followers of Jesus.
