Sermon Central
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Its His Church, Give It Back!
Contributed by Ian Johnson on Apr 6, 2006 (message contributor)
Summary: In a time when Church, is seen in terms of Programs and systems that bring growth or perhaps even on the personality of the Pastor or leaders. We need to ask ourselves afresh. “Whose Church is it, any way?”
Its His Church He wants it back!
In a time when Church, is seen in terms of Programs and systems that bring growth or perhaps even on the personality of the Pastor or leaders. We need to ask ourselves afresh. “Whose Church is it, any way?”
Most of us would probably say “of course the Church belongs to Jesus” but the reality is that when he arrives and asks for an opportunity in His Church our programs lock him out!
We need to ask ourselves How easy is it to change our service mid stream if Jesus asks for control? I suspect not very easy.
The early Church was built on the foundation of the Apostles doctrine, Jesus being the chief among them! So when Jesus asked the disciples “Who do men say that I am” The revelation came to Peter. And on this revelation the Church was to be built. Not on Peter but upon the revelation that Jesus is Messiah and therefore God!
MATT 16:13-20 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
14 “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.” 15 Then he asked them, “Who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John,* because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. 18 Now I say to you that you are Peter,* and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell* will not conquer it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you lock on earth will be locked in heaven, and whatever you open on earth will be opened in heaven.” 20 Then he sternly warned them not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
The Rock! Jesus is God
JOHN 1:1-4 & 14 In the beginning the Word already existed. He was with God, and he was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 He created everything there is. Nothing exists that he didn’t make. 4 Life itself was in him, and this life gives light to everyone
14 So the Word became human and lived here on earth among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.* And we have seen his glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father.
JOHN 17: 1-5 “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. 2 For you have given him authority over everyone in all the earth. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him. 3 And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. 4 I brought glory to you here on earth by doing everything you told me to do. 5 And now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began.
1 PETER 2:4 4 Come to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by the people, but he is precious to God who chose him.
Jesus must be the foundation of any Church. He is the Head and Lord and foundation stone of the Church. Any thing less is not the Church! But a mere club.
Jesus is the way the truth and the life! No one can come to the Father except through Him!
Jesus is the way!
Its not come to Jesus and I’ll show you the way
Or come to Elim and learn about the way
Or pray this prayer and you’ll see the way
NO Jesus himself is the way. The way is a person ~ The person of Jesus.
Not a method or a form or a program or a doctrine but a person. JESUS!
Jesus is the truth!
A person is Truth
We can talk about truth, we can know about truth
But if we don’t see Jesus as all truth then we need to look again at our foundations.
Jesus is the life!
Jesus the person is life
It’s not the emotional buzz we get from hyped up services
Or the feelings of wellbeing we have
Its realising we have life in life himself
In baptism we die to our worldly life and we enter into life! Jesus!
If our foundation is on feelings we need to shift it to life himself! Jesus
Hebrews 1 says Jesus is the creator!
1 Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. 2 But now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he made the universe and everything in it.
