"The Church"
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Open with Prayer:
Read the Text:
14 I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, 15 if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. 16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:
He was manifested in the flesh,
vindicated by the Spirit,
seen by angels,
proclaimed among the nations,
believed on in the world,
taken up in glory.
Here in these 3 verses we come to a very crucial doctrine, that is sadly missed so much today and that is the doctrine of the church.
Pastor Mark Dever said, “The doctrine of the church has become something like a decoration on the front of a building. Maybe it is pretty and maybe it is not, but it is most unimportant because it bears no weight to so many people. Yet nothing could be further from the truth. The doctrine of the church is of upmost importance. it is the most visible part of Christian theology, and it is vitally connected with every other part.”
What we often see today is that the church comes across to many people and many professing Christians as irrelevant or optional and Covid did not help things. There are many people today who think, why bother with church when I can sit at home and watch it on T.V or listen to a podcast.
But God’s Word gives us a higher view on the body of Christ. Why??? Because Christ founded the church and in Ephesians chapter 5 we see that Christ cared so much about His bride that he gave his life for the church. Christ identifies intimately with His bride.
29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete.
So, as we now begin to dive into our study on the last few verses of chapter three we see the high view and value that God himself places on the church. God has given His people the privilege and responsibility of living in accord with and upholding the truth of the gospel.
MacArthur helps us to see here that these verses are a transition from the first 3 chapters that are good and positive instructions for the church to the last 3 chapters that give the church some tough but needed warnings.
There are 2 major things that I want to really focus on tonight. And that is the significance of the church and the supremacy of Christ.
1. The Significance of the Church.
We see the importance of the church in verses 14 and 15. So, what is the church to look like? There are several major descriptions of what the church is to look like and then there is one major reality that we need to know today.
A. The first thing that stands out here is that the church is an expression of God’s family. Believers are the household of God. We are His children. Think about your own household and what that looks like. Here in verse 15 Paul helps us to see that we are God’s household which means we are to operate under God’s loving care and guidance and we are to follow His rules and direction. As we begin to grow in our faith and study God’s Word, when we read it, it should cause us to ask how should i live and behave in view that I am now part of God’s family?
B. The second thing that we also see here in verse 15 is that the church is the very dwelling place of God’s presence. Now that may sound weird or even confusing to you so let me explain this. Paul says here, “that we as believers are the church of the living God.”
In Genesis chapter 28 Jacob meets with God at Bethel which literally means “house of God.” After Jacob meets with God in this dream about a stairway to heaven Jacob says, “Surely the Lord is in this place, this in none other than the house of God or the gate of heaven.”
We also see something similar to this also in the Old Testament. In Exodus chapter 25 when God instructs Moses to build a tabernacle for Him.
8 And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.
We also see the same with King Solomon who was David’s son. God choose to dwell in a particular location.
13 And I will dwell among the children of Israel and will not forsake my people Israel.”
However, when we turn to the New Testament we see that a change takes place. There is no special temple, or city, or building where God dwells. God now dwells with His people.
16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,
“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
We as Believers are the dwelling place for the living God!!! Boom. So, let us consider for just a moment on how significant this makes our weekly gatherings. The church comes together every Lord’s day and the Lord, the living God, is among us. We are His house. We come together worshiping Him, listening to His Word, partaking of the elements of His table. What a wonderful privilege it is to be the dwelling place of God’s presence.
C. A third aspect of what the church is to look like is that we are to be the guardians of God’s Word! This is exactly what Paul means when he writes that we are a pillar and buttress or foundation of the truth. This shows us a rock solid image of what the church must be. Let us consider two ways in which this should be displayed.
-First the church has the honor and responsibility to preserve God’s Word and firmly hold onto it. Generations come and go, but we have the responsibility to pass on the truth of God’s Word to the next generations. This means God’s Word is truth and it is infallible and inerrant and will stand the test of time. We as the church must defend it against false teaching that would threaten it from the secular teachings of this post-modern world.
-The second responsibility is to proclaim God’s Word. We do this by having a high view of God’s Word and a low view of man’s opinions and man’s wisdom, and man’s creativity and man’s possessions. No, we must lift high the Word of God because when God’s Word is read we hear the very Words of God. God speaks. We must magnify, amplify and spread God’s Word so that the lost world can hear the good news of Jesus.
D. The major reality that we need to see here is that God dwells among us. The God who spoke this world into existence, the God who is sovereign over all, who is all powerful and all knowing considers the church to be His people. If we have repented of our sin and submitted our lives to Christ than God is really amongst us.
19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
We now turn to the second major part of this short text. The second major thing that stands out to us is this.
2. The Supremacy of Christ.
16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:
He was manifested in the flesh,
vindicated by the Spirit,
seen by angels,
proclaimed among the nations,
believed on in the world,
taken up in glory.
Paul here refers to the supremacy of Christ in relation to the mystery of godliness. This word godliness is one of Paul’s favorite words because he uses it 9 different times throughout this letter. To be godly is to be God-centered. In other words, God permeates everything you do.
-Your thinking.
-Your behavior.
-Your speech.
-Whatever you are doing.
So, the mystery of godliness has everything to do with Christ. What Paul has in mind here as we come to verse 16 is that this was not just a call for good behavior, it was a call to act and live as we think about who Christ is and what He has done. Those who have been changed by Christ will live godly lives. Paul lists out 6 ways in which we see the supremacy of Christ.
1. First of all, the Son of God was manifested in the flesh. What in the world does this mean??? To make more sense of this, we see that this means that Jesus Christ who is God and represents the 2nd part of the Trinity is God in the flesh. He came to earth and was not only fully God, but also fully man.
2. Second, Christ was verified by the Spirit. Jesus was vindicated by the Spirit. We see this as the Holy Spirt affirms that Christ was God’s Son.
16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
Ultimately though we see that the resurrection was the most decisive indication of the Lord’s vindication by the Spirit.
4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,
11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
Christ was verified by the Holy Spirit!
3. Third, Paul tells us that Christ was praised among the heavens. We see here in verse 16 that Christ was seen by the angels. The angels sang at Christ’s birth and they announced His resurrection. The angels also witnessed His ascension. The angels were the ones to testify to Christ’s glory.
4. Next, we see that Christ was proclaimed to all the nations. Beginning with the first disciples and continuing to our day and age, Jesus Christ is proclaimed among all peoples. This points us to the one and only supreme Savior, Jesus.
5. Fifth, we see that Christ is the Savior of the World. People in Asia or Africa or Europe are believing in the name ofJesus and are turning from their sin and trusting in the Savior Jesus. Knowing that God is saving people and bringing them from death to life helps us to know that there is a God who is in control of all things and reigns and rules supreme!
6. Finally, Christ is reigning as the King over all the universe. Jesus was taken up into glory as Paul states here in verse 16. He is sitting at the Father’s Right Hand. Behold this is the mystery of godliness. In telling us the truths here in verse 16 Paul was not only proclaiming who Jesus is, but also for us to live godly lives and to strive for godly churches.
Application: If you are going through something difficult today remember that Christ lives within you. If you are struggling with weakness remember that Christ is your strength. If you are confused and not sure what to do remember that Christ is your peace and will direct your paths.
4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
Christ is our light, our strength, our hope, our truth. Christ lives in us and we have nothing to fear. These truths about Christ and the gospel should radically change the way we live and the way our churches functions. There is nothing like the church in all the world, and no other body is more significant in all of history. We must pay careful attention to God’s Word and how we live and relate to one another in the body of Christ.
Closing Questions:
How does the church function as the pillar and buttress of the truth?
Would an unbeliever visiting our church be convinced that God dwells among us?
In what way did the resurrection verify or vindicate the supremacy of Christ?
(Close in Prayer)