What the Church Needs

FOUNDATIONS – SERMON 4

WHAT THE CHURCH NEEDS

INTRODUCTION:

OUR CULTURE IS IN A CONSTANT STATE OF CHANGE.

WE’RE DIFFERENT…

IF WE HAVE LEARNED ANYTHING IN RECENT DAYS, WE HAVE LEARNED THAT WE ARE FAR FROM WHERE WE ONCE WERE AS A NATION AND AS A SOCIETY…AND NOT NECESSARILY IN A GOOD WAY.

SOME THINGS ARE MUCH BETTER.

TECHNOLOGY, FOR EXAMPLE.

WE NOW HAVE THE CAPACITY TO STAY IN TOUCH WITH EACH OTHER, MAKE NEARLY ANY PURCHASE, TO TRANSFER MONEY, TO SELL ITEMS, AND TO CONTROL THINGS WITH THE TOUCH OF A FINGER ON OUR MOBILE DEVICE.

YOU CAN READ YOUR BIBLE, OR LISTEN TO IT, YOU CAN READ A BOOK, LISTEN TO A PODCAST, HEAR YOUR FAVORITE MUSIC, JUST ABOUT ANYTHING YOU WANT TO DO, RIGHT ON YOUR MOBILE DEVICE.

BUT THE SAME TECHNOLOGY THAT BLESSES US ALSO HAS THE CAPACITY TO CORRUPT US.

HATE IS OFTEN SPEWED THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA;

CHILDREN AND TEENS HAVE MORE ACCESS TO DAMAGING CONTENT THAN EVER BEFORE;

UNCORROBORATED NEWS REPORTS CAN GO VIRAL IN A MATTER OF MINUTES, IMPACTING THE OPINIONS OF LITERALLY MILLIONS OF PEOPLE.

WE’RE DIFFERENT.

THE CULTURE IS CHANGING.

AND IT IS SENSELESS TO BELIEVE THAT THE CHURCH CAN REACH A CHANGING CULTURE WITHOUT AT LEAST RECOGNIZING AND SEEKING TO UNDERSTAND THE CHANGES AFFECTING THAT CULTURE.

LET ME BE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT I’M NOT SAYING.

- I’M NOT SAYING THAT THE GOSPEL IS UP FOR REVISION…IT IS NOT, AND NEVER WILL BE.

o IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN, AND WILL ALWAYS BE JESUS, PLUS NOTHING.

- I’M NOT SAYING THAT THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH IS UP FOR REVISION…IT IS NOT.

o THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH IS STILL CLEARLY DEFINED BY .

§ WE ARE TO MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS.

BUT WHAT I AM SAYING IS THAT THE CHURCH SHOULD BE THE MOST WELL-INFORMED, AND MOST CULTURALLY ENGAGED ORGANIZATION OF ANY.

IN THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, WE’VE LOOKED AT WHAT A CHURCH IS, WHAT A CHURCH DOES, AND WE’VE LOOKED AT THE REALITY OF CREATION.

THIS MORNING, I’D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU WHAT THE CHURCH NEEDS.

HERE’S THE FIRST THING…

1. THE CHURCH NEEDS TO STOP EXPECTING NON-CHRISTIANS TO ACT LIKE CHRISTIANS.

a. - 18 “IF THE WORLD HATES YOU, KNOW THAT IT HAS HATED ME BEFORE IT HATED YOU. 19 IF YOU WERE OF THE WORLD, THE WORLD WOULD LOVE YOU AS ITS OWN; BUT BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT OF THE WORLD, BUT I CHOSE YOU OUT OF THE WORLD, THEREFORE THE WORLD HATES YOU. 20 REMEMBER THE WORD THAT I SAID TO YOU: ‘A SERVANT IS NOT GREATER THAN HIS MASTER.’ IF THEY PERSECUTED ME, THEY WILL ALSO PERSECUTE YOU. IF THEY KEPT MY WORD, THEY WILL ALSO KEEP YOURS. 21 BUT ALL THESE THINGS THEY WILL DO TO YOU ON ACCOUNT OF MY NAME, BECAUSE THEY DO NOT KNOW HIM WHO SENT ME.

b. ALL THESE THINGS THEY DO, THEY DO THEM BECAUSE THEY DO NOT KNOW GOD.

c. IT IS ACTUALLY QUITE RIDICULOUS TO EXPECT NON-CHRISTIANS TO ACT LIKE CHRISTIANS, BUT THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT WE OFTEN DO, AND WE PROJECT OUTRAGE TOWARD THEM WHEN THEY DON’T ACT IN CONCERT WITH WHAT OUR EXPECTATIONS FOR THEM ARE.

d. AND THIS TYPE OF EXPECTATION OFTEN TURNS TO JUDGMENT.

i. NOW THE BIBLE EXPLICITLY SPEAKS AGAINST JUDGING OTHERS, AND THIS INCLUDES THOSE WHO ARE NOT MEMBERS OF THE BODY OF CHRIST.

ii. SCRIPTURE SPEAKS IN MORE THAN ONE PLACE ABOUT THE DANGER OF BEING JUDGMENTAL.

iii. THE ONE WITH WHICH WE ARE MOST FAMILIAR IS FOUND IN MATTHEW, CHAPTER 7.

1. JUDGE NOT, THAT YOU BE NOT JUDGED.

a. THE CONTEXT IS THAT OF JUDGMENT BETWEEN CHRISTIANS.

iv. BUT THE BIBLE ALSO CAUTIONS US ABOUT JUDGING THOSE OUTSIDE THE CHURCH, ENCOURAGING US TO LEAVE THAT TO GOD.

v. YOU CAN READ ABOUT THIS IN 1 CORINTHIANS, CHAPTER 5.

e. CHRISTIANS OFTEN VILIFY OTHERS SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY DON’T AGREE WITH OUR POSITIONS OR OUR WORLDVIEW.

i. THEY ARE OFTEN CATEGORIZED AS EVIL AND CONSIDERED TO BE BEYOND THE GRACE OF GOD.

ii. BUT WE NEED TO BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO TAKE THIS POSITION.

1. PEOPLE ARE NOT EVIL BECAUSE THEY DISAGREE WITH US.

2. BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE NOT EVIL BECAUSE THEY ARE DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN.

3. PEOPLE ARE NOT EVIL BECAUSE THEY ARE CONSERVATIVE OR LIBERAL.

4. PEOPLE ARE EVIL BECAUSE EVERY PERSON POSSESSES A SINFUL NATURE.

f. SO OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS NOT TO JUDGE THE WORLD, OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO WIN THE WORLD TO CHRIST.

g. TO DO THIS, WE NEED TO STOP EXPECTING NON-CHRISTIANS TO ACT LIKE CHRISTIANS.

h. BUT IN ADDITION TO THIS…

2. THE CHURCH ALSO NEEDS TO RE-EMPHASIZE EVANGELISM.

a. IF WE ARE TO TRULY EMPHASIZE EVANGELISM IN OUR CHURCH, THERE ARE A FEW THINGS WE MUST DO.

i. WE HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT MEN AND WOMEN ARE LOST WITHOUT A RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST (, ).

1. THE LITMUS TEST FOR SALVATION IS ONE’S RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST.

a. THERE HAS BEEN A GREAT DEAL OF CONTROVERSY LATELY ABOUT NEW YORK STATE’S LEGISLATURE LEGALIZING LATE-TERM ABORTION, AND I BELIEVE THAT ABORTION IS THE MURDER OF THE UNBORN.

b. BUT WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT BEING AN ABORTIONIST, OR ONE WHO HAS HAD AN ABORTION DOES NOT SEND A PERSON TO HELL.

c. WHAT SENDS A PERSON TO HELL IS THEIR WILLFUL REJECTION OF JESUS CHRIST.

2. MEN AND WOMEN ARE LOST WITHOUT A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST.

ii. WE ALSO HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS NO OTHER NAME THAT SAVES (; )

1. SALVATION CANNOT BE SECURED BY TRUSTING IN ANY OTHER NAME.

a. JESUS’ OWN WORDS REMIND US OF THIS TRUTH.

b. IN HE SAID, I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE. NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH ME.

i. ACCESS TO GOD IS GRANTED ONLY IN THE NAME OF JESUS.

2. IT’S WHY WE PRAY IN JESUS’ NAME, AND IT’S WHY WE WITNESS IN JESUS’ NAME.

a. IN , PETER, SPEAKING TO THE JEWISH HIGH PRIEST AND THE JEWISH LEADERS, SAID THIS OF JESUS.

iii. – AND THERE IS SALVATION IN NO ONE ELSE, FOR THERE IS NO OTHER NAME UNDER HEAVEN GIVEN AMONG MEN BY WHICH WE MUST BE SAVED.

1. NO OTHER NAME SAVES, ONLY THE NAME OF JESUS.

iv. WE ALSO HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT HELL IS REAL ().

b. – 14 THEN DEATH AND HADES WERE THROWN INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE. THIS IS THE SECOND DEATH, THE LAKE OF FIRE. 15 AND IF ANYONE’S NAME WAS NOT FOUND WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE, HE WAS THROWN INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE.

i. THIS LAKE OF FIRE IS A DIRECT REFERENCE TO THE ETERNAL DESTINATION OF EVERY PERSON WHO REJECTS JESUS.

1. IT IS THE UNDYING WORM AND UNQUENCHABLE FIRE OF .

a. IT IS THE EVERLASTING CONTEMPT OF .

b. IT IS THE ETERNAL FIRE/THE HELL OF FIRE OF .

c. IT IS THE ETERNAL PUNISHMENT OF .

d. IT IS THE UNDYING WORM AND UNQUENCHABLE FIRE OF .

e. IT IS THE EVERLASTING DESTRUCTION OF .

f. IT IS THE PUNISHMENT OF ETERNAL FIRE OF .

g. IT IS THE UTTER DARKNESS OF .

h. IT IS THE SMOKE OF TORMENT OF .

i. AND IT IS THE LAKE OF FIRE OF .

2. HELL IS A REALITY THAT FACES EVERY PERSON WHO REJECTS JESUS, AND WE DO NOT WANT ANYONE TO GO THERE.

ii. FINALLY, WE HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT GOD IS STILL SAVING PEOPLE ()

c. – 9 AFTER THIS I LOOKED, AND BEHOLD, A GREAT MULTITUDE THAT NO ONE COULD NUMBER, FROM EVERY NATION, FROM ALL TRIBES AND PEOPLES AND LANGUAGES, STANDING BEFORE THE THRONE AND BEFORE THE LAMB, CLOTHED IN WHITE ROBES, WITH PALM BRANCHES IN THEIR HANDS, 10 AND CRYING OUT WITH A LOUD VOICE, “SALVATION BELONGS TO OUR GOD WHO SITS ON THE THRONE, AND TO THE LAMB!”

d. WHAT TELLS US IS THAT THE SAVED ARE AND WILL BE MADE UP OF PEOPLE FROM EVERY ETHNICITY ON THE PLANET (EVERY NATION).

a. EVERY ETHNIC SEGMENT (TRIBE)

b. EVERY ETHNIC SOCIAL GROUP (PEOPLES)

c. EVERY ETHNIC LANGUAGE GROUP (LANGUAGES)

ii. IN OTHER WORDS, THERE ARE NO GOSPEL EXEMPTIONS, IT IS AVAILABLE TO EVERY PERSON ON THE PLANET.

1. AND GOD IS STILL SAVING PEOPLE TODAY.

iii. OUR JOB IS TO BE INVOLVED IN HIS WORK BY SHARING THE GOSPEL WITH PEOPLE GOD ALLOWS TO CROSS OUR PATHS.

iv. I NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB AT THIS, YOU NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB AT THIS, AND EVERY CHURCH NEEDS TO DO A BETTER JOB AT THIS WORK OF EVANGELISM.

e. WE NEED TO RE-KINDLE THE FIRES OF EVANGELISM IN OUR LIVES AND IN OUR CHURCH.

i. BECAUSE THE WORLD NEEDS TO KNOW JESUS.

CONCLUSION: