Why I Love the church of Christ, Part

3 Lesson Text: Acts 2:37-47

Heritage Addition church of Christ

By Jim Bradshaw

Sunday Morning, Sept. 13, 2015

It’s Where the Saved Are

It is Not about the

buildingIt is the Body of Christ

Golden

Opportunities

Mat 7:12 ESV "So whatever you wish that others would do to

you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

Gal 6:9-10 ESV And let us not grow weary of doing good, for

in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. (10) So

then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and

especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Walmart is not

the only Saving

Place

The Mission of the church must be the same as its head:

Luke 19:10 ESV For the Son of Man

came to seek and to save the lost."

Jesus Died for the churchAct 20:28 ESV Pay careful

attention to yourselves and to all

the flock, in which the Holy

Spirit has made you overseers, to

care for the church of God, which

he obtained with his own blood.

Mat 26:27-28 ESV And he took a cup, and when he had given

thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you, (28)

for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for

many for the forgiveness of sins.

Jesus Died for the churchEph 5:25-33 ESV Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved

the church and gave himself up for her, (26) that he might

sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with

the word, (27) so that he might present the church to himself

in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she

might be holy and without blemish…. (29) For no one ever

hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as

Christ does the church, (30) because we are members of his

body. (31) "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother

and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh."

(32) This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to

Christ and the church.

Mat 19:6 ESV So they are no longer two but one flesh. What

therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.

The church is God’s kingdom on Earth

Isa 2:2-3 ESV It shall come to pass in the latter days that the

mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the

highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills;

and all the nations shall flow to it, (3) and many peoples shall

come, and say: "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the

LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us

his ways and that we may walk in his paths." For out of Zion

shall go the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

Dan 2:44 ESV And in the days of those kings the God of

heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed,

nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break

in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it

shall stand forever,

The church is God’s kingdom on Earth

Matt 16:18-19 NASB I also say to you that you are Peter, and

upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades

will not overpower it. (19) I will give you the keys of the

kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have

been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall

have been loosed in heaven.”

Mar 9:1 ESV And he said to them, "Truly, I say to you, there

are some standing here who will not taste death until they see

the kingdom of God after it has come with power."

Act 1:8 ESV But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit

has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in

Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the

earth."

The church is God’s kingdom on EarthAct 2:1-4 ESV When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were

all together in one place. (2) And suddenly there came from

heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the

entire house where they were sitting. (3) And divided tongues

as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.

(4) And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to

speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Act 2:16-18 ESV But this is what was uttered through the

prophet Joel: (17) "'And in the last days it shall be, God

declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your

sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men

shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; (18)

even on my male servants and female servants in those days I

will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.

The church was part of God’s Eternal Plan

Eph 3:8-12 ESV To me, though I am the very least of all the

saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the

unsearchable riches of Christ, (9) and to bring to light for

everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in

God who created all things, (10) so that through the church

the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the

rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. (11) This was

according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ

Jesus our Lord, (12) in whom we have boldness and access

with confidence through our faith in him.

The church was part of God’s Eternal Plan

Act 2:37-41 ESV Now when they heard this they were cut to the

heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what

shall we do?" (38) And Peter said to them, "Repent and be

baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the

forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy

Spirit. (39) For the promise is for you and for your children and

for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to

himself." (40) And with many other words he bore witness and

continued to exhort them, saying, "Save yourselves from this

crooked generation." (41) So those who received his word were

baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

Act 2:47 ESV praising God and having favor with all the

people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those

who were being saved.