Practical Ecclesiology (4)

Objective of the Church: Instruction

Quiz- Quiz is on the first chapter of the book Radical Together. You have 15 minutes to complete.

Some of the questions from this book me and my team are going to have a hard look at. To see if The Great Commission lines up with what we are doing as a ministry.

Questions from Radical Together :

How can we effectively mobilize the people of this church to accomplish the Great Commission?

The with principle. Have people with you and encourage them to be involved. Invite people out Be there yourself.

How can we most effectively organize the leadership of this church to accomplish the Great Commission?

Do we need all the staff, teams, and committees we have?

Does our church budget reflect the desires and design of God in His Word?

Giving to missions Give to more evangelistic endeavors.

Are all the programs we have created the absolute best way to advance the gospel from our community to the ends of the earth?

I want to change the format of Thursday Thrive.

What good things do we have or what good things are we doing that we need to abolish or alter for greater ends?

Today is instruction! We don’t particularly like instruction because we are challenged by instruction.

Instruction makes us accountable to what we know.

Luke 12:48 “....For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.”

Acts 2:42 “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.”

Luke gives us a beautiful cameo of The Spirit filled church! This verse sumarizes the church life after Pentecost.

It was a learning church

-They devoted themselves to the apostles doctrine. Being filled with the Spirit does not mean anti-intellectualism. Spirit of Truth.

-The Spirit of God, leads the people of God to submit to The Word of God.

2. It was a loving church

The devoted themselves to fellowship. This wasnt any fellowship

Kiononia This was a Trinitarian fellowship. First its fellowship with God is the act of praise and worship. A deep expression of fellowshipping with God. Father Son and The Holy Spirit.

Secondly It was fellowshipping with each other. In our common share of our relationship with God.

The greek word Kiononia actually means generous. This church was definitely that. They had All things in common

3. It was a worshiping church

It was a church that worshipped at the temple and in there homes .

It was formal and informal

I think bring those two together are important.

Me and my wife try to at least visit one body members home once a week and once a week have church members come to our home.

P. Bailiy’s church grew because as soon as a new member came to his church he would visit them and have coffee.

Breaking of Bread - could be in reference to communion. But breaking of bread is an very important aspect of ministry I believe we take for granted. Literally every service we have some kind of refreshments and people hang out for hours after service. vs 46 -breaking bread again

It was an evangelistic church .

-If you just read vs42 it gives you a very lipsided view of the church . But they were evangelistic

Acts 2:47 “praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”

-They where missions minded.

-Jesus is missions minded ! and He’s the head of the church.

vs 42

The continued steadfastly.

Steadfastly - they where persistent, and they continued in. They where devoted !

Acts 1:14 “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.”

Acts 2:46 “So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,”

3. Acts 6:4 “but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.””

4.Romans 12:12 “rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;”

Recently we included prayer as a great emphasis in our church. We have a couple who’s willing to open there house for prayer.

5. Col 4:2 “Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;”

6. 2 Tim 3:14 “But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them,”

“ Apostles Doctrine” - is what we are calling instruction.

The word “ Indoctrination” could be a replacement word, but because of the negativity that people have placed on that word we say instruction.

- I like this idea because modern day terms indoctrination is attached to manipulation.

All instruction of the Word of God must be commited to exposition.

What is exposition?

Exposition : “is to expose the meaning of the passage”

Sometimes we can isolate passages. And take things completely out of context. So exposition is very crucial Bible College students!

The NT was not written yet so the “apostles doctrine” was a combination of the OT (which in this same chapter Peter quoted David.)

- the doctrine where Different Messianic Prophesy throughout scripture .

- And words and experiences throughout there time with Jesus Christ.

Also at the time ther present experiences that became inspired scriptures .

But now we have access to the full counsel of God . Apostles doctrine is written down through the Epistles by the inspiration of The Holy Spirit.

Turn to . 2 Tim 3:14-17 “But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God ( God breathed ) , and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

The value of the scriptures:

Doctrine -teaching (instructing believers in God’s truth)

Reproof - rebuking those in sin (cf. 1 Tim. 5:20 “Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear.”

Question: If I catch someone sinning or hear of someone sinning should I rebuke them?

19 Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses., 1 Ti 5:18–19.

But doctrine gives us this liberty and authority to do so.

2 Tim. 4:2 “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.”

Correcting- correcting those in error (cf. 2 Tim. 2:25 “in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth,”

4:2 “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.”

Instruction - training (paideian, lit., “child-training”) in righteousness (guiding new believers in God’s ways)—for all of these and more the written Word of God is profitable.

Purpose of instructions:

Instructions are written so that we may know how to conduct ourselves in the house of God.

1 Tim 3:14-15 “These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.”

conduct- means to twist or turn or to bend yourself. Like we are educated by the word of God and we twist ourselves to what we’ve been taught.

to behave and go about in a curtain manner.

2. Instructions makes us wise 2 Tim 3:15 “and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

3. The Equipping of the saints . Eph 4:12 “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,”

Equipping means to prepare.

God has gifted men of God to prepare believers through the word of God.

Instruction through Preaching

Many different Pastors believe preaching is story time . A ton of story’s a couple motivational quotes and a Bible verse here and there.

This is for a audience who have itching ears 2 Tim 4:3 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;”

itching ears means they have there own agendas. And They search for teachers who fit there agendas.

They are not searching for truth that want there ears itched, with the intention of scratching it.

They cant endure sound doctrine, that means they can’t endure heathy doctrine.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 4:3–4

1 Tim. 1:10; 6:3; 2 Tim. 1:13; Titus 1:9, 13; 2:8

1 Tim 1:10 “for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine,”

1 Tim 6:3 “If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness,”

2 Tim 1:13 “Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.”

Titus 1:9 “holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.”

Titus 1:13 “This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,”

Titus 2:8 “sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you.”

But thats not preaching thats motivational speaking.

Preaching involves exhortation, application, and instruction.

If I’m listening to a preacher and if He’s not giving instruction I clock out mentally.

We are doing something called preacher boys at my church . I handed one of the young guys a Naves Bible. And I have a specific topic I wanted him to teach from . So when its time to preach his thoughts will be sound.

4. Even in a grace filled ministry we can have itchy ears.

How to identify False teacher of Doctrine

You have those who teach false doctrine . Not the Apostle’s doctrine

1 Tim 6:3-5 “If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself.”

Paul gets into multiple doctrines in this book.

Doctrine of the deacon

Doctrine of Bishops

Doctrine of honoring your masters

Doctrine of honoring your Elders

Doctrine of honoring the widow .

False doctrine is not limited to the nicence creed. Or primary doctrines The Deity of Christ etc.

It can be how you treat a disciple . or a church member

1 Peter 5:3 “nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock;”

Just like a doctor diagnosing a sick person. Paul is diagnosing those who teach false doctrine .

Characteristics of there disease. There are three overlapping symptoms

Those who teach false doctrines. Morally they are deficient.

Imagine being taught the Bible from someone who has great moral issues.

False doctrine isn’t just wrong information its a heart issue.

False teaching is panaros evil. Infectious evil.

Its not just an isolated issue. but it spreads.

Moral failures are

- Pride -settled state of personal conceit. They are content to live in there arrogance

- knowing nothing

- obsessed with disputes and arguments over words - pity controversies

2 Tim 2:14 “Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers.”

- Envy - You see good in someone and want to wage war against the good in that person.

You envy another believers success.

Theres enough ministry for all of us.

- strife - quarrels and infighting rather than a church split.

1 Cor 3:3 “for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?”

Are there times when a church splits could be good ?

I would say yes if it takes the attention off of the great commission and it begins to be a distraction to the mission and purpose of the church they can be good.

Barnabas and Paul. the dispute about john mark .

- reviling - blasphemy , slander - This is not blasphemy against God but falsely maligning another believer’s reputation

Col 3:8 “But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.”

- evil suspicions - they are evil because there suspicions are false . They have zero interesting in ascertaining the facts.

- useless wranglings - “ Rubbing against one another. they cause constant friction, continual arguing.

corrupt minds- Rotted , decayed mind

- destitute of truth -Turned their backs on truth. ( in the passive , they have been deprived of , or in the middle they deprived themselves of truth )

They use allot of psychology and very little Bible .

- a show of godliness

- a way to become wealthy .

Those who preach false doctrine it spreads like cancer .

2 Tim 2:17 “And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort,”