2. The Richness of Gathering Eph, 2-3 / 1 Peter 2 / 1 Cor 12 / Acts 2

3. The Richness of Gathering Eph, 2-3 / 1 Peter 2 / 1 Cor 12 / Acts 2 Ephesians 2:19-22, 3:10-11- Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit…His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

4. The Richness of Gathering Eph, 2-3 / 1 Peter 2 / 1 Cor 12 / Acts 2 The Magnificence of the Church…

5. The Richness of Gathering Eph, 2-3 / 1 Peter 2 / 1 Cor 12 / Acts 2 The Magnificence of the Church… God the Father has accomplished all His purposes through His Son, Jesus Christ, and in order to proclaim and declare His manifold wisdom to every existing realm, the Father builds the believers in Jesus around Jesus Himself and into a holy temple where the Holy Spirit will dwell, meaning God lives there. And that holy temple is called the Church.

6. The Richness of Gathering Eph, 2-3 / 1 Peter 2 / 1 Cor 12 / Acts 2 The Magnificence of the Church… We Gather Together Because God Has Designed Us Together…

7. The Richness of Gathering Eph, 2-3 / 1 Peter 2 / 1 Cor 12 / Acts 2 The Magnificence of the Church… We Gather Together Because God Has Designed Us Together… 1 Peter 2:4-5- As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

8. The Richness of Gathering Eph, 2-3 / 1 Peter 2 / 1 Cor 12 / Acts 2 The Magnificence of the Church… We Gather Together Because God Has Designed Us Together… 1 Peter 2:9-10- But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

9. The Richness of Gathering Eph, 2-3 / 1 Peter 2 / 1 Cor 12 / Acts 2 The Magnificence of the Church… We Gather Together Because God Has Designed Us Together… 1 Cor. 12:12-14- Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

10. The Richness of Gathering Eph, 2-3 / 1 Peter 2 / 1 Cor 12 / Acts 2 The Magnificence of the Church… We Gather Together Because God Has Designed Us Together… 1 Cor. 12:18- But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.

11. The Richness of Gathering Eph, 2-3 / 1 Peter 2 / 1 Cor 12 / Acts 2 The Magnificence of the Church… We Gather Together Because God Has Designed Us Together…

12. The Richness of Gathering Eph, 2-3 / 1 Peter 2 / 1 Cor 12 / Acts 2 The Magnificence of the Church… We Gather Together Because God Has Designed Us Together… Acts 2:1-4- When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

13. The Richness of Gathering Eph, 2-3 / 1 Peter 2 / 1 Cor 12 / Acts 2 The Magnificence of the Church… We Gather Together Because God Has Designed Us Together… God Looks to Move in Power When His Church is Gathered…

14. The Richness of Gathering Eph, 2-3 / 1 Peter 2 / 1 Cor 12 / Acts 2 The Magnificence of the Church… We Gather Together Because God Has Designed Us Together… God Looks to Move in Power When His Church is Gathered… Acts 2:14- Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say…

15. The Richness of Gathering Eph, 2-3 / 1 Peter 2 / 1 Cor 12 / Acts 2 The Magnificence of the Church… We Gather Together Because God Has Designed Us Together… God Looks to Move in Power When His Church is Gathered… Acts 2:42-47- They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need…

16. The Richness of Gathering Eph, 2-3 / 1 Peter 2 / 1 Cor 12 / Acts 2 The Magnificence of the Church… We Gather Together Because God Has Designed Us Together… God Looks to Move in Power When His Church is Gathered… Acts 2:42-47 (cont.)- Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

17. The Richness of Gathering Eph, 2-3 / 1 Peter 2 / 1 Cor 12 / Acts 2 The Magnificence of the Church… We Gather Together Because God Has Designed Us Together… God Looks to Move in Power When His Church is Gathered… G ATHER T OGETHER !

18. The Richness of Gathering Eph, 2-3 / 1 Peter 2 / 1 Cor 12 / Acts 2 The Magnificence of the Church… We Gather Together Because God Has Designed Us Together… God Looks to Move in Power When His Church is Gathered… G ATHER T OGETHER ! Sunday Celebrations…

19. The Richness of Gathering Eph, 2-3 / 1 Peter 2 / 1 Cor 12 / Acts 2 The Magnificence of the Church… We Gather Together Because God Has Designed Us Together… God Looks to Move in Power When His Church is Gathered… G ATHER T OGETHER ! Sunday Celebrations… Prayer Meetings…

20. The Richness of Gathering Eph, 2-3 / 1 Peter 2 / 1 Cor 12 / Acts 2 The Magnificence of the Church… We Gather Together Because God Has Designed Us Together… God Looks to Move in Power When His Church is Gathered… G ATHER T OGETHER ! Sunday Celebrations… Prayer Meetings… Connect Groups…

21. The Richness of Gathering Eph, 2-3 / 1 Peter 2 / 1 Cor 12 / Acts 2 The Magnificence of the Church… We Gather Together Because God Has Designed Us Together… God Looks to Move in Power When His Church is Gathered… G ATHER T OGETHER ! Sunday Celebrations… Prayer Meetings… Connect Groups… Apostolic Ministry (Eph. 4)…

22. The Richness of Gathering Eph, 2-3 / 1 Peter 2 / 1 Cor 12 / Acts 2 The Magnificence of the Church… We Gather Together Because God Has Designed Us Together… God Looks to Move in Power When His Church is Gathered… G ATHER T OGETHER ! Sunday Celebrations… Prayer Meetings… Connect Groups… Apostolic Ministry (Eph. 4)… As Much as We Can…