The Kind of Church God Wants in Algoa
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· 7 viewsDiscusion on the Model Church of Thessalonia and the reputation of a church
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The Foundation of the Church (v.1)
The Foundation of the Church (v.1)
Not in a board of directors
Not in a benefactor
Not in a tradition
Not in a convention nor an association
The are autonomous
Pray
Study Scripture
Walk in Faith, Hope, and Charity (Love) - to one another and others
Founded on God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
The Format of the Church
The Format of the Church
1 Corinthians 13:8
Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
1 Corinthians 13:13
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
1 Thessalonians 5:8
But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
This was not a church that was majoring in nine gifts of the spirit. They were demonstrating three .... Faith, Hope, and Charity (Love)
The Work of Faith reaches upward
The Labor of Love reaches outward
The Hope of patience reaches forward.
The Formation of the Church v. 4-6
The Formation of the Church v. 4-6
God called a man (Acts 16:6-10)
The Spirit forbade them to go to Asia and Bithynia
The Spirit sent them a vision to go to Macedonia to preach the gospel.
As a result they preached in Philippi, Thessalonica, Beria, Athens, and Corinth.
God confirmed his message (v.5)
with word, power, the Holy Spirit, by witness
God Collected the Membership
He saves them (v.4)
He stabilizes them (v.6)
He satisfies them (v.6c)
The Function of this Church vv. 7-10
The Function of this Church vv. 7-10
They were a shinning church - they were an example (v.7)
They were a sending church - sounded out… spread abroad (v.8)
They were a sanctified church - turned to God from idols (v.9)
They were a serving church - to serve the living and true God (v.9)
They were a satisfied church - waiting for his son (v.10)
They were a scriptural church - built on the risen Lord (v.10)
They were a secure church - delivered from the wrath to come (v.10)
What is it that we should be and do?
What is it that we should be and do?
Many churches today are focused on the wrong things:
Money (how much revenue, salaries)
Big Buildings, gymnasiums, church gyms, etc...
Membership Numbers (not discipleship or spiritual maturity)
Gifts of Healing, Tongues, Prophecies, etc...
The church in the early part of Acts had many spiritual gifts…
yet it neglected the widows, so they made the office of deacons
The church of Corinth had many spiritual gifts…
yet they were a divided church
they were an immoral church
they were a church with no spiritual maturity
But of the letters that Paul wrote to the churches… this church was the one that he said, “so that we need not to speak any thing.”
Paul did not have to chastise them
Paul wrote of deeper spiritual matters to them, because they were a mature body of believers
Paul encouraged them to continue in the Way
This is what manner we should live in the church of Algoa. Once of:
Walking in Faith that reaches up to the heavens
Laboring in Love that reached outward to our family, neighbors, and enemies
Reaching forward in the Hope of the resurrection of live and the completion of the plan of redemption in Christ Jesus our Lord