Firm Foundations: The Church

Memorial Day Weekend - Pentecost

Memorial day weekend is a national holiday in which we remember those who gave their life for our nation. It’s a day that our nation pauses to remember and honor those who gave their lives.

There was a phrase many of us have heard before that I think used to be true, but I don’t think it is any more…

All gave some, some gave all.

I think it referred to the sacrifices people made back in WWII where the entire nation was invested in the war effort. Since then, the sacrifice of war has been felt by fewer and fewer people. Today when we have a military conflict, I’d bet that few of us really give anything to the effort outside of some stress and anxiety.

So when we say this today, it means something different than it did originally.

Now Pentecost is when God gave his Holy Spirit for the Church. WE didn’t have much to do with that either, But in just the same way, we get the benefits of it…

So church, you might say It’s our birthday you might say…

Happy Birthday!

Tell someone!

Today we are continuing our look at the work of God’s spirit, but with a twist. We are looking at what God was doing through the Holy Spirit when it first came on Pentecost leading to the formation of the church, This is the doctrine of the church.

And like Memorial day, we have a saying that means something different than it used to when it comes to church… Today we probably said I’m going to church… that’s not quite right… let me explain, but first a little church history.

So the church began on Pentecost, just after Jesus’ death. Our church isn’t quite that old.

You are probably aware that we are a Methodist church. As a denomination, Methodism began in 1784. That’s only 239 years, we are pretty young.

1054

The big C Church has been around for 2000 years, and today we think of the church as being all these denominations, but did you know that until 1054, there was only one denomination… One church. Then the Great Schism happened then between the East and West church… on a side note, one of the major issues for them was what kind of bread to have for communion… no kidding.

1517

So the church splits between us and them in 1054 and they go along until in 1517, when Martin Luther would write his 95 Theses, calling out the Catholic church. Over the next several years the nations throughout Europe would begin to adopt their own church.

1534

In 1534, King Henry decides England is leaving the Catholic church … not as part of the protestant movement, but sort of, the Church of England - what we know of as the Anglican Church begins… which seeks to be a middle way between Catholicism and Protestantism. Anglicans don’t form a denomination, but a communion which links their congregations across the realm.

1784

Then two hundred - fifty years later, a powerful preacher would grow tired of a church that didn’t seem to care much about the faith any more… he began what he hoped would be a renewal movement in the church of England, but in 1735 he set sail to what would become America… and the Methodism began its start in the New Land officially in 1784.

At a Church Conference much like the one that we will have in a couple of weeks, the Methodist Church was formed in America adopting the Articles of faith. They have this to say in article 5:

We believe the Christian Church is the community of all true believers under the Lordship of Christ. We believe it is one, holy, apostolic and catholic. It is the redemptive fellowship in which the Word of God is preached by men divinely called, and the sacraments are duly administered according to Christ’s own appointment. Under the discipline of the Holy Spirit the Church exists for the maintenance of worship, the edification of believers and the redemption of the world.

The church you see has 3 clearly identified purposes.

Under the discipline of the Holy Spirit the Church exists for the maintenance of worship, the edification of believers and the redemption of the world.

First: we exist for the minister to God through corporate worship that is coming together as a group for worship.

That’s why we begin every worship service singing. We begin with a prayer of adoration then we sing praises to God. Some of you like the music we sing… others wish we could sing different music, The singing isn’t for us… it’s for God. WE praise God because he is worthy, not because we are good Christians. The songs aren’t our reward for showing up, they are an offering to the one who never leaves us.

Under the discipline of the Holy Spirit the Church exists for the maintenance of worship, the edification of believers and the redemption of the world.

The second reason for the church is the edification of believers… this is the preaching part. When the church gathers, we are to have God’s word taught to challenge and encourage the believers. Because we believe that through preaching and study of God’s word, God actually speaks to us. The preacher has no idea how God can use the words.

I’ve had people come to me and say … preacher when you said this or another, God really spoke to me… and I’m like that was certainly God because I don’t think I said that at all.

Under the discipline of the Holy Spirit the Church exists for the maintenance of worship, the edification of believers and the redemption of the world.

The third ministry that happens through the church is ministry to the world. This will be the focus of part 2 next week, but let me say that when I first read Purpose Driven Life years ago and the author Rick Warren wrote “the church is the hope of the world”. I remember disagreeing… no Jesus is hope of the world… and that is true. But it is the Church that Jesus has equipped and charged to reach the world that without him is going to Hell.

We will talk more about this next week, but we need to realize that this last one is the first one to go. It’s the first one we give up, because it’s focus is not us and here… it’s them out there.

Over the last several months and years we as a church have become distracted by the conflict in our denomination. I say this because of the conversations I have had and the meetings I attend. But, I know I have become distracted from our mission because I can’t think of the last time I brought someone to church with me. What about you, are you distracted from our mission to make disciples? I’ll keep it simple, if you haven’t brought someone to church in the last year, then maybe you are distracted as well… but that’s a conversation for another day.

Gather, Grow, Go.

That’s why the church exists… Gather to worship God, Encourage the church to grow in faith, and go to reach the lost.

Every church has the same call, and we are only one of literally over 30,000 christian denominations in the world today.

When I think of how many different denominations there are, I am reminded of the Jesus words in John 17.

John 17:20–21 NIV

20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

People have asked, pastor why do we have all these denominations? Why can’t we just be one church.

When the Church of England left the Catholic Church, they explained their thinking, and it continues to be the rationale behind denominations. It goes something like this:

1. Humans are limited in our ability to understand, so we have difference of opinion.

2. While we don’t disagree over the fundamentals of faith, we do disagree about important issues.

3. No church has a full understanding of truth, so the true church isn’t fully represented by a single church or denomination.

4. Separation doesn’t constitute schism. We can divide over many points and remain united in Christ.

This being united is a powerful image in scripture for the church. The other night in my small group we were talking about all the different metaphors for in the Bible for the church.

Body

Building

Priesthood

Flock

Branches

Bride

It’s this idea of Bride that is most prevalent for me.

When Covid came along, people got an excuse not to come to church… I realize I’m preaching to the choir here… you all are here… you are committed. But those folks who aren’t back, do they know that they need the church and Jesus’s church needs them.

some say, I’m a Christian, I just don’t like coming to church… it’s too early, too late, too boring, wrong music, too formal, too long, pews are uncomfortable.

We can do something about the seats, and maybe we should, but the others… let’s talk… you don’t like church???

Can’t love me without liking my wife

If you love Jesus why would you not want to go to church

If you love Jesus… it has to almost hurt to not be in church on Sunday because you can’t be with his people.

Other’s say - Church isn’t boring… well find one that isn’t… if you can’t find one, then maybe you just aren't interested… and you need to think about what that says about how you feel about Jesus.

One excuse that I have to agree with… other than the uncomfortable seats is that Church is full of hypocrites. Well of course it is, because it’s full of people. And every person I have ever been around says one thing and does another form time to time… we are all hypocrites, but that doesn't stop us from going to grocery store - last time I was in there I saw a whole bunch of hypocrites or the gas station, this time of year they line up in their cars at the gas station.

The church is a body of broken pieces, but together, God works in and on us in a powerful way… because the church isn’t a where… it’s a who… we are the church.

So, I don’t go to church to be reminded of who I am, but who He is. Because let’s face it, we spend way too much time thinking about ourselves anyway. When we worship together, it’s a nice break from my usual thinking about me and my problems.

That’s why I love the metaphor of the Bride. It is a text I go to when I meet with couples to prepare for their wedding.

Every time I read it with them I point out that the passage uses God’s Church, his forming and maintaining the church to show what marriage should or can be like. But the reverse works as well. By considering marriage as God designed it, we get an idea of God’s love for the church.

Let’s look at the passage:

Ephesians 5:25–32 NIV

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.

This metaphor teaches us that God offers each of us as part of the church as part of his bride, we each get three things.

The first one is in:

Ephesians 5:25–27 NIV

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

Intimacy

Maybe you don’t think of intimacy as a thing between you and God. The word feels sort of romantic or something. But it’s a good word when you think about the relationship God has with us.

HE loves us, his spirit is alive in us… he can’t seek more intimacy than that… he wants us to live into that relationship.

Brayden wants to come over… I just want to be with my wife… she’s part of me… I don’t like the distraction… doesn’t matter what we do… her presence brings me joy.

The first thing we get from being part of the church is intimacy. the second is protection:

Ephesians 5:28–30 NIV

28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body.

Protection

I’m not a fighter… but when she comes home and tells me of how something hurt her or offended her… I can feel anger building in me… I would give my life for her.

As part of the church, we live under God's protection… He provides for those in need in through the church… People to pray with you, for you, people to help you when you need it, a family to laugh with you, cry with you, love you, to stand with you in hard times and cheer you when you succeed.

When your life gets off track, it’s the church and God's spirit that should be speaking up, calling you out of sin…

God supernaturally protects us for sure, but another way we live under his protection is through the church.

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Then the third benefit we have as being part of the church is found in the closing portion of the passage:

Ephesians 5:30–32 NIV

30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.

Authority

Church isn’t a place we have to go, it’s something we get to be.