The Body Of Christ

Matthew 4:12-20

Today, we are celebrating “the church”......which means “The Body of Christ”.....Not a building, not a place, but a people who God is moving through by His Spirit, because of their faith in Jesus Christ.

We are not celebrating this place only but a Spirit that lives within all true believers!

Really this is worship, worship of Jesus Christ in us the Hope of Glory!

In my studies and prep for this day I read this from a historian of religion: “Never is so short of time has any other religious faith, or for that matter, any other set of ideas, religious, political, or economic, without the aid of physical force or of social or cultural prestige, achieved so commanding a position in such an important culture.”

The power of God is clearly seen in how He has moved through His church, throughout the ages!

No wonder Paul said in Romans 1:16-17 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.”

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the Power of God.....nothing else......God has used ordinary people and has done extraordinary things......He has revealed His Truth through those ordinary people!

That is the power!!

I read this from a sermon: “Michael Horton says this. “Radical, epic, revolutionary, transformative, impactful, life-changing, extreme, awesome, innovative, on the edge, explosive breakthrough, whole new level.” And then he asks, “Whatever happened to ordinary?” Whatever happened to ordinary? He says, “Ordinary has to be one of the loneliest words in the evangelical church vocabulary.”

Ordinary.......that is not what most folks are looking for in a church anymore! I tell you once you read the historical accounts in church history, you will see God move so mightily through men and women.........Matter of fact, Peter and John was cast into prison for healing a lame man......they were later released and told not to ever speak of Jesus again....

The healing wasn’t the issue, it was the Gospel, the Truth of Jesus Christ!

Ordinary.....John Hus..........from humble beginnings, to translating Scripture for the peasants to read and being condemned to die because he spoke against false teaching....

When he was condemned to die and at the execution site, he declared “I do commend into Thy hands, O Lord Jesus Christ, my spirit which Thou has redeemed.”..........He also said at that time: “Today I will gladly die." The fire was lit. As the flames engulfed him, Hus began to sing in Latin a Christian chant: "Christ, Thou Son of the Living God, have mercy upon me."

Ordinary.....William Tyndale had a burning desire to make the Bible available to even the common people in England........At one point Tyndale told a priest, "If God spares my life, ere many years pass, I will cause a boy that driveth the plow shall know more of the Scriptures than thou dost."

Tyndale was successful in translating the Bible from Greek to English..

Tyndale was finally found by an Englishman who pretended to be his friend but then turned him over to the authorities. After a year and a half in prison, he was brought to trial for heresy -- for believing, among other things, in the forgiveness of sins and that the mercy offered in the gospel was enough for salvation. He was accused of maintaining that faith alone justifies.

In August 1536, he was condemned; on this day October 6, 1536, he was strangled and his body burned at the stake. His last prayer was "Lord, open the King of England's eyes.

There are so many......over and over again there is always a remnant and that pass it on to the next one......

All of these remained faithful unto death to continue the Truth of Jesus Christ! Not compromising, not stopping.......

Reminds me of the OT saints......Hebrews 11:13 “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.”

Let us do a quick review of how this all started.....Matthew 4:12-20.........

Follow Me, Jesus told them.....and they did......Later on in Matthew 9:9 “And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.”........Matthew followed Jesus

Following Jesus meant you are going His way not yours and that is what those disciples did! They followed watched and listened and that leads us to Matthew 16:13-18........

The Great confession......Peter’s confession is the confession of everyone true Christian......There is nothing else a church is built upon......Peter was an ordinary man, a little pebble, but his confession was a “bedrock” a foundation that cannot be shaken!

That continues today.......The gates of hell cannot prevail against this truth! It is all about our confession of Christ......you can say His Name over and over again but if you do not have this confession in your mind and heart then you do not know Christ!

That is why I love these old “ordinary people and ordinary churches”......

They are not built on attendance, money, energy, excitement, groups, trips, buildings, they are built upon their faith in The Christ The Son Of The Living God!

A lot of evil things happened to those people and for that some would say.... “I guess the gates of hell prevailed against them.”

Their confession of Jesus Christ remained until the very end of their physical life and because of that the devil did not prevail!

I am so thankful for those saints.....when I read of some of those faithful ones, I am ashamed. I am so weak and so carried about with the winds of life........these faithful ones held the course all the way till the bitter end!

Lastly, let’s look at the Early Church......Acts 2:37-47......Peter using the OT in his sermon on the Day of Pentecost to reveal Jesus, after he had done so, is where we pick up......

As we pick up here, the people had heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ and wanted to know what to do......Peter in verse 38 tells us exactly what Jesus said, “Repent” .........there is only One way and none of us are going that right way, only Jesus is, turn and follow Jesus

Be immersed in Jesus Christ, covered in the essence of Jesus Christ!

So they did, just that, 3000 souls were truly saved that day and were baptized! What now?

These saints gave us the greatest example of a true Body of Christ...........

One writer said that the mark of a TRUE church is the mark that these 3120 souls left......they continued!

These ordinary people suffered the most severe persecution, yet they continued!

Some of their families disowned them, yet they continued.

They knew they were sinners, in need of grace and they believed in the Grace of God through Jesus Christ and they were not just stopping at their confession. It was not a one day event, you say the words and then go on, they KNEW they needed to grow and they were desperate to know more about Jesus.

Mind you, they did not have the Gospels written down, the apostles taught them this from their eye and ear witness accounts.

Their testimony was strengthened by signs and wonders done through those apostles.

Remember, not just anyone can be an apostle, their was one qualifier.....to be a witness to the resurrected Christ. (Acts 1:22)

Their teaching was backed up with signs and wonders, putting God’s stamp on it!

We have it written down now for us to believe in their testimony and God’s stamp of approval!

They continued in the apostle’s teaching.........I heard this from a monologue from Pete Hegseth on the news.....He was speaking about faith in Jesus Christ and how it has declined........ “Every time I enter church on Sunday, I know I need to be there. I am reminded of my fallen sinful nature and I reckon with the fact that human perfection is impossible. That I fall short and I will always fall short. I am not perfectible, I am not enough, and I am not God. I need forgiveness, I need Grace and that only comes from Jesus Christ dying on the cross for my sins and the sins of all mankind and His resurrection is my salvation!”

This is the idea of the continual meetings and should be ours, as well!

They had no book to learn from, so meeting was their only way......

Notice the apostle’s teaching is first, because Jesus Christ and Him crucified was the basis of their life! Their life matched their confession! That made them separate from the world.....

That is why fellowship.......living this faith out together.......helping one another, holding one another to the report of Jesus Christ!

They remembered the sacrifice of Jesus Christ after every meal, just as Jesus did with those apostles!

As oft as you come together do this in remembrance of Me, Jesus told them!

The bread is the body of Jesus that was broken for you

The cup in the new testament (covenant) in the blood of Jesus which was shed for the remission of sin.

They continued to remember how much in need they were of Jesus!

They prayed together, so desperate for God’s help in this new life!

Some say that this church taught communal living, however they each had a home that they met in, but these folks did not consider anything that they had to be their own, so they were willing to give whatever was needed to help one another out.

I see that in this church, the willingness to give and you have......I don’t call for the offering anymore, after COVID we stopped having an offering part of worship.......there is a basket back there and you are welcome to give, I really don’t like to make a big spectacle out of giving..........In light of that, you have given anyway.......it hasn’t slowed down a bit, maybe increased to some degree and I have a few pictures to show what your giving has done and continues to do.....

Divine missions, Sis Pam and the children they teach in Africa, they needed a van and our church, along with the help of others, was able to help them get that van and put tires on it.

RPM ministries, in which Sis Deborah volunteers, they go from school to school reaching out to children from God’s Word.

Children’s Home in Eldridge, AL.....troubled children are taken in there and families join together in helping raise these children in Jesus Christ!

Also, there are countless families within our church and our community that has been blessed by your continuing to give!

Not considering anything your own and giving!

They met with gladness and singleness of heart.....singleness means sincerity and simplicity......an ordinary church just carrying on their lives in faith, praising God

Persecution, rejection, were normal activities as the church grew, they were faced with many challenges but they continued!

God is not ordinary, yet He has always taken the ordinary and used them to bring His truth to the world!

Why use the ordinary? I believe that the world may see the power does not rest in man but in God!

Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2:4-5 “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”

I am thankful for our little church......It seems there is always a continuing here, no matter who is here, it continues!

Well.......it will always continue if the confession is right!! The willingness to teach, fellowship, remember Jesus, pray, help, praise God, will always continue as long as the confession is right! No matter who is here!