Christians have many practical questions when it comes to life in the local church: How is the gospel displayed in our lives? What are we supposed to do and believe? Different followers respond differently—even when they preach the same gospel! What should we make of such differences? A church’s life, doctrine, worship, and even its way of conducting itself are important issues. Yet they are rarely addressed. The Church is Mark Dever’s handbook on the church for all who view the Scriptures as the sole sufficient authority for the doctrine and life of the local church. Dever explains to the reader what the Bible says about the nature and purpose of the church: what it is, what it’s for, what it does. In fact, the Scriptures teach us about all of the church’s life and doctrine, even how we ought to gather for corporate worship and how we should arrange our corporate life together. God has revealed himself through his Word. He speaks to us, preparing us to represent him today and to see him tomorrow. A congregation of regenerate members, fulfilling the responsibilities Christ himself gave us in his Word, gathering regularly, led by a body of God-guided elders, is the picture he has given us of his church in his Word.
