The Church In Order

Open Your Bibles to 1 Timothy 3…

In the last few weeks we have been looking at where we as a body are going in terms of direction of values, knowing that the heart of man plans his ways, but it is the Lord who establishes his steps... Now that we have seen that it is our good Shepherd who must ultimately be our guide, and we have seen our mission as a church, and our vision as a church, we must now move on to the structure of it all.

For what would we be without a structure? What would the human body be without a skeletal system? Greater still, what would the body of Christ be without structure.

In humanity we find a lot of ditch digging when it comes to how we live our life. There are many illustarations I could use, weights, encumbrances, distractions, winds… Have you ever heard the expression, “there is a ditch on either side of the road”? Republican on the right, and democrat on the left? Traditionalist or fundamentalist on the right and progressive or liberal on the left? In dave ramsey lingo when it comes to money, Nerd on the right, free spirit on the left?

It is the same way when it comes to ordering and structuring the church… There are two ditches on either side of this instruction.

Now, the saying I often use in our household is, there are ditches on either side of the road, and our desire is to stay in the middle of the road somewhere. Paul says it like this in 1 Corinthians 6:12

1 Corinthians 6:12 ESV

“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything.

We do not want to be dominated by anything and pulled into the ditch, which causes us to swerve off the narrow road we have been placed on and into the wide road. We need wisdom to know what is right, and true, and God glorifying to stay on the path.

There are things, true things that help us steward Christ in our lives well, and there are things that don’t. All things are lawful, but not all things are helpful. This morning I want to put before you that order and God glorifying structure produces in us true knowledge, freedom in Christ and a joy unknown by those without Him.

To do that lets read 1 Timothy 3:14-16…

1 Timothy 3:14–16 ESV

I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, 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. 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.

By God’s grace we have this letter of Paul’s to Timothy. He says, he is not with him but has hope to come to him soon. If he had been with dear Timothy, we would not have this letter.

But the letter Paul composes to Timothy has a point. As every good letter should. The point of his letter is found here in this text. Do you see it? The point of this letter is that Timothy should know how one is to behave in the household of God, which is the church.

It is a real possibility that Paul will delay in coming to Timothy, and so this information is of critical importance . And if Paul delays, it is a real possibility Timothy might begin the work he has been comissioned to do in the wrong order, being pulled into a ditch or worldly philosophy.

Paul tells us in chapter 1 verse 3 that Timothy was charged to stay in Ephesus so that he could charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor devote themselves to endless genealogies which promote speculations rather than stewardship from God that is by faith.

Timothy was made a steward of God, and after much travel with Paul became Paul’s authoritive represenative at the church in epehesus. The Same church to which Paul told their elders, Acts 20 that he would never see their face again. He also told them to be careful, for as soon as he would leave fierce wolves would come in among them and not spare the flock of God. But from among them would arise men speaking twisted things, and draw disciples away from God and after their false teaching.

Timothy’s task, preach the gospel as the apostolic representative to the church so the church would know the truth and not chase after lies which corrupt the church. Paul was dead serious about the holiness of the church because God is dead serious about the holiness of the church. As you will see, it is the calling of the elders God ordains to see to it that the perversion of the world did not creep in and soil the church.

Now, that is the point, isn’t it? Holiness, is order. To be holy means to be set apart. Which is why many have a testimony after submitting to and following Jesus that sounds like the woman at the well: I had no direction in my life, my life was full of listless prospects and drowning deeper and deeper into my indulgence, I had no purpose, i have nothing of real value in my life… Until I met Jesus…

God’s people are to be set apart from the world. Which is crazy, how the church is always tempted to bring worldly things into the church. No, the twisted things, the wordiness, are to be rooted out.

There was and is still today a great need for order in the church . But what is that order? Well we are going to spend the next few months studying the book of 1 Timothy to discover that. We as Elders are constructing a new constitution to put before the body and 1 Timothy is critical in that endevor because the constitution is the declaration of the church as to how we will conduct ourselves in the household of God.

But my aim is not to outline all of the order this morning, but show that order in the church is a value of the Lord Jesus and of the Apostles and of your elders for this church. I want you to know three reasons that we too should value the structure God has given to the church and should not be ashamed of aiming for that order as has been outlined in 1 Timothy.

I. The model of order is God himself...

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14:33

1 Corinthians 14:33 (ESV)

For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.

and finishing that thought just a few verses later he says that this is why ,

1 Corinthians 14:40 (ESV)

all things should be done decently and in order.

God is holy. He is set apart. Not because he chooses to, it is who He is. And God tells the church, be holy, as I am holy.

This is Paul’s plea to Timothy, guard the church. See to it that it is not corrupted by the teachings of the day. As best as you can, pursue holiness yourself and teach the church to do the same. Verse 15, what you have been entrusted with is not a business, Timothy, it is not just an organization, it is the people of the LIVING GOD...

Consider 4 things with me briefly…We see the holiness of God come out in the ordering of four different things.

A. Creation. The natural order of God is seen in creation. God could have created everything all at once with one word. Boom, and it all could have been there. But He did not. He took a week to order, and to model to his people that he puts things in specific order. The creation order is often appealed to by Paul when speaking about God’s order, especially in terms of the roles of men and women.

B. The Law. The greatest treasure of the most prolific song writer in the scriptures, David, was the law of God. Through the law, God order his people. You shall have no other God before me, Kee the sabbath day holy, do not murder, do not committ adultry, etc for the sake of His name.

At first glance the Law seems restrictive and oppressive to the rebel, but I bet they don’t feel that way when they drive their car, or walk across a bridge or, stand on a higher floor of a skyscraper. Engineering has laws, and without the properly engineered structure, the whole of the creation is not safe and will not stand.

God’s household is no differnet. It requires a structure. IN fact we know this because Christ is our cornerstone, our foundation, on which the prophets and the apostle and the church builds.

C. The Tabernacule/Temple. There were precise measurements for the walls, the curtains, the furniture in the tabernacle and temple weren’t there? There were precise command for the priests, for those who were bringing sacrifice, and for those who taught there. The temple, and tabernacle speak and point to the glory of God. God is not out of order, and thus he expects his people to resond to him in order. The realization though is that we can’t. Creation, the law, and the tabernacle all remind us that we will never live up to the expectations of our Holy Father. On our own, we can never live up the holiness that God requires to be near Him. We can never present something to him that is able to be accepted because God demands perfection. That is why my fourth consideration is Jesus.

D. Jesus. God himself, ordered history to the point where when Jesus came it was the fullness of time. It was the perfect time. In the perfect time the son of God lived in perfection! Yet, it was the plan of God, the will of God, again an order of God, to crush him. He was destined to be crucified. To drink the cup of the wrath of God in its fullest, be dead for three days, and be raised to new life... in that order.

He did this that you might be saved. That you could offer worship acceptable to the holy God. So that you could know God as Father, and savor everything about him. Because of the work of Christ sinful humanity has a way to enter into the household of God and share in the inheritence of heaven. Because Jesus paid the price you should have paid your sin, and sent the holy spirit, who works in you both to will and to work for God’s Good pleasure, you have the promise of God’s holiness in your life, protection from apostacy, and the divine grace of his love, because you dear Christian are an adopted son in his house.

So I say, we should be concerned about order in the chruch because of our God who is the model of order.

Secondly,

II. Truth is built on order.

Paul tells Timothy that the church is the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a what? A pillar and buttress of truth. We as the church are concerned about truth. Truth is built on logic. Epistemology, is a whole branch of science dedicated to this. To how things are knowable. We can see from scripture and from the great revelation of God that truth is built on premises, it can be tried and tested, and known.

Consider the hymn that Paul inserts as the confession of the church in verse 16...

Paul says, the mystery of God is great, but it has been revealed in this way and we know it. 1 Timothy 3:16 “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.”

The first stanza praises the earthly ministry of Christ and concludes with a statement of His triumph. The second stanza extols Christ’s ongoing ministry and concludes with a note of His victory.

This is the truth that the church proclaims! Not exhaustively, but this is the foundational truth of who we are. There is an order here… We are not whoever we wake up and feel to be that day. What we are is true, and can be known and understood, built on a foundation of truth and substance.

Lastly, We too should value the order God has given to the church and should not be ashamed of aiming for such an order as has been outlined in 1 Timothy because

III. Order produces freedom in Christ and joy to endure the path set before us.

God is the beginning and end of all things, He has revealed Himself in creation and in his word. His word is truth. Therefore, Jesus said,

John 8:31–32 (ESV)

“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Order looks crushing of all freedom. But it turns out, it is the producer of freedom in more ways than one.

Consider this, engineering has rules and order to its ways, but it is through those rules and order than minds have come together to build things like the cologne cathedral, the hooverdam, the Eiffel tower… and produce joy in the hearts of people who use them and view them.

If someone wants to learn to paint like Da Vinci or Bob Ross, one must first learn rules and principles in painting. Through the combination of those rules and discipline, one is able to create individual works and masterpieces that inspire joy in the heart of those who view them.

If one is to make disciples, they must first be a disciple. If one is to bear the fruit of repentance and be freed of their sin and their guilt and stand righteous before God they must first know the truth that they are sinners in need of a savior and that that savior is The Lamb of God. If one is to see God, high and lifted up, majestic in His holy temple, beautiful, wise, and deserving of the deepest praises of all of the cosmos, one first has to be born again, with spiritual eyes to see the truth of our wickedness apart from him. See the order?

Biblical God glorifying structure and order, produces the fruit of salvation and the fruit of the spirit.

If a church is to rejoice in God and produce healthy fruit, it must first come to the feet of King Jesus and learn the principles of health.

It is through the learning of that doctrine, and the observance and obedience to the laws of God in the church that we see freedom in Christ exemplified… the most beautiful of hymns written, the loveliest of service offered, the prayer closet of the saints filled with the sweetest smelling prayers, the loyalty and love of friends multiplied and magnified come through freedom given by our King.

Paul was able to declare that all things were lawful for him… He could drink wine, eat the food sacrificed to idols, observe the sabbath on whatever day he desired, if he did all of those things inside the structure that glorifies Christ. He came to this conclusion this freedom of expression and worship, by being matured in the word of God. By being set apart, made holy, and put in the right order by the Holy Spirit.

Thus so are you called. Submit yourselves to the order of God. Daily fall on your knees before Christ. Remember the wounds that bought your freedom. Submit yourself to Him. Pray for a willingness to do whatever your Father in Heaven asks of you. Remove every sin and weight that pulls you to the left or the right. Keep your eyes on Christ, and run.

My friends, the surest road to the reform and renewal of the your life and the church, and the easiest way for both to resist being swayed and falling into the ditches on either side of the narrow road, is to recover a grasp of the essential identity of the Christian as a member of God’s household, the people of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.

So this is what we will do, starting next week, Lord willing. Let’s pray.