This I Beleive Sermon Week 5 - What is the Church?

Justin Ashurst

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Intro/Welcome

Celebrate Baptism:

Good morning

The first thing we want to do today is to celebrate our recent baptisms

We will be talking about the church today, and this is really what it is all about

Photo

Let’s celebrate

people coming to Faith

From death to Life

Committing their life to the Lord

Intro

What do you get when you have two anglicans, a presbyterian and a reformed charismatic baptist sitting around the table?

Answer: UNITY

It’s a picture of the Church, i think as God intended it.

It is a picture of me and three of my pastor friends in the area.

Story

on May 26th / about a week ago

we all went out together to pray and to show and share the love of God with people over on Park Ave.

There were a lot of unremarkable conversations

There were a few conversations where God’s love was shared, but the fruit we may never seen

And there was one conversation that was life changing.

We went out in pairs and the other pair shared this story with us.

They came across a man just sitting on some steps near the train station

He had his head in his hands

so my friends approached him and asked if he was ok and if he could use any prayer.

He began telling them some of the struggles he is experiencing

Some issues with his father he is living with

some mental health struggle

some other issues

he talked about how much he has been just trying to get some studio time.

My friends the listened, they asked questions, they shared God’s love with Him

they prayed for Him

then one of my friend’s felt prompted to ask how much a studio session would cost

the guy said $120

My friend looked in his wallet to see how much he had and he had exactly $120 dollars

he doesn't’ carry cash — it was left over from vacation

So he gives it to the man in need

and the guy just starts weeping

he is overcome by this mercy

He goes on to share that before, these two guys came over to him, he had been thinking about ending it

about throwing himself in front of one of the cars driving by.

But instead of that tragic end, here is how his evening ended:

[PIC of hugging]

The Church

Friends, this is a picture of the Church.

the church being the church God intended

takes steps of faith, risking being a fool

and watching God work in powerful ways.

Today

Today we are continuing in our series “This I Believe”

where we are examining the foundations of the Christian Faith

and really of our life.

Today we are answering “What is the Church?”

Recap

What is the Bible? - God’s words written down for us and to us

Who is God? - Trinity, like and unlike, personal

What is the Story of Scripture?

4 Chapters: Creation | Fall | Redemption | Restoration

God created all thing Good

Evil entered the world in the Fall and broke everything.

Why is Jesus the Center?

the person and the work of Jesus

Came to Redeem, reconcile and restore all things.

Chapter 4: Restoration

God’s plan to Restore all things:

Through the Church to bring His Kingdom to Earth

Today: The Church

On the Last Week: The Kingdom of God

Welcome

Welcome you to One Hope

Welcome those ONLINE

My Name

The Church Prays — Let’s pray

Pray

Isaiah 61:1–3 (NKJV)

1 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, 3 To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

What is the Church?

Here is Grudem’s Definition of the Church

the church is the community of all true believers for all time.

That’s a good simple definition

in light of this series, let me expand it

The Church is a people created in the image of God, fallen into sin, redeemed by the blood of Jesus, reconciled to God, the Father, regenerated and filled by the Holy Spirit to participate in God’s purpose to restore all things.

The Story of God

Creation | Fall | Redemption | Restoration

Metaphors

The Bible gives us a number of metaphors to describe the Church.

I’ll mention three:

The Building of Christ

The Body of Christ

The Bride of Christ

honorable mentions: God’s field, the vine, a holy priesthood, citizens of the kingdom, the family of God

Each communicates something special about the Church.

We need keep all three in mind and not elevate one over the other.

The Building of Christ - God’s Temple

Jesus came and dwelt amongst us (tabernacled)

Now the Church are a million mini tabernacles (portable temples)

It went from Tabernacle to Temple to The Body of Christ

The very dwelling place of God’s Spirit through which God ministers to the world

God is building his temple with living stones — that is you and I.

The Temple of God — the dwelling place for the Holy Spirit

1 Corinthians 3:16 (CSB)

16 Don’t you yourselves know that you are God’s temple and that the Spirit of God lives in you?

Ephesians 2:19–22 (CSB)

19 So, then, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone.

21 In him the whole building, being put together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you are also being built together for God’s dwelling in the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 (CSB)

19 Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought at a price. So glorify God with your body.

So God is filling the world with his presence through the temple of God which is now the church — the dwelling place of God on earth

first embodied in Christ.

But perhaps more stunning than either of these is the third metaphor: The Bride of Christ

the Beloved.

The Body of Christ

By this it means that the Church is the physical/spiritual presence of Christ on Earth

think about that.

The Holy Spirit is dwelling in you.

Christ is at work in and through you.

It is through the church that the world is touched.

Ephesians 1:22–23 (CSB)

22 And he subjected everything under his feet and appointed him as head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.

Ephesians 4:15–16 (CSB)

15 But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ. 16 From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part.

Colossians 2:19 (CSB)

19 He doesn’t hold on to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and tendons, grows with growth from God.

The Bride of Christ.

The beloved of Christ

The metaphor of marriage in Eph 5

Ephesians 5:25–32 (CSB)

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her with the washing of water by the word.

27 He did this to present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and blameless.

28 In the same way, husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

29 For no one ever hates his own flesh but provides and cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, 30 since we are members of his body.

31 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.

32 This mystery is profound, but I am talking about Christ and the church.

Revelation 19:7–8 (CSB)

7 Let us be glad, rejoice, and give him glory, because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his bride has prepared herself. 8 She was given fine linen to wear, bright and pure. For the fine linen represents the righteous acts of the saints.

John 3:29 (CSB)

29 He who has the bride is the groom. But the groom’s friend, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly at the groom’s voice. So this joy of mine is complete.

Isaiah 62:5 (CSB)

5 For as a young man marries a young woman, so your sons will marry you; and as a groom rejoices over his bride, so your God will rejoice over you.

This is really the heart of the Gospel — of God’s relationship to the Church

God loves the Church

God loves you church.

as a husband loves a wife

a wife loves a husband.

Other metaphors

God’s field, the vine, a holy priesthood, citizens of the kingdom, the family of God

Each communicates something special about the Church.

We need keep all three in mind and not elevate one over the other.

Grudem:

The metaphor of the church as the body of Christ should increase our interdependence on one another and our appreciation of the diversity of gifts within the body.

The picture of the church as God’s new temple should increase our awareness of God’s very presence dwelling in our midst as we meet.

The thought that the church is like the bride of Christ should stimulate us to strive for greater purity, holiness, love for Christ, and submission to him.

The fact that the church is like a family should increase our love and fellowship with one another.

The image of the church as branches in a vine should cause us to rest in him more fully.

The idea of an agricultural crop should encourage us to continue growing in the Christian life and obtaining for ourselves and others the proper spiritual nutrients to grow.

The concept of the church as a priesthood should help us to see more clearly the delight God has in the sacrifices of praise and good deeds that we offer to him (see Heb. 13:15–16).

Transition

These metaphors help us understand God’s relationship to and intention for the Church

But what does the church look like?

What characterizes the church?

What are the ‘marks’ of the Church?

The Mark’s of the Church

There have been various lists of the ‘marks’ of the church throughout history

The Reformers

The Reformers identified two marks of the Church

The Right Preaching of God’s Word

The Right administration of the Sacraments: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper

I think these are right

Wherever the Church exists there is:

preaching the the historic Gospel Message — it is Orthodoxy — Right Doctrine

There are also the practices of baptism and the Lord’s Supper

IOW there is no other institution that practices these

9 Marks

even in our day an entire organization known as 9 Marks

Preaching

Biblical Theology

The Gospel

Conversion

Evangelism

Membership

Discipline

Discipleship

Leadership

We would agree with all of these

I’m not going to through each one systematically, but we’ll hit most of these as we continue.

For One Hope:

1. Right Doctrine — Preaching of God’s Word

2. Baptism - believers baptism

Baptized by immersion upon a confession of faith in Jesus.

Symbolic of our union with Christ

public proclamation — witness

3. Lord’s Supper

Symbolic — Body and Blood of Christ

Practice Weekly

Lord’s presence — we’d say yes — by the Spirit of God

Now if you do any research into these you will find that there are varying beliefs about the meaning and practice of each of these.

In light of that, I think there are some other marks of the Church.

4. Unity

Ephesians 4:1–2 (CSB)

1 Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

Ephesians 4:3–6 (CSB)

3 making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope at your calling—5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

1 Cor 1:10.

1 Cor 12:24-25.

We are unified around Jesus Christ

Jesus last prayer was for unity — John 17

4. Diversity

Ephesians 4:7 (CSB)

7 Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

Rom 12:3-8.

1 Cor 12:12, 14, 18, 20

In line with the Body of the Christ

there are many members and each has a different role

a different gifting

1 Corinthians 12:12–20 (CSB)

12 For just as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body—so also is Christ.

13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and we were all given one Spirit to drink.

14 Indeed, the body is not one part but many.

15 If the foot should say, “Because I’m not a hand, I don’t belong to the body,” it is not for that reason any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I’m not an eye, I don’t belong to the body,” it is not for that reason any less a part of the body.

17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?

18 But as it is, God has arranged each one of the parts in the body just as he wanted.

19 And if they were all the same part, where would the body be?

20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

1 Corinthians 12:27–28 (CSB)

27 Now you are the body of Christ, and individual members of it. 28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, next miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, leading, various kinds of tongues.

This is such a beautiful picture

Each of you are a particular role to play in God’s plan for One Hope Church

do you believe that?

Part of the role of the Leadership is to help you discover that and serve in that particular way.

which leads to the next:

5. Leadership

The church has gifted leadership.

Ephesians 4:11 (CSB)

11 And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers,

The role of leadership is

Ephesians 4:12–13 (CSB)

12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.

Eldership

God has appointed elders/or overseers

presbyters — episkopos

To shepherd the Church

1 Peter 5:1–3 (CSB)

1 I exhort the elders among you as a fellow elder and witness to the sufferings of Christ, as well as one who shares in the glory about to be revealed:

2 Shepherd God’s flock among you, not overseeing out of compulsion but willingly, as God would have you; not out of greed for money but eagerly; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.

We are an Elder-Led Church

Know, Feed, Lead, Protect and Care for the Church

We are having a vote today for our newest elder candidate: Nduka Enemchukwu

Church Discipline?

Part of the role of leadership is to correct error

sometimes this results in church discipline

6. Love

John Frame: Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Christian Belief (Marks)

And we should also ask: are these the only marks of the church?

Scripture does not say that any of the previous three are marks, but it does say that love is a mark.

Jesus said, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35).

Strange that love has been ignored in the discussion of marks. Perhaps if love, and not only true doctrine, had been recognized as a mark, the church would have been less characterized by theological battling.

John 13:34–35 CSB

34 “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

This is the MARK of the Church

how are we doing at loving one another?

loving the world?

Paul makes the same point

after all of his description of the diversity of gifting in the Body

he makes it a point to set love as the priority

1 Corinthians 13:1–3 (CSB)

1 If I speak human or angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

2 If I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing.

3 And if I give away all my possessions, and if I give over my body in order to boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:4–7 (CSB)

4 Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, 5 is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs. 6 Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1 Corinthians 13:8–13 (CSB)

8 Love never ends.

But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease;

as for knowledge, it will come to an end.

9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will come to an end.

11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put aside childish things.

12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, as I am fully known.

13 Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love—but the greatest of these is love.

Love is the defining and ultimate mark of the Church

at the end of it all: LOVE is what matters.

7. Holy Spirit Power

Acts 1:8 (CSB)

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Romans 5:5 (CSB)

5 This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

The Church is empowered by the Holy Spirit to do the work of the Kingdom.

Transition

We’ve seen what the Church is

We’ve talked about the characteristics of the Church

Now, what is the calling of the Church?

what is the church supposed to be doing?

What does the Church do?

You could ask it this way:

What does love look like?

We could answer this in one word: MINISTRY

The church ministers — serves — loves

Ministers to

God

the Body of Christ

the world

1. The Church Minister’s to God

We call that Worship

We come here together to Worship God

We are serving Him and we are Praising Him

We worship him individually and corporately

here on Sundays, throughout the week in our groups

Romans 12:1 (CSB)

1 Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.

One of the most oft commands issued is that we would REJOICE in the Lord

to Praise Him

2. The Church Ministers to the Body of Christ

The Church serves the Body of Christ

again this is from a heart of Worship

All of the Gifts of the Spirit are to ‘edify’ or build up the body of Christ

We are to live out the one-anothers of Scripture as an expression of our love for one another.

Ephesians 4:15–16 (CSB)

lays down their life

John 15:12–13 (CSB)

12 “This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you. 13 No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.

Mark 10:42–45 (CSB)

42 Jesus called them over and said to them, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions act as tyrants over them. 43 But it is not so among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you will be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first among you will be a slave to all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

The whole point of John 13 — Jesus washing the feat

was to be an example for them.

John 13:14–16 (CSB)

14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done for you. 16 “Truly I tell you, a servant is not greater than his master, and a messenger is not greater than the one who sent him.

One Hope Serving

all kinds of ways we minister through to the Body

groups

connecting

praying

meeting needs

one of the easiest places to minister to the body of Christ is right here in Sunday morning.

To Partners

103 partners — 20% not serving at all

define partner / covenant

some greater % are serving out of lifeless obligation (over a period of time)

caveats: health, season of life, new babies

We are all called to serve one another out of our love for God and for His Bride from a heart of Worship

If serving the body has been become a lifeless obligation

then one has to ask why?

you see the problem isn’t out there,

and it isn’t on God’s end.

The problem is in each of our hearts

what is needed is repentance.

Where is your passion for the Lord?

Where is the joy of the Lord?

That’s where the real problem is.

Galatians 6:10 (CSB)

10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith.

3. The Church Ministers to the World

Lastly, the church exist to minister to the World

That is done through BOTH: WORD and DEED

We do that through the preaching of the Gospel

We do that through living out the gospel.

It is through evangelizing and through meeting practical needs.

Leadership

We want to help provide more opportunities to do this as a church

But it is also all around us, where you live, eat, work and play.

Story: SRC

Share of personal experience.

Serving the least of these

Matthew 25:34–40 (CSB)

34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

35 “ ‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger and you took me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me; I was in prison and you visited me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and take you in, or without clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick, or in prison, and visit you?’

40 “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Closing

I wan’t to close with this last idea: JOY

7. Joy

The Church is to be filled with JOY

that doesn’t mean without affliction of suffering

in fact, joy is all the more powerful in the midst of pain

Romans 14:17 (CSB)

17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

In my devotional time this week I came across John 15

Jesus last teaching to the disciples and he says this:

John 15:11 (CSB)

11 “I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.

John 16:22 (CSB)

22 So you also have sorrow now. But I will see you again. Your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy from you.

Application

Church — where is your joy?

no one can take it, but apparently you can take it away

What does repentance look like?

Let’s just come together now (STAND) and cry out to the Lord in corporate repentance

Let us rejoice not in the things of this world

not in our circumstances

but in the LORD

Let us BE THE CHURCH that Jesus died to purchase.

Pray

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