An Authentic Beginning
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction
Introduction
Baptism Certificates
Junior Church Dismissed
While they are leaving you can go ahead and turn in your Bible’s to .
Good morning! G
This morning we will start our new series called Authentic. The focus of the this series will be on the New Testament church and what it should look like based upon the first church in the Bible.
I’ve preached already that we should look to the Bible as the rule and guide of our faith in our personal lives but I believe we should also look to it in the way we operate and serve in the local church.
This morning we will start at the only place it makes sense to start a study like this, the beginning.
Illustration: On a plaque marking Abraham Lincoln's birthplace near Hodgenville, Kentucky, is recorded this scrap of conversation: "Any news down 't the village, Ezry?" "Well, Squire McLain's gone t' Washington t' see Madison swore in, and ol' Spellman tells me this Bonaparte fella has captured most o' Spain. What's new out here, neighbor?" "Nuthin' nuthin' a'tall, 'cept fer a new baby born t' Tom Lincoln's. Nothin' ever happens out here." Some events, whether birthdays in Hodgenville (or Bethlehem) or spiritual rebirth in a person's life, may not create much earthly splash, but those of lasting importance will eventually get the notice they deserve.
The birth of Lincoln wasn’t regarded as a major event when it took place in Hodgenville Ky. The birth of Christ wasn’t a big deal to everyone in Bethlehem when it happened. The birth of the church wasn’t a big deal to the world when it happened either. Yet now we see importance of all of these events.
What a New Testament church is has been confused over the years. So before we begin let me begin from the outset by defining a church biblically
-A local, visible assembly- The emphasis of the NT is placed on the local church. This is the place where we father with a body of believers to grow, learn, worship, give, and serve,
-Comprised of regenerate membership- members of a local church should be saved people who know Jesus Christ as their personal savior.
-Separate from the state- the local church is under the direct authority of Christ himself. He is the head of the church. Thus the church must be autonomous- free from outside control and free to answer to Christ.
Before we get into it this morning I want you to be thinking of a couple things as I preach: Do I set the example inside and outside of church that’s worthy of Christ? Am I committed to continuing the local church through obedience to Christ’s Great Commission?
Follow along as I read this morning.
Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
PRAY
Notice with me that Jesus is the Origin of the church
I. Jesus is the Origin of the Church
I. Jesus is the Origin of the Church
Our text calls Jesus the image of the invisible God and the firstborn of every creature. ALL things were created by Him and for Him. The church is under that umbrella of All things. How did the church come into existence though?
A. Jesus Called the Church
A. Jesus Called the Church
It’s in that we see the first Assembly called out by Christ. This is where Jesus called His first disciples.
And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.
And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.
Jesus called these men out of the world and they would become the first Apostles. Which are the foundation of the future church
And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
Just as Jesus called the disciples out of the world and their belief system He still calls people today. When Jesus walked to the disciples and said “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” Those men had a decision to make. They had to decide if they would trust this guy, if they would have faith in him, and then act on it.
When we are telling others about Jesus. When we are witnessing and testifying of Him to others, we are planting seed of the gospel and watering but it is God who gives the increase. It is Him who calls them just as He did the Apostles to depart from their belief system to put their faith in Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection.
Jesus called them out based on His authority to do so. is one of my favorite chapters because it includes in it the statement of victory for the church.
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Here is an area of confusion for some. There are those that believe this was the moment that Jesus commissioned Peter to be the head of the church. Allow me to clear that confusion up for you this morning as we take this statement apart and learn about it in the context in which it was given.
Prior to this verse Jesus had asked the apostles “who does the world say I am and who do you say I am.”
Peter gave a great answer
And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
He said you are Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Then Jesus went on to say, in laymens terms, That’s right. And you are Peter. The name for Peter here is Petros, which means small rock. Then when Jesus says upon this rock I will build my church He used the word “petra” which means a mass of rock, a large rock. The two words are different because they speak of different things.
Jesus was saying “Yes Simon Barjona, I am the Christ, Messia, the Son of the living God. And thou art Peter ( a name Jesus gave him), small rock. Upon this Rock, large rock of my name, Jesus, I will build my church.”
He called the church out by His authority to do so. Then Jesus commissioned the church.
B. Jesus Commissioned the Church
B. Jesus Commissioned the Church
And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
He didn’t call them to come together and sing songs. He didn’t call them together to listen to someone talk for 30+ minutes. He didn’t call them to clean up days or tag sales.
He called them to go out and minister to the people in their community and the world in oder to point them back to Jesus Christ.
This isn’t even the Great commission of or . This is early in the ministry of Christ. We see from the beginning it was the intent of the church to be a people that are going out and being a witness to others, showing the love of Christ in a real way that impacts the community.
With that being said we need to understand that brand and name recognition is not the objective of the church.
Jesus is the objective of the church.
II. Jesus is the Objective of the Church
II. Jesus is the Objective of the Church
Illustration: Philadelphia Eagles Quarterback, Carson Wentz, began to get a lot of attention during their Super Bowl Winning season a couple years ago. One of the things that came out was that He plays for an audience of 1.
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He has since created a foundation by that name that carries with it the purpose of “Uplifting individuals and communities around the world by demonstrating God’s love for His people.”
Not for His own glory or the recognition of the organization, but for the glory of God.
Every ministry, every song, every message, ever lesson taught, every outreach effort, big day, fellowship, and word of encouragement are not done for the benefit of this pastor, the name of this church, or the people of this church, but for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.
How do we accomplish this objective? By what means has Jesus said this shall be done?
First, it will accomplished through called out people.
A. Accomplished through called-out people
A. Accomplished through called-out people
What does it mean to be called out? The word translated church in the NT is the word Ekklesia. It is where we get the term “called out” It means a called out assembly.
When we assemble in this building we are called out from the world to assemble together as Liberty Baptist Church.
Remember, the called out ones are made up of those who have their faith in Christ for salvation.
That’s step 1 if you will. Salvation but throughout scripture we see another term that needs to be understood more clearly in our vocabulary. That word is sanctification.
Sanctification is the process of becoming more like Christ as the Holy Spirit works in our hearts and we conform more to the image of Christ.
What does that look like?
It begins at Salvation and then as you grow in the Lord through preaching, discipleship, personal Bible Study, and service to the Lord you will find desires changing. You will experience conviction from the Holy Spirit and have to respond to it.
It’s what makes Christians different than all of society. We are called to be different.
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
Peter is writing to New Testament Christians here. Yes they may have Jewish heritage but understand what is being told to them and us.
They are a royal priesthood. Just as Priests set themselves apart by behavior and lifestyle from the rest of the society so should Christians. Not because we have to. Not because of guilt. Not because of shame but because of the Lord Jesus Christ and His love for us.
He accepts us as we are and our motivations should not be for His blessing or acceptance. It should be for Him to be glorified through us. That was Jesus’ prayer. He wanted the Father to be glorified through the Son.
It’s why as Christians we seek to separate ourselves from sinful habits and lifestyles. It’s why we ask ourselves “Can this action be glorifying to God in anyway? Will this action bring honor to Christ? Will this action cause a brother to stumble?”
I challenge you, ask yourself those questions this week when you turn your tv on, visit establishments, speak to your children or spouse, etc.
It’s been said of preachers that our walk speaks louder than our messages on Sunday. It’s true of our Sunday School teachers, Worship Team, Awana workers, Nursery workers, ushers and greeters as well.
God wrote this profound statement in scripture in
If I preach one thing and those in service are living another, the message of the gospel is lost as people try to figure out which is Bibl
The Pastor is held to this standard
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Turn from their wicked ways. God has never wanted His people to be associated with wicked lifestyles or sin. What addiction, actions, habits, in your life are not glorifying to God? What are you going to do about them in response to God’s love and as an example to others?
We accomplish the objective of honoring Jesus as a called out people through local assemblies.
B. Accomplished through local assemblies
B. Accomplished through local assemblies
I do not believe the church is simply a universal body of saved people. It exists in local assemblies that consists of saved and baptized believers.
Paul established multiple churches during his missions trips
Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.
It’s amazing to see how real churches functioned in the early days without councils or denominations. They had Jesus Christ as their head and were of one mind and one accord to glorify Him.
Illustration: President Harry S. Truman is quoted as saying “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” I completely agree but I want to go one step further and say this “It is amazing what a church can accomplish when we only care that Jesus is getting the credit.”
What if we came to church for others and not ourselves? What if we served the Lord for His glory and not our own? I’m thankful for the many faithful servants here at Liberty Baptist who have been seeking to have Jesus Christ glorified through the ministry here no matter who stood behind this pulpit. I’m thankful to be a part of a family of believers that knows its not about a man, its not about a building, it’s about Jesus Christ.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature, In all things should He have preeemience.
He is the beginning of the church and Jesus is the Omega of the church.
III. Jesus is the Omega of the Church
III. Jesus is the Omega of the Church
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
He is the author and finisher of our faith. He is the one it all started with, He is the one it is all about, and He is the one that will end it all when the time come.
But what do we do with this? What does that mean to us?
It means one day the Lord will return and we will stand before Him. It means one day it will be too late for anyone to be saved.
Therefore, it’s up to believers to reach out by the Love of Christ.
A. By the Love of Christ
A. By the Love of Christ
Christ’s love for us should be the motivator for us to serve, give, teach, witness, abstain from sinful practices. Not in guilt with the mentality of “because he died for me I have to do this and that...”
We serve, we love, we give, we abstain from sinful practices not for acceptance, not for admiration of God or others, not to repay Christ because that debt cannot be repaid.
It’s by the love of Christ we show the love of Christ to others. How great it was to drop off all of those donations to the pregnancy center in middletown last week. They said that should last them to the end of the year.
When we show people that Jesus is more than just a name in a book and that He loves us, Loves them, and because of Him we do these things, we earn the right to tell them about His death burial and resurrection.
The gospel. That’s what it’s all about focusing. It’s my vision for Liberty Baptist Church to be a church that exists for the purpose of Engaging the community and the world with the gospel, Equipping Christians with gospel centered teaching, and Enabling believers with the gospel to love others and bring glory to Jesus Christ.
Those are all great things and fancy words, I think, but none of it comes to fruition except by the obedience of Christians.
B. By the Obedience of Christians
B. By the Obedience of Christians
You may have heard it said “If you really want to do something, you'll find a way. If you don't, you'll find an excuse.”
It’s amazing the excuses we find to not be obedient to Christ.
Illustration: Two men were our fishing on a Sunday morning when one said to the other “You know, I really feel kind of guilty for skipping out of church this morning.” “Yeah, I know what you mean.” The other replied. “But actually, I couldn’t have gone to church this morning anyway.”
“Really? Why’s that?”
“Well, I could have stayed home, but I couldn’t have gone to church because my wife is sick.”
Church attendance is just one area where we make excuses. You say “But I don’t have to go to church to go to Heaven” That’s right. you don’t. You also don’t have to wear a parachute when you jump out of an airplane but it’s extremely beneficial when you do.
It’s not just about the services, it’s about you serving. God calls us to gather together not for our own selves but for others.
And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
It’s through our attendance and our service that we provoke love and good works to others. It’s where we learn the truth and teach the truth. It’s where we are encouraged and strength-end. It’s where we have the privilege of love and strengthening others.
The local church has been ordained by God as the pillar and ground of truth. It’s our privilege and honor to be a part of what God has established on Earth to carry out His objective.
Conclusion
Conclusion
As a church we have been called out to the work of the Lord. Because of the Love of Christ we serve, love, and live a lifestyle becoming of the gospel of Jesus.
You could be here this morning and not understand the love of Jesus. You don’t know Him as your savior. I want to give you that opportunity today.
As the piano begins to play this morning I’d like each of us to stand with our heads bowed and eyes closed. This is our time of invitation. It’s when you have the opportunity to respond to the message this morning.
If you are here and don’t know Jesus as your savior I’d like for you to raise your hand. I won’t embarrass you or call you down. I want to pray for you and let you know how you can trust Christ.
Salvation explanation
Thank you.
Christians, the message was for you this morning. Jesus is the foundation of the church. The lamb slain prior to the foundation of the earth. The one who loved us so much that He gave His life for us. The one who said “if you love me, keep my commandments.”
Do you set the example inside and outside of church that’s worthy of Christ? Is there something in your life, some habit, some addiction, some actions you take that need to be confessed as sin. Do that now. Turn from them and seek the Holy Spirit to help you remove them from your life.
Are you committed to continuing the local church through obedience to Christ’s Great Commission?
God has called us to do something not just sit back and relax. We are to be going out and loving others. Telling others about Jesus and planting seeds and watering so God may give the increase.
It’s through the local church that God has promised the gates of hell should not prevail against.
I want to ask you this morning, have you decided to join a local church? If you haven’t, I’d like to offer you the opportunity to step out right now and come down to join Liberty Baptist.
Only two requirements, you’ve been saved and baptized. I’ll talk to you about that when you come down. If you’d like to make Liberty Baptist your church family would you step out now and come down.
As the piano plays I ask that you continue in prayer for our church, for these stepping out, and for your role in the local church.
PRAY
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