This is My Church

Pastor Anthony J Shetley

Sunday, December 12, 2021

Jesus said to His disciples, “Upon this rock I will build my church.”

Jesus came to save His people from their sins.

Who are His people?

His people would be all who believed in and sought to live a righteous life before the one true God, the God of Israel, the creator of all things.

Romans 2:12–16

For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law. For it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.

His people are all who have and will come to Jesus Christ, and receive His atonement for their sin, repent of their sin, and commit their life to follow Him faithfully.

He gave Himself for His people who are the church.

Ephesians 5:27

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.

Every individual who comes to know Christ is made a part of His body – His people, whom He saves from their sin.

1 John 1:7

but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Together, in Christ, through the in-dwelling Holy Spirit, we accomplish and carry out the will of God.

Consider the record of the early church in Acts.

Acts 1:4

Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me.”

Acts 2:1

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.

Paul writing to the church – “We are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.” (1 Corinthians 3:9)

We are the church. A local body that is part of the greater body, but all the same, we are an autonomous body accountable before God for our ministry.

“This is my church.”

There is no I or me, there is only us and we.

We are One in Christ!

The Church

loves one another,

is committed to one another,

and is accountable to one another.

The Lord Commands for His Church to Love One Another.

We love each other out of the love we have received from God.

God remains with us as we remain together in His love.

His love is perfected in that we act in love toward one another.

He does not intend for us to receive His love and then withhold it from others.

1 John 4:11–12

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.

The love we feel for and share with each other gives witness to the presence of the Holy Spirit in our life.

1 John 4:13

By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.

1 John 4:20–21

If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.

Love takes place in our fellowship. Therefore, it’s important that we come together.

Acts 2:46

Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart.

Love takes place through being there for one another, sharing in life’s wins and challenges; interceding for each other in prayer.

The people of God share a divine intimacy with each other that’s genuine, springing forth from the divine nature of which we are all partakers.

Love takes place through helping each other in time of need.

Acts 2:45

and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.

Summary

Our church exists through relationships; first to Christ and then to each other.

cWe must be active in c

a