Simply a Christian (2019)
Jesus: The Sum of All Things • Sermon • Submitted
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· 8 viewsBe to be a simple Christian starts with unity with Christ
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Stumbling block (s)
Stumbling block (s)
God is not the God of confusion (1Cor14:33) but of unity that comes through faith in Christ (Eph4:11-13; Rom6:5). But there is much confusion in this world regarding Christianity. It can be a stumbling block.
33 for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.
1
In all the churches (meaning places)
He is the God of unity through faith.
11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;
13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.
to help with unity of all the churches he gave gifts to THE CHURCH to bring unity of the faith.
How about this one
5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,
Unity starts with unity with Christ and that is in His death and his resurrection.
Again, we are to be united and not a stumbling block.
Stumbling Block Picture
Stumbling blocks. We can’t ignore them as if they don’t exist for they do. Even the scripture tells us that (1Cor8:9) they exist and we need not be a stumbling block.
9 But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.
Stumbling blocks are out there, people telling you you need to do this to be saved or not this, and you must go here, not there, they are a cult, they are not the true church. There are conflicting doctrines (teachings) conflicting practices. But we are to be simply Christians that are united in Christ.
There are differences in teaching (doctrine) but as a simple Christian we need to be unified by what the Bible says.
We believe in the necessity of Baptism (as do others)
We believe there should be a method, pattern to our worship (as do others)
We believe in the virgin birth (as do others)
We believe in the presbytery (elders, etc) (as do others)
We believe in the working power of the Holy Spirit (as do others)
So the disunity happens when you take one instead of all of these things, or you add to what the scripture says or take away from the whole counsel of God.
Jesus is the way out of religious confusion. When we stay to the Word of God there is no division. When we follow the ways of Christ there is no conflicting doctrine we then are just simply Christians studying God’s Word together.
Jesus wanted unity, Paul preached unity knowing God is not the God of confusion (1Cor14:33)
33 for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.
Jesus prayed for unity (Jn17:20-21); wanted unity through the Apostles doctrine (Act2:42)
20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
There was unity that came through the apostles doctrine.
There was even in the early church, just like with the Israelites, people that added to what God said, making doctrine of man not of God. Taking things out of context from the bible which in turn makes things unbiblical. We have to be honest and say for the most part all these people love the Lord, they are trying to serve the Lord, but are they accepted by the Lord? The Lord knows and we have to say what the Bible says and not be the judge for all judgment has been given to Jesus. We have the Truth of God’s Word to share with people and the Holy Spirit prick hearts or to lead people to know more accurately like Apollo’s did and like Saul who became Paul did.
Stumbling block picture again
Stumbling blocks can keep people from responding (obeying) the gospel, or even accepting the gospel at all. We can be a stumbling block to people if we do not share the Truth of the Word in love (1Cor13:1-3)
1Cor13:1
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
Stumbling blocks in early church (1Cor1:10-13; 1Cor3:3-4; Gal5:19-21)
10 Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.
11 For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you. 12 Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, “I am of Paul,” and “I of Apollos,” and “I of Cephas,” and “I of Christ.”
13 Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
1COr1:13
There again is no division in the church when we know who we belong to and how that happened. We are not baptized into a certain body of believers, but baptized into the church. There is no division when we follow Jesus!
3 for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men? 4 For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not mere men?
1cOR3:3-4
Don’t be mere men that follow other men, let’s be of Christ and follow Christ.
Do not be divisive and fall into sedition or heresies
Sedition (N) - conduct or speech inciting people to rebel
Heresies (N) - belief or opinion contrary to orthodox religious doctrine (Especially Christianity)
One more passage on this before moving on.
19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,
21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Christ’s desire
They all may be unified (Jn17:20-21)
Paul’s desire
There be no divisions
Be perfectly joined
Be of the same mind, mind of Christ (Php2:2; Php2:5)
2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.
5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,
PHp2:
It is possible to be simply a Christian today in spit of the religious divisions we see around us at times. For may we remember that Jesus is the way out of religious confusion.
Jesus showed us the way
Jesus showed us the way
In the days of Jesus we have a simple Israelite that came to set a path to become a simple christian when He fulfilled the Law.
In Jesus time, the time of His coming was the fulfillment of God’s promise that Isreal was God’s chosen people. Chosen people to bring the messiah into the world, but they had division within themselves too. There were religious sects, or parties withing the Hebrew people.
Religious sects at the time:
Pharisee’s - zeal for traditions; considered themselves, more religious, and better than all others.
Sadducee’s - this is the aristocrats, worldly minded; thought of themselves as superior to all the rest.
Herodians -Jewish political sect in line with Rome - they thought they were right and were more aggressive than the rest.
This is the culture that Jesus came into the world to. You would think that a religious person would belong to one of these sects, but Jesus did not.He was simply a Jew living under the law and came to fulfill the Law.
Jesus showed the way by fulfilling the Law (Mt5:17-20)
17 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18 “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
19 “Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Mt5:17-18
19 “Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
20 “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus encouraged people to keep the law and exceed the religious zeal of the scribes and Pharisee’s or they will not enter the kingdom of God.
This simply an Israelite set a path, an example, for man to be reconciled to God because we could not surpass the righteousness of he Pharisees on our own.
What do you think Jesus be today?
Simply a Christian
Simply a Christian, not a part of any sect or denomination. But a true Christian who followed the scriptures. One who is truly a disciple who was called a Christian (Act11:26)
26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And for an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
Barnabas had set out to find Paul and come to him and brought him back to Antioch and that is where they were first called Christians.
Paul wanted to reach people no matter where they were so they too could be Christians, simply Christians (1Cor9:20-21)
20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; 21 to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law.
We too should be satisfied and identified as simply a Christian a member of the Lord’s church; the church He built (Mt16:18), the church He is the head of and is over(Eph1:22).
18 “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.
Oh, sorry, can’t us that scripture by itself. But it is a set up to our next point.
The Lord’s Church
The Lord’s Church
Jesus clearly tells us how the church was to be built and how many churches there are to be.
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
17 And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
18 “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.
The church was to be built, and is now built, on the truth that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God, the Messiah. He would build the church.
The church comprises of the ekklesia, the called out, the assembled. So, how were we called?
The Lord’s Church
The Lord’s Church
Called by the Gospel and resulted in obedient faith (Act2:38-41) and the results were being added to the church (Act2:47)
38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 “For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.”
40 And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!” 41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.
added to the numbers, the numbers of those being saved
47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Called out to act by faith
The local church that was born in Jerusalem and it quickly grew from 3000, to 5000, to multiplied
The church was not without tribulation (Act14:21-23; Jn16:33)
21 After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch,
21 After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”
22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”
23 When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
just as Jesus said would happen
33 “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
Jn16:33
So track with me a little longer
So from the preaching, came the faith, from the faith came obedience, from obedience the church was born. The church there was no division, there was unity of faith. The words we use, the things we teach may they be the things of the bible.
We gather together as the church, as simply Christians to be reminded, to be encouraged, to be built up. As simply Christians we gather to study the apostles doctrine, for breaking of bread, for fellowship and for prayer.
The church should be shared and reminded to others (1Cor4:17; Act20:27; 1Tim3:14-15)
7 For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?
17 For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church.
The Word does not change, we should not add to it or take from it. It is the whole counsel of God
27 “For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.
The whole counsel in part consist of Jesus as the way to forgiveness, Jesus as the way to the Father, Jesus the way of truth and life. Everything we need to take us to heaven and to lead others to the kingdom of God.
We hold these teachings (doctrine) in our hands, not our doctrine, God’s doctrine, and when we share the scripture and the authority of the scripture we are teaching others how to act in the house of God (hint, hint, we are the house of God)
14 I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long; 15 but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.
lead to invitation (invitation slide 1)
Truth, when we know the truth and obey the truth and surrender to the hand of God and are buried and raised up with Christ to walk in the newness of lie that we are united with Him we are in unity with each other and with others who have done the same all over the world. Others who have heard, believed, confessed, repented and were baptized. They, just like you become simply a Christian.
May we remember we are
Churches of Christ (Rom16:16)
We are church of God (1Cor1:2)
We are body of Christ (1Cor12:27)
We are simply Christians!
It is not hard to be simply a Christian, when we follow the teachings of Jesus as revealed by the Prophets, Jesus, and the Apostles we have no religious confusio, no division we are simple Christians studying God’s word to share with others the love of God.
invitation (invitation slide 2) song (exit slide)