The Church Lives their Faith pt.3 -- Pursueing godliness together.
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A Messy Reality
A Messy Reality
We live in a broken world. We ourselves are born with a sin nature passed down to us by our father Adam. This nature is spiritually dead and unable to act, think, or even want the things of God. Holiness is beyond our reach.
Jesus stepped into our mess and joined us. He became one of us and just like Adam, took the place of our representative. . .but He didn’t fail. He didn’t have our sin nature but had a holy nature. He did in a broken and sin-filled world what Adam couldn’t do in a perfect sinless world. He rejected sin and honored God in all that He did. Having no sin, he was not bound by the curse of death. Yet He chose to die. He who had never sinned paid for your sin and mine by dying on the cross. Death had no claim on him so once the price of death was paid he was loosed from the hold of death and he rose triumphant over death. With the price paid for our sins, Jesus can now set us free. To be free, we must put our faith in Him as our Savior and we must surrender our lives to Him as our King.
Every person who puts their faith in Jesus switches sides. They are shifted from dwelling in a kingdom of sin and death to a kingdom of light and life, the Kingdom of God. While on this earth they are still affected by their sin nature. Though they trust in God and seek to walk with him they stumble and fall. Sin catches them, pulls at them, tries to drag them down but they must prevail over it. By faith in Jesus, and through the power of the Holy Spirit that dwells within them they can overcome.
The church is filled with these people. People who are saved but not yet perfect. People who love Jesus and despite their best efforts they fail him. People who claim to love everyone as Jesus did but still struggle to live that out. We are the Church. We are a bit messy. But when we walk with the Lord, the genuineness of our confession of sin, our support and love for one another, our compassion for the lost shines through our brokenness. And though we are weak . . . He is strong. And though we stumble . . . He never fails. In our brokenness his glory shines all the brighter as he redeems us day by day.
So, this local church has adopted this statement about how we represent him because we are committed to being the church He has called us to be:
Church Practice
Church Practice
We believe Jesus has instructed his church and equipped them to help people know God, honor Him, and proclaim His name.
We believe Jesus has instructed his church and equipped them to help people know God, honor Him, and proclaim His name.
As the church we remember and participate in the death and resurrection of Christ through baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
As the church we remember and participate in the death and resurrection of Christ through baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
We obey the command to gather with other believers by committing ourselves to a local church.
We obey the command to gather with other believers by committing ourselves to a local church.
We submit to the elders and deacons of the church who are appointed by Christ and affirmed by the body.
We submit to the elders and deacons of the church who are appointed by Christ and affirmed by the body.
As a family, we use our gifts to help each other grow and to accomplish the work of the kingdom.
As a family, we use our gifts to help each other grow and to accomplish the work of the kingdom.
We maintain the holiness of the church by rejecting sin, holding each other accountable with grace and mercy, and encouraging one another to godliness.
We maintain the holiness of the church by rejecting sin, holding each other accountable with grace and mercy, and encouraging one another to godliness.
This final statement is where will focus today. In this final statement we commit ourselves to God’s standard of holiness. In order to maintain that holiness in light of our brokenness, we turn to the Bible which gives is clear examples and instructions that we should follow. Today we are going to talk about the importance of Rejecting sin, inviting Accountability, and Encouraging one another to godliness.
Rejecting Sin
Rejecting Sin
A Public and Ongoing Sin
A Public and Ongoing Sin
1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife.
2 And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.
3 For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing.
4 When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus,
5 you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.
The Church was Complacent and thus Complicit
The Church was Complacent and thus Complicit
2 And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.
The Church Should have Acted
The Church Should have Acted
5 you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.
A Dangerous Pattern
A Dangerous Pattern
6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?
7 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
8 Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—
10 not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world.
11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one.
12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?
The Danger of a Little Sin
The Danger of a Little Sin
6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?
7 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
8 Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
The Rightful Judgement of the Church
The Rightful Judgement of the Church
9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—
10 not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world.
11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one.
12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?
We reject sin in order to maintain the holiness of the Church and in so doing, we call the unrepentant sinner to turn from their sin.
One of the keys to helping each other through the process of battling sin and turning from sin is accountability.
Invite Accountability
Invite Accountability
What does our accountability look like. Let’s look at this verse in Galatians and then we will look at a couple of examples from Jesus ministry.
1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.
Lets look at a moment in the life of Jesus where he dealt with a person who was caught in sin.
Example 1: How Jesus dealt with a sinner caught by sin.
Example 1: How Jesus dealt with a sinner caught by sin.
2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them.
3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst
4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery.
5 Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?”
6 This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground.
7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”
8 And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground.
9 But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him.
10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”
Example 2: How Jesus dealt with a follower who was lead astray.
Example 2: How Jesus dealt with a follower who was lead astray.
13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.
18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
20 Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.
21 From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.
22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.”
23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?
We do not look to condemn but we are honest about sin. Sin destroys and separates people from God. If we ignore sin and do not help our brothers and sisters battle sin then we are not honoring the holiness of God and the command of Christ to love one another. If we allow another brother or sister to stand in sin and error they not only harm themselves but those they are around. We must take sin seriously even as we are gentle and seek to restore.
Encourage One Another to Godliness
Encourage One Another to Godliness
1 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.
3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.”
4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus,
6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.
Build Up don’t Tear Down
Build Up don’t Tear Down
1 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.
Image God by Encouraging
Image God by Encouraging
5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus,
6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.
Be encouraged! At this church we invite you to come messy. We invite you to be honest and real. We challenge you to step into deeper relationships so that the weight of sin in your life can be lifted. We are a Messy Church in Pursuit of Holiness.
A Messy Church in Pursuit of Holiness!
A Messy Church in Pursuit of Holiness!
I would rather be a mess that is in pursuit of holiness then a holier than though bunch of hypocrites. Jesus said that He is the Truth and that the Truth would set you free. Jesus didn’t die so we could pretend we were holy, he died so we would know that we need him to wash away our sin and make us holy.
Church, we have to take sin seriously, we have to commit to one another in love to hold each other accountable even as we pursue godliness together.
We cannot settle on being in each others lives only of Sundays when we are all on our best behavior. We have to be together on the battle-lines. We have to share in each others lives. Who are you in relationship with right now, that can call you on your sin, encourages you to grow, and depends on you to do the same? Is this reflected in your marriages ans your friendships? This cannot be achieved through programs and groups, this is only achieved when we truly live like the family of God. When we are, His Church
Let’s Pray