Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Two thousand years ago, the church was born

Following Jesus’ death and resurrection, the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost

Those gathered in Jerusalem disbursed, and the church began

The early church was led by the twelve apostles and then the apostle Paul

Most of our New Testament writings came from these men

Most of these men personally chosen by Jesus had reputations and track records that were less than idealideal

Yet, Jesus chose these very men to entrust the future of the message of the gospel

Jesus gave them the responsibility and authority of His Kingdom (the church) prior to His ascension

By all human standards, the church movement should have collapsed

However, because of the transformative work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the apostles, it exploded

It was because of their total comittment to Jesus Christ and truth — along with their submission to the Holy Spirit and their obedience… the church of Jesus Christ thrived!

In the centuries that have followed, other men and women have done the same

As a result, the church of Jesus Christ continues today - and will until the end of time!

Matthew 16:18

The church has not been without opposition… from the earliest times, Satan has been attempting to destroy the church

There has been severe and repeated persecution

Apostasy has been and continues to be a threat to the church

There has been corruption at all levels withn the church

Apathy and lukewarmness has weakened and undermined the church in some parts of the world

To this day, Satan persists in deceiving believers and distorting the truth of the gospel and the church

The TRUE church of Jesus Christ will stand until the end of time

The question we need to consider is whether we will be part of the TRUE church

Sometimes the realities of the local church — this congregation… this specific group of believers — can feel unrelated or irrelevant in relation to the worldwide church of Jesus Christ

I believe that is faulty theology

The worldwide TRUE church of Jesus Christ consists of MANY local congregations faithfully following Christ

No two are alike… each has its own set of flaws… each is only as effective as each individual member allows

The local church is critical to Christianity… even our own local church

I suspect every one of us has been frustrated at times with the local church… I know I have!

we don’t like the outcome or the speed of decisions; stuff falls through the cracks; some people don’t do what they said they would; some are unwilling to participate;

Many times it is not easy or particularly fun… it takes a lot of work… and it is the way God designed it

Christianity Today.

July 2003.

Suburban Spirituality.

by David Goetz

For all of its foibles—which at its worst include lousy preaching, political infighting, self-centeredness, stagnation, a gaggle of special-interest groups—the poky local church in suburbia is still the most fertile environment for spiritual development there is.

Genuine spiritual progress doesn't happen without a long-term attachment to a poky local church.

I'm all for improving the organization of a local church to make it more biblically effective, but the maddening frustration that prompts someone to leave one church for another may be the precise thing that holds great potential for spiritual progress—if one stays.

"Just as surely as God desires to lead us to a knowledge of genuine Christian fellowship, so surely must we be overwhelmed by a great disillusionment with others, with Christians in general, and, if we are fortunate, with ourselves," Dietrich Bonheoffer wrote.

"Only that fellowship which faces such disillusionment, with all its unhappy and ugly aspects, begins to be what it should be in God's sight, begins to grasp in faith the promise that is given to it."

Disillusionment with one's church, then, is not a reason to leave but a reason to stay and see what God will create in one's life and in the local church.

What I perceive to be my needs—"I need a church with a more biblical preacher who uses specific examples from real life"—may not correspond to my true spiritual needs.

Often I am not attuned to my true spiritual needs.

Thinking that I know my true needs is arrogant and narcissistic.

Staying put as a life practice allows God's grace to work on the unsanded surfaces of my inner life.

Seventeenth-century French Catholic mystic Francois Fenelon wrote, "Slowly you will learn that all the troubles in your life—your job, your health, your inward failings— are really cures to the poison of your old nature."

I would add "your church" to his list; that is, all the troubles in one's church are really cures to the poison of one's old nature, or, as the Apostle Paul put it in , the "sinful nature."

The biggest problem in any church I attend is myself—and my love of self and my penchant to roam when I sense my needs aren't being met.

Staying put and immersing oneself in the life of a gathered community forces one into eventual conflict with other church members, with church leadership, or with both.

Frustration and conflict are the raw materials of spiritual development.

All the popular reasons given for shopping for another church are actually spiritual reasons for staying put.

They are a means of grace, preventing talk of spirituality from becoming sentimental or philosophical.

Biblical spirituality is earthy, face-to-face, and often messy.

This morning I want us to consider seven characteristics of the church from Ephesians… seven characteristics that should be evident in every poky local church… even this one!

1. Jesus Christ is the Head of the local Church

What comes to your mind

X.

The Church is made up of adopted believers

1. Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church

What comes to your mind / how would you describe Jesus Christ as the head of the church?

Ephesians 1:

The head controls the body… Jesus is the head… the church (we) are the body.

How frequently do we operate differently?

Do we attempt to contol the Head rather than allowing Christ control us??

Our own opinions and perspectives are often elevated dangerously high

How often are we more concerned about stating our opinion rather than searching Scripture and seeking direction from Jesus Christ??

How can we say Jesus Christ is the Head if we insist on maintaining control?

The fact remains: Jesus Christ is the Head of the church… of the local church… of this local church

Our responsibility is to consciously remember that and respond accordingly

Jesus is perfect — I am not

Jesus is infallable — I am not

Jesus is truth — I am not

Jesus see the big picture — I do not

Let’s make sure that we keep Jesus as the Head — not in name only, but in reality

Jesus (the Head) requires submissioon

The church has a responsibility to set an example of submission to Jesus Christ

In a similar way, we individuals also have a responsibility to submit to each other…

Our submission (or lack therof) is indicative of our level of reverance for Jesus Christ

The church - in submission to Jesus Christ - should model and demonstrate how a marriage relationship should work

I have to wonder whether the moral crisis we find ourselves in is a reflection of how the churches in the US failed to submit to Jesus Christ and to each other??

2. The local church is comprised of believers created uniquely for good works

Human beings are God’s unique and crowning creation

We are created in the image of God

We have been given the responsibility to make choices (not robots)

We choose whether we will serve our Creator or whether we will reject Him

We choose how much we do for God and how much we do for our own selfish interests and gain

We choose whether we do good works or we do sinful works

Paul writes to the Ephesians reminding them that we are “created… for good works”

Good works is not something we can do on our own… by our definition perhaps, but not God’s!

Good works are possible ONLY after we receive the gift of salvation, and allow the Holy Spirit to control and transform our hearts… our inner being

Only then are we capable of accomplishing what God put us on this earth to do!

3. The local church is like a building - Jesus is the cornerstone

Paul describes the church like a building

the key to a buildings long-term stability is the foundation… and Jesus Christ is the key foundational stone in the local church

However, the foundation is not the building...

The church is built on the foundation… on Jesus Christ

While there are many components, primarily two types

Infrastructure (unseen)

Frame (2x6 walls, floor joists, trusses)

Plumbing