The Church and the Christian

Introduction

This sermon will be a little different than this mornings in the sense that we will be jumping around to several different scripture passages this evening. Tonight we are going to look at what the purpose for the church is as well as what you all, as a church body, can expect from a pastor.

In September of 2018, Gallop conducted a poll of several thousand Americans to see how many of them attended church on a weekly basis. What they discovered was that only 38% of the people polled attended a church weekly (this isn’t just Baptist but any church), furthermore, 13% said that they had been once in the past month and 49% said that they either have not attended in the past month or do not attend church at all. As a follower of Christ and as a church body, this statistic should give us reason to stop and question how well we are doing in our own lives of living a life that demonstrates our faith. Whenever Jesus ascended into heaven, he told his disciples that they would receive power and be His witnesses. If we are in fact born again Christians and possess the Holy Spirit, we should be a living church that is out and about in the community and telling people about what God has done in our lives and the good news of the gospel.

If we say that we are in Christ, our actions should back that up as a body of believers!

A different Gallop poll asked individuals who do not attend church their reasons as to why they do not attend. As you can guess, the number one reason was that they “Do not believe in God”, however only 50% of people said that. That means that a large percentage of people who do not have a church home do believe in some sort of God or perhaps even in the Bible, however they do not attend church. 26% of individuals stated that they practice their beliefs in their own way and 14% said that they do not feel welcome at church whenever they have attended.

Folks, let me make something abundantly clear. The Gospel is offensive to the lost, yes, however as a body of believers we must be welcoming and hospitable to guests and love on our neighbors who are lost because we were once lost as well! Jesus sat at the Last Supper table with a man who was going to betray him in a couple of hours (Judas). The very least we can do is to make sure that the people in our community know that there is a church home that will love on them whenever they need some support and will make them feel at home whenever they visit.

Tonight we are going to look at 4 key things: the purpose of the church, the plan of the church, the power of the church and the people of the church in addition to what you can expect from the Pastor. Please open in your Bibles to as we see what the Church is supposed to look like.

Ephesians 5:25–27 NASB95

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.

This is a passage of scripture that is very commonly associated with weddings and the duties of Husbands and Wives in a Christian marriage. Paul most certainly hits on that here, however this particular section talks about how the husband represents Jesus and the wife represents the church. By looking at this illustration from Paul, we see that the highest form of love between humans is the marriage union. If we take that a step deeper, though, we see that self-sacrificial love (like Christ displayed whenever He died on a cross for our sin) is the highest way we display that love. Often times in our society, we see displays of eros (romantic love) and many individuals believe that this type of love is the greatest type of love. To Paul, though, the greatest type of love is one that sacrifices for the other individual. Just as Christ sacrificed Himself for the church, so should the husband sacrifice himself for his wife. Just as the wife submits to her husband, the church submits to Christ. This leads us to our first point tonight:

The Purpose of the Church

The church has three key purposes that we will examine.

First, the church is supposed to meet meet man’s spiritual needs. ( and )

John 3:3 NASB95

3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

John 15:3–7 NASB95

3 “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 7 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

As a body of believers, it is our duty to inform people of their desperate need of Jesus Christ! states that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. We should live our lives in such a way that we meet the needs of people around us from a spiritual sense by loving on them but also letting them know where they stand before a Holy God. We are supposed to be in fellowship with God (abide in the vine) and with one another in this process. This is not something that we have to go at on our own, we are a team and we are to lift one another up along the way. The church isn’t a place for “perfect” people but rather a place where sinners can come in and fellowship with one another in order to live a life more like Jesus Christ.

Think if you recently experienced a massive heart attack that required quadruple bypass surgery and returned from the hospital. What would your natural reaction be whenever you saw people who had heard of the news? You would tell them of the miracle that took place in your life! You should have died, but instead you are now alive and have been given a clean bill of health. This should be our response with those around us! We were once lost but now we are found thanks to the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. We, therefore, are to point other people towards Him.

Second, the church is to meet man’s physical needs.

Isaiah 53:5 NASB95

5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.

2 Corinthians 12:7–10 NASB95

7 Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! 8 Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. 9 And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

As James states in , what good is it to merely say that we believe in Jesus Christ but not to help out a brother or sister who is desperately in need? As followers of Christ we know that life is not perfect once we become Christians, however we do have the ability to look into scripture and our past experiences and see all that Christ has helped us through in the past. Whether it be health complications or the death of a loved one, we have the ability to look at those experiences and see a greater purpose behind them rather than remain angry at them like the world would.

There will come a time in all of our lives where a situation like this comes up. In my own life my mother had a simple ear infection that turned septic and we didn’t know if she was going to make it (it was so bad that she couldn’t even remember my or my dad’s name!). Had I not been a follower of Jesus, it would have been very easy for me to simply be “mad” during this time, however I knew that Christ was in control. Even if my mom wasn’t healed or if she never regained her memory, God was still in control and that there would still be something good come out of the situation. During this time, there was an outpouring of love and support from our church family on me and my father that helped us get through even the darkest of days at the hospital. This should be the response of the church whenever a member of our congregation goes through a difficult time and it should be the response of each of us individually whenever someone in our sphere of influence goes through a situation like this!

Third, the church is to meet man’s mental needs.

Isaiah 26:3 NASB95

3 “The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You.

Philippians 4:7 NASB95

7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Part of being a follower of Jesus means that we receive the Holy Spirit whenever we accept Him as Lord of our lives. Because of the power of the Holy Spirit, we are able to have unparalleled peace in times of great tribulation and despair. Whenever I found out that my mom was going to have to go through emergency surgery my initial thought was not “Why would you let this happen, God?” but rather “I know you have this under control, God.” I’m sure that we all have examples of times in which we were able to get through a situation because of a divine peace that was from above. This peace is something that non-Christians should see in times of great trial and they should ask us how we are capable of possessing this peace.

Part of the churches job is to represent Christ on Earth. Because of this, we do not have to stress over every thing that transpires on the Earth. As Christ states, “Take heart for I have overcome the world”. Paul says in Philippians that the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds. Take heart during difficult situations where it seems as though we are in peril because our God has overcome the world. Likewise, the church should strive to live at peace with those around us because our God is in control.

Finally, the church is to meet man’s material needs.

The Plan for the Church

The plan of God for the church is for us to evangelize the world! This is something that we see plenty of times in scripture and we have a responsibility to make known the name of Jesus with those around us and those around the entire world!

Matthew 28:19–20 NASB95

19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Acts 1:8 NASB95

8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

First, we must reach man with the gospel

We have a responsibility to make known the name of Jesus with those around us and those around the entire world!

First, we must reach man with the gospel

Mark 16:15 NASB95

15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.

This is not just a command to go where it is easy or to share whenever it is convenient, no this is a command from Christ before his ascension to go and proclaim the name of Jesus with the entire world! According to Wycliffe Bible Translators, there are 250 million people around the world who do not have a copy of God’s Word available to them in their own language. This doesn’t mean that they don’t know, it means that they don’t even have the opportunity to know because they don’t have a copy of scripture in their native language. If we are going to be a church that represents Christ, we have to reach people for the gospel! That doesn’t necessarily mean that we go to China or India and evangelize, however it does mean that we share about Jesus whenever we are at work or at the grocery store. If we truly believe in a place called heaven and hell, we should be passionately sharing the gospel wherever we go.

We must preach to all the world

Romans 10:14 NASB95

14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?

A lot of times it is easy to simply say “someone else will do that” or “I’m not comfortable doing this” when in reality we simply do not want to take the extra step and get outside our comfort zone. We are called to preach the gospel with the whole world and if we look at , we see that we will receive power to accomplish this!

Acts 1:8 NASB95

8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

Finally, we must teach all people about Jesus

Finally, we must teach all people about Jesus

Matthew 28:19–20 NASB95

19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Notice how Jesus does not say to make converts, but disciples. Whenever we invite a person to our church and whenever they accept Jesus as Lord we should celebrate because a lost person has come into salvation! However, we must not stop at salvation but we should disciple that person in the ways of the faith so that they can turn around and make more disciples. If we could go about evangelism like this then we could impact the entire world in a matter of years rather than centuries. Multiplication is the goal here.

The Power of the Church

The church is the most powerful force against sin and it is the brightest hope for the betterment of our community.

Satan cannot destroy the church

Matthew 16:18 NASB95

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.

Satan would love nothing more than to ruin the church because the church is the representation of Jesus on the Earth. How awesome is it, though, that Jesus says that the gates of hell will not overpower the church? That should give us Biblical confidence for what we are doing here. Satan cannot stand what we do. Worshipping God is how we participate in spiritual warfare, though and as we gather corporately and as we invite others to join us, Satan is losing the battle. He can try and defeat us and he might get us to stumble, however he cannot destroy the church!

Sin cannot destroy the church

Romans 5:20 NASB95

20 The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,

As powerful as the power of sin is, God’s power is even greater. is a great passage of scripture that talks about the effect that Adam’s sin has on humanity but how much more powerful the grace of God is! This should embolden us to let grace reign in our lives as we interact with other people. The church has power from God, we see that hell cannot defeat it and that sin cannot destroy it. Because of these things, we should be aggressive and bring other people into our fellowship so that they too can overcome the effects of sin and death.

Satanic forces cannot destroy the church, man will try but they will fail

Satan would love nothing more than for the church to be a silent institution that turns into a social club. Whenever the church acts like this, we lose our power because our power comes from Christ and we are called to do something with that power. We are called to evangelize the lost. Men might try and tell us one day, like they have in other countries, that we are not allowed to do that anymore however no man can stop the Lord! Whenever the early church was growing in the Roman Empire they experiences severe persecution routinely. The disciples of Jesus, primarily, died very gruesome deaths and the blade of persecution was a threat for 300 years for early Christians however the church not only grew but it exploded like wildfire! No man or nation can stop the church from accomplishing God’s will for it.

The People of the Church

What then is our application from this message? There are 4 things that the people of the church must do!

The people must cooperate

Judges 7:21 NASB95

21 Each stood in his place around the camp; and all the army ran, crying out as they fled.

How often do we hear stories about “church splits”? Sometimes this is a good thing because a church is too big and needs to start a second campus to accommodate the rapid growth. Usually, though, this phrase indicates a negative thing has transpired (sometimes this happens over something as silly as someone wanting wooden pews instead of padded ones!). We are called to cooperate with one another, though. Does this mean that we will always see eye to eye about things and have 100% the same theology? No, it does not! However it does mean this: “In essentials, unity in non-essentials, liberty and in all things, charity.”

The people must congregate

Hebrews 10:25 NASB95

25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

We are to congregate with one another and to live our lives in fellowship! This is because life is difficult and it is easy to get beaten up on our own, however whenever we have a body of believers to encourage and lift us up, we have hope. 1 John talks about how we are supposed to walk in the light together and to build one anther up in the Word of God. This is the purpose of church. The church isn’t this building but the people who make it up! We congregate with one another not to just “go to church” but to worship with one another and to encourage one another to keep on living a life that is “set apart” from that of the world!

The people must contribute

1 Corinthians 16:2 NASB95

2 On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper, so that no collections be made when I come.

This is not just talking about money but also our time. Paul says this so that the church in Corinth would save money aside so that whenever he arrived, they would be able to give in abundance based upon the grace that they have received in abundance from Jesus Christ! This was done to promote unity in their church and to help the church in Jerusalem. Whenever we give, we do so not just to help keep the lights on in the building, but we do so in order that other people might come to know Christ in our city and around the world through things like the Lottie Moon Christmas offering. We must contribute for this to happen, though!

The people must consecrate

1 Peter 4:17–18 NASB95

17 For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And if it is with difficulty that the righteous is saved, what will become of the godless man and the sinner?

As followers of Christ, we know that we will be judged one day and give an account for our lives. It is not enough for us to gather and talk about Christ and do nothing about it. We are called to tell others about our inward change and live a life that is radically different than we were before we knew Christ! We know from this morning that the blood of Jesus is what justifies us, but we also see that there is no limit on who He can save! Because of this, we must make sure that we are living a faith that is active and alive.

The Position of a Pastor

Often times when the word “Pastor” comes up, the first thing that people think of is someone who preaches. While pastors do preach the Word of God, this is not all that pastors are expected to do based on Scripture. There are several things that a church can expect from their pastor.

First, the church can expect the Pastor to be a servant. A servant is someone who lives under the authority of someone else. The Pastor is supposed to be a servant of Jesus Christ and to do what He calls them to do. The role of the Pastor in the New Testament is someone who instructs/teaches/preaches their congregation about the Word of God. The church body can expect the Pastor to study the Word of God and to spend time daily in prayer both about his own walk with Christ and the direction of the church.

Secondly, the church can expect the Pastor to be a shepherd. A shepherd in Biblical times was often in charge of a large flock of sheep and was without the benefits of a fence like most farmers possess today. Because of this, the shepherd was in charge of protecting the sheep and leading them from field to field. There are many examples of shepherds in scripture fighting off animals and Jesus talks about the shepherd leaving his flock to find one who has strayed away. The church body can expect the Pastor to lead the body of believers and protect them from false teachings and division within the flock. The church can expect the Pastor to look after injured members and those who are in the hospital.

Finally, the church can expect the Pastor to be a spiritual leader. A Pastor plays a fatherly role in this sense because they bring the message from the Lord but they do so in a gentle and loving manner. Just as Paul is with the church in Corinth, the Pastor is instructed to help the church be conformed to the image of Christ. He must do this first in his own life as well as his family’s and then help the church body do the same by what God lays on his heart. The Pastor must be truthful to God’s Word, warn you about the damaging effects of sin, urge you towards godliness, shine Biblical light on your circumstances and finally refine your belief based on God’s Word in the Gospel.

You can expect your Pastor to be a God-fearing man who will preach the Gospel unashamedly as Paul states in . You can expect your Pastor to live a life of holiness and to be devoted in prayer to God and to the church body. You can expect your Pastor to be caring and to be someone you can approach in the good times and when you’re at rock bottom. You can expect your Pastor to love you as Christ loved His church.

Conclusion

Tonight we have looked at several key things that the church is supposed to be. We are supposed to look differently than the world around us and we have the power of the Holy Spirit living inside of us to make that possible! We are blessed with receiving grace and mercy from God and we are tasked with giving that same grace and mercy to others. We should live a life that points people to Christ and we should readily invite people to our church. We are to live at pease with one another and we are to worship together. We must remember that we are a group of sinners gathering together but we are worshipping a Holy God and He deserves our all. As we go from this place, let our our call to action be to live out this week and in 2019!

Matthew 5:16 NASB95

16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.