by Jim Johnston, Adult Sunday School Teacher
Join his class any Sunday at 9am at Venice Church of the Nazarene.
Is the God of the Bible real? Did He create the universe and us? Does God know what is best for us? Did his Son come to die for our sins? Did Jesus break out of the grave so that we might have a relationship with Him, now and for all eternity? How does the Church respond to these questions?
The church in the Old Testament evolved from individual worship of God to family-centered worship. There was always the idea of a covenant or relationship between God and man, centered in some form of gathering. The Ark of the Covenant was built to carry a pot of manna and the rod of Aaron, both of which serve as reminders of God’s role in the lives of the people. The Ark also carried the tablets of the covenant law God gave Moses. The Ark was a symbol of God’s presence and a point of meeting and worship. The cover made of gold was called the Mercy Seat symbolizing where God would meet them for forgiveness, instruction, and guidance.
Eventually, a permanent structure was built by King Solomon in Jerusalem to house the Ark of the Covenant and served as a place of gathering and instruction. The Temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC, rebuilt in 515, destroyed again, rebuilt by Herod, then finally destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.
New meeting places developed called “synagogues.” These meeting places became the center of worship after the Jewish captivity in Babylon. The name comes from a Greek word meaning “assembly” or “gathering together.” The Jews met in synagogues for prayer, reading, and discussion of the scriptures. Synagogues served as a place for study, sacred meals, court proceedings, and political and social meetings, wherever Jews settled. These places became the focus of religious and social life for communities scattered around the Mediterranean and in Israel itself. Jesus made the Synagogue a focal point of his teaching ministry (Mark 1:21; 6:2; Luke 4:16). The apostle Paul also did much of his preaching in synagogues. People interested in spiritual things were naturally drawn to the synagogue, so when entering a city, Paul usually went first to the synagogue and preached there (Acts 17:1, 2; 18:4). Preaching wasn’t just giving a speech, it was more interactive and involved questions and discussion.
Jesus understood the history and significance of the church in the lives of the people described in the Old Testament, New Testament, and future generations. His charge of preaching the Gospel everywhere was an incentive to continue the work of the church. Matthew 28:19-20, “Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” Jesus gave The Church special significance by likening the church to a bride with Christ as her bridegroom (John 3:29). “The bride belongs to the bridegroom” referring to the relationship of Jesus to the Church. Paul uses this analogy in Ephesians 5:25, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” Christ has lovingly and specifically chosen the church to be His bride and the center of a spiritual relationship.
The definition of the church in the New Testament changed; no synagogue, temple, chapel, tabernacle, building, or any other meeting place was ever called a “church.” Today the term always refers to a Christian assembly, and it is used for both the local community of believers and the overall mission of Christ. The church is the guardian of a spiritual relationship between God and His people. It is a place where we can meet God through the Holy Spirit and receive instruction to fulfill the request of Jesus to remind the world about His spiritual teachings and love.
Come join us at Venice Church of the Nazarene! We look forward to supporting you and encouraging you as you seek to know, worship, and serve God.