What is the character of the Church Jesus builds?

Ephesians 5:22-32

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.

23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.

24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands
in everything.

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,

26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with
the washing of water by the word,

27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church,
not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy
and without blemish.

John 17:15-19

15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.

16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.

18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.

19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. NKJV

Ephesians 5:28-32

28 So husbands ought
to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.

29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it,

just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body,

of His flesh and of His bones.

31 "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh."

(the two become one as we become one in Christ)

32 This is a great mystery,

but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

NKJV

John 17:20-21

"I do not pray for these alone
, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word;

21 that they all may be one,
as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us,
that the world may believe that You sent Me.

22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:

23 I in them, and You in Me;

that they may be made perfect in one,
and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. NKJV

Matthew 16:16-18

16 Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

17 Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah,
for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, NKJV

What is the Rock
upon which Jesus builds His Church?

Matthew 7:24-27
"Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine,

and does them,
I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:

25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

26 "But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them,
will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:

27 and the rain descended, the floods came,
and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."
NKJV

Ephesians 2:19-3:1

Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints

and members of the household of God,
20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets,

Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,

21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together,
grows into a holy temple in the Lord,

22 in whom you also are being built together for
a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. NKJV

Who decides who should be in each local church?

1 Corinthians 12:18

18 But now God has set the members, each one of them,
in the body
just as He pleased.

NKJV

A Spirit Empowered Church Acts 2:41-47

Acts 2:41-42

41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.

42 And they continued steadfastly...

1 John 2:19
19 They went out from us,
but they were not of us;
for if they had been of us,
they would have continued with us; but they went out
that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.

      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Acts 2:42

42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine

Ephesians 2:19-20

Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints
and members of the household of God,

20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,

John 8:31 (in relation to steadfastness) Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him,

"If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.

1. Spiritual Life Begins with the Word of God

1 Peter 1:23

23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed
but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,

Romans 10:14-17

How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?

15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,
Who bring glad tidings of good things!"

16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel.
For Isaiah says, "LORD, who has believed our report?" 17 So then faith comes by hearing,
and hearing by the word of God.
Romans 1:16

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation

for everyone who believes,
for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

Psalms 19:7

7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul;...

Luke 16:27-31

27 "Then he said, 'I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house,

28 for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.'

29 Abraham said to him,

'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.'

30 And he said, 'No, father Abraham;
but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.'

31 But he said to him,
'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets,
neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.'"