The Church: Purpose, Profile & Priorities #1: Essentials We Can’t Do Without! Series

SERMON OUTLINE:

(1). Strong in Grace (vs 1)

(2). Commitment to discipleship (vs 2).

(3). Faithful through hardship (vs 3-7).

SERMON BODY:

Ill:

A man was given a guided tour around a building/construction site,

• He saw a carpenter and asked him, “What are you doing?”

• The carpenter replied, “I am sawing a piece of wood.”

• He saw an electrician and asked him, “What are you doing?”

• The electrician replied, “I am installing the electrical system in these buildings.”

• He saw a bricklayer and asked him, “What are you doing?”

• The bricklayer replied, “I am building a wall.”

• He then saw a labourer pushing a wheelbarrow and asked him, “What are you doing?”

• The labourer replied, “I am building a cathedral.”

• TRANSITION: out of the four people questioned,

• Only one man saw the bigger picture!

Question:

• Now if someone asked you the question this morning, “What are you doing?”

• How would you respond?

• I would suggest the answer for all Christians should be,

• “We are glorifying God, we are building his Church, we are extending his kingdom!”

Question: How can we best do that?

Answers:

• The answers may be varied depending on who you listen to,

• But 2 Timothy chapter 2 verses 1-7 give us some pretty good advice.

• On how to glorify God, build his Church and extend his kingdom!”

Note:

• When talking about, ‘The Church’ we are talking about people not buildings!

• We may call are buildings ‘Churches’ but the Bible does not,

• That is a traditional idea not a Biblical one.

• The New Testament never refers to the Church as a building,

• In the New Testament the word ‘Church’ is a translation of the Greek word ekklesia,

• Which means "a calling out."

• It never refers to a building or meeting place,

• But always to people, the ones "called out" of the world's society,

• And called into God’s family and service.

Ill:

• In the New Testament, no synagogue, temple, chapel, tabernacle, building,

• Or any other meeting place was ever called a “church.”

• TRANSITION:

• The term always referred to the meeting together of Christians,

• And, in the New Testament, it was used in two ways.

• FIRST: For the local community of believers, or the church gathered.

• (Hebrews chapter 10 verse 25).

• i.e. local gatherings of Christians who meet regularly to worship and serve together,

• Churches such as those in our area, we call them, DRC, Waypoint, St. John’s etc.

• In one place it may be thousands of believers gathered.

• In another place believers may gather in small groups.

• But both are examples of the church gathered.

• SECOND: For the overall collection of Christians, i.e. Church universal.

• (1 Corinthians chapter 12 verse 13)

• i.e. made up of all the true believers throughout history,

• From every kindred, tribe, and tongue!

Note:

• You know the old cliche, “There is no such thing as the perfect Church,”

• If you do find it, please don’t join it or you will spoil it!

• I would suggest that there is no such thing as the perfect Church model.

• By that I mean there is no one way, one model or idea,

• That all local Churches should conform to.

Ill:

Just think about how different the New Testament Church fellowships were.

• e.g. The Church in Jerusalem, 5,000 strong (Acts chapter 4 verse 4).

• It was very Jewish in its style of worship and culture.

• They met in the Temple Courts (Acts chapter 2 verse 46).

• e.g. In the book of Acts we read of Church plants in homes,

• So maybe 15 to 20 in number, I guess no bigger than 50.

• Acts chapter 12 verse 12 they met in home of Mary,

• Acts chapter 16 verse 40 they met in the home of Lydia,

• Acts chapter 18 verse 1-2 they met in the home of Prisca and Aquila.

• Colossians chapter 4 verse 15 they met in the home of Nympha.

• Philemon verses 1-2 they met in the home of Philemon and Apphia.

• As the house Churches grew, they moved from homes into buildings,

• So that the whole Church could be together,

• Acts chapter 20 verse 7 would suggest a public meeting room,

• It’s the story of when Eutychus nodded off to sleep and fell out of a window.

• And as the gospel spread and Gentiles became Christians,

• They would worship God in a non-Jewish but culturally appropriate ways.

• e.g. different musical instruments, different bodily positions for prayer etc.

• TRANSITION:

• I would suggest that there is no one way to do Church.