Author: Bryan Gibson

Weekly Bulletin
June 3, 2018

What a Fellowship!
by Bill Hall
“Does the church of Christ have a high priest?” the young Mormon “sister” asked. “Yes,” was our emphatic reply. “Does the church of Christ have apostles?” Again, “Yes” was our answer.
We have no doubt that our answer was correct, but we seem naturally inclined to give an opposite answer. Our concepts of the Lord’s church can be so narrow. We speak of the “universal church,” and think only of living saints throughout the world. But the Lord’s church is unlimited in time or place. It is all Christians of all ages. Some are on earth; some in Paradise; but all are part of the Lord’s church.
When we obeyed the gospel, the Lord saved us, and added us to His body. Here we have fellowship with Barnabas, Stephen, Dorcas, Peter, and other great characters of the Scriptures (Hebrews 12:22-24). Here we have fellowship with the wonderful saints whom we have known in our lifetime who have already departed “to be with the Lord.” Here we have fellowship with the Christians on earth today, some known, some unknown. This is the church of Christ. It is the Lord’s purchased people, purchased with His own blood (Acts 20:28).
“Did the Lord’s church cease to exist during the Dark Ages?” someone asks. No! No! We know little about those who lived on the earth during that period. But for the Lord’s church to have ceased to exist, the devil would have had to somehow enter Paradise and destroy completely those faithful ones who had gone on. Remember, they are a part of this great body.
“How many members are there of the church of Christ?” Only God knows. We surely couldn’t arrive at an accurate figure by adding up all who worship with “known” local churches over the world. This would exclude the faithful who have already passed on. Besides, there may be faithful Christians meeting in some remote area unknown to other faithful Christians. And, of course, God only knows who are truly faithful and thus truly constitute His church (2 Timothy 2:19).
Who is the church’s high priest? It is Jesus Christ, the One “called by God” (Hebrews 5:4-5), perfected through suffering (Hebrews 5:7-9), now “passed through the heavens” and sitting “at the right hand of God” (Hebrews 4:14-16; 10:10-12), having offered His own blood as an atonement for our sins (Hebrews 9:11-12). Who are the church’s apostles? They are Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, etc. These are the specially chosen ambassadors who speak officially for the King, and they still speak to the Lord’s church through the Scriptures. They are our apostles, too.
Are we too worldly to appreciate what we have in Christ? Can we not lift ourselves above this world with its narrow concepts to see ourselves as part of a great body that reaches from earth into Paradise and even into heaven itself? We all sit together with Christ “in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 2:6). What a fellowship! What a glorious privilege!
How to Cause Unrest and Division Among Brethren
Keep your finger on the pulse of society. Know what people love to hear, and preach it. Don’t be content to preach what you know for certain is the truth. If you know it will have a great impact, preach it anyway, regardless of the certainty of your conclusions. Be bold; be daring; push the envelope; be ever conscious of preaching something new. Embrace all the positive feedback, and reject the negative. Tell yourself that you’re doing too much good for anyone to dare criticize you.

Contact Information
	P.O. Box 680872 / Prattville, AL 36067
	(334) 365-5887 / (334) 868-0801
	prattmont@gmail.com / prattmontchurchofchrist.org

Phone Numbers

E-Mail Address
Web Address
We

Mailing Address

The Prattmont Church of Christ is just what the name suggests, a church that belongs to Christ. We are not a denomination; we are simply a group of Christians trying very hard to practice the teachings of our Head, Jesus Christ. The New Testament offers a complete pattern for what each local church should be like—its organization, its worship, its work, etc. We are committed to following that pattern. We cordially invite you to attend our services. We would also welcome any comments or questions about this bulletin.

TIMES OF SERVICES:
Sunday
Bible Study 9:00 A.M.
Worship 10:00 A.M.
Training Class 5:00 P.M.
Worship 6:00 P.M.
Wednesday:
Bible Study 7:00 P.M.