Fitly Joined Together
Notes
Transcript
Reading:
18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Introduction:
The many different spiritual gifts we are provided, are for the purpose of building up the body of Christ.
Each one of us help shore up the foundation of a congregation.
We all are what determines a healthy church or a sick church.
With the addition of each gift to a local church we are becoming whole.
The areas where we are weak, Jesus desires to fill.
The building of the church is no different than Jesus working on you as you grow in your faith and attempt to live your life accordingly.
There are areas that need more work than others, no different than any church.
Churches aren’t perfect, it doesn’t take long for us to see the areas of need.
?What is God showing us when we see areas of need in a ministry?
I believe He is revealing to us an opportunity, instead of something we can use to “justify” finding another congregation to be part of.
When we see the gaps in ministry, that may be an indicator for why Jesus brought us to that ministry.
To help fill the gaps and make the church body whole.
God specifically builds each body for it to function powerfully.
Transition:
? What does God’s word say about the church?
God describes and states all we need to know.
It is arranged specifically and:
Members Make It Whole (1 Cor. 12:12-14)
Members Make It Whole (1 Cor. 12:12-14)
12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.
13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many.
How do we become members?
Lets see an example of how membership was gained in Acts 2.
38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”
40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”
41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
Their belief in Jesus brought the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is the entry ticket for being part of the body.
What does it say about that day of Pentecost?
41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
The church’s revival meeting greeted 3,000 souls into their membership.
Also a little later Luke reveals how people continued to join the church.
47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Connection:
To join the church requires salvation.
That is not much different than our congregations membership process.
Our process:
The church has a constitution which governs us.
In it are our core beliefs
There is also the church polity, or the legalities for how we make decisions and strive for fulfilling the great commission.
That constitution is presented to someone who desires membership.
?why?
That they may read it and see if it is according to the bible.
To evaluate whether or not they believe the same things.
A meeting is done with those who desire membership.
This meeting really is just digesting together what is contained in our constitution.
Example:
There was a church, and many at one point in time, which asked the membership to sing a paper stating they will not drink alcohol or go to the movies.
The meeting would allow the people to ask about the reasoning behind that.
The meeting allows any discussions for why we believe what our constitution states and also why we govern ourselves in that way.
In the meeting also we will hear the prospective members salvation testimony, and baptism testimony.
Why do we do this part?
Unfortunately in our world there are many people who’s faith is not on Jesus; but on their works to get saved.
Some may say:
I was baptised when I was a baby and that was when I got saved.
This is not a biblical teaching, especially about salvation.
Salvation is asking forgiveness from Jesus and accepting by faith His sacrifice to cover your sins.
You may ask why can’t we just be joined in membership as they did in Acts?
Unfortunately our sin nature has ruined the ease of recognition.
Many can proclaim they know the Lord; but in asking what they believe and why, aren’t sure what salvation is.
None of us here probably need history lessons of those who have harmed local congregations from their lifestyles.
Example:
How many churches have had their testimonies harmed because of the actions of a few?
Too many.
It can harm the testimony of Jesus when we aren’t diligent in testing the spirits.
1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Hmm, maybe this is where the one who is gifted with the ability to distinguish between the spirits would be important.
After the meeting the leadership will meet to recommend them to the congregation and vote for their acceptance.
Why all of this?
Maybe someone in the leadership or in the congregation know something about their lives that would hinder their vote of acceptance.
Point:
The whole process allows opportunity to have some kind of accountability.
Joke:
The 3 churches pastors of a small town found themselves together at the local diner following their recent revival meetings.
One pastor was asked how it went?
He told of the excitement to welcome 3 new members.
Another pastor was asked how it went?
He told of his excitement to welcome 5 new members.
The last pastor was asked how it went for him?
He said it was an answer to our prayers; God removed the 8 troublemakers from their congregation.
It’s a joke; but unfortunately many people when they have created enough problems jump and head to another congregation.
No family wants internal problems, especially when we have enough outside problems to deal with.
Each and every soul who has been reconciled back to God through Jesus is a member.
Each and every member of the body represent one another just as much as they an ambassador for Jesus to our dark world.
Transition:
The last time you looked up at the night sky did you recognize how specific and detailed our God is?
In every aspect of creation you can see His perfect designs
He reveals that He is a God over all the little details as much as He is over the grand scope.
How is it all structured?
You can see that as well.
He reveals all of creation has an hierarchy.
Which in turn makes sense that we are provided within the body a:
Hierarchy (1 Corinthians 12:27-28)
Hierarchy (1 Corinthians 12:27-28)
27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.
28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues.
Luke reveals the structure God intends for His body of ambassadors.
First: Apostles.
What was required for being an apostle?
Write these passages down to reference later:
Acts 1:21-26
The candidate was required to be someone who followed Jesus during his entire earthly ministry, beginning from Jesus’ baptism by John to Jesus’ ascension into heaven.
The candidate was required to have seen Jesus after His resurrection.
The candidate needed to have been appointed by the Lord Jesus himself.
The apostles were first in seniority.
Second Prophets.
What does Paul mean by prophets?
Lexham Theological Wordbook προφήτης
A person inspired by God to reveal God’s purpose or will.
These are those who proclaimed the gospel and hope for all mankind to be saved.
These are the “heralds” to the communities.
Those publicly proclaiming faith in Jesus saves!
It is His will for all to be saved.
Then they would quote
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Third He gave teachers.
Lexham Theological Wordbook διδάσκαλος
In general, a person who teaches others; in church leadership, a person who teaches the doctrine and way of life of Christianity.
A teacher will impact your every day life with practical applications of God’s word.
They will be the one who are the salt bringing out the amazing flavors of your spiritual food.
Which leaves you desiring and craving more.
Fourth He provided miracles.
Why miracles?
It reveals the power of their message with authority!
Right now we can read of Russian ships down in Cuba, why?
It is a show of power, to be taken seriously.
When a man or woman of God rebukes a demon inside a person, that shows God isn’t messing around.
He is in charge, believe the gospel accept the truth.
Fifth we are shown another one of the “sign” gifts, performing miracles.
Example:
3 When Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and put them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand.
4 When the native people saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer. Though he has escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.”
5 He, however, shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm.
6 They were waiting for him to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw no misfortune come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.
The miracles provided a desire to hear what Paul has to say.
Sixth we are given those who help.
Many hands make light work.
America has fame in many different areas; but the area where we had a great example:
The workforce of our nation.
Many people, with the same goal, bound together became the greatest manufacturing country ever!
All were helpers.
Same goal; but played their role to achieve success.
Seventh we are given:
Administration is the gift at the helm guiding the ship!
This gift utilizes a vision with an ability to see the direction when it isn’t always clear to everyone.
This gift heavily relies on those with the gift of helping.
Eighth we have gifts of tongues.
These are the abilities to pickup languages and breakdown the language barrier for different groups of people.
There is something that you may notice with all the gifts:
Not one can be alone!
They are all required to accomplish the goal.
The administers steer if no one is rowing the boat.
Without the Apostles and Prophets the teachers wouldn’t have the truth about Jesus or the gospel.
Connection:
We serve a detailed God, so it should’t surprise us when we see an expectation of detail within the church body.
He even divides up authorities within the body.
He gives the abilities to fulfill the calling; but He also states the non-negotiable positions He calls men and women to.
1 Timothy 3:1-13 gives the requirements for the 2 positions in the body:
1. Pastor
2. Deacon
The requirements cannot be justified to fit an cultural norm.
God is dogmatic with His standards!
Purpose
Purpose
The quilting process and the intricate patterns.
How when when separate they don’t make sense but when all is placed together reveals the beauty of the plan.
(ask Ellen for pictures of patterns and some quilts where mistakes are; but they still fit together in the whole thing)
