Friday December 2, 2001

Read Acts 2:42; Romans 12:10; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; 2 Timothy 3:16-17
The word „church‟ has several different meanings and implications. What do you think of when you hear the word „church‟? Write down, in the space provided, what you think „church‟ means.
Biblically speaking the church is the gathered people of God and consists of the saved and the unsaved. It exists even if the church isn‟t gathered together but is best represented by the gathering of believers.
The church is often called the body of Christ and exits to do the work of Christ in the world. We‟ve talked a lot this week about purpose and goals and what God would have us do. To spell it out clearly, today‟s passages reveal that the church has a multitude of areas where it is to be functioning.
These can be summarised under various headings:
Witness: reaching the world with the love and compassion and Word of Christ. God‟s work and God‟s Word need to go hand in hand if the world is going to see our Lord and Saviour in us.
Walk: The Church needs to be actively, even proactively, walking in the paths God has given it. Holiness and righteousness are the ways of the church and its individual members. They need to be applying the Word each and every day.
Word: The Church, if it is to stay on track, must be committed to the Word of God, the teaching of the Apostles. The centre and focus of the Church must be the Word.
Worship: The church exists to worship God, to bring Him glory and honour. The church is to light the world with the glory of the Lord. This includes obedience to the Lord through the Word and caring for one another.
One Another: The church, as we‟ve seen, is called to love one another and to equip/disciple one another so that the body is ready for its God given mission. There is a genuine call on all believers to deny themselves and to put others ahead of their own needs. Prayer: Obviously the Church needs to be a house of prayer. It needs to be filled with believers seeking the Lord and singing His praises constantly.
Think and pray about Ephesians 4:16 today.
Are you a part of the church or do you just sit in a building?
Prayer:
 Praise God that our cell times at Youth have continued to be times of growth and encouragement..
 Pray for our Youth who have now completed Year 12.