The connected Church
Matthew 16:13-16:20
Introduction-
As we continue in the series “Connect to God and others”.
You remember we opened this up with the 10 commandments.
We realized the first 4 commandments are our relationship to God and the last six were relational to each other.
You will never have proper relationship with others when your relationship with God is not right.
God desires to have an intimate and deeply relational relationship with us and when we do that we will definitely feel connected to God.
People today feel disconnected with God because they do not want a relationship, they want a genie in a bottle. A God they call on when they need something, but not a God that restricts them, tells them no, or desires a relationship.
The text this morning is Matthew 16:13-16:20.
Peter Got it! That Jesus was the Son of the living God.
That our redemption was in Jesus Christ
Above everything else, we must maintain our relationship with God.
I don’t know what your idea of the church is this morning:
But the church is not an invented way to take an offering from you.
But it is a God-ordained, God-invented, God-supported function of being Christ-like disciples of Christ.
It’s foundation is Jesus Christ, and God tells us that He will build His church and the gates of Hell will not destroy it.
Jesus went as far to say that His disciples would have the keys to the kingdom of God and that what the church bound on earth would be bound in heaven, and what we loosed on earth, would be loosed in heaven.
Jesus is telling the church that following Jesus, the Son of the living God, though hard, has some real advantages.
He chooses to do these things through each and every one of us and through the organized church.
Illustration-
One day a preacher was standing before his congregation and the weather was bad and not many people had showed up. He says to them let me tell you about Murphy’s law for preachers.
Law #1- When weather is extremely bad, attendance will be down.
Law#2- When weather is extremely good, attendance will be down.
Law#3- If you are short bulletins for Sunday, church attendance will exceed your expectations.
I have listen to some that are looking for the perfect church. They just keep floating from church to church and never connecting to any of them.
There is no such thing as a perfect church. If there was, you would not be able to attend it.
I could not pastor the prefect church because I am not perfect.
Jesus says He will build His church and Hell is not able to bring it down.
Though… sometimes, I think hell is banging the gates really hard.
Luke tells us Acts chapter 11 that the first mention of “Christians” is at Antioch.
Christians are followers of Christ.
Some think because we are born in the USA , we are Christian.
Some because of their family and their standing in the community, they are Christian.
Some actually believe because they are not Jewish, Buddhist, or Muslim, they must be Christian.
The church is a God-ordained way for Christians- followers of Christ to stay connected to Jesus Christ.
The church is a place where someone wanting to begin a relationship with Christ might have a way to do it.
The church is a place where we all can get disciple or taught the things of God and gather support and encouragement from each other.
To say that you do not need a church is a slap to what God has instituted.
To not stay connected is to miss what God has to say to you and what strength you will need for the week ahead.
Question- What kind of church are you looking for?
A church that is open when it is convenient to you?
A church that begins when you get here?
A church that is always there, but you have not supported, and you just expect it to always be there when you need it?
ME CHURCH! Where it is all about you!
Question- What kind of church does Jesus expect?
Well according to the text:
Jesus is looking for a church founded on Jesus Christ.
A church that realizes that they have the power to make an impact and make a difference. Because the gates of hell will not be able to overcome it.
A church that realizes that we are in a spiritual war and God has given us the power to bind the things that are not of God, and to loose the things that are of God.
The Me-Church cannot be blessed of God.
The only way there is a Me-church is when the people of God believe that the church is all about them.
The church that God blesses is the church that is about God’s business.
The church that is reaching out instead of having a holy huddle within.
Now, before anyone says it, I know that the church s not about a building.
We(people) are the church. I know the building is just a place where we gather. But we(people) the church gather here, but operate out there. In our workplace, schools, homes, anywhere God has place us.
The church operates under 4 principals of Christ
1. Teaching-
Hearing God’s Word.
Drawing people to Christ.
Discipling people at all different levels of their journey with God.
Mature Christians to new believers, all wanting to be more Christ-like.
2. Fellowship- We need each other. I need you and you need me.
To encourage, to support each other.
3. Communion- To break bread and remember what Christ has done for each one of us. (we will do that shortly)
4. Prayer-
praying as a body of Christ, that we make an impact.
Praying that we would be in the will of God.
Praying for each other, holding each other accountable and making sure that no one if possible would fall through the cracks of life.
I want to be a church where people matter!
I want to see us be honest with God and each other
It is not about suit and ties, cars driven, it is hearing from God and allowing God to change our lives.
I want to be a church in motion!
Not doing things just because that is the way it was always done.
I want us to be a church with a message, and that the message is not only delivered by the pastor, but lived out in each and every one of us that call this church home.
The church has to spearhead change.
The church has to connect with people out there and in here.
138,000,000 people according to Barna Group worship on any given Sunday.
How many are being the church instead of just going to church?
How many have heard a inspired sermon and responded by applying it to their lives?
A great sermon never applied is a worthless sermon.
Illustration-
One time I was at the back door of the sanctuary saying goodbye to people and the Lord spoke to me to give this person some money. I looked in my wallet and I only had a few bucks. I wrestled with the fact that it was only a few bucks. I reluctantly went to the person and said the Lord wanted me to give you this. The person looked at me and began to tear up. It was the amount needed to get home and get a few items on the way home.
Before you think I’m special, let’s not talk about the times I did not do what the Lord wanted me to do.
Anyone else been there?
The times we are a few dollars obedient and other times disobedient.
Delayed obedience is disobedience.
Partial obedience is still disobedience.
The carpenter at Nazareth is still building His church today.
When we are walking with God in obedience, you won’t be surprised when God shows up. (repeat)
Illustration-
One Sunday morning a stranger walked into a small country church in the middle of the sermon. The man was unkempt and dirty, and clearly smelled of alcohol. The usher tried his best to seat him in a far corner but instead the man walked to the very first pew and sat directly in front of the preacher. Then to the congregations horror the man began to shout, AMEN! That’s right! Preach it brother! The minister cut his eyes at the man, but that didn’t work. The stranger just continued. Praise Jesus! Finally, the usher went to the man and whispered in his ear, Sir, we don’t act like that in church! But I’ve just got religion, said the stranger. Yes sir, said the usher, but you didn’t get that here!
Illustration-
Billy Graham tells a story of a man looking for his wallet on the street. Someone asked him what he was looking for. He said, I lost my wallet. The other person said, where did you lose it? He replied, about a half a block from here. The other person said, why are you looking for it here? He said, there is no street lights over there!
Perhaps, as a church we have to make sure we are looking in the right places and knowing where we are going.
Christians are the called out ones! Being Christ-like. That is being a Christian.
Closing
Isaiah 58 tells us we should shout aloud, and not hold back.
It tells us that if we do things the way it has always been done, our voice won’t be heard.
It will come out Blah, blah, Blah, (okay, that part is not there) but if we are a church seeking God’s will, fasting and praying for Godly results:
We will loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of ungodly yokes.
We will set the oppressed free
(9) “Then you will call, and the Lord will answer, you will cry for help, and He will say here I am.”
The Lord is looking for a few called out ones to be determined that they will maintain their relationship with God and reach others for Christ.
The church will never be what Jesus called it to be without called out ones taking their testimonies to people they come in contact with.
Some hear today, know what I am talking about. It is time to get connected or re-connected with the Lord and share the Love of Christ.
Altar Call
