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·  If you are participants of the bible study, please open a browser and let it stay on Section 1 that has the bible text and the questions.

·  If you are the facilitator of the bible study, please do the following:

o   Open a browser and let it stay on Section 1 for the bible text.

o   Open another browser and let it stay on Section 2 that has the questions and the answers.

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Begin Section 1: Bible Text & Questions

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What are the four marks of maturity of the church?

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Acts 6:1-6

1In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.

2So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables.

3Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them

4and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”

5This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism.

6They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

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1)       According to verses 2 and 3 who gathered the church together and asked them to choose seven men from among them who were known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom?

 

2)       According to verse 5 what did the church do?

 

3)       Why did the apostles ask the church to choose the seven deacons instead of appointing the deacons themselves?

 

4)       When a church follows the instruction in the bible to choose a deacon, what is the church doing in terms of governing?

 

5)       What is the first mark of maturity of a church?

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Acts 4:32-35

32All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.

33With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all

34that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales

35and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.

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6)       According to verse 32 what was the condition of the heart and mind of the church?

 

7)       According to verse 32 how did the church share their resources?

 

8)       According to verses 32 and 33 what were the apostles doing while the church shared their resources with one another?

 

9)       According to verses 33 and 34 how was God’s grace seen to be powerfully at work in the church?

 

10)   According to verses 34 and 35 what was the manifestation of the generosity of the church?

 

11)   Was the church able to support the ministry of meeting their own needs with the resources found within the church?

 

12)   What is the second mark of maturity of a church?

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2 Timothy 3:16-17

16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,

17so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

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13)   What is Scripture?

 

14)   According to verse 16 how does the bible come about?

 

15)   According to verse 16 what is the bible useful for?

 

16)   According to verses 16 and 17 what is the outcome of obedience to instructions in the bible?

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Acts 17:2-11

2As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,

3explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ,” he said.

 

 

11Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

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17)   According to verse 2 where did Paul go on the Sabbath as was his custom?

 

18)   According to verses 2 and 3 what did Paul go into the synagogue to do?

 

19)   According to verse 11, with what eagerness did the Berean Jews receive the message from Paul?

 

20)   According to verse 11 how did the Berean Jews find out if what Paul said was true?

 

21)   What would be the outcome for the Berean Jews when they obeyed Scriptures as they examined them in response to Paul’s message about Jesus?

 

22)   What is the third mark of maturity of a church?

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Acts 13:1-4

1Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul.

2While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

3So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

4The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus.

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23)   According to verse 1 what kind of disciples were in the church at Antioch?

 

24)   According to verse 2 who spoke when the church at Antioch were worshiping the Lord and fasting?

 

25)   According to verse 2 what did the Holy Spirit say?

 

26)   What was the work to which the Holy Spirit had called Barnabas and Saul?

 

27)   According to verse 3 how did the church at Antioch obey the instruction of the Holy Spirit?

 

28)   According to verse 4 what did Barnabas and Saul do?

 

29)   According to verse 4 how did Barnabas and Saul decide their travel plan?

 

30)   How did the church at Antioch rely on the Holy Spirit for what they did?

 

31)   What was the church at Antioch that Barnabas and Saul represented engaged in while they were planting churches?

 

32)   What is the fourth mark of maturity of a church?

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What are the four marks of maturity of the church?

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What are the five functions of the church?

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Acts 1:8

8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

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33)   Whom does ‘my’ refer to?

 

34)   Whom does ‘you’ refer to?

 

35)   How will the church in Jerusalem receive power?

 

36)   What will the church in Jerusalem receive power for?

 

37)   What does it mean to be Jesus’ witnesses?

 

38)   What does it mean to be Jesus’ witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth?

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Matthew 28:18-20

18Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

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39)   What does the word ‘nation’ in verse 19 mean?

 

40)   What is a people group for evangelization purposes?

 

41)   What does all nations mean?

 

42)   In accordance with verse 19 what is the full ethnographical scope of making disciples?

 

43)   In accordance with verse 20, until when should the church make disciples?

 

44)   What is the full chronological scope of making disciples?

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The mission of the church

45)   From the perspective of the various scopes of being Jesus’ witnesses and making disciples what is the mission of the church?

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Acts 2:38-47

38Peter replied, “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.

39The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

40With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”

41Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

42They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

43Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.

44All the believers were together and had everything in common.

45They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.

46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,

47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

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46)   Did we study this passage of the bible while investigating what the church does earlier?

 

47)   Let’s categorize what the church does into functions:

o   What is locally telling Jews in Jerusalem to repent and believe the good news of Jesus Christ?

o   What is traveling away from Jerusalem to tell Greeks to repent and believe the good news of Jesus Christ?

o   What is baptizing those who repent and believe the good news of Jesus Christ?

o   What is the disciples devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching?

o   What is practicing fellowship?

o   What is the disciples devoting themselves to the breaking of bread?

o   What is the disciples devoting themselves to praying?

o   What is giving to anyone who had need?

o   What is meeting in the temple courts every day?

o   What is praising God?

 

48)   What are the five functions of the church?

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What are the five functions of the church?

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What is the identity of the church?

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1 Peter 2:4-5

4As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him-

5you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

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1 Samuel 15:22

But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord?  To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.

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49)   Who is the living Stone in verse 4?

 

50)   According to verse 4 what is the contrast in attitude between humans and God toward the living Stone?

 

51)   According to verse 5 what is the church like?

 

52)   According to verse 5 what is the church like living stones being built into?

 

53)   According to verse 5 what is the holy priesthood for?

 

54)   What is a spiritual sacrifice to God?

 

·  The facilitator asks a specific participant to read out loud 1 Samuel 15:22.

 

55)   According to verse 5 how are spiritual sacrifices made acceptable to God?

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1 Peter 2:9-10

9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

10Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

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1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;

you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

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56)   Whom does ‘you’ in verse 9 refer to?

 

57)   According to verse 9 what is the identity of the church?

 

58)   According to verse 9, by whom and of what is the church called out?

 

59)   According to verse 9 what is the church called into?

 

60)   According to verse 9 what does the church do as a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession?

 

61)   What does it mean for the church to be a chosen people?

 

62)   Does a priest offer sacrifices?

 

63)   How does the church fulfill their royal priesthood?

 

64)   What does the holy nation refer to?

 

65)   How does the church become God’s special possession?

 

·  The facilitator asks a specific participant to read out loud 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.

 

66)   According to verse 10 what is the contrast of the condition of those who were called out by God before and after?

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Ephesians 1:22-23

22And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church,

23which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

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67)   According to verse 22 under whose feet did God place all things?

 

68)   According to verse 22 what did God appoint Christ to be?

 

69)   According to verses 22 and 23 what is the identity of the church in relation to the body of Christ?

 

70)   According to verse 23 what is the body of Christ manifestation of?

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1 Corinthians 12:12-27

12Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.

13For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

14Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

15Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.

16And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.

17If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?

18But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.

19If they were all one part, where would the body be?

20As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

21The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!”

22On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,

23and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty,

24while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it,

25so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.

26If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

27Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

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71)   Who wrote the current passage of the bible and to whom?

 

72)   According to verse 12 what is the relationship between a body and its parts?

 

73)   According to verses 12 and 13 what is the relationship between a body and its parts applicable to?

 

74)   According to verse 13 who is the one Spirit that baptizes all disciples?

 

75)   According to verse 13 what are all disciples baptized by the Holy Spirit to form?

 

76)   According to verse 13 what was the ethnic and social makeup of the disciples at the Corinthian church?

 

77)   What does it mean for all the disciples to be given the one Spirit to drink?

 

78)   Does the foot not belong to the body just because it is not the hand and why?

 

79)   Does the ear not belong to the body just because it is not the eye and why?

 

80)   According to verse 17 what happens if the whole body were an eye or an ear?

 

81)   What enables the proper functioning of the whole body?

 

82)   According to verse 18 who is the cause behind the constitution of the body with all the parts?

 

83)   According to verse 19 can a body be a body if it has only one part?

 

84)   According to verse 20 what is the proper view of a body and its parts?

 

85)   According to verse 21 can parts of a body reject one another?

 

86)   According to verse 22 how do we treat the weaker parts of our body?

 

87)   According to verse 23 how do we treat the parts of our body that we think are less honorable?

 

88)   According to verse 23 how do we treat the parts of our body that are unpresentable?

 

89)   According to verse 24 how do we treat presentable parts of our body?

 

90)   According to verse 24 what does God do to the parts that lack honor when he puts the body of Christ together?

 

91)   According to verse 25 what is God’s intent when he gives greater honor to the parts of the body of Christ that lack it?

 

92)   According to verses 25 and 26 what is the indication that the parts of the body of Christ have equal concern for each other as God intends?

 

93)   What was Paul’s intent in writing to the Corinthian church?

 

94)   What was the superficial reason the disciples at the Corinthian church rejected one another?

 

95)   Do people who come from diverse backgrounds necessarily reject one another?

 

96)   What did the disciples at the Corinthian church fail to do such that they rejected one another?

 

97)   Did the Corinthian church cease to be the body of Christ even when they rejected one another?

 

98)   How would division lose its grip among the disciples at the Corinthian church?

 

99)   According to verse 27 what is the identity of the church in relation to the body of Christ as a whole and the disciples as its parts?

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2 Corinthians 5:17-21

17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:

19that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

20We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.

21God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

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100)  What does it mean for a person to be in Christ?

 

101)  According to verse 17 what becomes of a person when the person is in Christ?

 

102)  According to verse 17 what is the exchange between the old and the new for the person?

 

103)  According to verse 18 who has brought about the exchange?

 

104)  What does ‘us’ in verse 18 refer to?

 

105)  According to verse 18 how did God reconcile the church to himself?

 

106)  According to verse 18 what is the ministry that God gave the church?

 

107)  According to verses 18 and 19 how did God give the church the ministry of reconciliation?

 

108)  According to verse 20 what is the role of the church when God gave them the ministry of reconciliation?

 

109)  According to verse 20 what was Paul’s imploration on Christ’s behalf for the Corinthian church?

 

110)  What does it mean for God to make Christ who had no sin to be sin for us?

 

111)  According to verse 21 how did God reconcile the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them?

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1 Timothy 3:15

15If I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.

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John 17:17

Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

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112)  What role does the church of the living God serve in regard to the truth?

 

113)  What is truth?

 

·  The facilitator asks a specific participant to read out loud John 17:17.

 

114)  Where is God’s word found?

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Matthew 5:13-16

13“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

14“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.

15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.

16In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

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115)  What does ‘you’ in verse 13 refer to?

 

116)  According to verse 13 who is the salt of the earth?

 

117)  According to verse 13 what does salt owe its usefulness to?

 

118)  According to verse 13 what is the consequence for salt to lose its saltiness?

 

119)  What does it mean for salt to lose its saltiness in the current context?

 

120)  What is the consequence for the church to lose their usefulness?

 

121)  According to verse 14 who is the light of the world?

 

122)  Why can a town built on a hill not be hidden?

 

123)  According to verse 15 what is the purpose of lighting a lamp?

 

124)  According to verse 15 where must a lamp be put for it to give light to everyone in the house?

 

125)  According to verse 16 what does it mean for the church to let their light shine before others?

 

126)  According to verse 16 what is the purpose of the church doing good deeds that others may see them?

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What is the identity of the church?

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End Section 1: Bible Text & Questions

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Begin Section 2: Questions & Answers

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What are the four marks of maturity of the church?

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Conclusion

·  What are the four marks of maturity of the church?

o   The four marks of maturity of the church are

§  Self-governing.

§  Self-supporting.

§  Self-equipping.

§  Self-reproducing.

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Acts 6:1-6

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1)       According to verses 2 and 3 who gathered the church together and asked them to choose seven men from among them who were known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom?

o   The twelve apostles did.

 

2)       According to verse 5 what did the church do?

o   The church chose the seven men.

o   That

o   The apostles asked for.

 

3)       Why did the apostles ask the church to choose the seven deacons instead of appointing the deacons themselves?

o   They were helping the church learn to govern themselves.

 

4)       When a church follows the instruction in the bible to choose a deacon, what is the church doing in terms of governing?

o   The church is governing themselves.

 

5)       What is the first mark of maturity of a church?

o   The first mark of maturity of a church is self-governing.

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Acts 4:32-35

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6)       According to verse 32 what was the condition of the heart and mind of the church?

o   They were one in

§  Heart.

§  And mind.

 

7)       According to verse 32 how did the church share their resources?

o   No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own.

o   But they shared everything.

o   That

o   They had.

 

8)       According to verses 32 and 33 what were the apostles doing while the church shared their resources with one another?

o   With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.

 

9)       According to verses 33 and 34 how was God’s grace seen to be powerfully at work in the church?

o   God’s grace was so powerfully at work in the church.

o   That

o   There were no needy persons among them.

 

10)   According to verses 34 and 35 what was the manifestation of the generosity of the church?

o   From time to time those who owned land or houses

§  Sold them.

§  Brought the money from the sales.

§  And put it at the apostles’ feet.

o   The money was then distributed to anyone who had need.

 

11)   Was the church able to support the ministry of meeting their own needs with the resources found within the church?

o   Yes.

 

12)   What is the second mark of maturity of a church?

o   The second mark of maturity of a church is self-supporting.

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2 Timothy 3:16-17

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13)   What is Scripture?

o   Scripture is the bible.

 

14)   According to verse 16 how does the bible come about?

o   The bible is God-breathed.

 

15)   According to verse 16 what is the bible useful for?

o   The bible is useful for

§  Teaching.

§  Rebuking.

§  Correcting.

§  And training in righteousness.

 

16)   According to verses 16 and 17 what is the outcome of obedience to instructions in the bible?

o   The outcome is that the servant of God is thoroughly equipped for every good work.

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Acts 17:2-11

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17)   According to verse 2 where did Paul go on the Sabbath as was his custom?

o   He went into the synagogue.

 

18)   According to verses 2 and 3 what did Paul go into the synagogue to do?

o   He reasoned with people in the synagogue from the Scriptures,

§  Explaining.

§  And proving.

o   That the Christ had to

§  Suffer.

§  And rise from the dead.

o   And that Jesus is the Christ.

 

19)   According to verse 11, with what eagerness did the Berean Jews receive the message from Paul?

o   They received it with great eagerness.

 

20)   According to verse 11 how did the Berean Jews find out if what Paul said was true?

o   They examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

 

21)   What would be the outcome for the Berean Jews when they obeyed Scriptures as they examined them in response to Paul’s message about Jesus?

o   They would equip themselves for discerning

§  Truth.

§  From falsehood about Jesus.

 

22)   What is the third mark of maturity of a church?

o   The third mark of maturity of a church is self-equipping.

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Acts 13:1-4

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23)   According to verse 1 what kind of disciples were in the church at Antioch?

o   There were

§  Prophets.

§  And teachers.

 

24)   According to verse 2 who spoke when the church at Antioch were worshiping the Lord and fasting?

o   The Holy Spirit did.

 

25)   According to verse 2 what did the Holy Spirit say?

o   The Holy Spirit said,

§   “Set apart for me

Ø  Barnabas. 

Ø  And Saul.

§  For the work to which I have called them.”

 

26)   What was the work to which the Holy Spirit had called Barnabas and Saul?

o   The Holy Spirit had called

§  Barnabas.

§  And Saul.

o   To plant churches.

o   If

o   We read on in the book of Acts.

 

27)   According to verse 3 how did the church at Antioch obey the instruction of the Holy Spirit?

o   They

§  Placed their hands on

Ø  Barnabas. 

Ø  And Saul.

§  And sent them off.

o   After

o   They had

§  Fasted.

§  And prayed.

 

28)   According to verse 4 what did Barnabas and Saul do?

o   They

§  Went down to Seleucia.

§  And sailed from there to Cyprus.

 

29)   According to verse 4 how did Barnabas and Saul decide their travel plan?

o   They were sent on their way by the Holy Spirit.

 

30)   How did the church at Antioch rely on the Holy Spirit for what they did?

o   They

§  Listened to the voice of the Holy Spirit.

§  And obeyed it.

 

31)   What was the church at Antioch that Barnabas and Saul represented engaged in while they were planting churches?

o   The church at Antioch was reproducing churches.

 

32)   What is the fourth mark of maturity of a church?

o   The fourth mark of maturity of a church is self-reproducing.

========================

What are the four marks of maturity of the church?

========================

 

 

 

 

========================

What are the five functions of the church?

========================

 

Conclusion

·  What are the five functions of the church?

o   The five functions of the church in alphabetical order are

§  Discipleship.

§  Fellowship.

§  Ministry.

§  Mission.

§  And worship.

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Acts 1:8

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33)   Whom does ‘my’ refer to?

o   It refers to Jesus.

 

34)   Whom does ‘you’ refer to?

o   It refers to the church in Jerusalem.

 

35)   How will the church in Jerusalem receive power?

o   The church in Jerusalem will receive power.

o   When

o   The Holy Spirit comes on them.

 

36)   What will the church in Jerusalem receive power for?

o   The church in Jerusalem will receive power.

o   So that

o   They will be Jesus’ witnesses

§  In Jerusalem.

§  In all

Ø  Judea. 

Ø  And Samaria.

§  And to the ends of the earth.

 

37)   What does it mean to be Jesus’ witnesses?

o   It means telling people to

§  Repent.

§  And believe the good news of Jesus Christ.

 

38)   What does it mean to be Jesus’ witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth?

o   This is the full geographical scope of being Jesus’ witnesses.

o   Being Jesus’ witnesses

§  In Jerusalem is the local scope.

§  In all Judea and Samaria is

Ø  The more remote scope. 

Ø  Than the local scope.

§  To the ends of the earth is the scope of the whole world.

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Matthew 28:18-20

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39)   What does the word ‘nation’ in verse 19 mean?

o   The word ‘nation’ means people group.

 

40)   What is a people group for evangelization purposes?

o   For evangelization purposes, a people group is the largest group.

o   Within which

o   The good news of Jesus Christ can spread as a church planting movement without encountering barriers of

§  Understanding.

§  Or acceptance.

 

41)   What does all nations mean?

o   It means all people groups in the world.

 

42)   In accordance with verse 19 what is the full ethnographical scope of making disciples?

o   The full ethnographical scope of making disciples includes all people groups in the world.

 

43)   In accordance with verse 20, until when should the church make disciples?

o   They should make disciples to the very end of the age.

 

44)   What is the full chronological scope of making disciples?

o   The full chronological scope of making disciples lasts.

o   Till

o   The very end of the age.

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The mission of the church

45)   From the perspective of the various scopes of being Jesus’ witnesses and making disciples what is the mission of the church?

o   The mission of the church is

§  Being Jesus’ witnesses.

§  And making disciples.

o   Across  

§  The full geographical scope.

§  The full ethnographical scope.

§  And the full chronological scope.

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Acts 2:38-47

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46)   Did we study this passage of the bible while investigating what the church does earlier?

o   Yes.

 

47)   Let’s categorize what the church does into functions:

o   What is locally telling Jews in Jerusalem to repent and believe the good news of Jesus Christ?

§  Mission.

o   What is traveling away from Jerusalem to tell Greeks to repent and believe the good news of Jesus Christ?

§  Mission.

o   What is baptizing those who repent and believe the good news of Jesus Christ?

§  Discipleship.

o   What is the disciples devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching?

§  Discipleship.

o   What is practicing fellowship?

§  Fellowship.

o   What is the disciples devoting themselves to the breaking of bread?

§  Worship.

o   What is the disciples devoting themselves to praying?

§  Worship.

o   What is giving to anyone who had need?

§  Ministry.

o   What is meeting in the temple courts every day?

§  Worship.

o   What is praising God?

§  Worship.

 

48)   What are the five functions of the church?

o   The five functions of the church in alphabetical order are

§  Discipleship.

§  Fellowship.

§  Ministry.

§  Mission.

§  And worship.

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What are the five functions of the church?

========================

 

 

 

 

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What are we going to do?

========================

·  What are we going to do?

o   We are going to investigate the Identity of the church.

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What are we going to do?

========================

 

 

 

 

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Summary findings of the identity of the church

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·  What is the identity of the church?

o   The church is

§  A chosen people.

§  A royal priesthood.

§  A holy nation.

§  God’s special possession.

§  The body of Christ with as many different parts as there are disciples in the church.

§  Christ’s ambassadors.

§  The pillar and foundation of the truth.

§  And the salt of the earth and the light of the world.

========================

Summary findings of the identity of the church

========================

 

 

 

 

========================

What is the identity of the church?

========================

 

1 Peter 2:4-5

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1 Samuel 15:22

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49)   Who is the living Stone in verse 4?

o   Jesus is the living Stone.

 

50)   According to verse 4 what is the contrast in attitude between humans and God toward the living Stone?

o   The living Stone is

§  Rejected by humans.

§  But chosen by God.

§  And precious to him.

 

51)   According to verse 5 what is the church like?

o   The church is like living stones.

 

52)   According to verse 5 what is the church like living stones being built into?

o   The church like living stones is being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood.

 

53)   According to verse 5 what is the holy priesthood for?

o   The holy priesthood is for offering spiritual sacrifices to God.

 

54)   What is a spiritual sacrifice to God?

o   A spiritual sacrifice to God is obeying God, which is better than physical sacrifices per 1 Samuel 15:22.

 

·  The facilitator asks a specific participant to read out loud 1 Samuel 15:22.

 

55)   According to verse 5 how are spiritual sacrifices made acceptable to God?

o   Spiritual sacrifices are made acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

o   Everything the church does in obedience to instructions in the bible must be done in the name of Jesus Christ.

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1 Peter 2:9-10

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1 Corinthians 6:19-20

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56)   Whom does ‘you’ in verse 9 refer to?

o   ‘You’ in verse 9 refers to the church.

 

57)   According to verse 9 what is the identity of the church?

o   The church is

§  A chosen people.

§  A royal priesthood.

§  A holy nation.

§  And God’s special possession.

 

58)   According to verse 9, by whom and of what is the church called out?

o   The church is

§  Called out by God.

§  And called out of darkness.

 

59)   According to verse 9 what is the church called into?

o   The church is called into God’s wonderful light.

 

60)   According to verse 9 what does the church do as a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession?

o   The church declares the praises of God who called them

§  Out  of darkness.

§  Into his wonderful light.

 

61)   What does it mean for the church to be a chosen people?

o   It means that the church is chosen by God to be his people.

 

62)   Does a priest offer sacrifices?

o   Yes.

 

63)   How does the church fulfill their royal priesthood?

o   The church fulfills their royal priesthood

§  Through offering spiritual sacrifices to God.

§  By way of obedience to instructions in the bible.

§  In the name of Jesus Christ.

 

64)   What does the holy nation refer to?

o   The holy nation refers to the kingdom of God.

 

65)   How does the church become God’s special possession?

o   Each disciple is bought by God at a price to become God’s special possession per 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.

 

·  The facilitator asks a specific participant to read out loud 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.

 

66)   According to verse 10 what is the contrast of the condition of those who were called out by God before and after?

o   Before they were not a people.

o   But now they are the people of God.

o   Before they had not received mercy.

o   But now they have received mercy.

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Ephesians 1:22-23

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67)   According to verse 22 under whose feet did God place all things?

o   God placed all things under Christ’s feet.

 

68)   According to verse 22 what did God appoint Christ to be?

o   God appointed Christ to be head over everything for the church.

 

69)   According to verses 22 and 23 what is the identity of the church in relation to the body of Christ?

o   The church is the body of Christ.

 

70)   According to verse 23 what is the body of Christ manifestation of?

o   The body of Christ is the fullness of Christ who fills everything in every way.

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1 Corinthians 12:12-27

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71)   Who wrote the current passage of the bible and to whom?

o   Paul wrote the current passage of the bible in a letter to the Corinthian church.

 

72)   According to verse 12 what is the relationship between a body and its parts?

o   A body has many parts.

o   And the many parts constitute one single body.

 

73)   According to verses 12 and 13 what is the relationship between a body and its parts applicable to?

o   It is applicable to the church as the body of Christ.

 

74)   According to verse 13 who is the one Spirit that baptizes all disciples?

o   The Holy Spirit is the one Spirit.

 

75)   According to verse 13 what are all disciples baptized by the Holy Spirit to form?

o   All disciples are baptized by the Holy Spirit to form

§  One body.

§  The body of Christ.

 

76)   According to verse 13 what was the ethnic and social makeup of the disciples at the Corinthian church?

o   They were

§  Jews and Gentiles.

§  Slave and free.

 

77)   What does it mean for all the disciples to be given the one Spirit to drink?

o   It means that all the disciples draw their

§  Guidance.

§  And power from the Holy Spirit.

 

78)   Does the foot not belong to the body just because it is not the hand and why?

o   Yes, it does belong to the body.

o   Because

o   The body is not made up of

§  One part.

§  But of many including.

Ø  The hand. 

Ø  And the foot.

 

79)   Does the ear not belong to the body just because it is not the eye and why?

o   Yes, it does belong to the body.

o   Because

o   The body is not made up of

§  One part.

§  But of many including.

Ø  The eye. 

Ø  And the ear.

 

80)   According to verse 17 what happens if the whole body were an eye or an ear?

o   Other senses such as

§  Hearing.

§  And smell.

o   Would be missing.

 

81)   What enables the proper functioning of the whole body?

o   The presence of the various body parts enables the proper functioning of the whole body.

 

82)   According to verse 18 who is the cause behind the constitution of the body with all the parts?

o   God is.

 

83)   According to verse 19 can a body be a body if it has only one part?

o   No.

 

84)   According to verse 20 what is the proper view of a body and its parts?

o   There are

§  Many parts.

§  But one body.

 

85)   According to verse 21 can parts of a body reject one another?

o   No.

 

86)   According to verse 22 how do we treat the weaker parts of our body?

o   We treat them as indispensable.

 

87)   According to verse 23 how do we treat the parts of our body that we think are less honorable?

o   We treat them with special honor.

 

88)   According to verse 23 how do we treat the parts of our body that are unpresentable?

o   We treat them with special modesty.

 

89)   According to verse 24 how do we treat presentable parts of our body?

o   We don’t give them any special treatment.

 

90)   According to verse 24 what does God do to the parts that lack honor when he puts the body of Christ together?

o   God gives them greater honor.

 

91)   According to verse 25 what is God’s intent when he gives greater honor to the parts of the body of Christ that lack it?

o   God does it

§  So that there should be no division in the body of Christ.

§  And that the parts of the body of Christ should have equal concern for each other.

 

92)   According to verses 25 and 26 what is the indication that the parts of the body of Christ have equal concern for each other as God intends?

o   The parts of the body of Christ have equal concern for each other.

o   When

o   One part of the body suffers, every part suffers with it.

o   And when

o   One part of the body is honored, every part rejoices with it.

 

93)   What was Paul’s intent in writing to the Corinthian church?

o   Paul was attempting to reconcile the division among them.

o   Since

o   They were rejecting one another.

 

94)   What was the superficial reason the disciples at the Corinthian church rejected one another?

o   They rejected one another.

o   Because

o   They came from diverse backgrounds -

§  Jews and Gentiles.

§  Slave and free.

 

95)   Do people who come from diverse backgrounds necessarily reject one another?

o   No.

 

96)   What did the disciples at the Corinthian church fail to do such that they rejected one another?

o   They rejected one another.

o   Because

o   They did not treat the parts of the body of Christ.

o   As

o   They would the parts of their body.

 

97)   Did the Corinthian church cease to be the body of Christ even when they rejected one another?

o   No.

 

98)   How would division lose its grip among the disciples at the Corinthian church?

o   It is in their treating the parts of the body of Christ.

o   As

o   They would the parts of their body.

o   That

o   Division would lose its grip on them.

 

99)   According to verse 27 what is the identity of the church in relation to the body of Christ as a whole and the disciples as its parts?

o   The church is the body of Christ with

§  As many different indispensable parts.

§  As there are disciples.

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2 Corinthians 5:17-21

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100)  What does it mean for a person to be in Christ?

o   A person is in Christ.

o   When

o   The person becomes

§  A disciple.

§  And therefore a part of the body of Christ.

 

101)  According to verse 17 what becomes of a person when the person is in Christ?

o   The person becomes a new creation.

 

102)  According to verse 17 what is the exchange between the old and the new for the person?

o   The old has gone.

o   The new is here!

 

103)  According to verse 18 who has brought about the exchange?

o   God has.

 

104)  What does ‘us’ in verse 18 refer to?

o   ‘Us’ in verse 18 refers to the church.

 

105)  According to verse 18 how did God reconcile the church to himself?

o   God reconciled the church to himself through Christ.

 

106)  According to verse 18 what is the ministry that God gave the church?

o   God gave the church the ministry of reconciliation.

 

107)  According to verses 18 and 19 how did God give the church the ministry of reconciliation?

o   God gave the church the ministry of reconciliation by committing to them the message of reconciliation.

o   That

o   God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.

 

108)  According to verse 20 what is the role of the church when God gave them the ministry of reconciliation?

o   The church is Christ’s ambassadors.

o   As though

o   God were making his appeal through them.

 

109)  According to verse 20 what was Paul’s imploration on Christ’s behalf for the Corinthian church?

o   Be reconciled to God.

 

110)  What does it mean for God to make Christ who had no sin to be sin for us?

o   It means that God

§  Laid our sins upon Christ who is sinless.

§  And punished him for our sins.

 

111)  According to verse 21 how did God reconcile the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them?

o   God

§  Laid our sins upon Christ.

§  And punished him for our sins.

o   So that

o   We might become the righteousness of God.

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1 Timothy 3:15

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John 17:17

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112)  What role does the church of the living God serve in regard to the truth?

o   The church of the living God is

§  The pillar.

§  And foundation of the truth.

 

113)  What is truth?

o   God’s word is truth per John 17:17.

 

·  The facilitator asks a specific participant to read out loud John 17:17.

 

114)  Where is God’s word found?

o   God’s word is found in the bible.

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Matthew 5:13-16

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115)  What does ‘you’ in verse 13 refer to?

o   ‘You’ in verse 13 refers to the church.

 

116)  According to verse 13 who is the salt of the earth?

o   The church is the salt of the earth.

 

117)  According to verse 13 what does salt owe its usefulness to?

o   Salt owes its usefulness to its saltiness.

 

118)  According to verse 13 what is the consequence for salt to lose its saltiness?

o   It is no longer good for anything, except to be

§  Thrown out.

§  And trampled underfoot.

 

119)  What does it mean for salt to lose its saltiness in the current context?

o   It means that the church has lost their usefulness.

 

120)  What is the consequence for the church to lose their usefulness?

o   They are no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out of the kingdom of God.

 

121)  According to verse 14 who is the light of the world?

o   The church is the light of the world.

 

122)  Why can a town built on a hill not be hidden?

o   It is because the lights of the town would reveal it.

 

123)  According to verse 15 what is the purpose of lighting a lamp?

o   It is for the purpose of giving light to everyone in the house.

 

124)  According to verse 15 where must a lamp be put for it to give light to everyone in the house?

o   It must be put on its stand.

 

125)  According to verse 16 what does it mean for the church to let their light shine before others?

o   The church needs to do good deeds.

o   That

o   Others may see them.

 

126)  According to verse 16 what is the purpose of the church doing good deeds that others may see them?

o   Others may

§  See the good deeds of the church.

§  And glorify their Father in heaven.

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What is the identity of the church?

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End Section 2: Questions & Answers

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