Synopsis For Local Church – His Body Manifest
By Doug Vermeulen
The Local Church - His Body Manifest.
Godhead, Wholeness, Body, soul, spirit, 3 feasts, Work of the Godhead
Father = operates, Son = administrates, Holy Spirit = manifests.
Behold, I Am Doing A New Thing; Now It Springs Forth; Do You Not Perceive And Know It, And Will You Not Give Heed To It? I Will Even Make A Way In The Wilderness And Rivers In The Desert.
This book looks at a new way of doing Church – the Biblical way.
A Church must embrace the area or locality in which it is found, and ALL believers or Christians in that particular area, are part of that local body or cell group. God always meets with you where you are, so the flowing and activities of the Church Body should be as local [within the cell group context] as it is possible to make it.
The area of the local [or cell group; in groups of not more than twelve people] church boundary equates with the city, town or village boundaries or parts thereof; as it has been shown by history that these are the most stable 'politically', thus there is an ongoing continuity in the Church body, irrespective of the national political situation.
[It has been shown scientifically that after a gathering exceeds 12 people, people start to lose contact with each other.]
Each local [cell group] Church comes under the headship of Jesus Christ, as we witness in the writing to 'the angel/messenger of the Church in...' where Jesus gives correction, exhortation, advice and praise, in His capacity as King of kings, and Lord of lords.
There two aspects of the Body of Christ -
[1.] Life and
[2.] Ministry
In order for us to be able to fulfil the fellowship commissions of a local body or cell group. These are expressed through the 5 Church meetings which are covered in detail.
The way Christians meet with each other and with their God is the main subject of this book.
What has the Bible to say about believers gathering together in Church meetings?
How are Church meetings structured?
What is the purpose of Church Meetings?
How will Christians benefit from conducting the 5 meetings in the recommended way?
These questions are all answered in Book 3.
The church meetings serve as basic training mechanism for daily Christian life; and all the minimum requirements for an effective Christian walk.
It is recommended that before each meeting the format be read by the leader of that meeting, with the idea of guiding the meeting to achieve the objective of that meeting; not as a ritual but rather on the basis of the idea of a "rainbow around the throne".
Also it would good for the leader of the meeting to study as many versions of the Bible as possible, with regard to the scriptures that have been quoted.
Above all, the meetings should be conducted in the Presence of the Holy Spirit, under the headship of Jesus, to accomplish the Will of the Father.
Book 3 covers the assembling of the members of the local church; its overall unity; the purpose of their assembling, and then goes on to see what the Scriptures in the meetings require, when Christians gather together. A chart showing the relationship of the Godhead with the local church, the five-fold ministry and church government is also provided.
Spiritual sacrifices and the offerings are given their modern meanings and equivalents, as well.
