Church as It Ought to Be - Part 1

I. Main Scripture (Nehemiah 8:5)

Stand and read together.

II. Introduction (1 Timothy 3:14,15; 1 Peter 2:5)

A. God takes what we do here, together in this place, very seriously

B. I am looking out at “a CHURCH”

1. We ARE the church (1 Peter 2:5)
2. An assembly of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ (Hebrews 10:25)
3. A CHURCH where the Bible alone is clearly / firmly preached as true

C. We have a divine pattern to follow

1. The New Testament gives us clear instructions
2. The Old Testament shows us examples
3. Nehemiah 8 is one of the best pictures of what church ought to be

III. The Elements of Biblical Church

A. The People Gathered Together (Nehemiah 8:1)

1. They came together “as one man”
2. Unity of purpose
3. Hunger for God’s Word

B. The Word of God Was Central (Nehemiah 8:2-3)

1. Ezra brought the law before the congregation
2. They read distinctly from the book
3. The people were attentive to the reading

C. The Word Was Explained (Nehemiah 8:7-8)

1. They helped the people understand
2. They gave the sense of the Scripture
3. They caused them to understand the reading

IV. Conclusion

A. This is what church should look like

B. Not entertainment, but edification

C. Not performance, but proclamation

D. Let us pursue biblical church!

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For more information, contact Bible Baptist Church of Ballincollig at www.biblebc.com