Is your picture of the church the same one God envisions? Christian face lots of practical questions when it comes to life in the local church: How is the gospel displayed in our lives together? What are we supposed to do and believe? Different followers answer differently, even as they preach the same gospel! What should we think about such differences? A church's life, doctrine, worship, and even polity are important issues, yet so rarely addressed. In this primer on the doctrine of the church, Mark Dever explains what the Bible says about the church's nature and purpose -- what it is, what it's for, what it does. - Back cover.