I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH - PART 1.2

VII. WE MUST FOLLOW THE BLUEPRINT

Matthew 16:19 introduces binding and loosing.

The language points toward exercising authority in harmony with heaven.

That gives us an essential principle:

We don't ask heaven to conform to us. We conform ourselves to heaven.

We cannot simply decide what we want the church to become and then ask God to bless it.

We must discover:

What does God want His church to be?

Think about a contractor building a house.

The contractor does not say:

“I know the blueprint says the kitchen goes here, but I think I'll put the garage there instead.”

Why?

Because the house belongs to someone else.

The purchaser determines what is built.

Likewise:

The church belongs to God.

The Bible is the blueprint.

God is the purchaser.

Jesus is the Master Builder.

We are the laborers.

1 Corinthians 3:9

“For we are labourers together with God…”

Therefore:

WE DON'T GET TO REDESIGN THE CHURCH.

We discover the blueprint and build accordingly.

That is the purpose of this series:

WHAT IS GOD'S BLUEPRINT FOR HIS CHURCH?

Acts immediately begins showing us that blueprint.

PRINCIPLE #1 — DO AND TEACH

Acts 1:1

“…all that Jesus began both to do and teach.”

Notice the balance:

DO + TEACH

Jesus demonstrated truth and taught truth.

His ministry contained both power and doctrine.

He healed the blind and declared:

“I am the light of the world.”

He fed the multitude and taught:

“I am the bread of life.”

His works reinforced His words.

And His words explained His works.

DOING WITHOUT TEACHING

Experience without biblical truth becomes dangerous.

A church cannot live by emotion alone.

A spiritual experience must never replace obedience to God's Word.

1 Timothy 4:16

“Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them…”

IT IS NOT MERELY WHAT I FEEL THAT MATTERS. IT IS HOW I RESPOND IN OBEDIENCE TO GOD'S WORD.

TEACHING WITHOUT DOING

But the opposite is equally dangerous.

We can know truth without practicing truth.

We can preach prayer without praying.

Teach evangelism without evangelizing.

Preach worship without worshiping.

Talk about revival without pursuing revival.

James 1:22

“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”

Truth that is never practiced becomes mere information.

The Church Needs Both

WORD + ACTION

TRUTH + SPIRIT

DOCTRINE + DEMONSTRATION

John 4:23–24

“…the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth…”

PRINCIPLE #1

A HEALTHY CHURCH MUST BOTH DO AND TEACH.

PRINCIPLE #2 — WITNESS AND WAIT

Acts 1:7–8

“It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me…”

The disciples wanted to know:

WHEN?

Jesus redirected them toward:

WHAT YOU SHOULD BE DOING WHILE YOU WAIT.

There are two important Greek concepts associated with time:

CHRONOS — measurable or chronological time.

KAIROS — an appointed or opportune season.

There are ordinary days, and then there are divine opportunities within those days.

We cannot manufacture God's sovereign timing.

But we can be ready when opportunity comes.

DON'T MISS YOUR MOMENT

Luke 19:44

Jesus wept over Jerusalem because:

“…thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.”

Their moment came.

They failed to recognize it.

Acts 24:25

Felix told Paul:

“Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.”

There is danger in assuming today's opportunity will still exist tomorrow.

Ephesians 5:15–16

“…redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”

Galatians 6:9

“…in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

AUTHORITY AND ABILITY

Acts 1 contains an important contrast.

In verse 7, Jesus speaks of the Father's power/authority — exousia.

In verse 8, He says:

“Ye shall receive power…”

That word is dunamis—power, strength, or ability.

God retains sovereign authority over times and seasons.

But He gives His church spiritual power to fulfill its mission.

We cannot control the results.

But we can obey the command.

We cannot manufacture revival.

But we can pray.

We can worship.

We can preach.

We can teach.

We can witness.

We can work.

KEY PRINCIPLE

THE CHURCH MUST FAITHFULLY EXERCISE THE POWER GOD HAS GIVEN WHILE TRUSTING GOD WITH THE RESULTS ONLY HE CONTROLS.

So what do we do?

WITNESS AND WAIT.

Don't sit while you wait.

WORK while you wait.

Pray while you wait.

Witness while you wait.

Teach while you wait.

Reach while you wait.

Because suddenly, a KAIROS moment can arrive in the middle of ordinary CHRONOS time.

PRINCIPLE #3 — RISE ABOVE AND GO BEYOND

Acts 1:25

“…this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell…”

We sometimes romanticize the early church.

We imagine they never experienced:

Failure

Disappointment

Betrayal

Conflict

Heartache

Setbacks

But before the church even experienced Pentecost, the disciples had already experienced one of their greatest disappointments.

JUDAS FELL.

Judas had:

Walked with Jesus.

Heard Jesus teach.

Witnessed miracles.

Preached the Gospel.

Received ministry responsibility.

And yet Judas betrayed Jesus.

Imagine the effect upon the other eleven.

Yet Acts does not present the disciples sitting permanently in their disappointment.

THEY MOVED FORWARD.

They acknowledged what happened.

They dealt with what happened.

And then they continued toward what God had promised.

FAILURE DOES NOT HAVE TO BE FINAL

Micah 7:8

“Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me.”

The church will experience disappointments.

People will fail.

Plans will fail.

Leaders can disappoint us.

People may leave.

Things may not happen the way we expected.

But none of those things cancel Matthew 16:18:

“I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH.”

We cannot allow yesterday's pain to rob us of tomorrow's promise.

We cannot spend our future staring at our past.

WITH GOD, FAILURE DOES NOT HAVE TO BE FATAL.

God can redeem pain.

God can restore people.

God can rebuild what has been damaged.

God can take a setback and turn it into preparation for what comes next.

PRINCIPLE #3

RISE ABOVE AND GO BEYOND.

Rise above:

Our past. Our problems. Our pain. Our disappointments. Our failures. Our perplexities.

And go beyond where we have ever been before.

CONCLUSION — JESUS IS STILL BUILDING HIS CHURCH

Matthew 16 gives us the promise:

“I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH.”

Acts begins showing us the blueprint.

And already we can see three principles:

1. DO AND TEACH

We need truth and action.

2. WITNESS AND WAIT

We faithfully do our part while trusting God with His timing.

3. RISE ABOVE AND GO BEYOND

We refuse to allow yesterday's setbacks to stop tomorrow's progress.

The church is not ours.

IT IS HIS CHURCH.

The blueprint is not ours.

IT IS HIS WORD.

The power is not ours.

IT IS HIS SPIRIT.

The mission is not ours.

IT IS HIS COMMISSION.

And the ultimate responsibility for building the church rests upon the promise of Jesus Christ:

“I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH.”

So our prayer must be:

Lord, show us the blueprint. Give us the courage to follow it. Give us the power to fulfill it. And build Your church through us.