God’s Committed Community
Today we have come together for a historical event. This church – Burlingame Federated Church – BFC - is celebrating its sixtieth anniversary. What we are coming together to celebrate is not the anniversary of this building – because this building is more than sixty years old. In fact next year this building will be 100 years old. The church is and had always been more than a building.
What we come to celebrate today is the fact that in 1948 three distinct congregations in this community united under one roof to serve Jesus Christ together. They “federated” – joined together – as three distinct units in one location – in one building – to worship together, fellowship together, minister together, study the scriptures together and to reach out to this community together.
Let us never forget that even though we are celebrating sixty years as a congregation – our heritage goes back much further than that. It was Jesus Christ who founded the church when He said;
“I will build My church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18
The church has never been my church or your church – even though we talk that way. You see the church has always belonged to Jesus Christ. He said, “I will build My church.” If you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior – you are a part of His church – because what makes a church is not the building that they meet in – but the people who are joined together because of the relationship that they have with Jesus Christ. You see when you accept Jesus as your Savior relationships change – God becomes your Father and other Christians become your brothers and sisters in Christ. It is the Bible that defines what the Church is - not us. Bible tells us that the church is at least four things:
1. The Church is a FAMILY.
When we become “born again” we are born into a new family – Christ’s Church. Our sins have been forgiven – we have a purpose for living – and we receive a home in Heaven. Our relationships change and so do our priorities. A top priority of families is to build relationships with one another. But that’s not all. The Bible says that the Church is:
2. The Church is a FELLOWSHIP.
In the dictionary the word “fellowship” is both a noun and a verb. In our church fellowship is both a noun and a verb also. We are a fellowship and we fellowship together. What is fellowship? The best definition I have is "Two fellows on the same ship." We’re headed in the same direction. We’re going to the same place. As Christians, we’re all headed to heaven. Therefore a top priority in fellowship is harmony. If we are going in the same direction – if we are going to an eternal home – we are going to be together for a long time and we need to live together in harmony. But that is not all the Bible teaches about the Church – it also says:
3. The Church is a BODY.
We are a body, not a business. We are an organism, not an organization. Therefore whatever your gifts and talents consist of - you are needed by the body. You have been placed here to help the whole body. For a body to function properly – it needs all its parts - it needs all its members. It needs arms, legs, hands, and feet - all of its members for it to function to its fullest ability. Therefore, a top priority in the body is unity with diversity.
Have you noticed we’re all different? We have different colored hair. We have different color eyes. We have different finger prints. We have distinctly different DNA. We’re different ages. That’s the way God has made us. That’s the way God has placed us together. God loves that. God loves diversity – but He also wants us to be united in our diversity. We’re different in many ways – yet we have the same Lord and Savior – Jesus Christ. We have unity with diversity. But that’s not all the Bible says about the church - it also says:
4. The Church is a FLOCK.
Throughout the Bible God is portrayed as the Shepherd of His people. David wrote, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Psalms 23:1 Jesus even said, “I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and they know Me.” John 10:14 Because of this fact a top priority in the flock is togetherness. You see there is safety in numbers that is why the Bible says:
“Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up....Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, 12 (NKJV)
You see the nature of the church is that it is:
1. A FAMILY.
2. A FELLOWSHIP.
3. A BODY.
4. A FLOCK.
The nature of the church will never change. When we try to treat the church as a business or as just another organization we are doomed for failure. It is God who defines who we are and how we are to function. He also defines our purposes.
A few years ago we came up with a purpose statement. Do you remember what it is?
Love God, Love People.
Our purpose statement is based on the Great Commandment which says:
’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’...and ’You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Matthew 22:37, 39 (NKJV)
How do we love God and love people? Simple. We worship, we fellowship, we learn more about Jesus through Bible study, we minister to one another and we reach out to people who don’t know Him yet. We have five purposes - Worship, Fellowship, Discipleship, Ministry and Outreach. Another way to put it is that we need to SHINE. Follow along with me as we fill in this acrostic.
S – stands for seeking the lost and sharing The Good News with those who have not heard it. This is outreach.
H – stands for helping those who are hurting. We do this by ministering to others.
I – stands for including people in the group. We are to welcome people into the fellowship which we have with God and each other.
N – stands for necessary nutrition. If I want be healthy as a human I need to eat right and exercise. The same is true in the spiritual realm as well. If I what to be healthy as a Christian I need to know God’s Word and apply it to my life. We call this discipleship.
E – stands for exalt. We as Christians are exalt God our Maker, our Creator, our Savior and our Lord in everything we do. We are to worship Him - through everything we do. We are to live a life of worship to God.
We as people of God are to SHINE throughout our lives. We as the church of God are to SHINE throughout the ages. BFC has been SHINING for sixty years now and that is what we will continue to do – that is what we have been called to do – that is what God expects us to do. For us to SHINE is the mandate given by Christ Himself. Jesus said,
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16 (NKJV)
We are God’s church, God’s people, God’s committed community, called to be godly.
As your pastor I would like us to look today at three convictions I have about The Church. If you understand my convictions you will understand why I do what I do when it comes to leading and guiding this church:
CONVICTION #1: JESUS LOVES HIS CHURCH
I am absolutely convinced – without a shadow of doubt – that Christ loves His Church. In fact The Bible says that Christ shed His blood for The Church. Follow along as I read from Acts chapter twenty:
“Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” Acts 20:28 (NKJV)
This verse tells us that the church was "purchased with His own blood."
The Bible goes on and instructs husbands to love their wives, “just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her.” Ephesians 5:25
What did Christ do for the Church? He gave Himself for her. He gave His life for the life of the Church.
There is no doubt in my mind that Jesus loves His church – that He cherishes His church – that He treats her as a precious jewel. How many of us would be willing to give our lives for our families? Probably – all of us! Probably everyone of us sitting here today. Most of us though have never been faced with that decision. Jesus has. He was asked, "Will you die for your family? Will you die for your bride? Will you die for The Church?" He said, "Yes!" He said, "Of course I will!" And He did! He gave His life for her.
Often we say that Christ died for my sin – He died for me – but that is not what Acts 20:28 says. This verse tells us that Christ died – shed His blood - sacrificed Himself – gave Himself for the Church. That is how important Christ considers His Church. You see - Jesus loves His Church.
Christians that say I love Christ but I don’t need to be involved in The Church are immature. They just don’t get it. The Church is who Jesus died for. The church is made up of people that Jesus loves. The Church is made up of people that Jesus died for. The Church is made up of people that Jesus laid down His life for. That is what the church is. That is how important Jesus sees the Church. We are God’s committed community whom Jesus shed His blood for.
Folks if you are a Christian - you should love what Christ loves. You should love the Church. In fact you are commanded to love the Church. Look at first John chapter three and verse sixteen with me:
“By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” 1 John 3:16 (NKJV)
Who are the brethren? The bretheren are God’s people - the Church. We are the Church - we are God’s people – that is us and I am convinced that Jesus LOVES HIS CHURCH.
The second conviction I have is:
CONVICTION #2: JESUS WANTS UNITY IN HIS CHURCH
No family is perfect – every family is dysfunctional – some are more dysfunctional then others – but you need to stick up for your family. Love is more important then politics – love is more important then little petty differences.
I told about another pastor friend of mine – a very dear friend. He belongs to a denomination that does not use musical instruments in their worship service. So what? Does that mean I hate him because he worships different then I do? Absolutely not! We both have the same savior. We both have God as our Father. We are spiritual brothers – we love each other.
A couple of weeks ago I was in Seattle with some other ministers. Two of them were Pentecostal – that means they have a different view than I have about the gift of speaking in tongues. Does that mean I hate them? No way! We all have the same Savior. We have the same Lord. God is our Father. We are brothers in Christ. We fellowshiped together. We enjoyed each others company. These guys aren’t my enemies. We are in the same army. We are on the same side. There is one enemy that we are fighting against - his name is Satan. We don’t need to fight with each other - we need to be joined together - because we have a common enemy and he is Satan. Look at what it says in John chapter eight and verse forty four:
“He (Satan) was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44b (RSV)
Satan is the one we need to fight against – not each other. Did you know that there are five times in the New Testament where God tells Christians not to argue with each other? Why? Because God loves unity. John chapter seventeen is a prayer of Jesus and you know what the theme of that prayer is? It is a prayer of unity for God’s people.
Jesus prayed that believers may be one - united together. That they may be in harmony - that they may be in unity. I am absolutely convinced that Jesus wants unity in His church and we must do what Jesus has called us do. Unite together - for Jesus said:
“I will build My church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18
Here is conviction number three:
CONVICTION #3: JESUS’ CHURCH WILL LAST FOREVER
Governments will not last forever. Nations will not last forever. Businesses will not last forever. The Roman Empire is gone. The Soviet Union is gone. The Berlin wall is gone. But Christ’s church is still here – even after over 2000 years. Jesus said:
“I will build My church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18
The entire universe was created for God’s family. What is God’s family called? It’s called – the church. God created us to spend eternity with Him. That was God’s plan from the beginning of time. The Church will be in Heaven – Christ died to save the church. It will last forever and you can be a part of it. Look at what Jesus said in John chapter fourteen:
“In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:2-3 (NKJV)
The Book of Revelation says this:
“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." Revelation 21:4 (NKJV)
Folks I don’t know about you but I want to go to a place where there is no more pain, no more sorrow, no more crying, no more dying. Don’t you? How do you get there? Romans chapter ten tells us:
”If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9 (HCSB)
Here is what you need to do, ADMIT your need. Tell God that you are a sinner and want to be saved. CONFESS your sin to Him. BELIEVE with your heart that Jesus Christ died for you on the cross and rose again from the grave. INVITE Jesus to come into your life and take control. Then you – as part of the Church - Jesus’ church – will live with Him in Heaven.
Your sins will be forgiven - you’ll have a home in heaven - and you’ll have a purpose for living.
