Eight6

Lesson 6. Fellowship: Church and Pastor

I.CHURCH MEANS PEOPLE

One benefit of being a Christian is that you are not alone.
Read Ephesians 2:19-22. In this verse, God compares believers to what four things?

(1)_______ (2)_______ (3)_______ (4)_______ (Answers are at bottom of page).

  1. Will the building stay strong if the stones don’t support each
    other? (5)________
  2. So to have a strong church, the people must (6)_____________ each other.
  3. In verse 22, God promises that when the people come together, what
    will God do?   (7)____________________________________________

II．Another comparison. Read Colossians 1:18.

1.In this verse, what are God’s people compared to? (8)___________

2.What is the name for Christ’s body? (9)________________________

3.What role does Christ have in the body? (10)____________________

III. The following verses tell why God’s people get together and what they do.

1.Read Hebrews 10:24-5. Is gathering together people’s idea or God’s idea? (11)_____________________

2.What things does this verse say we can do with one another? (12) _____

3. Read Colossians 3:16. What can we do when we are together? (13)
4.Read Acts 2:42. The third activity means “holy communion”. What others are mentioned? (14)___________________________________

5.From the activities you listed, select those that are commonly done in the
public Sunday worship with all the church members, and which are more
often done in smaller groups or person-to-person. You may list some of
them more than once:

 Public worship  ………….     Small group  …………     One-to-one

____________  ………..….     _________ ………….     __________

IV.ABOUT LEADERS IN THE CHURCH

A. Church leaders. Read Titus 1:5.

  1. What was lacking in the churches in this region? (15)_______________
  2. Until this need was met, would the church work there be complete? (16)___

B. The role of church leaders. Read Ephesians 4:11, 12, 15, and 16.

  1. Who does the work of the church? (17)__________________________
  2. What is the job of the leaders? (18)_____________________________
  3. When will Christ’s body grow? (19)_____________________________
  4. What two attitudes must be in balance for the church to grow?
    (20)________ and (21)________

C. The responsibility of church leaders. Read Titus 1:9.

  1. The leader needs to know God’s word so he can (22)_______ believers.
  2. When people disagree with God’s Word, the leader must (23)_________.

D. In the next verse, Paul gives instructions to leaders. Read Acts 20:28

1.The leaders are compared to what kind of person?(24)_______________

2. The Latin word for this kind of person is “pastor.”
That is why today we call the leader a (25)___________

3.Who does the flock belong to? (26)______________

4.Whose ideas is it to provide each flock with pastors:
man’s or God’s? (27)_______

5.Read verse 30. What do the leaders have to watch out for? (28)________

E. Relationship between members and leaders. Read Hebrews 13:17.

  1. What must the leaders do? (29)________________________________
  2. What should the attitude of the church members be? (30)_____________

V. SUMMARY.

A. God’s plan is that every believer:
1.be part of a church.
2.be cared for by a pastor.

B. If the church is large,
1.some activities can be done best in small groups.|
2.Some people can receive training, then help the pastor to care for the people.

C.What is the meaning of church?

1. The word “church” sometimes means the people, sometimes means the building.

2. The word “church” sometimes means all Christians, sometimes means one group who meet regularly in one place to share God’s Word and God’s sacraments. (baptism and Lord’s Supper).

3. Church is not a “weekly one-hour activity” — it is “people” who are ready to care for each other at any time, whenever needed during the week.

4. Church is not made of “perfect people”, but of people who admit they have failings, who depend on God’s grace, and who forgive one another

ANSWERS: (1) citizens     (2) family     (3) building     (4) temple     (5) no     (6) support     (7) God      will be present with them     (8) a body     (9) the church     (10) the head     (11) God’s      (12) show concern, motivate to love, motivate to do good works, encourage      (13) Teach God’s Word, Singing      (14) Teaching, Fellowship, Praying      (15) leaders     (16) no     (17) the people     (18) to train the people (19) when all are doing their part     (20) truth     (21) love     (22) encourage     (23) refute them     (24) Shepherd  (25) Pastor     (26) God     (27) God’s  (28) people who distort the truth and draw others away     (29) keep watch     (30) obey the leaders     

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