Stephen N. Collins
06/08/2008
Being the Church
Part 1: What is the Church, Anyway?
Icebreaker: (Strike a match) 2,000 years ago in Jerusalem, a small flame was lit. That small flame spread and became a little bigger, then a little bigger, then it started spreading quickly, consuming the minds and hearts of all who would receive it. The book of Acts records the beginnings of this blaze.
Intro:
-There are a few things in life that I am really passionate about. These are the things that I spend a great deal of my time doing or studying or thinking about. They include God, loving people, football, and the Church.
-Yes, the Church. What do you think of when you hear that term, “The Church?” Maybe you think of a building, like these: (Show pictures).
-I love the Church because I believe with all my heart that the Church is the last great hope of the world. I love the Church because I have seen people’s lives turned around because of her. I love the Church because the Bible calls her “the Bride of Christ.” And despite all the negativity the world hurls at her, and despite all the mud that has been flung to try to tarnish her, and despite all the skepticism that is runs rampant in the attempt to discredit her…she is still beautiful to me.
-Maybe you see things from my point of view. Or maybe you don’t. Maybe you’re here this morning and all you have are negative feelings about the Church. Couldn’t say I blame you, much. Over the course of the 2,000 years she’s been around, the Church has been hijacked several times by corrupt men who used her for their own selfish gain. A thousand years ago, Pope Urban II manipulated the Church into fighting in the Crusades. Last century, we all saw flamboyant televangelists, with their extravagant lifestyles, telling people that God would bless them if they sent more money to their ministries. More recently, we’ve watched in horror at the scandal involving child abuse has unfolded within the Roman Catholic Church. Politicians see the Church as just another clique of voters who they need to win.
-But underneath all of that, she’s still beautiful to me. Why? Because of who she is. Because of her nature. That’s what I want us to talk about today as we kick off this series of teaching through the book of Acts. What is the Church, anyway? I hope that in the next few minutes, you’ll begin to see the Church for who she really is.
(Prayer)
-The book of Acts was written by Luke as a sequel to His Gospel. So really, if you’re going to be able to fully appreciate the things that happen in this book, you need to read through the Gospel of Luke first.
-The book of Acts is a study in revolution. Not a simply a political revolution, but a spiritual revolution. A revolution that changes people from the inside out. A revolution that started 2,000 years ago and that every follower of Christ is part of in 2008. It is a revolution that, when carried through, impacts every level of society. That revolution is the Church.
-You see, Jesus established His Church to be a dynamic force that transforms culture. And He calls every true believer to be a part of accomplishing His mission here on earth.
-And this really all goes back to the nature of the Church. Who she is. What she’s about. Where she’s been and where she’s going.
-So today, we’re going to talk about the 4 dynamic elements of the Church that you must understand if you’re going to see her for who she really is.
4 Dynamic Elements of the Church You Must Understand
1. The Church is not a symbol, but a reality. (1:5)
Illustration: (Jordan’s “Airman” symbol, Kobe Bryant jumping over car.)
Questions: Have you ever noticed how these ads promoting shoes are always endorsed by superstar athletes? But let me ask you something: if you go out and buy those shoes, will you be able to jump like Kobe Bryant? Why not? Because there’s no real power in those shoes. They are just a symbol.
Main Point: But people fall for these gimmicks all the time, putting all their hope in something that’s has no power to make their lives better.
-And some people view the Church this way. As nothing more than an archaic symbol that is completely out of touch with the rest of the world. Many Christian even fail to realize that the Church is not just symbol, but a reality. And there is a real power to be found in this reality.
Scripture: Acts 1:5 (NIV)
“For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
-Jesus said this to His followers because many of them had been baptized by John. John baptized people as a symbol of their desire to identify themselves with the Messiah’s ministry and purpose. As the Messiah though, Jesus promised a different kind of baptism – a baptism not with water but with a Person, the Holy Spirit. What does that mean?
-The Holy Spirit is actually the Spirit of Jesus at work in the hearts of His followers today. In the old King James Version, He’s called, “The Holy Ghost.” The translators used that word “ghost” when referring to Him because they wanted to make the point that the Spirit was really Jesus. The used that term to figuratively describe the “ghost of Jesus.”
-I prefer the term “Spirit,” but I appreciate the translator’s purpose. Jesus has ascended back to Heaven physically, but His Spirit still moves throughout the earth. And His spirit lives in those who will submit their lives to His control.
-So when Jesus established the Church 2,000 years ago, He didn’t just establish it, go back to Heaven and tell His disciples, “Ok, I’m your symbol. Do your best.” He promised to send His Spirit to make the Church a living reality.
2. The Church is not a program, but a power. (1:6-8a)
Illustration: A pastor was venting some frustration to his wife about a disgruntled church member. The pastor summed up the perpetual griper by saying, “It doesn’t take much to make him happy, and even less to make him unhappy.”
Saturday Evening Post, Jan./Feb. 1993
Questions: Funny but true, right? Have you had to deal with some of those kind before? Could it be that the Church doesn’t exist just to keep you happy? Let me ask you something: How do you choose what church to attend? Do you really spend time seeking God’s will about it, or do you just go to whatever church seems to “suit” you best?
-Would you agree that when we have that kind of attitude, it’s a problem?
Main Point:
-But the disciples in Jesus’ day had the same problem.
Scripture: Acts 1:6-8a
“So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you…”
-The disciples were preoccupied with the tangible facets of the kingdom. They wanted information – the where, when, and how of God’s revolution. Why? Because they wanted Jesus to become the physical king of Israel so that they could rule over their enemies. They were more concerned with their Will than with Christ’s will.
-Are we?
-You see, some people view the Church as just another self-help group, and some Christians treat it like one. And many people choose what church they attend by what kind of programming that particular church has – the music style, how “cool” the youth program is, how “good” the pastor makes them feel week to week. But you know what this does to believers? It turns them into consumers and they see the church as nothing more than a peddler of religious goods that exists to please them. This is one of the most heartbreaking things I see happening in the Church today. Many of us have forgotten that the Church is not a program, but a power.
-What’s the nature of this power? One would think that it would be loud, pounding, frightening. But God doesn’t operate like we do, does He? His power is quiet.
-God doesn’t need a lot of clever programs. He doesn’t have a bag of tricks. He doesn’t need eye-catching gimmicks to influence others. All He requires is people who will receive power from His Son’s Holy Spirit.
3. Church members are not promoters, but witnesses. (1:8b)
Illustration: Although most Americans aren’t interested in a confrontational type of monologue about faith, research indicates they are generally quite interested in a meaningful conversation about spiritual matters. According to statistics presented by the two mission boards of the Southern Baptist Convention, 78% of Americans say they are willing to listen to someone talk to them about Christianity, and 88% noted they would enjoy an honest conversation with a friend about religious and spiritual beliefs even if they disagree. It appears Americans long for compassionate dialogues about faith, but loathe the idea of spiritual debates.
Your Church On Mission With God, June 2008
Questions: How do you share your faith?
Main Point:
Scripture: Acts 1:8b
“…and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
-Witnesses are people who simply tell what they have experienced. For us, all we are to do is tell others that we know Jesus saves because He has saved us.
-Some Christians feel the need to “sell” Jesus to unbelievers. They feel like they have to make Him seem more appealing to people who are lost. Many Christians put on the fake, “happy Christian face” when they try to invite people to their church. Have you ever been around these people? Can I be really honest this morning? The “happy Christian face” makes me a little uncomfortable.
-If you’re a Jesus sales representative this morning, allow me to let you in on a little secret of the biz. If you try to “sell” Jesus to people, you’re not going to make any “satisfied customers.” You may have a couple of people buy from you, but when they discover that having faith in Jesus isn’t all smiles and giggles…when they discover that to really be a disciple of Christ means dying to self, they will feel like they’ve been suckered into something they didn’t sign up for.
-And you know what else? We don’t have to argue with people for Jesus. He’s big enough to handle people’s criticism.
-Here’s the 3rd dynamic element you must understand about the Church: Church members are not promoters, but witnesses.
-Ray Stedman writes, “Christians are not to be like salesmen going out to peddle a product, nor are they to be recruiters trying to get people to join a religious club. By doing this the church has become false and has lost its power…The mark of a carnal church is that it loves to talk about itself. These early Christian never witnessed about the Church at all; they witnessed about the Lord – what He could do, how He would work, what a fantastic person He was, how amazing His power was, and what He could do in human hearts.”
4. The Church is not restricted, but universal. (1:8b)
Illustration: (Volunteers hold up signs with different denominations).
Questions: When you think of the Church, do you tend to think, “this sect, this denomination, etc.? Do you think that’s what God sees when He sees His Church?
Main Point: No. This is what He sees. (Take papers away.) You see, the Church stretches across all man-made barriers that we’ve tried to put up. Have you ever been confused with all the different denominations out there? Me too! Before I studied many of the different segments of Christianity in college, I didn’t know a thing about them. People from different denominations would ask me stuff about the Church of God like, “Well, what is your movement’s theology concerning eschatological matters?” Or, “So, do you all hold to the perseverance of the Saints?”
-And I would just be like, “Ummm…I don’t know? I have a Bible. It’s awesome.
-You see, God didn’t intend for all of these divisions in the Christian faith. Jesus said from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. You know what that means? It means that the Church fits into any culture, alongside any race or class of people. And it is timeless, relevant then, now, and in the future – and no man or woman has the power to stop it.
-This is one of the greatest truths of the Church of God. We believe strongly in the 4th dynamic truth about the Church; that the Church is not restricted, but universal. We have a passion for all churches, everywhere, to be one. And we believe that the Church is more than just referring to a building where people meet. That it’s more than just a Catholic thing or a Baptist thing or a Pentecostal thing. We believe that every person who follows Jesus Christ as their ruler and savior is the Church.
What facilitates this power?
1. What Christ gives to Christians: Assurance. (1:9b-11)
Scripture: Acts 1:9b-11
“After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. 10They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11"Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
-I love what the 2 men in white asked them. “Why are you standing around here?” Jesus was coming again. It was time to go do what He said, now. And what did He tell his followers to do? He told them not to worry about when He was returning. He told them to live in the power of the Holy Spirit. And He told them to be His witnesses.
-Those were His parting instructions. Pretty clear, right? But the disciples were just standing there, looking into the sky. Can you imagine them standing around there? They probably looked pretty silly. They were so awestruck that 2 angels had to sort of tap them on the shoulders and remind them that it was time to go do what Jesus said now.
-We fall into the same trap so often. I’ve met so many Christians, and you have too, who were so “heavenly minded that they are of no earthly good.”
-Jesus gives us assurance that He is coming back, and that until He does, His Spirit will be with us. So what can we get our heads out of the clouds and give Him something?
2. What Christians give to Christ: Obedience (1:12-14)
-After Jesus told them to return, they obeyed and waited for His power, with assurance that He was coming again.
-This is what being the Church is all about: obeying Jesus as His Holy Spirit leads us. Not just standing around thinking about Him. Not just doing things in our own power. Not just being good promoters of our churches. But being obedient to the one who established the Church.
Conclusion/Invitation
-In many ways, our world is very different than that of the early Christians, but in other respects nothing has changed. Technologically, we’ve never been so advanced; but people still die of hunger, people still commit brutal crimes, and millions are still emotionally and spiritually empty.
-So, there’s a couple of timeless truths about being the Church for you and I. First of all, we have to be filled with the Holy Spirit. It’s not enough to talk about the gospel; people must experience it through us. One on one. Person to person. That’s what changes people’s lives.
-And secondly, we have to let God’s power be released in our lives. The disciples were a group of relatively uneducated, ignorant men who shaped their world because the power of God was released in their lives.
-So Christian, let me ask you a couple of questions.
-First of all, have you seen the Church? Do you see the Church that Jesus started, that stretches across all boundaries? Do you see the Church as more than just a building where people meet to worship? Do you see that you are the Church?
-Secondly, does the Holy Spirit have you? Are you living in His power or your own? Have you submitted your life to His control?
-Finally, if you’re not a believer this morning, I just want you to know more than anything just what the Church really is. It’s not man-made. It’s not man-controlled. It doesn’t have anything to do with creeds or denominations or rules. It has to do with a man named Jesus. He was God in the flesh. He died in your and my place. He came back to life and is now in Heaven, reigning in the hearts of all who would believe. That question I have for you today is: will you believe?
