FOUNDATIONS The Bible is one story that points to __________________. We want to know what the Bible says so we can ________________ - this is biblical ________________. Chapter 26, The Nature of the Church The “church” includes true believers who lived in the ____ ______________ ______ (before the incarnation of Jesus) and those who live in the New Testament age. The believers of the OT placed their ________ in the coming Savior depicted over and over again throughout their history by hints, whispers, and foreshadowing of the _________ ____ to come. Being part of the nation of ________ did not ensure membership in the ekklesia of God. The doorway to the kingdom (for all people of all time) is _________. Dispensationalism: sees ________ and the ________ as two distinct groups in God’s overall plan; in this view, the church will be raptured out of this world before the tribulation and all the OT prophecies concerning Israel will be literally fulfilled on the earth. God did not have two separate plans for two distinct peoples— but that He has been accomplishing _______ _________ throughout redemptive history. The INVISIBLE Church: We can see the people who attend church and we can even see the lives they lead, but only God can see a person’s ___________. The church includes those who have professed _______ in Jesus and whose lives give ___________ to that profession.
The word church can appropriately be applied to a community of ________ in several different types of groups or gatherings. A religious group that does not hold to the major Christian doctrines regarding SALVATION, THE _________ OF GOD, AND THE PERSON AND WORK OF __________ is not a true church as defined by Scripture. The proper administration of The ______________ is also a characteristic of a true church. Baptism is a _________________ not a part of salvation. These sacraments are also a means of _____________ in the church. Ministry to God Through ____________ Ministry to Believers Through _____________ The Bible assumes that all members of the church would be _____________ in the process of spiritual growth—not all at the same ___________, but all in the same process. Ministry to the World Through __________ and __________ The ____________ of the those we serve is not our primary concern and shouldn’t be our only _____________. Balance: When a church gets off __________—focusing more heavily on one purpose over the others—something vital is almost certain to be ___________.