1. Grace Bible Church Glorifying God by Making Disciples of Jesus Christ

2. The Identity & Commission of the Church Selected Scriptures

3. The Identity of the Church Selected Scriptures

4. The Identity of the Church The Temple of God – Eph
The Identity of the Church The Temple of God – Eph. 2:19-22; 1 Peter 2:5
The church is a building constructed of living stones whose purpose is the worship of God
The church is a community in which the Spirit of God dwells and in which God is worshiped

5. The Identity of the Church A Royal Priesthood - 1 Peter 2:9-10
God extends mercy and grace to sinners to call them out of darkness into His light and family
Holy - to be set apart from the world and to God
Priests - mediators between God and man and performed the rituals of worship - we are living sacrifices

6. The Identity of the Church The Bride of Christ - Revelation 19:7-10; Ephesians 5:20-34
An analogy of the relationship between the church and the Lord Jesus Christ

7. The Identity of the Church Branches
Branches of the Vine (John 15);
Branches grafted into the Olive tree (Romans 11)

8. The Identity of the Church Sheep
John 10:4-11; 1 Peter 5:2
Acts 20:28; Ephesians 4:11

9. The Body of Christ Rom. 12, 1 Cor. 12, Eph. 1 & 4; Col. 1 & 2
Jesus is the head of the body and supplies what the body needs to grow
Every true Christian is an individual part that is connected to all the other parts that make up the whole body

10. The Body of Christ Rom. 12, 1 Cor. 12, Eph. 1 & 4; Col. 1 & 2
Whatever part, role & ability you have in the body is decided by God & is for the benefit of the entire body
Every part is needed for the body to be healthy and function properly

11. The Body of Christ Rom. 12, 1 Cor. 12, Eph. 1 & 4; Col. 1 & 2
The body analogy reflects both the diversity & unity of the church, and the importance of each member

12. The Commission of the Church Matthew 28:16-20
The Great Commission clearly states the primary task of the church in fulfilling its primary purpose
The primary purpose of the redemption of man is glory of God - Ephesians 1
The Great Commission is not optional for a true Christian - discipleship is not a secondary step

13. Jesus’ Authority and Command Matthew 28:18-20
Jesus has unlimited authority - the emphasis of “all” and “heaven and earth”
1 verb / command - make disciples; 3 participles to fulfill the command: going, baptizing and teaching

14. Jesus’ Authority and Command Matthew 28:18-20
The “therefore” ensures the commission can be fulfilled because it is based on Jesus’ authority
Whatever else the church does, its center of focus is to be making disciples

15. Definition of a Disciple Selected Scriptures
A disciple is simply someone who follows the teachings of another - in a quest to be like him - Luke 6:40
A “Christian” by definition is a “little Christ” and so is a disciple of Christ - Acts 11:26

16. Definition of a Disciple Selected Scriptures
You must first be a disciple of Christ yourself before you can teach others to follow Him - 1 Cor. 11:1

17. Make Disciples by Going
Going encompasses evangelism and missions and involves local, cross cultural and foreign ministry
“All nations” means there is no room for prejudice in the church –
and we reach out to other peoples

18. Make Disciples by Going
Going starts locally with what you know and then expands outward to what you do not know yet

19. Make Disciples by Baptizing
Baptism is a ritual of public identification with Jesus by those who respond to the Gospel and believe
It is “the name (singular) of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” - signifies the unity of the Trinity

20. Make Disciples by Teaching
A lifelong responsibility of all Christians in helping one another walk in obedience to Christ

21. Jesus’ Promise Matthew 28:20
An emphatic statement which gives confidence He will enable us to fulfill the commission

22. People God Can Use Matthew 28:16-18
God used ordinary men to turn the world upside down (Acts 17:6) because they had three characteristics
1) Available: they desired to learn whatever Jesus taught them and serve Jesus in whatever He asked of them

23. People God Can Use Matthew 28:16-18
2) Worshipful: the proper response of understanding Jesus’ identity and your actual relationship to Him
Ministry done without a heart of worship is fleshy and feeds pride - and can turn elders into wolves

24. People God Can Use Matthew 28:16-18
3) Submissive: Jesus has all authority & He commanded them to go and make disciples - & they did!

25. God is faithful to do His part & if these characteristics mark your life, you will fulfill the Great Commission

26. Grace Bible Church Glorifying God by Making Disciples of Jesus Christ