The Church And The Community

Matt 16:13-18

Upon this Rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Jesus church is a strong church

A unified church:

Jn 17: 21 –22 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

An established church:

Lu 6:48 He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.

A militant church:

Mk 16:17-18 In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

The Church: Is not this building, The church is what we have been made in Christ:

#1 The called out ones, The redeemed, the cleansed, the sanctified, the delivered.

#2 The dwelling place of God, The habitation of God through the Spirit.

#3 The sent ones, The light of the world and the salt of the earth.

We are not here to try to exist quietly without being noticed living in the midst of a hostile world just waiting for the trumpet to sound to rescue us so we can go home.

Ac 17:6 And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;

This is what we are here for: To turn the world upside down, To leave a mark that cannot be erased

Mt 5:13-16 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

The identical characteristics of salt and light are that both are penetrating, both are purifying,

Both are powerful: In relation to the amount of food on your plate it takes very little salt to flavor it. *In like fashion a very small light can pierce great and total darkness*

Any way you want to look at it, Our role in the earth and in the community as the Church is not to Co exist comfortably with sin, fearful of any confrontation or contradiction,

But as salt and light we are to Penetrate and Saturate = Make a difference

Lu 19:13 Occupy till I come

OCCUPY:

*to carry on a business, to accomplish, perform. Be on the mind of, overrun, invade

March aggressively into another’s territory,

What the Church is collectively we are to be individually:

*Every one of us should be a miniature of the church in this respect, We should be light, we should be salt, we should be able to minister comfort to the hurting We should be able to lead the lost to Jesus.

*Everyone of us should as New testament Believers be able to say with Jesus: If any man thirst let him come to me and drink. (Jesus said: Out of your bellies will flow rivers of living waters, what do we think those waters are for?) –They are for the thirsty.

* Herein is my father glorified that ye bear much fruit: What is that fruit for? It’s not for looks.

Sometimes we need to be reminded of Gods perspective of the church in the community

It hurts me to say it: but the majority of church folks do not know how to lead someone to Jesus.

What hurts even worse is that it really hasn’t been that much of a concern for them,

Dr. James D Kennedy said:

It has been estimated that probably 95 percent of American Church Members have never led anyone to Christ.

While much of the Church world today has adopted a You don’t bother me and I won’t bother you attitude toward the world = Jesus was just the opposite, He invaded the darkness with light and he saturated the atmosphere with conviction of sin, then love and mercy and forgiveness.