Christ and the Church, part 2

Introduction

Two weeks ago, we looked at the love that Jesus has for the church. We mentioned that His love for the church is unparalleled, unrelenting, and unconditional. Today, as we look at , we want to pay particular attention to what Christ does for the church.

Ephesians 5:22–33 NKJV

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Jesus sanctifies the church by the word.

The word that Jesus uses to cleanse and purify the church is His word, the Bible.

There is no other book like the Bible.

The Bible has been translated into over 600 different languages.

The New Testament has been translated into more than 1,400 different languages. (Wycliffe)

Over the past 50 years, 3.9 billion copies of the Bible have been sold. (Business Insider).

Even though the number of languages the Bible has been translated into and the number of copies sold are beyond comprehension, there is so much more to the Bible than it being the most available and most bought book.

The Bible was written by God.

2 Timothy 3:16 HCSB

All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness,

2 Timothy

Over the course of 1,500 years, God inspired 40 different men to write down the words that would become the 66 books that make up the Holy Bible.

This word inspired literally means God breathed - God breathed into these 40 men what was to be written and they wrote it down.

The original text was written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.

All of the scripture is given to us by God and we should spend as much time reading it as we possibly can.

The Bible is living and powerful.

Hebrews 4:12 NKJV

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Hebrews 4:

The Bible is able to speak into our lives. It is the living word of God and is able to pierce the hardest of hearts.

The Holy Spirit speaks through the word of God and His word is very powerful in its effect.

It gives us faith.

Romans 10:17 NKJV

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

ro 10:17

The Bible provides faith to be saved.

You can not be saved without the Word of God.

It is through God’s word that you are able to have the faith that saves.

1 Corinthians 15:1–11 HCSB

Now brothers, I want to clarify for you the gospel I proclaimed to you; you received it and have taken your stand on it. You are also saved by it, if you hold to the message I proclaimed to you—unless you believed for no purpose. For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. Then He appeared to over 500 brothers at one time; most of them are still alive, but some have fallen asleep. Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one abnormally born, He also appeared to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by God’s grace I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not ineffective. However, I worked more than any of them, yet not I, but God’s grace that was with me. Therefore, whether it is I or they, so we proclaim and so you have believed.

The message of the Bible is that Christ died for our sins. Do you believe it? I pray that you do, because faith in Christ is what saves us.

The Bible also provides us faith to be obedient to God’s commands.

The Bible cleanses us, it makes us holy.

It shows us where we are wrong, where we come up short, and how far we are from God.

It shows us the grace of God and that we can only be saved through faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

For those of us that are saved, the Bible teaches us to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present time.

Titus 2:11–14 NKJV

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

Titus 2:11-1

Through God’s word, we are cleansed and made fit for heaven.

Even though it is the most sold and translated book, it can’t do anything for you if you do not read it.

Even though many of you may have multiple copies and multiple translations, it will not benefit you if you do not read it.

Jesus provides for / nourishes the church.

The original word used for nourishes also means to sustain.

Jesus sustains the church - He makes sure that the church has everything needed and then some.

He provides food for the church - His word.

If we are doing ministry through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, we will not grow weary of the ministry because Jesus sustains us.

He provides us the energy to do the work of ministry.

He provides us with the resources necessary for the ministry.

God will provide what is needed to accomplish His will.

I realize that 1 million dollars is a lot of money for any church, any group of people, any organization, and any person. However, 1 million dollars is no problem for Jesus. We may end up with a 1 million dollar bank note, but it in no way should keep us from doing the ministry that God has called us to.

The Lord is able to provide and the Lord will provide. However, we must do our part. The church must submit to Christ.

We can not be inwardly focused, we must be upwardly focused.

We should focus on glorifying God alone and making Jesus known to those around us and to the far reaches of the earth.

We should not be limited by what we think we can accomplish, but should realize that what He can accomplish through us is limitless!

Jesus cares for / cherishes the church.

The word for cherishes has also been translated as “tenderly cares for.”

Not only does Jesus care for the church and the individual members, but He tenderly cares for the church and the individual members.

The world is getting bad and it will get a lot worse for the church. However, Jesus has not only declared the survival of the church, but He has declared the church’s victory.

Matthew

Matthew 16:18 NKJV

And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

Jesus cares for us too much to let us be defeated. He has ensured our victory.

There may be battles that we will loose.

There may be trials that seem to take us down.

However, we must remember that He cares for us.

Jesus tenderly cares for Adamsville First Baptist Church. He cares too much for us to let us merely survive. He desires for us to thrive.

Conclusion

Next week, we will look at the church’s part in this passage. This morning we looked at the word of God and that it makes us holy. We also looked at how Jesus both provides for and cares for the church. As we go into our time of decision, some of us Christians should repent of not having faith that Jesus will provide for us. Others of us have bought into the devil’s lie and for some reason do not believe that God cares for us. Listen to me - He cares for you! We as Christians need to repent of these attitudes.

I want to close with this thought from - Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures.

He provided salvation and He cared so much for you that He gave up His life.

The message of God’s grace is that Jesus died for you and for me. He died for us all. If you have not placed your faith in Jesus, then I pray that you will as we sing a hymn of invitation. All you have to do is simply step out into the aisle as we sing and come down here. I will show you from scripture how to place your faith in Jesus and pray with you.