Today’s sermon begins a series of lessons that I plan to deliver in the first part of 2019.
1. I’ve titled the series “Blueprint: God’s Plan for the Church.”
2. As I mentioned two weeks ago, there is always a need to return to the basics and strengthen the foundation, and that is something we will be doing in this sermon series.
B. 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 in it, 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?”
C. That little girl is not the only one who is often confused about spiritual things.
1. In reality, there is a lot of confusion and indifference in our world regarding religious things.
2. You are likely aware of the fact that a huge percentage of Americans wake up on Sunday morning and say, “Church? Why Bother?”
3. Millions of those people who say that are not Christians, but have concluded from observation that church doesn’t seem to make much of a difference in those who do attend.
a. So, why bother?
4. On the other hand, millions of people who claim to be “Christian” also do not find themselves in churches on Sunday.
5. Studies have shown that 40% of Americans claim to be Christian, yet less than 20% are in houses of worship on any given Sunday.
6. So, why are these professing Christians also saying, in essence, “Church? Why Bother?”?
D. There are many different answers that can be given to that question, and many of the answers would have some validity to them.
1. One answer that is sometimes given, is an answer that will never be true.
a. 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 declared 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 church is fullness of God who fills everything in every way.
4. Since the very beginning of the church, Christians have been trying to convey the truth that church is a collection of people.
a. The church is not a building or an organization, it is an organism made up of all of us.
b. I heard about a church in England that tried to communicate that truth on their sign, which read, “The church is ordinary people. The building just keeps the weather out.”
- that would be a good message for our sign!
c. We, the people of God, are the church - We are the living body of Christ.
5. Paul also declared 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? The people who comprise God’s church, are his agents for proclaiming his eternal purpose and wisdom.
b. What a marvelous privilege! What a sobering responsibility! Amen?
E. In Matthew 16:13 and following, we have the record of a conversation between Jesus and his disciples.
1. Jesus asked them two questions:
a. First: Who do people say the Son of Man is?
b. And second: 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.
F. About one year after that conversation, 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 Christ, 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.
a. 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.”
a. As people were being saved on a daily basis, the Lord was adding them to the church.
6. And to what church was he adding them?
a. Was it to the Methodist church? Was it to the catholic church? Was it to the Baptist church? The Presbyterian church? The Mormon Church?
b. No, there were no denominations back then.
7. The Lord added them to the church that Jesus established and built. The church that belongs to Christ. Christ’s church. The church of Christ.
G. 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, while Jesus has been hard 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. Satan’s first attempt to destroy the church was through persecution.
a. But Satan soon found that the more he persecuted the church, the faster it grew. (Acts 8:4)
b. And so Satan watched as the church spread from Jerusalem, to Samaria, to Galatia, Asia, Macedonia and Achaia.
4. When Satan discovered he could not stop the church through persecution, he changed his tactics, and decided to destroy the church through corruption and division.
a. Therefore, Satan prompted certain men to teach false doctrines in all the churches that Jesus built through Paul and through other apostles and disciples.
H. We notice how Paul addressed the concern about false teaching and false teachers in all of his letters to churches and to individuals.
1. In our scripture reading for today, we see how he warned 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. You are probably aware that in our day and time, you can find a church that will teach whatever you want to hear!
a. Do you want to get rich and seek a life of materialism? You can find those kind of churches.
b. Do you want to keep your religion as just a nice ritual kind of thing that doesn’t demand too much of you? You can find those kind of churches.
c. Do you want a religious approach that says that any kind of sexual or relational expression is okay? Yup, you can find those kind of churches too.
3. What did Paul tell Timothy to do when he faced a climate where people wanted their itching ears scratched?
a. Paul told 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)
I. In the same way, God commands all of us preachers, since the time of Timothy, to stand for the truth – to preach the Word of God.
1. In the face of false teachers and the whims of the people and culture, preachers are called 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.
J. The people of God have often found themselves at the crossroads.
1. When God’s people are at the crossroads, then a decision must be made.
2. A course to travel must be chosen.
3. After Joshua had led 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). Joshua took a stand for the Lord and the truth.
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). They had to make a choice and take a stand.
5. When Jesus taught the multitudes and told them that he was the bread of life, many of them stumbled at his teaching.
a. They said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” (Jn 6:60).
b. From that time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him (v. 66).
c. Jesus asked the twelve, “You do not want to leave too, do you?” (v. 67)
d. The disciples of Jesus were at another crossroads - It was a time of decision.
e. Thankfully, Peter spoke up and said: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the Words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” (Jn. 6:68-69)
K. And the church, today, continues to face many 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 say that doctrine doesn’t matter and that all churches are acceptable before God, 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 or want us to be like the world.
L. The questions I want to challenge us with today and during this series are:
1. Will we stay our course or will we cave in to the pressure to conform?
2. Are our doctrinal stands biblical or are they just traditional or preferential?
M. The way I see it is: we must make a choice between two basic understandings about Christianity and the church.
1. One approach understands 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. This approach concludes that the church that Jesus built in the first century under the guidance of inspired teachers was exactly what God intended it to be.
b. Additionally, 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.
2. The other approach alleges that the Christian religion was never designed to be fixed.
a. Proponents of this ideology assert that aside from a few “core” components that must be maintained, the leaders 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.
3. Which one of these concepts do you think is valid and correct?
4. 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.
5. It is not at all surprising that our society finds the “new Christianity” so appealing.
a. After all, in the new approach, the church becomes whatever we want it to be rather than what God commanded it to be.
N. The fact is, the Bible teaches that when God 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 look at 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 keeping the doctrine that came from the apostles, after all, it was all that they had, and in the end all that they needed.
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, held on to, and passed on, 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. Fifty years ago, if someone would have predicted that in 50 years the kinds of things we see happening today in the church would be happening , we would have said they were crazy and that would never happen.
7. But they are happening, and they are being welcomed and embraced by many Christians and churches.
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 several 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?
e. Holiness and sexual ethics. What is God’s will for marriage and sexuality?
f. What about heaven and hell? Are they real?
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.
b. Many people want to champion one, but not the other.
c. With God it is not an “either/or,” but is an “and/both.”
R. As we move through the series, and I share what I believe to be the truth about many matters, I want to do so in a humble manner.
1. I certainly will not presume to be the final authority in every subject we will explore, and yet each of us must come to a conclusion and decision about what we believe.
2. As the shepherds of God’s flock, we must do our best to lead and feed the flock and protect it from the wolves.
3. Our purpose and intent is not to criticize or condemn what others do, but to be sure we are striving to believe and live as God would want us to believe and live.
S. When we boil it all down to something simple, it might do us well to simply: follow the directions.
1. Many of the products we buy have this phrase on a label or at the beginning of the manual: “For best results, follow the instructions.”
2. Thankfully, God’s instructions are not as confusing or as easily misunderstood as some people’s instructions.
3. Like the home nurse, I heard about that asked her patient, “Did you drink the carrot juice after the hot bath like I told you to?”
a. The patient replied, “No, I haven’t yet finished drinking the hot bath.”
4. Some of the greatest people of faith in Scripture are complimented by these words: “He or she did what the Lord commanded them to do.”
a. Like Noah, “Noah did everything just as God commanded him.” (Gen. 6:22)
b. “And Noah did all that the Lord commanded him.” (Gen. 7:5)
5. I pray that that might be the summary of my life and efforts, “And David did everything just as God commanded him.”
T. One final thing that I want to encourage us to keep in mind is that no matter how perfect our beliefs and our life might be, we are still sinners saved by grace through faith. (Eph. 2:8)
1. I am so thankful to 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.
2. Today you can do exactly what the people did on the Day of Pentecost when we church began, and we can be added to the church that they were added to – the church Jesus died for and has built.
3. The instructions given to those people who believed and wanted to become Christians that very first day was: repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins (Acts 2:38).
4. We are still giving people the very same instructions today.
5. We would be thrilled to help you profess your faith in Jesus, to help you repent and be baptized.
