Sunday, March 12, 2017 pm
How important is the
church to me?
We
are in the midst of a study addressing our need to go on to perfection.
Our goal in this study is to encourage us to grow as we ought and
to provide us some tools to help us do that.
Yesterday morning we addressed our need to grow by examining
Hebrews 5:12-6:1. But IF we are
to grow, it is going to begin with honest examination.
Just like we go to a doctor to examine our physical health, so we
need to go to “the great physician” to examine our spiritual health.
To do that we are looking at some
spiritual indicators.
A spiritual indicator is an indicator (much like an oil pressure
gauge, a blood pressure monitor, or a progression chart) that is
designed to help us see where we are spiritually in relation to where we
OUGHT to be. Last night we
began the first of 3 lessons taking a spiritual inventory.
We examined how we are growing personally as Christians
(examining what is our priority? how much do I study the Bible and how
much do I pray? How well do I control my tongue? Do I understand
repentance? And How much do I care about others?)
Tonight, we want to take our examination in a different
direction. We want to
address our need for the church.
The
church is a subject misunderstood in so many ways.
In many places, it is a neglected topic and its purity and even
its existence is in danger.
That is why we need to on a regular basis talk about the church -
from the pulpit, in our Bible classes and in our private studies as well
as with others.
I
am convinced that if we are to go on to perfection, the church needs to
be an important part of our lives.
So this evening as we continue our examination of spiritual
indicators, we are going to ask,
HOW important is the church to me?
Again, we are going to ask some questions that we need to answer
with brutal honesty!
a.
What is the church?
The church is not a building.
Rather it is a group of saved people.
Universally, it would describe all who are saved.
Locally, it is descriptive of a group of the saved who have joined
together in a specific area, that are “ordered, arranged and organized
to work and worship together as a local church”[1] as
prescribed to her in scripture.
As we join together, we become a body of the Lord’s people
answering directly to Christ as our head (cf. Ephesians 1:22-23, 4:15,
5:23, Colossians 1:18) and following His instructions.
b.
Ask
yourself: Do I understand what the church is?
What I am I doing keep the church what God intends for her to be?
Tonight, we answer that question not how she can help me and I can help
her.
a.
Because
of what the church is –
i.
It was a part of God’s eternal purpose
– Ephesians 3:10-11 – His wisdom is demonstrated by the church (i.e. we
know more about Him because of the church).
Considering this, we ought to be careful before we seek to change
her.
ii.
Jesus built His church
– Matthew 16:18-19, and
purchased it with His own blood – Acts 20:28
iii.
IT is the
body of the saved! It is HIS body – Eph. 1:22-23.
Something we WANT to be part of.
b.
Because
God expects me to be part of a local church
–
i.
As you
study the New Testament, you will find much of the New Testament was
written to local congregations.
While there are things you can do as an individual, there are
also things God expects us to do collectively (as part of a
congregation). Within the pages
of scripture, we find what the church is, what is expected of us and HOW
we are to carry these things out.
It is implied that God WANTS me to be a part of this!
ii.
Consider
this: Many of the letters were written to local churches, yet they also
addressed those who made up the congregation – saints!
For example: 1 Corinthians 1:2 – He writes “To
the church of God which is at
Corinth, to those who are
sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in
every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and
ours…” In vs. 10, he
will challenge them as “brethren” to act in harmony.
Colossians 4:15-16 after Paul tells the Colossians to greet the brethren
in Laodicea, he speaks of reading the epistle to “the church of the
Laodiceans.”
The point is the Bible recognizes the church as the saints that are part
of it. He expected ALL
saints to comprehend these things and they were communicated within
local congregations.
iii.
Other than
temporary circumstances (moving from one area to another, the need to
leave an ungodly congregation or being put out of it because you stand
for truth (cf. 3 John 10)), you do not find those choosing simply to be
“saints” and NOT part of a congregation.
Consider:
Paul – Acts 9:19 – after being converted we find immediately he
is spending time with the disciples in Damascus (implied – they were
organized).
Acts 9:26, when he had to leave he goes to Jerusalem where he sought to
join the disciples there.
The word “join” means to attach oneself to.
Acts 11:25-26, Later, we find Paul and Barnabas and others in Antioch
where for a whole year “they
assembled with the church and taught.”
NOTICE also Acts 13:1, Now
in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and
teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who
had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and
Saul.”
iv.
Some are
hesitant to identify with a congregation for various reasons.
1.
Maybe they don’t know enough
about a congregation. They
are “investigating” – fair enough.
But how long will you let that be your reason?
2.
Some don’t
want to put themselves under the authority of the leaders in a
congregation or be accountable to others.
Such can be a misunderstanding of the purpose of leaders.
Be reminded in Hebrews 13:17 that we obey those who rule over us
(including elders) because they watch out for our souls.
Friends, that is NOT a
bad thing!
IF the church is designed to build you up, why would you NOT want to be
built up?
3.
Others
might say, well I’ll just attend a church and not worry about
identifying with a congregation. IF that is how you feel, may I ask:
WHY? What if everyone had
that attitude? There wouldn’t be a local church for you to attend!
Friends I am convinced God wants me to do my part!
v.
Ask
yourself: Have I found a group of God’s people who love Him and the
truth and have I joined with them?
c.
For the
sake of the future of the church
– if there is to be a future church, we must do our part to make that
happen. Perhaps more
accurately, for the future of THIS church!
I am continually reminded of the words of Jesus in Luke 18:8, “Nevertheless,
when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on earth?”
A good question that we have an answer for, but what about the
work that I am involved in?
Ask yourself: Am I concerned
enough about this church that I want to see it survive after I am gone?
While we let God “whittle on His end of the stick”, don’t forget
that we need to be “whittling” on OUR end of it!
d.
For the
sake of the purity of the church
–
1 Timothy 3:15 – conduct yourself in the house of God…which is the
pillar and ground of truth.
if the church is to be the true
church, we must maintain its purity, both doctrinal and moral!
The problem with Corinth -1 Corinthians 5 – some were ignoring
the problem. Same is true in
Revelation 2 – Thyatira and Pergamos.
e.
Because
I want to grow as a Christian.
I cannot emphasize how important the church is to your growth.
One who chooses to neglect the church in his/her life does so at
a loss to himself. You miss
out on the strengthening she can provide and the opportunities you have
to be a strength to others of like precious faith.
You miss out on being part of the spiritual family that is the church.
A family that cares about you and wants to see you thrive
spiritually. They love you
and will do what they can for you – including exhorting and admonishing
you when it is needed.
f.
Ask
yourself: Am I as involved in the Lord’s work as I should be?
What am I doing to keep her pure?
What am I doing to ensure the Lord’s church will be here after my
departure?
a.
As
a part of the body (local church), I am expected to do my part
- Ephesians 4:16, the church (temple) is expected to grow and that
happens when every part does its share.
Note vs. 11-12, “functionaries” are given to equip the saints for
the work of ministry for the building up of the body of Christ.
We have a WORK to do and that involves building up the body!
I will be accountable for doing my
part – 2 Corinthians 5:10, we
must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ and be judged.
Galatians 6:5 – each one shall bear his own load
b.
Realize I CAN do something.
Every part has a function, and most have more functions than they
realize.
c.
How
am I representing the church to others?
NEVER underestimate the power of
a proper example – Matthew 5:13-16.
Titus 2:11-12 – the grace of God has appeared teaching us to deny
worldly lusts and ungodliness, and to live soberly, righteously and
godly in this present age.
What kind of impression am I
leaving with others concerning the church?
Am I making her as attractive as possible?
d.
Do
I attend as often as possible?
Hebrews 10:24-25. You will
not benefit from the church if you are not here! People sometimes ask,
“Do I have to attend every service?”
To which, I would reply, “Why would you NOT want to attend extra
opportunities to build up and be built up by your brethren?”
Attending any service is not just an academic exercise – it is
designed to make us stronger.
Is it a genuine inquiry? OR is it seeking to get by with as
little commitment as possible?
We will talk more about Bible classes in a moment.
e.
Do
I worship properly?
–
we need to be worshipping God “in spirit and in truth” (John
4:24), cf. 1 Corinthians 14:15, etc. I
am convinced this is one of the works God has given local church to do.
In fact, there are elements of worship to REQUIRE the local
church to properly carry them out.
WHILE God intended worship to be directed toward Him, in His wisdom
every act also edifies us.
That is why we should participate with the absolute best of our ability.
Worshipping God properly is not only a mark of maturity, it
promotes attitudes that will produce maturity.
f.
Do
I stand behind my elders?
i.
God in His
wisdom provided elders to be leaders in a congregation (that has
matured).
ii.
These
elders are to be of high quality and qualifications – 1 Timothy 3:1-7,
Titus 1:7-9 and they are entrusted with a serious task – shepherding the
flock (Acts 20:28, 1 Peter 5:2-3).
iii.
We are
expected to stand behind and support our elders – Hebrews 13:7, 17,
1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 – recognize those who labor among and over you
and to esteem the highly in love for their work’s sake…
iv.
Do
I support my elders? Can
they depend on me? Do I
encourage them? How do I
speak of them when they are not around?
How do I respond to decisions they have made?
Do I consider that they are looking out for my spiritual welfare?
g.
How
am I supporting this church?
When it comes to growing within the body
of Christ, I have to see this body as important.
Something worthy of investing in.
An investment is devoting resources to something for which you expect to
get a return.
A
spiritual investment means
that you are devoting your resources – time, money, talents and energy
into your eternal destiny.
And the church ought to be a part of that!
Examples:
i.
“Invest” with your material things
– give financially and generously
- 1 Corinthians 16:1-2,
2 Corinthians 9:6-7, etc.
Think of what the church is able to do or hindered from doing
because of your giving.
NOTE: This is not about the amount, but about the heart.
Give of your time and resources.
WHEN you do this, you will be more interested in the well-being
of the congregation.
Most investors don’t intend to waste their investment.
They will do what they need to so that it will succeed.
The same is true with the church – what you put into it is how
precious it will be to you.
NOTE: Money CANNOT buy your way out of your responsibilities.
ii.
“Invest” in Bible classes –
1.
One of the
qualities of a strong church is well planned and effective Bible
classes. Classes that
take into consideration the needs of the congregation.
2.
If
you want to grow as a Christian, attend Bible classes!
As a rule, you will not find strong members who deliberately shun Bible
study.
3.
If you
want to REALLY grow, “invest” in the Bible classes. Make them as effective for you as
possible. That means you
make preparation, cf. Ezra 7:10 – he had prepared his heart to seek the
Law of the LORD and to do it and to teach it.
Get proper rest when you can, set aside time to prepare the
materials beforehand. Do
what research you can and prepare to participate.
4.
Taking
this further,
why not seek to teach a class according to your ability.
Teachers of Bible classes, who properly prepare, benefit the greatest
from their work. It is not
an easy thing to do, but it is so rewarding.
AND, desperately needed for many reasons.
a) IF we are able, the Bible tells us we are expected to be teachers –
consider – Hebrews 5:12, by this time you OUGHT to be teachers.
NOTE: Yes, there are some who are
not able to teach (even some who desire to, but they do not possess the
abilities to teach in a given setting), BUT typically there are many
more who CAN teach but will not, than who CANNOT teach but desire to.
b) If you are able to teach, you are needed!
Many congregations suffer because there is a shortage of teachers
- few step up to take their turn teaching.
The result is a handful have to do it all the time and it wears
on them. They become
frustrated and may eventually burn out. They are not afforded the
opportunity to sit in a class as a student and learn from others.
c) The answer is for EVERYONE
who is able to step up and teach according to their abilities and in
turn. And if you are
not able now, commit to becoming able.
d) Is it hard work? Absolutely! To do it effectively requires sacrifice
and diligence. IT
requires a commitment to be a godly person (but you need to do that
anyways) But the reward is tremendous growth in His word and as a
Christian. And
that is the point we are seeking in this lesson.
e) If you are willing, see the elders and let them put you to work.
iii.
“Invest” in your brethren
– your brethren are your greatest source of strength when you are
struggling. Make them your
spiritual family. Make them
a source of your strength as a Christian.
Be there for each other - Romans 12:9-13, 1 Thessalonians 5:14,
etc.
In our next lesson, we will address this.
The
future of the Lord’s church depends upon how strong we make her today.
And how strong you are, will determine how strong she is.
Just ask yourself: IF EVERYONE WERE LIKE ME… What would happen to
the church here? Would there
be Bible classes? Would they
be quality classes? Would we
even meet more than once a week?
Would we know and prefer each other? How much work would we be
able to do financially? What
shape would the building be in?
Etc.
So
how important is the church to you?
How important is this congregation to you?
Is she stronger because of you?
Are you stronger because of her?
If not, you can change that.
Will you? Think about
it!