A. Introductory comments.
B. Today’s sermon begins a series of lessons that I plan to deliver in the coming weeks.
1. I’ve titled the series UR Church – Be the church of Christ.
C. The story is told of a young girl was sitting with her grandmother, who had presented her with her first little children's picture Bible, in an easy-to-read translation, when she was very young.
1. Now, several years later, her grandmother was ready to spend a few sweet moments handing down the big old family Bible, in the time-honored King James Version, to her only grandchild.
2. Understandably excited, the young girl was asking a number of questions, both about the family members whose births and deaths were recorded therein, and about various aspects of the Scriptures themselves.
3. Her grandmother was doing her best to answer all the child’s questions in terms she could understand, but the one that caught grandma by surprise was this sincere question: “Which Virgin was the mother of Jesus? Was it the Virgin Mary, or the King James virgin?”
D. Truthfully, there is a lot of confusion, caution and indifference in our world regarding religious things.
1. Did you know that a huge percentage of Americans wake up on Sunday morning and say, “Church? Why Bother?”
2. Millions of those Americans are not Christians, but have concluded from observation that church doesn’t seem to make much of a difference in those who do attend. So, why bother?
3. On the other hand, millions of Americans who claim to be “Christian” also do not find themselves in churches on Sunday.
4. Studies have shown that 40% of Americans claim to be Christian, yet less than 20% are in houses of worship on any given Sunday.
5. So, why are these professing Christians also saying, in essence, “Church? Why Bother?”
E. There are many different answers that can be given, and many would have some validity to them.
1. One answer that is sometimes given is an answer that will never be true. It is this: Many people say they don’t go to church because: “the Church is an archaic organization whose time is past.”
2. The truth of the matter is that the church is the creation of God, and it will always have a central place in will of God, and in the work of God in the world.
3. Paul declares in Ephesians 1:22 and 23: And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
a. The church is the body of Christ, and Jesus is the head of that body.
b. The fullness of God who fills everything does so through the church.
c. We have been saying for centuries that the church is a collection of people. The church is not a building or an organization. UR church!
d. One church in England tried to communicate that truth on their sign, which read, “The church is ordinary people. The building just keeps the weather out.”
e. The profound reality is the fact that we are the church. We are the body of Christ.
4. Paul also declares in Ephesians 3:10-11: His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.
a. Doesn’t that blow your mind? We, who make up God’s church, are his agents for proclaiming his eternal purpose and wisdom.
b. What a marvelous privilege! What a sobering responsibility! Amen?
F. In Matthew 16:13 and following, we have the record of a conversation between Jesus and his disciples.
1. He asked them two questions:
a. Who do people say the Son of Man is?
b. And, Who do you say I am?
2. Peter answered the second question, and surprisingly, he had the right answer.
3. Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (16:16)
4. Jesus was very pleased with Peter’s answer, and replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.”
5. Then Jesus uttered these marvelous, revolutionary words, “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” (16:18)
6. Here Jesus predicted that he would build his church on the belief and confession that He is the Christ the Son of God.
G. About one year later, on the day of Pentecost, Peter stood in Jerusalem before a crowd of people, and proclaimed that Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified and resurrected one is the Messiah, the Son of God (Acts 2:36).
1. The people who heard the message that day were convicted and cried out to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” (v. 37)
2. Peter commanded them to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins (v. 38).
3. The effect of his preaching that day was tremendous. We are told that “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day” (v. 41).
4. And so began the church of Christ, the church that Jesus built.
5. If you look a few verses later, verse 47 says, “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
6. As people were being saved on a daily basis, the Lord was adding them to the church.
7. And to what church was he adding them? Was it to the catholic church? Was it to the Baptist church? The Presbyterian church? The Mormon Church? No, none of these existed.
8. The Lord added them to the church that Jesus established and built. The church of Christ. Christ’s church.
H. So, we see that just as Jesus had promised, he began building his church that day, and he has been building his church every day since then.
1. Unfortunately, just as hard as Jesus has been at work building his church, Satan has been at work trying to tare it down.
2. Satan has tried to do all kinds of things to destroy and eliminate the church of Christ.
3. We see in the book of Acts that his first attack was the hand of persecution.
4. But Satan soon found that the more he persecuted the church, the faster it grew. (Acts 8:4)
5. And so Satan watched as the church spread from Jerusalem, to Samaria, to Galatia, Asia, Macedonia and Achaia.
6. When Satan discovered he could not stop the church, he changed his tactics and decided to corrupt and divide the church.
7. So Satan prompted certain men to follow behind the ministry of Paul and teach false doctrines.
I. Throughout his letters to the churches Paul warns of these false teachers, and he combats their heresy.
1. In our scripture reading today he warns Timothy, the young preacher, saying, “The time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” (2 Tim 4:3)
2. Today you can find a church that will teach whatever you want to hear!
3. In the face of those circumstances, what must Timothy do? Paul tells him to, “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage - with great patience and careful instruction.” (2 Tim 4:2)
J. In the same way, preachers since the time of Timothy have had to stand for the truth.
1. In the face of false teachers and the whim of the people they have had to correct, rebuke and encourage with great patience and careful instruction.
2. Satan has continued his assaults against the church that Jesus built, year after year, century after century.
3. And where do we find ourselves today? Right in the middle of the battle. At the crossroads.
K. The people of God have often found themselves at the crossroads.
1. When at the crossroads, we find that a decision must be made.
2. A course to travel must be chosen.
3. After Joshua had lead the people into the promise land, he made this challenge in his farewell address: “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the river, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Josh. 24:15).
4. Later, in 1 Kings 18, Elijah appeared before the people of God and posed this question: “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him” (v. 21).
5. When Jesus taught the multitudes and told them that he was the bread of life, many of them stumbled at his teaching. They said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” (Jn 6:60).
a. From that time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him (v. 66).
b. Jesus asked the twelve, “You do not want to leave too, do you?” (v. 67)
c. The disciples of Jesus were at another crossroads. It was a time of decision.
L. Today, the church faces another crossroads.
1. There is tremendous pressure for us to abandon the teachings that have been handed down to us from Jesus and the apostles.
2. The pressure comes from our society in general, which has become so liberal and atheistic.
3. The pressure comes from our religious neighbors who want all churches to accept each other, regardless of the doctrines a church teaches.
4. And worst of all, the pressure comes from our own church members who want us to be like the other churches in today’s religious landscape.
M. The question for us is: Will we stay our course or will we cave in to the pressure to conform? Are our doctrinal stands biblical or are they just traditional?
1. As I see it, we must make a choice between two basic understandings about Christianity and the church.
2. One approach believes that God meticulously planned and prepared for the church and brought it into existence at a specific time and in a specific manner according to his plan.
a. The church that Jesus built in the first century under the guidance of inspired teachers was exactly what God intended it to be.
b. Moreover, this view asserts that this sacred plan, as designed by the eternal and omniscient Creator, would be perpetually relevant and authoritative.
c. And if the world is ever to be saved, it must conform to the model of Christianity as laid out in the New Testament.
3. On the other hand, there is an approach which alleges that the Christian religion was never designed to be fixed.
a. Proponents of this ideology allege that aside from a few “core” components, advocates of Christianity are free to “change” its forms and rites as cultural considerations fluctuate.
b. They believe that the Christian movement is undoubtedly free to experience an “evolutionary” development.
c. Therefore the Christianity of today may be vastly different from that of the first century, yet both would have the approval of the Lord.
4. Which of these concepts do you think is valid?
5. I, personally, believe that the first view is the correct one, and yet, amazingly, the second proposition is being advocated by an increasing number of people, even people in our fellowship – the churches of Christ.
6. It is not at all surprising that our society finds the “new Christianity” so appealing.
7. But such should not be the case for those of us who should know better.
N. The fact is, the Bible teaches that when the Creator establishes a system of religion, its principles and commands remain intact for as long as the covenant lasts.
1. No person, or legislating body, is allowed to modify the divine arrangement.
2. This was certainly true under the old covenant, but it is also true under the new covenant.
O. Let’s review a few New Testament texts that embrace the notion that the church must continue to adhere to the original doctrine of Christ.
1. Let’s start with Acts 2:42, “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching…”
a. The King James version says, “They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine…”
b. So we see that the early Christians were very committed to understanding and applying the doctrine that came from the apostles, after all, it was all that they had, and in the end all that they would need.
2. Look with me at Romans 6:17.
a. Here Paul reminds the Romans that they were set free from sin because they received and obeyed the truth of God.
b. Paul wrote, “But thanks be to God that , though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted.” (6:17)
c. Can anyone be set free from sin without receiving and obeying the true doctrine of Christ? I do not believe so. They obeyed the form of teaching.
3. Now look at Romans 16:17.
a. Paul wrote, “I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.”
b. See, if there is no authoritative body of doctrine which must be received and propagated, then how could Paul command anyone to turn away from people who do not conform to it?
4. Let’s look at some of Paul’s instructions to Timothy.
a. 1 Timothy 4:16, “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” What will happen if Timothy does not keep his life and doctrine in line with the truth? What will happen to the salvation of himself and his hearers? It will be jeopardized.
b. 2 Timothy 1:13, “What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.” See, Paul had given Timothy a body of truth, and it must not be changed or abandoned.
c. 2 Timothy 2:2, Here Timothy is instructed to pass on to reliable men the critical doctrine of salvation. “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses, entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.”
P. All of these passages and numerous others lead us to conclude that there is a divine standard to which we are accountable.
1. As the Bible often says, “The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the Word of the Lord stands forever.” And this is the word that was preached to you. (1 Peter 1:24-25).
2. In physics there is a law known as the Second Law of Thermodynamics. It suggests that things proceed toward a state of degeneration and disorder.
3. I believe you can argue that there is a similar law in the spiritual realm.
4. Men and their doctrines tend to drift; the pure frequently becomes contaminated; that which used to be wrong and unauthorized, becomes acceptable and embraced.
5. Who would have thought that we would see the kinds of things being done and authorized in churches that we are seeing today?
6. To give one for instance, perhaps the most unbelievable of them is the ministry ordination of practicing lesbians and homosexuals.
7. Fifty years ago, if someone would have said that kind of thing would be happening in the year 2014, they would have been considered crazy!
8. Don’t misunderstand me, God loves all people, but God does not accept the lifestyles and life-choices of all people.
Q. Such are the challenges we face in the church today.
1. Will we continue to strive to be the church that Jesus built, that and that alone, or will we abandon our anchor and be tossed back and forth by the waves and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men” (Eph. 4:14).
2. In future lessons I want for us to wrestle with many important doctrinal issues and questions. Some of these include:
a. Bible Authority. Are we to be guided by “feelings” and “intuition” or by “scripture”?
b. The Nature of Worship. How should we worship God?
c. The Roles of Men and Women in the Church. Has God provided order and limits for men and women? If so, what are they?
d. The Plan of Salvation. Just how is a person saved? What must they do to be saved?
3. These are all very important matters that must be addressed, and we must look to the word of God for our answers.
4. But beyond doctrinal issues, I also want to challenge us to be the church of Christ in the way we live our faith in discipleship, fellowship and mission.
a. It is not only important for us to have the right form of Christianity, but also the right heart and life.
5. I certainly will not presume to be the final authority in every subject we will explore, and yet we are all called upon to make a choice in these matters. The shepherds of God’s flock must lead and feed the flock and protect it from the wolves.
6. Our purpose and intent is not to criticize or condemn what others do.
7. I hope and pray that we will all humbly and faithfully strive to be only what God wants us to be, and to teach only what God wants us to teach.
R. Thank God that he has made a way for us to be saved through the blood of Jesus Christ, that we might be the church of Jesus Christ.
1. Today you can do exactly what the people did on the Day of Pentecost and be added to the church that they were added to.
2. They were told to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of their sins (Acts 2:38).
3. We would be thrilled to help you profess your faith in Jesus and help you repent and be baptized.
