2. THE CHURCH A.What Does The Church Mean To You? B.Many Have Negative Thoughts. C.What Image Does The Bible Present?

3. Ephesians 5: 25 - 32 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

4. Ephesians 5: 25 - 32 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.

5. Ephesians 5: 25 - 32 31 "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. (NKJV)

6. I.The Church Belongs To Christ.

8. A.He built the church. "For he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God." (Hebrews 11:10 NKJV)

9. I.The Church Belongs To Christ. A.He built the church. "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it." (Matthew 16: 18 NKJV)

10. I.The Church Belongs To Christ. A.He built the church. "Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood." (Acts 20: 28 NKJV) B.His blood purchased the church.

11. I.The Church Belongs To Christ. A.He built the church. "To the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Ephesians 3: 10, 11 NKJV) C.They cannot be separated. B.His blood purchased the church.

12. I.The Church Belongs To Christ. A.He built the church. "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love." (Colossians 1: 13 NKJV) C.They cannot be separated. B.His blood purchased the church.

13. I.The Church Belongs To Christ. A.He built the church. "And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence." (Colossians 1: 18 NKJV) C.They cannot be separated. B.His blood purchased the church.

14. I.The Church Belongs To Christ. A.He built the church. "Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another-- to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God." (Romans 7: 4 NKJV) C.They cannot be separated. B.His blood purchased the church.

15. II.What Is The Church? A.The place of the saved. "Praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved." (Acts 2:47 NKJV)

16. II.What Is The Church? A.The place of the saved. "Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles' feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need." (Acts 4: 34, 35 NKJV) B.A place of sharing.

17. II.What Is The Church? A.The place of the saved. "But if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth." (1 Timothy 3: 15 NKJV) B.A place of sharing. C.The pillar and ground of truth.

18. II.What Is The Church? A.The place of the saved. B.A place of sharing. C.The pillar and ground of truth. "Now when this epistle is read among you, see that it is read also in the church of the Laodiceans, and that you likewise read the epistle from Laodicea." (Colossians 4: 16 NKJV)

19. II.What Is The Church? A.The place of the saved. "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching." (Hebrews 10: 25 NKJV) B.A place of sharing. C.The pillar and ground of truth. D.A place of exhortation and edification.

20. II.What Is The Church? A.The place of the saved. B.A place of sharing. C.The pillar and ground of truth. D.A place of exhortation and edification. "How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification." (1 Corinthians 14:26 NKJV)

21. III. We Dishonor The Church If… A.We are divided. "Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment." (1 Corinthians 1: 10 NKJV)

22. III. We Dishonor The Church If… A.We are divided. "Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them." (Romans 16: 17 NKJV)

23. III. We Dishonor The Church If… A.We are divided. "Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers." (2 Timothy 2: 14 NKJV) B.We strive about words.

24. III. We Dishonor The Church If… A.We are divided. "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame." (Hebrews 6: 4 - 6 NKJV) B.We strive about words. C.We fall away.

25. III. We Dishonor The Church If… A.We are divided. "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins." (Hebrews 10:25, 26 NKJV) B.We strive about words. C.We fall away.

26. III. We Dishonor The Church If… A.We are divided. "Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?" (Hebrews 10:29 NKJV) B.We strive about words. C.We fall away. D.We treat our salvation with contempt.

27. III. We Dishonor The Church If… A.We are divided. "Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son." (2 John 1: 9 NKJV) B.We strive about words. C.We fall away. D.We treat our salvation with contempt. E.We do not abide in the doctrine of Christ.

28. A GLORIOUS CHURCH What Is Your Image Of The Church? "That He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish." (Ephesians 5: 27 NKJV)