2 7 10 HT AM – Why the church makes the difference
Why the church makes the difference
2 7 10 HT AM
Matthew 16:17-19 NKJV
Matthew 16:17 NKJV
Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 16:18
And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
Matthew 16:19
And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth ◙ will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
Thoughts from this passage; notice vs. 18
- Whose church is it? His
- What can stop it? Nothing
- Is the church defensive of offensive? Offensive
This morning I want to talk to you about the Church and why the Church makes THE difference. Certainly I am speaking about this specific local church as well as the Body of Christ at large. I would argue with any that I have been in the church more than most … I literally grew up in church… As a kid I spent many hours just being there, being in a service, camp meetings, camps, conferences, as a teen, the same as an adult, a minister, and now a Pastor; guess what? – I LOVE THE LOCAL CHURCH!
We learned in our Kingdom FIRST series that man began with Dominion – we also learned that the primary weapon of Satan is Deception. Ironically the area that most area deceived about these days is the church itself. Its dangerous to think that while numbers rise in spirituality the church is having an all time decline. Sounds to me like another DECEPTION!
The entrance of sin left man with two specific dilemmas – Mans two dilemmas
1. Brokenness
2. Sin
- Brokenness (guilt)
Genesis 3:8 NKJV
And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
Genesis 3:9
Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”
Genesis 3:10
So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”
The church should not be a place that reinforces guilt; our job is to direct those with guilt to the forgiveness of Christ by reflecting his Grace. The church is the place where God uses His Word and the other believers to work on the brokenness of the individual.
Ephesians 5:25 NKJV
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,
Ephesians 5:26
that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
Ephesians 5:27
that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
Notice the cleaning process that happens. The church should welcome those with spots and wrinkles – the power of God can “clean em and steam em” (straighten them out).
- Sin (flesh)
Romans 7:15 NKJV
For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.
Romans 7:16
If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good.
Romans 7:17
But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
Every one of us deals with the FLESH!
Lets talk about how How the church makes THE difference
How the church makes THE difference
The Church empowers us past brokenness and sin because;
The Church is the Compass
1. Direction for those inside the church
Leviticus 1:10-11 NKJV ‘If his offering is of the flocks—of the sheep or of the goats—as a burnt sacrifice, he shall bring a male without blemish. 11 He shall kill it on the north side of the altar before the Lord; and the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall sprinkle its blood all around on the altar.
Everything in the Temple was positioned based on the location of the altar – in our present life; the altar is simply a place where we sacrifice ourselves to His will and way. Everything in our life should position itself out from the altar of God.
2. Hope for those outside the church
Romans 10:13 NKJV
For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” ◙
Romans 10:14
How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?
If nothing else, you should be actively connected to the local church as a beacon of hope to those outside the church.
The Church is the Community
1. Community is a safety net from the sin nature
Hebrews 3:12 NKJV
Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God;
Hebrews 3:13
but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
Story of man in adultery
You want the broken looking out for the broken, not the self-righteous overlooking the broken – it’s the difference in walking through trials or watching through trials.
2. Community strengthens in our sufferings
1 Corinthians 12:26-27 NLT
If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.
27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of
HT SMALL GROUP MINISTRY
Continue – How the church makes THE difference
The Church is the Consecration
1. Consecration of self from sin – spiritual disciplines combat deceptions in life!
1 Timothy 4:6 NKJV
If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed.
1 Timothy 4:7
But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness.
You cannot overemphasize the importance of taking in sound doctrine to live by. With all the TALK – you need TRUTH!
2. Consecration for strength in the present life
1 Timothy 4:8 NKJV
For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.
Living life by sound doctrine will bring about His promises in your life. You may be thinking “ then why are the problems inside the church seemingly equal to those outside the church” – simple answer – Hardened Hearts
The Church is the Confession
- The church is the present day CONFESSION of who Christ is.
Our relationship to the church and the churches relationship to the community is the loudest public statement of who Christ/ God is.
Ephesians 1:22-23 NKJV 22 And lHe put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, othe fullness of Him who fills all in all.
- Believers must value the church
- The church must strengthen the identity of Christ locally to globally.
You will hear more from me in the next few weeks about how this church will initiate substantial efforts across the River Valley to display the love of Christ. This church has a heritage with a huge global vision; we are going to build on that. You do not have to cross the ocean to find the hurting or the homeless, you do not need a passport to find the hungry and the hollowed. The Gospel brings hope and the hope must start right here right now!
Ministry Time
- Brokenness (Guilt) / Sin (Flesh)
- Making the church a new priority in your life