John Piper – ‘The word “church” in the NT never refers to a building or a place. It always refers to a people: either the total number of believers who have ever lived, or a local group of those believers… the universal church, (is) the whole number of the redeemed who look to Christ as their life and their authority.’ The Universal Church – is made up of all God’s elect from the beginning of time to the end… All those gathered as one in, under, and for Jesus Christ… Only God knows the actual number and names of His elect… * See; Attached PDF outline