Listener

Hi! I am Evelyn from Baltimore, MD. I am a member of the Bibleway Free Will Baptist Church. Since my husband's illness, I have not been able to attend Church services or the Bible Studies. This Internet Bible study has allowed me to study at the times I am able regardless of the time. I am looking forward to the spiritual blessings God has in store for my husband and me. To all of you be blessed and be a blessing!

Evaluation Questions The most significant impact of this Vision of the Church Bible Study for me has been the comparison of the relationship of a husband and wife and Jesus and the Church. They became one gave a marvelous revelation to my thiking about my local Church and the Church Universal. I thought negatively about the local church and its members, about denominations and their "hangups" and not realize I am also being negative about my own body since we are one in Christ. What effects any part of the body effects all. I now see every one in the Body of Christ as a part of me, My attitudes should reflect the love I have for Christ. In addition to love, my thinking should be one of humility, patience and forbearance. Unity of the Body is now my focus! Christ is not divided! After the study, I now view the local church, as well as the Universal Church, as God has ordained and prepared for it to be. And that is Oneness in Christ! There is no respect of persons, denominations, traditional backgrounds, cultural backgrounds, etc. Jesus saves all who would accept Him. Prayer, obedience and the Word of God should be my focus. Cooperation with the Holy Spirit should be my aim. After all, it is His job to convince not mine. He works where I can not reach. My responsibility is to be an example of the believer! The Word which is the sword of the Spirit "is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the "breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit , and to joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature]. exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart. And not a creature exists that is concealed from His sight, but all things are open and exposed, naked and defenseless to the eyes of Him with Whiom we have to do." (Hebrew 4:12,13)Amplified God bless you Pastor Wilson. And God blessed all those who have had a part in this Study. May we be fruitful chilren of Light.

Q6aThe sense in which we should love the Church because it is our body is by carefully protecting and cherishing it as Christ does. And we are one in Him Q6bYes, becuse we are part of Christ's Body. Q6cThis kind of love will produce a profound action by reshaping our thinking about our own congregations and the Church Universal and bring about the Unity God has ordained. Q6dWe need to repent of despising the Church and begin to love her aright because we are Christ's -- His glorious Bride and we are visible representatives of Jesus Christ on earth. The glory of the Lord needs to be manifested by the Church to the world. After all we were created for His Glory -- a Glory not to be hid but to be visible -- a light that shines upon a hill. What we do or do not do affects the Body because we are ONE.

Q4aThe Word will convict us, instruct us, comfort us, teach us, and "spank" us. The Word will chasten! We must abide in Christ and He in us. Everything necessary is in the Word! We simply need to obey it! Q4bHaving good pastors and teachers. The congregation needs to be taught! The congregation grows when it is taught and when it obeys what is taught. Q4cUsing it in Love and relying on the Holy Spirirl to do His job. After all He was sent to convict the world of sin, of judgment and of righteousnesds! Often we try to do the work of the Holy Spirit instead of living a committed life.

Q3aChristlikeness! Q3bIt is holy because Christ sacrificed for her and is manifested to the world because of its actions that are seen. Q3cObeying the Word of God! Everything is covered in the Word! And in particular, loving others as Christ Loved Us. We should be willing to minister love and not be judgmental towards. We need to pray for them and show them the way by our actions. Also, who are we to judge another man's servant? God alone is able to keep us from falling and present us faultless before the presence of his Glory!

Q2aHe gave up everything when he give up his will and submitted to the will of the Father to minister and give his Life a ramson for many, saying "thy will be done." My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me and to finish His work (ohn 4:34) For I came down from Heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of Him that sent me John 6:38) Christ Jesus being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; but made himself no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men, and being fashioned as a man, he humbled himself, and was obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin condemn sin in the flesh; that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who would walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit (Romans 8:3,4) Q2bHe is so committed in His love for us that he gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him hould not perish but have everlasting life. The sacrifice was altruistic in that it as done out of his Love for us and self because we were created for his glory.

Q1aVoluntarily placing oneself under another. To release or surrender one's one right and will. q1bLordship - have him not as saviour only but Lord of my life - submit as a reverence to Him. q1cA congregation that seriously submits its orporate life to Christ would look like Christ, would have Christ's likeness look as part of the family of the living God. It entails our corporate focus on Christ and out of our reverence to Him we submit one to another. Q1dChrist being Head of the Church in actual pracyi ce mans showing unity of the Body with one another. As we submit to His Headship as our Savior and Lord, as our ruler, our sustainer we will grow up in Him.

Q5aIt is a picture of the Future. But we should start being a reflection of the church in its glory so that othets will be drawn to the light. Out lives are hid in Christ with God. The Church then is glorious in Godhead now. We need to let the glory of the Lord shine through and the church will be glorious now. 5bAs for as Christ is concern Paul is speaking of now. We have already been called, justified and glorified (Romans 8:30) 5cI determined this by Christ's finish work. What he came to do he has done.

Q6 We grow and build the Body of Christ as each of us do our part. Maturity brings growth and stedfastness in love, in faith, in fruitfulness. We are ordaned to bring forth fruit and this fruit should remain. We are commanded to Love one another! (John 15:16,17)

5a The work of the ministry is more vital to the needs of a local congregation. Maturity, a focused ministry, is more beneficial in the warfare against our enemy, satan. The Scrupture states we are to be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might....put on the whole armour of God, that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil (Ep 6:10-11) We need to have a forgiviing spirit, lest satan should take advantage of us. "..for we are not ignored of his devices" (11-Cor:2:11) Whom we resist by being steadfast in the Word of God which give us the Faith (I-Peter 5:8,9) which comes by hearing Babes in Christ are not skilled in the Eord; strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age (maturity) Heb. 5:11-14 How can we be equipped unless we are taught how, when, what, why, where 5b Teaching and being an example . As Paul instructs Timothy that which he had heard of Paul to commit to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also (2-Tim 2:2) 5cChrist prepard them for service by being with them, spending time teaching them, showing them God's ways. The things they saw of him gave them faith in the truth (Jesus who is truth). They were eye witnesses to the things Christ did and taught. All he had taught was stamped in their hearts after the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension. When he breathed on them it gave them the power to wait on the promised Holy Spirit which would filled them.

4a Pstors and teachers work together to build up the body of Christ. What a pastor preaches can be sanctioned and further explained if there are still questions needing to be answered by teachers in the class setting. 4bYes! And they do a tremendous job! 4cThey have a great effect among the body. One reason is because they are before the body all the time. They are being doers of the word they teach. Nothing can be more effective than this! 4dThey can not only build up the body but they can also win others to the body. Sunday school is the plant bed of th church. Prayer meetings are a vital part. It is helpful that group leaders and Sunday School teachers attend prayer metings when 0possible and also to instruct according to knowledge and experience. It is helpful; also to be a part of the lives of those they teach. See them outside the church setting. Be with them in times of trouble to encourage and comfort them through the Holy Spirit that is within them. Hurt when they hurt, cry when they cry, rejoice when they rejoice, We are one anoher's keeper.

Q3aAn evangelist, in my eperience, has been one who preaches and do revivals and move on. If they are of the local church, the only difference is that they remain in the congregration's view. Some have done a temendous job in heading up ministeries in the local church. This has been a blessing. A local church evangelist should function as bringing people to faith in Christ and instructing them to building upon this faith. They should also instruction church members how to effectively share their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 3bI do not beliebe healing is a major part of the evangelistic work. Faith is Jesus Christ is first and foremost. One can be healed and still live a defeated christian life. Growth is important. 3c An evangelist could be helpful in this area by being an effective evangelist in word and deed! To instruct us in the faith and let the own faith be evident.

Q2The early prohets and apostles are foundational of the Universal Church, Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone. What they did can not be duplicated. The foundation has been laid! Those who call themselves prophets and apostles today can not lay another foundation. They can, however, carry out the work that has aready been established and given to us in the written Word of God! There can be no new inspired writing of the Holy Word as we now have in the Bible. They may, of course, be a guide to the equipping of the disciples for the administration of the great commission, and witnesses to the truth already established. They can be used to keep the disciplies of the believers in check according to the Word of God! They can be used as reminders to the Church as one who warns the Church according to the Word of God. They need to be living a life worthy themselves. For what one sees makes a greater impact thaen what one hears. We are epistles known and read of all men. Our walk should reflect our position and profession. Nothing can be added or taken away from what we already have in the Scriptures. From Genesis to Revelation, we see the big picture. It is my personal opinion that too many seek titles and too quick to say to others "God Said"!

Q.1a The Scripture states "each/everyone" of us has been given spiritual gifts proportion to grace. No one can say I have none. The Holy Spirit, produces these gifts in us, divides them as HE WILLS (John 3:8). We have no say in what gift(s) or we have or the ones others receive. Gifts then are many and different. They are all of the same Spirit! They are freely given according to grace. Freely we have received and freely shlould we USE THEM according to the proportion of faith. However, we should definitely use them in LOVE. The Holy Spiriit brings unity to the diversity of the gifts. We are to be faithful stewards of God's grce in its various forms. Q1bImplications of this is as compared to a physical body. It takes each part working together; each part doing its work, and supportive of other parts for the purpose of growth and billding up of the Body of Christ in LOVE.

Thinking about the word act being something that is done, I want to be aware of everything that I do to reflect the elements that maintain unity. I desire this to be ongoing and not just for two weeks. However, it will take me two weeks to become focus on the truths. However, I can do all things through that strengthens me. I will please the father if I yield to the Holy Spirit. Please pray for me! This involves my actons as a wife, as a health care provider (my husband is currently being treated for cancer), as an aunt, as a sister, as a church workers. In fact, all tht I do can be improved by these elements. If love rules, these elements would reflect the truths that I have learned in this Bible study. Most importantly, treating those who are different from me who have different interpretations of Scriptures, etc. I want to always remember that this is a sister or a brother in the family of God. I will seek to remember them in prayer while I love them!