SUNDAY LESSON, 1/9/22
THE CHURCH:
RESTORING THE CHURCH INTO THE LIKENESS OF CHRIST
Ephesians 1:22-23 (and selected passages from John)
During the summer of last year, I presented a sermon series on “THE CHURCH” as we studied the final words of Jesus to His church while addressing the seven churches of Asia in Revelation 2-3. As you recall, Jesus didn’t mince any words as He admonished the churches for being so far spiritually removed from what He wanted His church to be when it was first established on Pentecost in AD 33. In just 50 plus years the church, for the most part, was no longer recognizable.
In the 19th and 20th centuries, a group of men, believing that the church no longer looked like the one they read about in Acts and the epistles, decided to “restore” the New Testament church. So, they started a movement known as the “restoration movement”, of which GCC is part. Although it was such a worthy and honorable objective, the problem is that the New Testament church was flawed (after all, it is made up of people). We are not to look at the New Testament church and try to copy that in today’s church, but instead we should be looking at Jesus and emulate Him.
Starting this Sunday, we will be looking at the importance of “restoring the church in the likeness of Christ.” Come join us for a challenging sermon series.
EPHESIANS 1:22-23:
22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
