WHAT THE CHURCH IS INTENDED TO BE
Study of the Seven Churches of Asia
Sermon 1 – Grace and Peace
Introduction to the Study
Taking a Journey
? What does church mean?
? Why is church important?
? Why do we do Church?
? We are going to take a journey through letters sent to 7 churches in Asia. These letters are found in the book of Revelation and were written by the Apostle John
? We are going to study these letters to see what Jesus said to each church and how we can come to understand what Church should be.
? Each sermon is a stand-alone sermon, if you miss a week you will miss a topic, but you will not miss the entire point of the series.
Are you ready to quit wondering about Church and begin to love God and Church? Then let’s get going.
Prayer
What is Church?
1. Church is not a building or a denomination
a. Ephesians 1:22-23; And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
b. The church is the body of Christ—all those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation (John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 12:13).
2. It is seen by the most people as a building or a denomination
a. When you think of church you more than likely think of this building
b. Well, Church is so much more than a building
c. One problem with the church today is the way it is viewed by those who do not understand
3. The Church building contains:
a. Sinners saved by the Grace of God (Christians)
b. Sinners looking for salvation by the Grace of God (Lost)
4. The Church is made up of:
a. Sinners saved by the Grace of God
b. The important part to remember here is that the Church is made up of sinners, not perfect people.
5. The world’s view
a. The world has the wrong view of the church and therefore has the wrong expectations of the church.
b. So do many Christians!
The Church today
1. The church today is faced with pressures to:
a. Compromise
b. Sin
c. Look away
d. Fade away
2. Many churches are not what God wants them to be
a. Growing
b. Loving
c. Sharing
d. Unified
3. Too many churches have lost their ways and:
a. Compromised
b. Stopped Growing Spiritually
c. Catered to the world
d. Grown complacent
4. So what is Church, and what is it intended to be?
Revelation 1:4-20
4 John, to the seven churches which are in Asia:
Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.
To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” 9 I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, 11 saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”
12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; 15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; 16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. 17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. 18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. 19Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this. 20 The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.
What Church is intended to be
• John starts his letter to the churches with a familiar salutation, “Grace and Peace”
• This introduction is used 18 times in the New Testament, mostly in letters to churches
• Today we will look at this salutation and how it helps us understand what Church is intended to be
Church is intended to be a place of Grace
1. What does this mean?
a. Grace means the favor and blessings of God.
i. God takes an active role in our lives
ii. He looks after us
iii. He provides for us
2. Church is to be a place where God wants to shower us with His grace
a. We do not deserve the grace of God, but God loves us enough that He wants to show us grace.
b. We do not have to come to the church building to receive His grace, but the building is a place for us to come together and understand that grace we have received
3. A better understanding of Grace
a. Grace is most needed and best understood in the midst of sin, suffering, and brokenness. We live in a world of earning, deserving, and merit, and these result in judgment. That is why everyone wants and needs grace. Judgment kills. Only grace makes alive.
b. Grace is a blessing that we do not deserve.
c. Ephesians 2:8-9; For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
4. Church is intended to be a place where people come to find the Grace of God
a. It is freely given by God and should be at the core of the Church
The Church needs Grace
1. As we study each church in Revelation, you will understand that every Church (group of believers) needs Grace
2. Everyone of us here today need Grace! Why? Because we are all sinners and face the temptations of the world every second of every day
3. However, John is telling the church that through God we have the Grace needed to survive the world
Church in intended to be a place of Peace
1. Church should show us that we can have peace with God
a. He is not far away from us
b. He is not waiting to judge us
c. He is not waiting to punish us
2. God is seeking peace with us
a. This only comes by seeking His mercy and grace
3. Church is intended to help us find the peace of God
a. Instead Church is sometimes a place where we find anything but peace
4. Church is intended to be a place of peace for Man
a. Peace also means that men no longer have to be divided, separated, and discriminated against; nor do they have to be fighting, warring, stealing, and killing each other. Man can now have peace—peace with God and peace with each other.
The Church needs peace
1. Look at all the turmoil and compromise in the church today and you will understand that it needs peace
2. Peace can only be achieved by understanding the source of the peace
Grace and Peace in today’s Churches
1. Many churches have lost the concept of Grace and Peace
2. To many, church is all about Me and not about God, however, grace and peace are all about God and not about us
3. Churches are not seen as places of Grace and peace
a. Christians do not show the compassion that is needed
b. Grace is an undeserved reward, yet Churches today have forgotten this
i. Many still work for grace, or for a pat on the back
c. Peace is shown as Grace is given
Recovering Grace and Peace in the Church
To understand Church, you must understand the Grace and Peace that comes to the Church. Let’s take a look at where the Grace and Peace comes from.
1. Grace and peace come only from the eternal and unchangeable God. Note how God is described: "God who is and who was and who is to come."
a. He is here with us now ready to provide Grace so that we may have peace
b. He has been forever – there is nothing He cannot overcome
c. He is to come – Notice that He is coming, not a God that is distant, but one that is promising to come to His people
d. This gives us hope in the Grace and Peace that God gives us.
2. Grace and peace come from the Holy Spirit of God.
a. Note that the Holy Spirit is called the "seven Spirits." The number seven in the Bible simply means completeness, fulness, and perfection.
i. Thus, the seven spirits means the Holy Spirit in all His fulness. The Holy Spirit is before the throne of God in all of His perfection and fulness.
b. Therefore, the believer is to find grace and peace in the fulness of the Holy Spirit.
i. It is the Spirit of God who lives within the believer in order to fill the believer with the grace and peace of God.
ii. The Spirit is what will help us see the need for Grace and provide us the Peace we need in our lives
3. Grace and peace come from Jesus Christ.
a. It is Christ who brought the grace and peace of God to earth
b. Next week we will get into who Christ is, but for now understand this.
c. It is Christ who gives us Hope through Grace and it is Christ who gives us Peace through Hope.
The church is intended to be Grace and Peace for all
1. The church is God’s picture of Grace for the world to see
a. The church is the example of undeserved love that the world needs
b. As we come together as a church we need to understand we are only part of the church through the Grace of God
c. It is not anything we have done, but only because of what God has done
2. The church is also God’s picture of peace for the world to see
a. In a world of turmoil, we come together to find peace
b. The church should set the standard for peace
3. The church is intended to show the world that Grace and Peace can only come through God (Trinity)
a. God
b. The Holy Spirit
c. Jesus Christ
i. Without these three there can be no Grace or Peace
Where are you today?
1. Do you understand the Grace God has shown you?
a. You are a sinner without hope unless you know Jesus Christ
b. However, there is hope through the Grace of God
i. He sent Jesus to give us all what we do not deserve and that is freedom from our sins.
ii. That is the heart of the Church, sinners save by Grace because of Jesus’ sacrifice
c. Do you know Him, have you accepted Him?
2. Are you living in Peace?
a. Have you found peace in God because of Grace?
b. Are you showing the world what it means to be a part of the Church that God intended the world to see?
3. The solution is simple, come to Him today, confess, repent, and be an example to the world of what the Church should be.
