A Dedicated Life - A Glorious Church (notes)

A Dedicated Life - A Glorious Church

The Greek Word for church is Eklessia or called out ones.

Ephesians

• Talks about the church being seated in heavenly places in Christ.
• Talks about the fact that we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do.

It Also Says

• That His purpose was to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross.

Ephesians 5

• Talks about the relationship of a man and his wife as an example of Jesus & His church.

Jesus promised to cleanse His church by His Word. Every time we sit under the ministry of the Word of God there is a cleansing process that takes place in our lives individually and corporately.

The Purpose of the cleansing power of the Word of God is so the Lord can present us to God as a radiant (glorious) church without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish but holy and blameless.

One Role of Jesus is to nurture the church so the church can be healthy, strong and holy.

We The Church

• Are one body but many members.
• Are connected to each other by the blood of Jesus Christ.
• Are in the world but not of it.

Jesus Christ is the true vine and the Father is the gardener. The Father cuts off every branch that bears no fruit, while every branch that bears fruit He prunes so it will bear more fruit.

John 15:1-2

John 15:3-4

• The Word of Jesus cleanses the church.
• As we remain in Jesus, He remains in us.
• No branch can produce fruit by itself, it must remain connected to the vine.
• The same goes to the believer who thinks he can bear fruit by not being connected to Jesus Christ.

John 15:5

• Jesus is the Vine, we are the branches as I remain in Jesus and Jesus in me I will bear much fruit for apart from Jesus I can do nothing that is of Kingdom value.
• If anyone does not remain in Jesus, he will be like a branch that is thrown away & withers, those branches are thrown into the fire when they are burned.

If You Remain

• In Jesus and His Word ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.
• This brings glory to the Father, bearing much fruit, this demonstrates that we are followers of Jesus Christ.

Points To Ponder

• The Word is the key to fruitfulness.
• The early church learned this principle. Acts 6:7

The Increase

• Of the Word of God was one of the keys to the expansion of the early church.
• The Lord promised power by the Holy Spirit so the church could increase or become fruitful.

The Name of Jesus was the last key to the expansion of the early church.

The Three Keys to the expansion of any church in any generation are:

1. The Word of God
2. The Holy Spirit
3. The Name of Jesus