I Love The Church

I Love The Church

Citipointe Pine Rivers - 08.06.2025

Honoured to be back, amazing to see how everything has grown. Honour Pastor Mark and Leigh. Chris and Shannon, great friends, great blessing to us. Tim, Bailey & Chloe.

We love your church. Faith Hope Love Sunday.

Intro Pentecost Sunday - Holy Spirit comes. Widely considered as when the NT church was birthed. Today we’re going to talk about the church. Read: 1 Cor 12:12-27, Ephesians 5:22-27

Context

Paul writing a letter to the church in Corinth. He’s gotten reports about then struggling with division, immorality etc. He’s smacking them about getting back on-mission

12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ… 20 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. 21 The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.” 22 In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. 23 And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, 24 while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. 25 This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. 26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. 27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. - 1 Cor 12:12-27

22 For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. 24 As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything. 25 For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her 26 to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word.[b] 27 He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. - Eph 5:22-27

Pray

When you love someone, you start to love what they love. What matters to them matters to you. Carmen and garlic. I think garlic is the greatest naturally occurring substance on earth, second to coffee. Describe different ways to use it. Crush. Chopped and fried. Whole cloves. Makes everything better. She wouldn’t touch it. Roasted garlic.

Who loves Jesus? Scripture tells us that Christ loved the church, so if we love Him, we need to learn to love the church.

What Is The Church? The church is not an organization, social club, service etc.

The church is the body of Christ.

The church is a people. All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. - 1 Cor 12:27

Scripture doesn’t refer to the church as a meeting or a building.

Greek word is ekklesia - the called out ones. 9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests,[g] a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. - 1 Pet 2:9

The church is both local and universal.

Your local church: gathering of believers in a certain location

The universal church: all believers are part of the Church

The church is the vehicle for God’s purpose to be fulfilled.

God’s purpose for the world > Unmistakably influence our world for good and for God

God’s purpose for our lives > Your life is a part of that purpose

As a believer, we cannot fully fulfill God’s purpose for our lives if we’re disconnected from the church

We Cannot Separate A Relationship With God From A Relationship With His Church

The narrative of our generation is that you don’t need the church.

“It’s not a religion it’s a relationship”

“I don’t need to go to church to be Christian”

“I can encounter Jesus on my own”

“I love Jesus, I just don’t like the church”

The enemy wants us to be disconnected from the church.

We cannot have a personal relationship with Christ and be detached from the church. I want to connect to the head but not the body.

1/4 of the Bible is made up of instructions to the church.

Our Response To The Love Of God Is To Love His Church We can’t love Jesus and not His church - it’s the bride of Christ.

The church is what Jesus gave His life for. He gave up his life for her - Eph 5:25 The early disciples gave up their life for the church. Peter, Andrew, Philip crucified. James, Bartholomew beheaded.

The church is what Jesus is building. to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. - Eph 5:26 18 Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’),[f] and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell[g] will not conquer it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid[h] on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit[i] on earth will be permitted in heaven.” - Matt 16:18-19

Not your ministry, not your career, not your TikTok.

What He’s building will stand the test of time. Outlasted empires, politicians, persecution etc.

If you knew the winning side beforehand, wouldn’t you want to get on it?

The church is what Jesus is coming back for. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. - Eph 5:27

Loving The Church Means That We:

Choose community over isolation. 27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. - 1 Cor 12:27

We are a community, not a crowd. You can be in a crowd and yet still be isolated.

We want the benefits of community without the cost of relationship.

The community you invest the most in is where you’ll be the most fulfilled.

Sin wants you alone. This is why the enemy wants you to cut yourself off from the church.

Join a lifegroup!

Choose commitment over convenience.

Commitment is at an all-time low! Not just in the church.

People value no commitments.

Not only when it’s chill, or when it fits my lifestyle. The cross was not convenient for Jesus.

Commitment means priority.

What’s the fixture in my calendar? Some need to step up as leaders to lead a lifegroup, serve on a team, start tithing.

Choose unity over preferences. Eph 4

It’s not that my preferences don’t matter

How can I learn to love like Jesus if I’m never around people I disagree with?

I just love the church more than I love my preferences

Choose carrying (contributing) over consuming. 18 But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. - 1 Cor 12:18 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. - Eph 4:16

Where we invest our lives is where we find fulfillment. Time, energy, FINANCE > giving/tithing.

Contribute to the atmosphere in the room, engage, lean in on Sundays. Respond. Not going to wait and see.

Be part of someone else’s encounter.

Choose forgiveness over bitterness. 26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. 27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. - 1 Cor 12:26

We’re imperfect people surrounded by imperfect people. Offense is going to come.

Don’t let bitterness take root and cause you to tear down the body. Although it’s the culturally relevant thing to do.

Conclusion

Jesus gave His life for the church and He loves the church.

Jesus started it, the disciples gave their lives to building it, we should love it.

It’s not perfect, but it’s worth it!