Hanover Baptist Church

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AUTONOMY OF THE LOCAL CHURCH

1 Timothy 3.15

INTRODUCTION

                              1. It's one thing to be a Bible-preaching church; it's another thing to be a Bible-preaching Baptist church! There are reasons why we are a Baptist church!

                              2. One reason is the Bible teaching concerning the autonomy of the local church.

                              3. Auto (self) + nomos (law) = self-rule

                              4. Autonomy of the local church is the belief that each local church is sovereign in itself and should not be controlled by any board, hierarchical system, or another church.

                 I. WHAT CONSTITUTES A BAPTIST CHURCH?

A good definition: "A local New Testament church is a body of believers immersed upon credible confession of faith in Jesus Christ, having two officers (pastor and deacon), sovereign in polity, and banded together for work, worship, the observance of the ordinances, and the world-wide proclamation of the Gospel."

              II. FORMS OF CHURCH GOVERNMENTS

                              1. Papal: Roman Catholic; hierarchical system; totalitarian authority

                              2. Episcopalian: authority in bishops; boards rule the churches

                              3. Presbyterian: representative government; elders chosen to rule a denomination

                              4. Congregational:

· final authority remains with the people; answer to no outside board; Jesus Christ is the only outside authority

· self-governing: make their own decisions

· self-supporting: pay their own bills

· self-propagating: win their own converts

· Baptists believe the Scriptures teach this form of government!

           III. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE LOCAL CHURCH

                              1. There should be no denominational control. Each church is independent & sovereign in itself.

                              2. Each church elects its own officers. Acts 6.1-7, first deacons

· Qualifications for a pastor, 1Ti 3.1-7

· Qualifications for a deacon, 1Ti 3.8-13

                              3. Each church sends missionaries.

· First missionaries sent: Act 13.1-4

· First missionary furlough: Act 14.26-28

· Mission accomplished! 13.49

                              4. Each church is the final authority in disputes. Act 15.1-23

· dispute from Judea: 1

· to Jerusalem church: 4

· Pastor James' spoke: 13,19

· church pleased 22

                              5. Each church is the final authority in discipline.

· Mat 18.15-17

· 1Co 5.1-5

CONCLUSION: An autonomous local church is self-governing, self-supporting, and self-perpetuating!