CHRIST’S RELATIONSHIP TO THE CHURCH
Let us see just how important Christ is to the church.
Introduction
One of the errors of modern religious teaching is to remove or distance Christ from the church.
Satan’s goal is to keep you out of heaven.
He will use anything in his toolbox to keep you out of heaven.
Satan uses people to promote Christ, but ignore the church.
But as we will see, you cannot have one without the other.
Christ’s Relationship To The Church
First, Christ built the church:
Matthew 16:18, “And I also say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” ASV
Second, Christ purchased the church
Acts 20:28, “Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made you bishops, to feed the church of the Lord which He purchased with his own blood.”
Third, Christ Is the Savior of the church
Ephesians 5:23 - “For the husband is the head of the wife, and Christ also is the head of the church, (being) Himself the Savior of the body.” ASV
Fourth, Christ washed and purified the church
Ephesians 5:26 “That he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word,”
Fifth, Christ sanctified the church
Ephesians 5:26, “That He might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word,”
The word “sanctify” means “set apart for a purpose. We will see later what it is to be separated from and for what purpose.
Sixth, Christ glorified the church
Ephesians 5:27, “That he might present the church to Himself a glorious (church), not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” ASV
Seventh, Christ loves the church
Ephesians 5:25, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself up for it;” ASV
Eighth, Christ is head of the church
[There is no other head]
Colossians 1:18 - “And He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence.”
Ninth, Christ is head over ALL THINGS TO THE CHURCH”
Ephesians 1:22-23 - “and He(god) put all things in subjection under His (Jesus) feet, and gave Him (Jesus) to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His (Jesus) body, the fullness of Him (The Godhead) that filleth all in all.” ASV
Tenth, Christ is the foundation of the church
1 Corinthians 3:11“For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
Eleventh, Christ adds the saved to the church
Acts 2:47, “praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to them day by day those that were saved.” ASV
Twelfth, Christ will save the church
Ephesians 5:23, “For the husband is the head of the wife, and Christ also is the head of the church, (being) Himself the Savior of the body.” ASV
Jesus means everything to the church, and thus should mean everything to us.
Those who teach you can have a relationship with Christ and not the church are lying and are servants of Satan.
Therefore, to be in Christ, we must separate ourselves from the world and the denominations.
2 Corinthians 6:14-18.
Our purpose in the church is to glorify God.
1 Peter 4:11 “Whoever speaks, let him speak as it were, the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so as by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen”.
The world says we must separate Christ from the church.
The bible teaches that Christ IS the church.
Those in the church are IN Christ.
Ephesians 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ”.
Only in Christ does one get to have spiritual blessings.
Are you in Christ?
Have you failed Christ?
Conclusion
Jesus offers everyone the blessed invitation.
Matthew 11:28 – “Come unto Me; all ye that are weary and heaven laden, and I will give you rest”.
Hebrews 4:7, “he again defineth a certain day, Today, saying in David so long a time afterward (even as hath been said before), Today if ye shall hear his voice, Harden not your hearts.” ASV
2 Corinthians 6:2 “for He says, At the acceptable time, I listened to you, and on the Day of Salvation I helped you; behold, now is the acceptable time; behold now is the Day Of Salvation”

By Carey Scott based on an article I read.

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