Untitled Sermon

Open by reading:

Honest survey: Who thinks they can effectively lead a new believer in the essentials of the Christian Faith handed down from Jesus, to the Apostles, and entrusted to the Body of Christ?

Read:

Why should we seek to define the phrase, “the words of the faith?”

Is it really different than the phrase, “the good doctrine?”

In first Corinthians, Paul said he was, “like a skilled master builder” who “laid a foundation.” He goes on to say that someone else is, “building upon it.” He says that Jesus Christ is the foundation.

What others build with will be evident in the age to come when all men everywhere will be judged by God through Christ Jesus. The possibility remains for men to attempt to build upon the foundation with inadequate materials which will not last the fire of judgment.

He says that the apostles are “the stewards of Christ and of the mysteries of God.” He was faithful to lay the foundation for everyone. We come to read what is written in the light of the cross and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Namely, He was crucified, died, was buried, and rose from the dead. This is the revelation of God’s power. It reveals God’s righteous judgment. It reveals God’s fatherhood of all believers. It reveals the expectation of a latter judgment and the resurrection of all men, whether the righteous to everlasting life or the unrighteous to everlasting punishment.

Paul used himself and Apollos as an example to those in Corinth so that they would not go beyond what is written. Now the only thing Paul had in view here is the Hebrew bible as 1 Corinthians was written c. 53 A.D. It is one of the earliest NT writings.

God’s divine word is in view for Paul and the believers at Corinth. It is our authority. It is our guide. It is the word of truth by which the Spirit of Truth convicts the world and instructs the believer.

Within this divine word we have multiple examples of “words of the faith” found in statements that focus on the person of Christ and the glory of God in Him. Along with this we see that the Holy Spirit is the person who takes this word and applies it to the believer so they might come to understand that which governs them.

Statements concerning the “Words of the Faith

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. ( ESV)

Notice here that Paul says he had preached a statement to the Corinthians. They received it, were standing in it, and were being saved by it, if they didn’t swerve from it. [ESSENTIAL]

Also, Paul didn’t make this up but only handed down what he received. ——“For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Of course, Paul didn’t only proclaim this statement and leave town. This is a statement that summarizes the good doctrine that he taught them. It is succinct yet profound.

It is a useful, easily remembered statement that can be opened up in a mentoring relationship between a more mature believer and a new believer or younger believer. It is useful for the work of the ministry of the saints toward the building up of the body of Christ until it reaches full maturity and grows up into the full stature of Christ.

maps out the spiritual function of both the elders and the congregation. The elders are given to instruction for the purpose of equipping the congregation for the work of service. Whom might the congregation be serving? One another!

The fact of a whole body word ministry is found in Paul’s writing as well as Peter’s. Even in the letter to the Hebrews the believers were chided because they should have been teachers-Plural. The whole lot of them should have been able to teach the elementary principles of Christ. . Notice in ; ; ; ; ;

The elder is required to, “hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also rebuke those who contradict it.”- It is necessary for each to be operating in his own function for the health of the body. The elder must be given to constant reading and meditating on the word of God in order to know what it actually says. Many desire to be teachers without knowing what they are saying. The word of God, read in the light of Christ, gives the sound doctrine. If the word of God is read in the light of Judaism the result will be devastating. The same is true for the reading of the word in any other manner but through Jesus.

Luke makes sure his reader knows this to be the case. Consider , . It took Jesus’ supernatural power to open the minds of Jewish men to understand Jewish Scriptures! They had been reading with a veil over their eyes, but in the coming of Messiah, their eyes were opened to understand the word truly. Paul picks up on this when in 2 Corinthians he states,

“…when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlisted, because ONLY through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed….And we all with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”[vs 14b-16, 18]

The congregation must be instructed in the proper reading of the word if they are to experience the transformation.

Integrity, Loyalty, Fervency, and Tenacity are all needed for elders to be true servants of Christ.

Integrity-the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness: internal consistency or lack of corruption.

Loyalty-the quality of being loyal to someone or something

Fervency-having or displaying a passionate intensity

Tenacity-the quality or fact of being very determined

While these are true for elders, those receiving their care must also be enjoined with these characteristics.