3.8.39 8.24.2025 The Church is universal, Jesus is the commonality

Start:

Entice: The Bible teaches and we embrace the universal Church. The traditional word used to describe the universal nature of the Church is catholic. Small “c” catholic. Small “c” catholicity is essential to the health of the Church. The goal of the Roman Church is correct. The issue is execution, theology,  and disproportionate power structures. There is always hope that the separated branches of the one catholic Church will again be reunited. 

Engage: Despite not having a dog in the pope fight, whenever the Roman Church  chooses a new Pope I always joke that I’d take their call. I wasn’t overlooked as, it appears I wasn’t even considered. They did however

Pick a guy named Bob from Illinois!

Pick the perfect example of the diverse nature of our world and Jesus’ vision for His people.

The new Pope is a creole with African, French, Italian, and Spanish ancestry.

I’ve considered Southern Illinois to be a unique Church ecosystem. Many tribes are represented—some with many sub-groupings. We supposedly all want and strive for the same thing.

Human personality,

our  limited understanding,

and plain stubbornness 

can get in the way. 

Perhaps, someday we protestants can find a way to put bickering behind us and exemplify what it means to be a universal presence in a diverse world. 

Expand:  We are called to make disciples of all nations.

We proclaim a  single revolutionary message not bound by ethnicity, sex, language, or location.

That is and has been the goal all along. Consider the 

following scriptures.

Acts 1:8 ESV

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

1 Corinthians 4:17 ESV

17 That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church.

2 Corinthians 2:14 ESV

14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.

1 Thessalonians 1:8 ESV

8 For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything.

Revelation 14:6 ESV

6 Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people.

Excite: Amid all our differences Jesus (who was ethnically a Jew, who spoke Aramaic, and lived in the Galilee)is the central hub around which the Church revolves.

Human beings have

racial,

social,

and

cultural differences.

These differences must not divert us from our mission to proclaim the gospel everywhere and make the offer of discipleship to anyone. Only Jesus can make us who we need to be to fulfill our commission.

Explore:

Though fragmented, the Church is universal and Jesus is the commonality. 

Expand: All of those texts that I read earlier  lead to the following observations. 

Body of Sermon:

1 The Church must be Racially Inclusive. 

This answers the central question

“Who can be saved?”

Everyone. 

Even in a region, especially in a region, which is racially homogenized we need to be universally inclusive in understanding the human family. Everyone can be saved. Distinctions we make based on race will eventually mean distinctions in class, income, and perception.

Two Biblical  principles should  guide us on race. 

1.1 The Antioch principle

Acts 11:26 ESV

26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.

The Church became the Church when believers realized it was for everyone. The Gospel has no boundaries. 

1.2 The Galatian principle 

Galatians 3:28 ESV

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Much of Paul’s early opposition was all about whether Gentiles (like us) had to become Jews first to be eligible for the Gospel. The verdict then has been the verdict for believers ever since. No. People come to Jesus with their racial identity intact and are brought into His Body.

The next observation is that the 

2 The Church must be Geographically Inclusive. 

This answers the central question

“Where can salvation be offered?”

Everywhere. 

2.1 The Ends of the Earth.

Once we are convinced that everyone can be saved, we then must be committed to the global Church.

In the 21st Century Christ has been largely preached to the Ends of the earth. Still we must be

Interested in the Global Church.

Prayerful for the Global Church.

And it includes here. Our message should be heard

2.2 Everywhere in Every Church.

Sadly, in our world, the saving Gospel of Christ is often not the focus of the Church. We try and keep it to ourselves not realizing that there are Christians on every continent and that our fate, our message, and our mission is the same. There are others who change the message so that it is culture derived and culture bound. Again remember we are all

1 Corinthians 1:2 ESV

2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:

A final observation. 

3 The Church must be Culturally Inclusive. 

This answers the central question

“Who is most important?”

None.

All cultures are equally weighed. 

Every human is a part of some culture. It shapes our understanding of the world. Every culture has strengths and weaknesses and all are embedded in a fallen world. What is culturally neutral we can celebrate even if it is not our culture. What is sinful and fallen is to be rejected. regardless of whose culture is represented.

In the passage I read from Revelation this is how our message is described. 

3.1 Eternal Universal Gospel

3.2 For the Whole earth

Again, every culture has good things and bad things. The universal Church embraces the good and discards the bad. This takes discernment, grace, insight, and Biblical reasoning.  But God meant what He said. 

Every Nation.

Every Tribe.

Every Language.

Every People 

Shut Down

Our faith was born in Asia. It grew stronger in Asia Minor. It flourished in Europe. It was revolutionized and vulgarized in the Americas, and is once again exploding in Asia and Africa.

We live in a messy world. The mess is a result of the fall. Jesus is fixing  what is broken

Romans 8:19–21 ESV

19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

“…the freedom of the glory of the children of God!” God’s own vision, our ongoing dream. 

One Church.

One Gospel.

One Plan

for a fallen world.

One Savior.

Our Jesus.

We may be different but in Jesus

we are many branches unified in Him.

We are  one body,

one building,

on bride,

one flock,

one organization; 

speaking life with one voice amid the debris of culture.

That is why Jesus built His Church.