Put Christ Back in the Church
By
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
INTRO: - A story my father told during one of his sermons many years ago went like this. A man dirty and smelled bad but loved the Lord walked into this church on Sunday morning walked down the isle and sat on the front row, because he was dirty and smelled bad people in the church complained and moved away from where this man was sitting. After a couple of minutes, the pastor called one of the deacons and told him to make the man leave the church because his appearance and smell was to offensive to the people in the church. The deacon escorted the man out of the church, the man sat on the stoop of the church crying because the church had put him out when suddenly Jesus Christ came walking by, He sat down next to the dirty man put His arm around him and asked why are you crying my friend, the man replied those people in the church put me out saying I was to offensive. Jesus smiled at the man and said don’t worry out it my friend they hadn’t let me in there in years.
Today I want to talk on the subject “Put Christ Back in the Church”.
An old bumper sticker once asked the question “What’s missing CH__CH” the answer is U.R. so when I say Put Christ Back in the Church U.R. the church not just the church building but back in your life.
PRAYER
SCRIPTURE: - 1 Peter 4:17 says “For the time has come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God”.
QUESTIONS: - What is the greatest cause of disbelief in Jesus Christ and Atheism in the world today? Is it due to the lack of miracles being performed today – NO, could it be due to the sin of the world that is running so rampant today – NO. The reason there is so much unbelief and Atheism is because there is a form of godliness in the church today. To many so-called Christians claim Jesus with their lips but deny Him with their lives. There is this heir of arrogance and pride in the church that shouts on Sunday morning but portrays Hell Sunday afternoon thru Saturday night.
Understand when I say the church I am not talking about the organism, the body of Christ, but the organization that is more concerned with creeds, titles, tithes, offerings, praise dances, light shows that is in trouble.
Understand the organism (the church, the body of Christ) has organization, structure, and is established to work together and equipped with parts that are arranged to work together that are fitly joined together romans 12:4-8, 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, Ephesians 4:11-16 that’s the body of Christ, the TRUE CHURCH. However the church most people know is portrayed as contemporary, worldly, seek friendly, culture sensitive, entertainment driven, water down truth given by the false prophets of sweetdom that preach a message of God Loves You (TRUE) and all He wants is for you to be happy, all you have to do is shout give in the offering and you are guaranteed a place in heaven. Every diabolical thing is allowed to go on in the church drifting farther and farther away from Biblical principles and Biblical authority giving people a quick fix name it and claim it theology that has no power to effect or change someone spiritually, physically, mentally, or socially.
Matthew 5:16 says, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven”. The problem is what people are seeing is not the light but seeing how to shout and speak in so-called tongues and are not seeing how to live Holy and Glorify God. The bible says Holiness without no man shall see the Lord Hebrews 12:14. There are to many preachers of sweetdom on T.V. and in the churches that are more concerned with driving a fancy car, living in a big house, having a plane that are doing nothing but getting rich off of people who are desperately looking for deliverance but are being sold a bunch of hogwash and false promises twisting scriptures like Luke 6:38 “Give and it shall be given unto you: good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again” using it for money when that is NOT what it is talking about at all. Then when people who are high on the promise of prosperity and ignorant concerning the unadulterated Word of God don’t receive the propagated promise because the principles of the Word of God has not been applied you now have people who are disillusioned, deceived, discouraged, despaired, destitutes and determined not to believe any more because Bishop Allaboutme or Prophet Fillmypockets didn’t tell them the truth. WATCH THIS: - I don’t drive a Bentley or live in a mansion because I didn’t apply the principles of finance to my life to be able to do that. I didn’t invest my money to be able to do that, if I followed the financial principles I could be sitting on a million dollars right now, but I was more concerned with vacations, cruises, than following strict principles.
The Church has the responsibility to tell people how to be saved and that is the message that the CHURCH needs to be preaching and we are only able to that when we Put Christ Back in the Church anything else is toxic, manmade traditions, creeds, and propaganda that is only a form of godliness but has no power. No power to heal to deliver, set free, cast out demons, and just live day to day.
Acts 2:42 says, “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread and in prayers”. So often we are quick to jump all over Acts 2:38 we have a whole denomination based upon that scripture alone Oneness Pentecostals or the Apostolic Faith which I am of myself, but are we truly continually being stedfast in all the other responsibilities.
What is being taught in church today is it Biblical Doctrine or propagated promises based upon the idea of get rich or die trying and if it doesn’t happen then your faith just wasn’t strong enough. Are we providing a place of fellowship and worship or just an entertainment venue. Is the church remaining stedfast in prayer and communion or is it focused on coffee shops and light shows. 1 Samuel 4:21-22 says, “And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband. And she said, The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken”. Let me expound upon this a little:- Israel is a foreshadow of the Church today, no the church did not replace Israel, the promises of Israel are fulfilled in Jesus Christ. So when we look at Israel and see what happened when the glory had departed when the church takes Jesus out of the Church the same thing that happened to Israel a type and foreshadow will happen to the church today. It’s time for the church to repent and turn from its wicked ways.
Ephesians 1:22-23 says “And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church. Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all”. This verse establishes who is the head of the church Jesus Christ, not the preacher with a certain title, not the Bishop, Apostle, Prophet or what other title they may call themselves Jesus is the Head of the Church, and we are His body.
THE CHURCH As His body, our purpose, is to glorify Him 1 Peter 2:4-5 says “To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious Ye also, as lively stones, are built up spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ”. Ephesians 3:20-21 says, “Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end, Amen”. To glorify God is to extol His attributes, praise His works, trust His name, and obey His Word. “His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof. The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb” Psalm 19:6-10.
We are to become Ephesians 4:14 says, “That we hence forth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive”. However, to many people are falling victim to false preachers and damnable doctrines because we have taken Christ out of the church but if we put Christ back in the church and the church lives out this responsibility, we will see people that are not being tossed to and fro but strong soldiers for the Lord able to stand against the wiles of the enemy.
WHEN WE PUT CHRIST BACK IN THE CHURCH the church will no longer be a place of entertainment and the selling of propagated promises but will do as Titus 2:1-8 “But speak thou the things that become sound doctrine: that the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women likewise, that the be in behavior as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good thing; that they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husband, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Young men like wise exhort to be sober minded. In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity. Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you”. It will be the instrument that will develop men and women boys and girls that will understand and live realizing that the chief end of man is to know God and glorify Him forever. Not if I name it and claim it I can grab it and have it.
WHEN WE PUT CHRIST BACK IN THE CHURCH the church will become the church of Romans 15:14 “And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with knowledge, able to also admonish one another” This simply means to encourage, uplift, build, and instruct one another. Becoming a place of fellowship, discipleship, stewardship, and worship and fulfilling Ephesians 4:13 “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ”.
WHEN WE PUT CHRIST BACK IN THE CHURCH we can walk in Biblical authority and fulfill Matthew 28:18-20 and Acts 1:8 “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witness unto me both in Jerusalem, and all Judea, and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth”. Until we put Christ back in the church the only witness that we can be is a toxic witness because there is so much mixing of individualism, culture sensitivity, false doctrines, and propagated promises that it could be nothing but toxic causing people to end up in hells damnation.
WHEN WE PUT CHRIST BACK IN THE CHURCH we will have PURE RELIGION as James 1:27 states “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world” understand Matthew 25:40 “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say not you, Inasmusch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me”.
WHEN WE PUT CHRIST BACK IN THE CHURCH, we will be a church like the one described in 1 Corinthians12:12-27 “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked. That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular”.
CLOSING:- When we PUT CHRIST BACK IN THE CHURCH the Church will:- Love God, Love your neighbor as yourselves, Forgive 70 x 7, Treat other the way you want to be treated, Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils, visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world, becoming the catalyst of change it was designed to be.
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
