Church Essentials: Part One
The Foundation of the Word of God
Acts 2:41-47
The opening chapters of the New Testament church, as recorded in Acts provide us with not only the history of the church’s early days, they also lay out the essentials that should be part of the church today. At the very core of the these essentials is the Word of God. The church began with the reception of the Word preached, grew and was strengthened by adherence to the Word taught, and expanded its influence outside of its walls by the Word shared. The Word of God is the foundation and starting point for every aspect of the Christian life both individually and corporately as the Body of Christ.
I. The Word of God is foundational for salvation
A. John 5:39 “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; AND THESE ARE THEY WHICH TESTIFY OF ME.”
B. 2 Timothy 3:15 “From childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”
C. Dave Guzik has said that “many people are wise in many different things - wise for cars, wise for money, wise for health, wise for cooking, wise for computers - but are we also wise for salvation? This is the most important wisdom one can ever have! Where does this wisdom come from? The Holy Scriptures, In and of itself, the Bible does not save us - but it is only through the Bible that we can receive God’s truth about Jesus, and put faith in Him.”
D. Romans 10:17 “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
E. John 20:31 “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”
II. The Word of God is foundational for doctrine
A. 2 Timothy 3:16a “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine.”
B. Doctrine: 1. a particular principle, position, or policy taught or advocated; 2. what one believes
C. In 1 Timothy 4:16, Paul exhorts Timothy to watch how he lives and what he believes and teaches (his doctrine).
D. All doctrine must be based on the written Word of God.
E. J C Ryle said, “Let us receive nothing, believe nothing, follow nothing which is not in the Bible, nor can be proved by the Bible.”
F. 2 Timothy 4:3 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers.”
G. Satan tactics, as seen in the Garden, are to question the Word of God, add to it, or ultimately deny it. That is why we must measure everything against the Scriptures.
H. Acts 17:11 “These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.”
I. It is interesting to note that the Bereans were taught by the most famous apostle and theologian of the early church, and the human author of at least thirteen New Testament books. Yet, they searched the Scriptures when Paul taught, to see if his teaching was truly Biblical! They would not accept Paul's word at face value, but wanted to know if these things were so. When they heard Paul teach, their settled reaction wasn't "My, he's a fine speaker." It wasn't "I don't like the way he talks." It wasn't "What a funny preacher!" Instead, the Bereans wanted to know, "Are these things . . . so? Is this man teaching us the truth? Let's search the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things are so." Their research was not casual. They searched the Scriptures. It was worth it to them to work hard at it, and investigate what the Word of God said, and how Paul's teaching matched up with it. - Guzik
J. Are the pulpit messages from the heart of God or are they geared to tickle the ears? Do the video series the church uses in Sunday School actually use Scripture as the foundational doctrine or do they only give token acquiescence to the Word of Truth? Is their emphasis on God's psychology and His Words of Life or is the emphasis on humanistic psychology? – copied
III. The Word of God is foundational for daily living
A. 2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”
B. Few of us would think of going without eating anything for a week or even a day. We need food! It is a necessity of life. Without food, we become weak, sick and eventually will die. Just as we need physical food we need the spiritual food of God’s Word. Yet there are many professed Christians who, while they wouldn’t dream of fasting from physical food, seldom if ever dine on God’s Word and then wonder why they struggle in their Christian lives.
C. Bible reading and study are essential to spiritually vibrant daily living as a follower of Jesus.
D. Matthew 4:4 “But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”
E. Psalm 119:105 "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path."
F. The Amplified Bible brings an interesting insight 2 Timothy 3:16, with its amplification of “instruction in righteousness” stating that God’s Word is profitable “for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God’s will in thought, purpose, and action).”
G. 1 Peter 2:2 “As new born babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby.”
IV. The Word of God is foundational for community
A. The Word of God is not only instructional doctrinally but it teaches us how we are to live within the Body of Christ, how we are to care for one another, what to do when there is conflict between one another, and how to deal with sin in the church.
B. The Word of God lays down the principle of Christian brotherhood.
1. Hebrews 10:24-25 “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
2. Philippians 2:3-4 “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others
3. Questions can make hermits out of us, driving us into hiding. Yet the cave has no answers. Christ distributes courage through community; he dissipates doubts through fellowship. He never deposits all knowledge in one person but distributes pieces of the jigsaw puzzle to many. When you interlock your understanding with mine, and we share our discoveries, when we mix, mingle, confess and pray, Christ speaks. – Max Lucado
C. The Word of God lays down the principle of reconciliation
1. A dour Englishman was seated on a train between two ladies arguing about the window. One claimed that she would die of heatstroke if it stayed closed. The other said she would expire of pneumonia if it was opened. The ladies called the conductor, who didn’t know how to resolve the conflict. Finally, the gentleman spoke up. “First, open the window. That will kill the one. Then close it. That will kill the other. Then we will have peace.”
2. In James 4:1, James asks, “What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you?” He then goes on to show that the source of conflict is selfishness.
3. Matthew 5:23-24 “Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”
D. The Word of God gives us the principles of Church discipline
1. There are multiple mandates for church discipline to church leaders and churches throughout the New Testament from both Jesus and Paul.
2. Matthew 18:15-17 “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.
3. Titus 3:10-11, 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13, Galatians 6:1
4. Hall of Fame Lou Holtz said, “Discipline is not what you do to somebody, but what you do for somebody.”
V. The Word of God is foundational for outreach
A. The purpose of the Church is to glorify God by being God-like in the world, to live in the world as Christ lived, to allow His life to be lived out through His body, the Church. It can only do so as the Word of God permeates the lives of its members and through the proclamation of the Gospel.
B. Acts 5:42 “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.
C. We have the responsibility to share the message, to communicate the truth of Scripture in accord with specific needs knowing and believing that the Word is alive and powerful and will do the work to which God has sent it.
D. Mark 16:15 “And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”
E. Evangelism is communicating the gospel of Jesus Christ with the immediate intent of converting the hearer to faith in Christ, and with the ultimate intent of instructing the convert in the Word of God so that he can become a mature believer. Evangelism, A Biblical Approach, M. Cocoris, Moody, 1984, p. 14
F. 1 Corinthians 1:17 “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
G. It's easy for use to see a pastor in the pulpit on Sunday morning bringing the Word of God to the church. But we all have been called by the Lord to proclaim the message of God’s grace in Christ.
God’s Word is foundational for salvation, doctrine, for Christian living, for community, and for evangelism. As such we are to read it, study it, apply it, learn it, and share it.
