What is the Church? (what it is)

What do you think a barbarian might look like? What might a barbarian wear? What tools might the barbarian use? (pause) Some of you may be thinking of someone with cave man features who dressed in animal skins, has crude tools, and communicates by short grunts.

We have been answering the question, “what is the church?” The church is God’s great plan of bringing together all people who were once greatly separated from Christ. In fact, when the Gospel first came to our ancestors 2000 years ago, they were considered barbarians. Barbarians were known by their lust for bloodshed, pagan spiritual rituals, cannibalism, all kinds of sexual immorality, and un-inhibited greed.

When I think of a barbarian, I think of someone who looks just like you and me. Just like barbarians, our fellow countrymen are known for their lust for bloodshed. People are rightly appalled that 6 million Jews were killed during the Holocaust by the Nazis and some have even called their actions barbaric. By comparison, more than 62 million unborn children have been murdered by our countrymen since 1973. Barbarians were known for odd spiritual beliefs and performing strange spiritual rituals to please their gods. More than ever before people are turning to other gods found in other religions, or the occults, or people simply believe there is no God. A lack of faith in God at one time was also considered barbaric and we are a nation of agnostics.

Barbarians were known for all kinds of sexual immorality. In our country pornography generates more annual revenue than ABC, NBC, and CBS combined earning 12 billion dollars annually making it one of the top industries in the US. Homosexuality and all kinds of sexual perversions are becoming mainstream and people are mutilating bodies to increase sex appeal or to change their gender.

Barbarians were known by their un-inhibited greed and harsh treatment of others. Our country has been torn apart by masses of lawless people who loot, riot and destroy to further their own political agendas. The police have been rendered ineffective in many cities in our nation by people who sought to throw off the very bodies God intended to restrain sin.

I mention all this to make a point which needs to be made. If you remember the statistic I used last week, 81% of all people think they can be very good Christians without attending church. They are deceived. They think their sin is not as bad as barbarians. They think they are somehow evolved, better people with some sore of high morality that will prevent them from displeasing God. Paul wrote about these things in...

1 Corinthians 6:9–11 (ESV)

do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Without God and without frequent participation in the local church body, people do not act any better than barbarians. We need to call sin what it is and not sugar coat it. Sin is sin. All who live outside God’s written plan for the church do not have the full strength to withstand the wiles of the devil. They will lack the strength to stand firm in the face of evil from day to day. All gentile nations greatly need God’s miraculous gift of transformed living. Perhaps that knowledge is why the Jews in Acts 11:18, “glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.” Barbarians could also be changed and shaped into God’s image by the power of the cross!

Please turn to Eph 2. (pause)

Ephesians 2:11–22 (ESV)

11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— 12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

There are only two groups of people in the world: those who are far off, the barbarians, if you will, and those who have been brought near by the blood of Christ. We must be fully aware of the perils that lie in wait for our souls every moment of every day. This is why we must understand that we are no better off than any other nation, or any other people across all time. When we think we are very good when we really are not, we set ourselves up for significant spiritual failure.

Here is a question for you to write down and think about: is a church viable if it doesn’t do life together? Is a local church viable if its members do not do life together? The church is defined across the N.T. as “togetherness.” Eph 2:12 says we are no longer separated or strangers. Togetherness provides opportunities to grow in faith, life, and godliness together! Being together should increase our desire for unity and unity furthers our desire to be together. We have read of constant examples of togetherness in Acts. Togetherness is vital for the completion of our mission.

I have been planning this message for about 4 weeks now and I find it ironic and rather humorous that I am preaching a message about togetherness from my place of isolation in COVID quarantine! God seems to clearly desires me to preach this particular message this week. I believe the deacons helped me by contacting 8 different men and none of them were available to speak, so I can only assume that my prayers are being answered. God has been working in your lives to receive this very message.

Why should we be together?

God commands it.

The word for church is “ekklesia” which means “called out.”

Acts 7:38 (ESV) This is the one (Moses) who was in the congregation (or ekklesia) in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. He received living oracles to give to us.

Israel was called out of Egypt by God to live differently than all other nations, set apart for the glory of God. Just as Israel was called out for God’s purposes, the Gentiles, us, were also set aside to serve God’s purposes.

Acts 15:13–14 (ESV) ...James replied, “Brothers, listen to me. 14 Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name.

Gentiles were called away from barbaric, devastating sin. Look at...

Ephesians 2:1–7 ESV

1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

We have been called away from the passions of the flesh which once completely controlled us. The problem is that God’s people return to their former works of wickedness instead of staying focused on the mission. We struggle to live the called out lives the Lord commanded in...

Leviticus 20:26 ESV

26 You shall be holy to me, for I the Lord am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine.

Being called out of one thing means we are called INTO another thing. We are called out of sin into holy living. Called out of the body of the world and into a new body, the church.

Jesus personally called the 12 disciples out to serve His holy purpose. In Matthew 16:24 he told them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Denying ourselves happens on a moment by moment basis through the power of the Holy Spirit. We cannot grow in holiness if we are still grasping at the sins of Egypt and we cannot grow in holiness when we are not devoted to faithful fellowship with other believers.

Heb 10:24-25 is an important verse. We are commanded to be together.

Hebrews 10:24–25 ESV

24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Also, we read Eph 3:8-11 last week...

Ephesians 3:8–11 ESV

8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, 10 so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord,

Not only did God command togetherness, but Jesus modeled togetherness. Think about what you know about the life of Christ. Who was he with? His disciples, other believers almost constantly. Those who have been called according to God’s purpose should have a new desire for the church because the Holy Spirit always drives believers toward fellowship and never away from fellowship.

We do not serve the eternal purpose God designed when we choose to put our own desires and our own sin ahead of the priorities of our brothers and sisters in our congregation.

Eph 3:6 is an exciting verse! Remember that the Gentiles were forbidden to enter into the holiest parts of the temple. From the time of Moses until Acts chapter 10, the Gentiles couldn’t go to church! Now Gentiles who were once far off can be intimately involved in corporate worship!

We need it.

Ephesians 2:10 ESV

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

We should be striving to live holy lives. That is personal growth. We should be completing good works. That is personal growth and if we continue reading the verses right after Ephesians 2:10, we learn the most significant sign of personal, spiritual growth.

Mark up all the times unity and peace are mentioned in verses 14-21...

14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

There were at least 17 words or phrases in those verses that spoke of togetherness. It is no coincidence that Ephesians, one of the top books of the Bible which deals with the church has the overall theme of togetherness. Personal growth means Spirit empowered people. Spirit empowered people are not hindered by sin, so togetherness is desirable and possible. Did you catch that? Eph 2 verses 14-22 would not exist if togetherness was impossible! Hostility has been killed, why do we sometimes resurrect it from the grave Christ sent it to? If we are being built into a dwelling place for God, shouldn’t we want to speed up that process?

Growth does not take place in a vacuum. Flip over to Ephesians 4. We will pick up at verse 11...

Ephesians 4:11–16 (ESV)

11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,

Hold on for a moment. Where does personal growth take place? In the body of Christ, the local church. Pastors equip the congregation for the work of the ministry who then also join forces with the pastor to build up the local church body… verse 13...

13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

This week, my own body had been fighting COVID-19. Each part of my body this week was working with one purpose… develop the antibodies and eradicate the invasive virus. This is a perfect picture of God’s design for the church body! Every redeemed person has one job… eradicate the sin that invades and seeks to kill, maim, and otherwise destroy. Each part when it is working properly, Eph 4:16, provides antibodies and supplies strength for other parts to grow!

One of the men in our congregation wrote this:

“There are some things you will never learn on your own. You only learn them in community. To grow and develop your potential, you must learn from other people. (PAUSE) For instance, you can only learn forgiveness in relationships. You can’t learn that on your own. You can only learn loyalty in relationships. You can only learn love in relationships. You can’t learn kindness or faithfulness or graciousness or unselfishness without others. In fact, the most important things you need to learn in life require that you be in relationship to other people. You can’t do it on your own. If you want to build your potential, you must learn from others.

Where is the best place to do that? In the family of God. In the Body of Christ. In the church. You need the people God has placed in your life. And they need you! God wired us to need each other and to learn from each other so that we become the man or woman God created us to be.”

When we are faithfully together with other Christians, God will shower blessings on us. Just what are....

What are the blessings of being together?

Well, there are many blessings, too many to talk about or even name here, but I want to at least highlight a few that I think are important for us to consider.

Unprecedented personal growth, encouragement, support, understanding, having all things in common, important conversations with others will be easier, we will have more resolve.

Becuase Ephesians is our primary text and because togetherness is an area which we, members of First Baptist Church need to grow, I am only going to address one blessing this morning. When we faithfully meet together, we will experience the rich blessings of...

Connectedness

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Hebrews 10:24–25 ESV

24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Biblical Connectedness is in person connectedness.

Paul could not wait to be with the church he communicated with. He used technology (letter writing) whenever he could not be in person, but he longed to be in person. I believe if Paul lived in our time, he would have used technology as a substitute only when in person connectedness was impossible or unwise.

...goodness! rom 15:14, gal 5:22, acts (good to communities), outdo each other in good works

...acts 13:32, 14:15 God’s news is good, so we must model goodness/ reflect His goodness to a ungood world.

...Eph 4 unity, importance of “one”

...Rom 14 - everything is for the building up of the body.

Church will grow!

not to grow alone!

what is edification?

Conversations will be easier (easier to confront in love)

How can we be together?

Lead in to growth groups? Why? What opportunities? What examples from Acts? What is the benefit?

Actively praying for each other!

prayer draws us together!

Faithfully attending all opportunities to be together!

This morning, I must address the

Sunday school, new 9:30 SS time!

Growth groups

youth group… smaller studies where your own thoughts, questions, and struggles can be heard, and where you and others can give sound Biblical advice and practical applications to each other. Interactive groups!!!!!! Not called to soak it in..... called to apply it and actively change!

Participation in Fellowship time!

Hospitality!

Finding ways to become invested in people you don’t normally choose to invest in!

just jump in somewhere and get started somewhere by being together with someone!

Thought… how is our worship different from the culture around us? Do we look the same or different? Do people clearly know you are called out, different, strange (aliens and strangers?)

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