Doctrine of the Church

Order of Service

• Sermon
• Prayer Requests and Pastoral Prayer

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Sermon Title: Doctrine of the Church

Scripture: Acts 1:6-8

I. The Meaning of the Church: The Called-Out People of God

A. The Greek word ekklesia means "the called-out ones" B. The Hebrew equivalent qahal (summoned people) appears 162 times in the Old Testament

1. In the Septuagint (LXX), qahal is translated ekklesia 96 times and synagogue 45 times
2. New Testament authors regularly quoted from the Septuagint, so the concept of ekklesia carried deep Old Testament roots

II. The Church in the Old Testament: A Progressive Unfolding

A. The ekklesia as a Family — represented by Abraham

1. Genesis 12 — God calls Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldeans, out of pagan darkness into his light
2. Genesis 17 — God establishes his covenant with Abraham and his offspring

B. The ekklesia as a Nation — represented by Moses

1. Israel called out of bondage in Egypt (the prefix ex- in "exodus" parallels ek- in ekklesia)
2. Deuteronomy 4:9-10 — God gathers (ekklesia) his people at Horeb to hear his word and fear him

C. The ekklesia as a Kingdom — represented by David and Solomon

1. 1 Kings 8:65-66 — At the temple dedication, the great assembly (ekklesia) gathers before the king
2. The word ekklesia appears in 1 Kings 8 at verses 14, 22, 55, and 65

III. The Church Expanded to the World — Represented by Jesus Christ

A. Acts 1:6-8 — The disciples expected a restored national kingdom; Christ redirects the ekklesia outward to the ends of the earth

1. This passage serves as the programmatic statement for the entire book of Acts
2. Jesus as the second Adam fulfills what Adam failed to do — filling the earth with image-bearers who glorify God

B. Acts 15:12-17 — The Jerusalem Council and the inclusion of the Gentiles

1. James quotes Amos 9:11-12 from the Septuagint — the tent of David is rebuilt in Christ
2. The Greek purpose-clause word hopōs ("that") indicates the goal: the Gentiles and the remnant of mankind seek the Lord
3. The council witnesses these prophecies being fulfilled before their eyes through the missionary reports of Paul and Barnabas

C. 1 Peter 2:9-10 — Peter applies all the Old Testament ekklesia categories to the multi-ethnic churches of Asia Minor

1. Chosen race — fulfills the ekklesia of Abraham (family)
2. Holy nation — fulfills the ekklesia of Moses (nation)
3. Royal priesthood — combines the offices of king and priest, fulfilling the ekklesia of David (kingdom); rooted in Exodus 19 and Hebrews 7 (Melchizedek)
4. Called out of darkness into his marvelous light — the defining mark of the ekklesia throughout redemptive history

IV. Summary Definition of the Church

A. The church is the one people of God spanning all of redemptive history, called out of darkness into God's marvelous light B. The ekklesia progresses like a mustard seed blossoming to full bloom (Geerhardus Vos):

1. Family → Abraham
2. Nation → Moses
3. Kingdom → David
4. World → Jesus Christ C. In Christ, the second Adam, there is one family, one nation, one kingdom now filling the whole earth — restoring what was lost in the original creation mandate