ESTEEMING THE CHURCH

A. Introduction – Towards a proper understanding of the church.t

• Esteem: honour, hold in high, respect
• Church: people, building, pews?
• ekklesia - ‘an official meeting of citizens’

ecclesiological models

• Church as an institution (denominationalism, individualism or ‘self’s own faith’, hierarchy).
• 2. Church as a Community of the Spirit and as Sacrament (experiencing God’s touch in an unprecedented manner through the church). 3. Church as a Community of Liberation (emphasis: social action and engagement Lk 4:18-19).

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• 4. Church as an Assembly of Believers (gathering of believers in God’s revelation in the person of Jesus Christ). (Bradley C. Hanson) 5. Church as a missional community (all-mission).

B. The Need to Esteem the Church

• The church of Jesus Christ, according to the New Testament, comprises the believers who have accepted God’s invitation in Christ Jesus and have come from darkness unto light of God’s glory (1 Pet. 2:9). Hence, these persons are variously described as family of God (Eph. 3:15), flock of God (Acts 20:28), fold of Christ (Joh 10:16), and an assembly of first born (Heb. 12.23).

1. God Himself esteems the church, why? (Eph. 5:25-27; 1 Pet. 1:18-19).

2. The church is God’s inheritance (the church is variously referred to as “the church of God” 1 Cor. 1:2; the body of Christ Eph. 1:23; “my church” – Jesus speaking (Matt. 16:18-19).

3. The Church is the last hope of our world (Col. 1:27)

4. The nature, life and mission of the church

4. The nature, life and mission of the church
A people
 Called to community,

 Called to communion,

 Called to ministry,
 Called to discipleship
 Sustained by memory

 Led by a ministry of memory
Sent in on mission (Richard R. Gaillardetz)

1.Reconceptualization of the church and its purpose (missional church A.5).

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• 2. Reaffirming the centrality of the message of the founder of the church “the Kingdom or reign or rule of God” (Mk 1:15, Mat. 3:2, Lk 10:9). The theme of the Kingdom/reign of God one hundred and twenty-two times in the Gospels out of which ninety times are directly on the lips of Jesus.  Note that God’s Kingdom is not a geographical location or a physical territory…  But a condition, a mode of existence in which the Lordship of God as revealed in Jesus Christ is firmly established in human affairs of individual and community.

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•  “Jesus proclaimed the Kingdom of God, and what came was the church.” Alfred Loisy  What is the relationship between the church, mission of Jesus and local church?

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• 3. Partake in the message and mission of resurrected Christ. Our attention must be fixed on the Great Commission. 4. Your personal commitment  Find your place in the church (1 Cor. 12:1-16; Rom. 12:1-8; 1 Pet. 3:5).  Unity of the church (Eph. 4:3-6).  Generosity (1 Cor. 16:1-3; 2 Cor. 8:1-12).

D. How does this apply to OM?

• Esteeming the church is one of the core values of Operation Mobilisation. 1. OM takes no-one independent of the local church. 2. OM requires a Pastor’s recommendation. 3. No one denomination dominates. 4. Candidates must have been part of a church for a period of time. 5. OMA requires candidates to settle into a church within 3 months of reaching their field. 6. Where possible OM works with local churches instead of starting ‘OM Churches’.

Conclusion

• We are summoned to esteem the church because of the mission of the church.
• How does this presentation relate to you as a partner of OM?