Theology of the Church, Mentor's Guide, MG03

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T H E O L O G Y O F T H E C H U R C H

as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, but there were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.” Suppose a young preacher finds that the vast majority of his sermons come from the New Testament Scriptures. He confesses, “I just don’t know how the wars and commands and stories in the Old Testament relate to my church congregation.” How would you help him understand that the history of the Old Testament people of God (Israel) serves as the foundation for understanding what God is doing with his New Testament people (the Church)? How does thinking about the Church as “the people of God” help us in making this connection? In sharing their faith with neighbors, a youth group encountered a home where the people were believers, but argued with the young ministers that the church which they attended was not the best. “There are many practices you guys are involved in which started in pagan nations–Christmas, Easter, and especially issues your church allows–rock music, movie-going, dancing, and other things which show you guys to be less than holy!” At hearing this, some of the young people were greatly discouraged, with some even thinking that they were not really Christians. The youth minister wants to instruct his students about the nature of God’s grace and being united with Christ, without making it seem as if he is against the believers the youth contacted. What should he say about the Church that would clear up this problem regarding whose church and congregation is best? Christian salvation means that a person is rescued from the lostness and separation from God caused by sin by being united to Christ and therefore joined to “the people of God” who inherit the Kingdom he promised. The Church of Jesus Christ is foreshadowed in God’s carrying out of his exalted purpose, that is, God determined centuries ago to bring glory to himself through a new humanity through the covenant he would make with Abraham. This intent is a significant part of the unfolding of his gracious plan of salvation, that is, the grand mystery of his inclusion of the Gentiles in Christ Jesus. In the people of Israel, God has given us a picture of his unique and peculiar People, the laos of God, the Church, as it represents God and his Kingdom today. “Our Church is the Right Church.”

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Restatement of the Lesson’s Thesis