Broken Hearted God

(To download an mp3 file of this message, click on the title above. To listen online, click on the play button of the audio player here.)

This is a sermon based on the last phrase in Genesis 6:6, "He was grieved in his heart." The message describes the basis for a broken heart, which is love then explores the reasons God heart is broken. It ends with comments about how we can delight God's heart rather than break it.

Written Excerpts:

Genesis 6:6 ^(NKJV) And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.

^(NLT) So the LORD was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart.

^(CEB) The LORD regretted making human beings on the earth, and he was heartbroken.

Introduction:

G. K. Chesterton — The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because they are generally the same people. (Today's Best Illustrations – Vols 1-4)

Catherine Voss — I teach Kids' Club at my church. Arriving home after one rough evening, my husband asked me how things had gone.

"Our lesson was on loving your neighbor, and two girls kept bothering each other."

"Which ones were the problem?" he asked.

"Faith and Charity!" (Today's Best Illustrations – Vols 1-4)

Love is a wonderful part of life. Most of us have known what it is to deeply love someone and to be loved in the same degree. I’d venture to say that nearly everyone has also experienced what it is like to be hurt deeply by the one you loved so deeply. There are very few experiences in life that rival the joy of loving and being loved, and few experiences rival the sadness and sorrow of being deeply offended by the one you love. Love involves risk.

C. S. Lewis, The Four Loves – To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken… (sermonillustrations.com)

Leo Buscaglia, Loving Each Other ― “When we give ourselves in love we become our most vulnerable. We are never safe. We become open to disappointment and hurt.” (goodreads.com/quotes)

Gladys Bagg Taber, Harvest at Stillmeadow ― “Well, any love makes us vulnerable. Whatever we love will give the gift of pain somewhere along the road. But who would live sealed in spiritual cellophane just to keep from ever being hurt? There are a few people like that. I'm sorry for them. I think they are as good as dead.” (goodreads.com/quotes)

The sermon today is titled, “Broken-Hearted God.” The idea for the message came from a devotional I receive each week by email and written by Dr. John Oswalt. I’ll share a few quotes from that devotional a little later.

The quotes I read a few moments ago provide support for the fact that the experience of a broken heart is directly related to the depth of love for the person who committed the painful offense. So, for a little while I want to speak to you about the Love of God for humanity, how we have broken His heart, and how we can bring him delight.

I.          God is love.

The Bible is full of references about the love of God for all humanity.

Exodus 34:6 ^(NKJV)  And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth,

This verse is very significant because just two chapters earlier God is ready to wipe the people of Israel out because of their idolatry and debauchery while Moses was up on the mountain. That dialog expresses God's holy anger, while this present verse reveals His holy love.

Isaiah 54:8 ^(NKJV)  With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you," Says the LORD, your Redeemer. 

1 John 4:16 “God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.”

The Apostle John states a simple fact: God is love. Love isn’t something that God HAS; it’s what He IS. Love is the essential characteristic of God’s perfection. His love is absolutely perfect. It is intense. It is infinite. There is no weakness or imperfection about His love.

A.W. Tozer — God wants us to worship Him. He doesn't need us, for He couldn't be a self-sufficient God and need anything or anybody, but He wants us. When Adam sinned, it was not he who cried, "God, where art Thou?" It was God who cried, "Adam, where art thou?"  (Today's Best Illustrations – Vols 1-4)

God’s love is universal.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave…”

2 Peter 3:9 ^(NKJV)  The Lord is … not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 

That means you! And, it means me!

God’s love is unconditional.

Romans 5:8 ^(NKJV)  But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

We are not required to get ourselves into a condition of being desirable or lovable. We do not have to get ourselves all cleaned up and straightened up in order to get God to look our way and love us.

Henri Nouwen — God wants me to be with him, not to do things to prove I'm valuable. (Today's Best Illustrations – Vols 1-4)

His love is costly.

God’s love cost Him the death of His one and only eternal Son.

Refer back to two verses we’ve already mentioned: John 3:16 “God so loved… that He gave His only begotten son.” Rom. 5:8 “God demonstrates His love… Christ died for us.”

There is nothing wishy-washy about God’s love. It cost Him the dearest price imaginable. I think it was a professor from Asbury Seminary that said something like this: “God has a poverty when it comes to sons. He only had one Son to offer and that was who He gave.” (Dongell)

Oswald Chambers — In the Cross we may see the dimensions of Divine love. The Cross is not the cross of a man, but the exhibition of the heart of God. At the back of the wall of the world stands God with His arms outstretched, and every man driven there is driven into the arms of God. The Cross of Jesus is the supreme evidence of the love of God. (Today's Best Illustrations – Vols 1-4)

God’s love is a jealous love.

Exodus 34:14 “(for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God)”

In the context of this verse, the Lord warns against intermarrying with the Canaanites and adopting their worship of idols and pagan gods. As He gives this warning, the sin of idol worship is described as “playing the harlot” – terminology used to describe marital / sexual unfaithfulness. God's pure, holy jealousy prevents Him from tolerating competing affections.

Deuteronomy 4:24 ^(NKJV)  For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. 

We tend to think of jealousy as a negative quality; a trait that has negative connotations or meanings. Yet, the Bible is describing God as a jealous God. If you stop and think about it, it makes complete sense. If there was no level of jealousy at all then there would be a positive reason to question the amount of love the person has.

II.        God’s heart has been broken.

Genesis 6:6 ^(NKJV) And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.

^(CEB) The LORD regretted making human beings on the earth, and he was heartbroken. (NLT) …It broke his heart.

I want to share a couple of thoughts from the devotional I mentioned earlier.

(John Oswalt) The vocabulary and the verb form in this verse stress the idea of causing hurt or pain over and over, thus “’broke his heart’ catches the point precisely.”

(Oswalt) Does our sin anger him? Of course. There are plenty of places in the Bible where we are told that. And well it should. He made us for something better than this! But this passage tells us something deeper about God. He made us for love! He made us to walk with him in unbroken, fruitful fellowship. But we have turned and slapped him in the face [over and over], and he is heart-broken.

See also:

Psalm 78:40 ^(NKJV)  How often they provoked Him in the wilderness, And grieved Him in the desert! 

Mark 3:5 ^(NKJV)  And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." …

There is a time for anger because his love is a jealous love and He will not tolerate any competing affections. But these verses emphasize the fact that our sin, our hardened hearts, and all the expressions of that in our conduct break the heart of a loving God.

Picture in your mind a weeping father. Weeping over the many times we have insisted on having our own way; weeping over the times we have turned our backs on him and walked “arm in arm with some momentary passion in direct disobedience to His revealed desires and will for us.

III.       God’s heart can be delighted.

(Oswalt) There is another side to this thought: if we can break his heart, we can also delight him…. When you gladly say yes to his invitation to walk with him, and to walk as he walks, in love, can you feel his arm around your shoulder and see his smile?

Proverbs 11:20 ^(NKJV)  Those who are of a perverse heart are an abomination to the LORD, But the blameless in their ways are His delight. 

Psalm 37:23 ^(NKJV)  The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way.

Jeremiah 9:23-24 ^(NKJV) Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; ²⁴  But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD. 

Conclusion:

Every one of us have been guilty of breaking the heart of a loving heavenly Father, who loved us with an infinite love. We’ve rebelled, we’ve repeatedly disobeyed, and we’ve insisted on having our own way.

I am assuming that many of us have also come to the place of prayer with deep sorrow and repentance seeking His mercy and forgiveness. If we have, we are most grateful for the wonderful, matchless grace of God who forgave us.

I do not have the ability to see inside your hearts, but I wonder if there is anyone here today who recognizes that you have been breaking the heart of God, and you have felt so ashamed and unworthy that you have neglected to seek His grace and forgiveness. I want to shout to you this morning, “Come to Jesus!” “Run to Jesus!” He’s weeping over you, but He loves you and wants to save you!

Song: Softly and Tenderly

What Does a Church Need?

(To download an mp3 file of this message, click on the title above. To listen online, click on the play button of the audio player here.)

This sermon is the sixth and final message in a series of sermons on the church of Jesus. Two messages spoke about "What a Church Is;" three messages were on the topic, "What a Church Does;" and this final message speaks about "What a Church Needs." The sermon focuses on two needs of any church: committed workers and frequent periodic revivals. The final 4+ minutes of the sermon audio above includes a story about the underground church in China as described by Wayne Cordeiro on a YouTube video.

Written Excerpts:

Isaiah 44:3 ^(NKJV) For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, And floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, And My blessing on your offspring;

Introduction:

Before we get started, I wanted to share some humorous stories related to church attendance that I recently read.

(Today's Best Illustrations – Vol. 5) One Sunday morning after church, my 3-year-old grandson, Taylor, came home jingling two quarters in his pocket—the same two quarters he had been instructed to give as an offering in his Sunday-school class. When I asked him why he didn't give his money to Jesus, he replied, "I didn't see Jesus at church today!"

I wonder if anybody “felt” Him or “heard” Him at church that day?

(Today's Best Illustrations – Vol. 4) Hannah was spending the night with her grandparents. At bath-time Hannah asked her grandmother if they were going to church the next morning. When Grandma said yes, Hannah turned up her nose and said, "I don't like Sunday school."

"But Hannah," Grandma replied, "we should learn all we can about God."

"I learned all about that when we lived in Illinois."

"Well, I've been going to church all my life and I haven't learned everything about God," Grandma said.

"Maybe you weren't paying attention." — Donna Blalock, Christian Reader

Here are a couple of quotes that aren’t as funny, but make a vital point:

Vance Havner ― I believe in the Church and in loyalty to a local church. I am not in favour (sic) of that view of the invisible church that makes one invisible at church on Sunday morning. (goodreads.com/quotes)

Vance Havner ― We are not going to move this world by criticism of it nor conformity to it, but by the combustion within it of lives ignited by the Spirit of God. (goodreads.com/quotes)

If you have been here during the past several weeks, then you know that I have been doing a series of sermons on the church of Jesus; the body of Christ. If you recall, we started out with a couple of messages on the question: “What is a church?” Following that we did three sermons on the question: “What does a church do?” Today I want to finish the series by asking the question, “What does a church need?”

I suppose that this question could have a dozen answers or more. For example, some people might answer the same for the church as they do for themselves: “What do I need? How about a million dollars!” There are many other answers people might offer; some serious and some not so serious.

There are only two answers that I will offer today.

            The church needs committed, faithful workers.

            The church needs frequent periods of revival.

I.          The church needs committed, faithful workers.

Nearly every message in this series I’ve been preaching has emphasized in some way the importance of every person that makes up the body of believers. When we were defining the church, certain words we noted in the Scriptures gave clear hints, if not plain language regarding the involvement and interaction of individual believers in the church. Then, when we talked about the mission or jobs of the church, we again kept emphasizing the importance of each individual contributing to a community effort to accomplish the tasks which the Lord has given us.

So, what I’m going to say here will probably sound repetitious and really familiar. However, the truth is, every local church and the universal church needs committed and faithful workers who will assume the responsibility of carrying out the tasks that the Lord has given us to do.

There are several verses in the NT which emphasize the importance of doing good works. Many of these verses were written in letters by the Apostle Paul to “churches.” He meant for individuals in those congregations to heed his instructions, but it was not meant for just a few members of the church. It was written for the whole church.

Consider these verses:

The Apostle Paul’s admonitions to two different churches…

Galatians 6:9-10 ^(NKJV)  And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. ¹⁰  Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Ephesians 2:10 ^(NKJV)  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. 

There is a NT character by the name of Titus who was probably a convert under Paul’s ministry; traveled with Paul in ministry; and was instructed by Paul to stay at the island of Crete to be the pastor of the believers there. Paul writes a letter to Titus while he is the pastor and these are some of the statements he writes to him.

Titus 2:14 ^(NKJV)  who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

Titus 3:1 ^(NKJV)  Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, 

Titus 3:8 ^(NKJV)  This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men. 

These passages and many others we could add, point to the importance and necessity of somebody(s) in the church being available, willing, and committed to do the good works that Paul was referring to. Though Paul was writing to each church as a unit or a whole, he would have understood that individuals within that whole had to step up and take the responsibility to do the “good works.”

Strong leaders in the church have the ability to discern (or maybe a better word is “discover”) a member’s spiritual gifts and natural talents then direct them into meaningful work that utilizes those gifts and talents. I probably do not qualify as a strong leader. I do not have the personality style suitable for positioning people in work roles. I am always concerned about adding one more responsibility on people who are already weighed down with work.

I do occasionally go to individuals and ask them to consider taking a job within the church’s ministries, but not very often. I often have announced for individuals who are willing to do a specific job to let me know, but that usually doesn’t work out well.

Look at the insert in the bulletin as an example of the kinds of work that needs done within the context of church.

(Illustrations Unlimited) A church member waiting to be asked to serve in his own church is just like the member of a family waiting to be invited to pull weeds in front of the house where he lives.

II.        The church needs frequent periods of revival.

Not only does the church need willing and faithful workers, but it also needs frequent periods of revival.

(Geoffrey R. King – Draper's Book of Quotations) Revival is a sovereign act of God upon the church whereby he intervenes to lift the situation completely out of human hands and works in extraordinary power.

Here are some of the biblical passages that seem to emphasize this important truth:

Zechariah 4:6 ^(NKJV)  So he answered and said to me: "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the LORD of hosts. 

Zerubbabel was the Persian-appointed governor over the people of Israel returning from Exile to Babylon, which been conquered by the Persians. This message was a reminder that the task he had could not be done by mere human strength. It was a reminder that through God’s Spirit he could accomplish God’s will even though he didn’t have the authority or resources of a true king like King David. (Tyndale Comm.)

Isaiah 57:15 ^(NKJV)  For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones. 

God Himself is the giver of revival. Revivals are a supernatural event. True revivals are not generated by human effort. Humans must cooperate with God by humble repentance and earnest prayer, but the actual pouring out of fresh waves of spiritual glory are divine acts of Almighty God.

Isaiah prayed for such a divine interruption of the ordinary when he prayed…

Isaiah 64:1 ^(NKJV)  Oh, that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down! That the mountains might shake [flow down] at Your presence-- 

Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus:
Ephesians 5:18 ^(NKJV)  And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation [overindulgence]; but be filled with the Spirit,

Notice the contrast between “liquid spirits” and the Holy Spirit. Artificial vs. the genuine.

The verb “be filled” is in the Greek tense that indicates continuous action. It could literally be translated: “keep on being filled.” We can infer from this verse that one filling isn’t enough. It is essential for believers to be filled with the Spirit over and over and over. We need frequent fillings of God’s almighty presence.

It is the normal tendency for something hot to cool off; for a burning flame to die out; and for something fresh to become stagnant or spoiled.

When human efforts produce little or no results; when professing Christians are powerless and ineffective; when conditions in the church are pretty much the same as the conditions in the world; then it is obvious that revival is needed.

Many historians agree that the spiritual awakening which took place in England in the 1700’s with the Wesley revival probably saved the nation from a bloody revolution similar to the experience of France. Revival not only changed the makeup of the church, but it changed the face of the nation, as people not only got right with God in their own hearts and lives, but they implemented so many social and moral reforms by the power of the Spirit that it changed their world. The deplorable social conditions that brought revolution in France were eliminated by revival in England.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, I just want to share a video that I shared on our church’s Facebook page last June, and I shared in prayer meeting about that time. Watch this video (approx. 4 minutes) and then decide if we need a fresh visit from heaven and a fresh filling of the powerful Spirit of God.

What Does a Church Do? - Part 3

(To download an mp3 file of this message, click on the title above. To listen online, click on the play button of the audio player here.)

This sermon is the fifth sermon in a series of messages on the Church of Jesus. The series has been describing what a church is and what it does. This message continues the theme of the previous two messages in talking about the mission of the church and the tasks involved in fulfilling that mission.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:

We have been taking a look at the church of Jesus for the last few weeks, trying to define it and describe it according to the Scriptures. Remember that even though the titles of each sermon read, “a church” to emphasize each individual/local church; yet, keep in mind that the points we are making also apply to “the church” as a whole.

Isn’t it amazing that the Son of God went back into heaven after His resurrection and left the job of reaching the rest of the world to a small group of disciples? It really is phenomenal that the gospel has spread as much as it has. The Lord is truly the head of His church and He said that the gates of hell would not prevail against it. (Gates are defensive; not offensive “weapons.”)

In the passage of Scripture that was read a little earlier [Acts 11:19-30] I see several things worth noting before we continue with the outline I’ve been using in these messages.

1. There was a “scattering” after the persecution arose; but the people who were scattered took the message into new areas. If the persecution hadn’t happened the scattering wouldn’t have happened, and the new disciples wouldn’t have happened.

2. When the Jerusalem church heard about the new converts, they sent representatives to “encourage” them, and even more people became believers.

3. There is mention of Barnabas and Saul (Paul) teaching the disciples for a year, and the impact in the city was great enough that the disciples got a new “nickname.” – “Christians.”

4. When hard times hit because of famine, the Christians rise to the task and provide relief – carrying out the same kind of compassionate work that Jesus did when He was on earth.

This passage is a small representation of the kind of thing that has characterized the church ever since its beginning.

Today I want to continue our discussion of the things that a church does. I remind you again that I have been using the term “community” with each of the tasks we’ve mentioned just as an added emphasis on the fact that what the church does, it does as its individual members work together in community.

We have already mentioned:

I. The church is a worshiping community.
II. The church is a sacramental community.
III. The church is a disciple-making community.
IV. The church is an accountability community.

There is no doubt a number of other things we could mention that would be included in the tasks, purpose and mission of the church, but I want to just focus on 3 more today.

V.        The church is a nurturing community.

In one sense of the word, the church nurtures each other whenever they hold each other accountable as we talked about last week. But there is more than accountability involved with nurture.

I’m going to go through a quick review of Scriptures that include the words, “one another,” which I shared a number of weeks ago. These verses provide prime examples of the kind of things the church ought to be doing as it nurtures its members.

(This is not an exhaustive list of responsibilities that believers have toward each other.)

A.        Love one another

Jn. 13:34   A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 

Jn. 15:17 These things I command you, that you love one another. 

Rom. 12:10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 

Love is much more than saying nice words (although we ought to be saying nice things). It is more than warm fuzzy feelings. It is doing loving things and treating each other in a loving way, even if we don’t feel all that loving at the moment.

Remember there is such a thing as “tough love.” This probably gets more into the area of “correction” and “accountability” that we talked about last Sunday.

B.        Serve one another

Jn. 13:14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought also to wash one another’s feet.

Gal. 5:13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 

These verses emphasize the matter of trying to find ways to be a servant for one another. Jesus said whoever will be greatest, let him be servant of all.

C.        Unity with one another

Rom. 15:5 Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, 

1 Cor. 12:25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 

In other words, do not treat some people in the body better than others – that would destroy unity and foster offenses.

D.        Comfort one another

Heb. 3:13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called "Today," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 

1 Thess. 4:18 Therefore comfort one another with these words. 

1 Thess. 5:11 Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing. 

The pastor should not be the only person that calls or visits those in the congregation who are missing church or going through tough trials and adversity in their lives.

E.        Pray for one another

Gal. 6:2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 

This undoubtedly means doing more than pray, but prayer certainly is the primary way we help carry burdens.

Jam. 5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. 

VI.       The church is a witnessing community.

When we talk about the church being a witnessing community, we are obviously including the task of disciple-making that we spoke about last week. To make disciples, we must witness to the unsaved/lost about Jesus and lead them to a saving faith in Christ before we can disciple them and instruct them in how to live out the faith.

But, witnessing involves more than helping people know Christ (evangelism), and teaching to follow Christ (discipleship). Witnessing also involves being the “light of the world” and the “salt of the earth.”

Matt. 5:13-16 "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. ¹⁴ You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. ¹⁶ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

The church needs to be the tool that God uses to shine the light of truth on the lies, deceit, and perverse ideas of the world. The church needs to be a witness for godliness and morality in a culture that is going farther and farther away from standards of moral decency. The church needs to be proclaiming God’s standards of holiness and righteousness for people to follow as portrayed in His Word. But far too often the church is following the standards of Hollywood just like the rest of the world.

I’ve quoted Dr. Francis Schaeffer before, but he states in one of his books (The Great Evangelical Disaster), “there was a segment of the church that simply accommodated the ideas and standards of society and provided no confrontation or challenge to it.”

(goodreads.com/quotes) "Truth demands confrontation. It must be loving confrontation, but there must be confrontation nonetheless.” ~ Francis Schaeffer

The church should and must stand up and witness the truth about the sanctity of life, about the sanctity of sexuality, and about the sanctity of liberty. The church should witness to the truth of a biblical worldview in spite of the godlessness that permeates all areas of life around us.

It does not matter who seeks to destroy these timeless truths. They may be educators or movie stars, judges or politicians, Republicans or Democrats. We are dying spiritually and morally in our society because far too long the church has not adequately witnessed to the truth.

(Sharon Herald, 2/19/20) The movie is a romantic comedy, about Stewart’s character, Abby, planning to propose to her girlfriend, Harper, at a holiday party – even though Harper has not yet come out to her conservative parents.

VII.     The church is a praying community.

Lk. 19:45-46 Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, ⁴⁶  saying to them, "It is written, 'My house is a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"

Mk. 14:38 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." 

Lk. 18:1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, 

Acts 6:4 but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word." 

Acts 12:5 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. 

1 Tim. 2:1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 

This is just a sampling of Scripture regarding the need for prayer among God’s people. 

A search in the NT for the number of times the word “pray” (or some form of it) appears, and the result was 159 times.

Genuine, biblical, sincere prayer changes us and brings us closer into alignment with God’s Word and God’s will. Prayer is our main weapon in the spiritual warfare against the powers and principalities and spiritual darkness in this world. S.D. Gordon said, “You can do more than pray after you have prayed, but you can’t do more than pray UNTIL you have prayed.

We’ve seen answers to prayer here among our people. We know that God has answered prayers that we have prayed time and again. But I believe we haven’t seen anything close to what God wants to do if he can only find church people desperate enough to intercede in prayer.

Conclusion:

I have been trying to describe what a church does. 

I would say that many of us are doing most of these things that we’ve talked about. But I happen to believe that none of us have risen to the level of dedication to God’s mission that we can and ought to reach.

Closing song: Make Me a Blessing

What Does a Church Do? - Part 2

(To download an mp3 file of this message, click on the title above. To listen online, click on the play button of the audio player here.)

This is the fourth sermon in a series of messages about the church of Jesus. The first two sermons described what the church is. The previous sermon and this present sermon describe some of the things that the church does. This message focuses on two activities of the church; disciple-making and accountability.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:

A few weeks ago I started doing a series of messages about the church of Jesus; sometimes called “The Body of Christ” in the NT. We are continuing the theme today with “part two” of the message: “What Does a Church Do?”

The last time we talked about the church doing worship and doing sacraments. I mentioned the last time that I was going to continue using the term “community” just to emphasize the fact that whatever the church does, it does as a body; a family; or a community. The very word “church” implies something other than an isolated, “Lone Ranger” mentality.

I’m discovering more and more that many people want the benefit of being forgiven for their sins by Jesus so they can go to heaven someday, but they don’t seem to realize that being forgiven and having a relationship with Jesus, means that we become a part of His “body,” which is the church. The Bible has a great deal to say about the things that the church does and it all includes cooperation within the body.

In the last sermon, I spoke about the church being a worshiping community and the church as a sacramental community. With the Lord’s help, I want to speak to you today about two more tasks that the church of Jesus does. 

III.       The church is a discipling community.

Matthew 28:19 ^(NKJV) Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you….

Main verb of the passage is the word “go.” (lit. going) i.e, going, make disciples… baptize… teach.

The original disciples were to go teach and make more disciples, who would go and make disciples, who would go and make disciples, etc. Other than worship, this is probably the main job of the church – make disciples. Jesus expected His disciples to duplicate themselves by teaching and training others in the same way He had done with them. 

Disciple-making is much more than leading someone to put their faith in Christ for salvation. Jesus did not say, “Go make converts.” He didn’t say, “Go help people to know me.” Teach/train others about what all is involved with being a follower of Jesus. It is much more than simply asking for His forgiveness and believing His death on the cross was for my salvation.

(The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia) [Disciple] always means the pupil of someone, in contrast to the master or teacher (διδάσκαλος, didáskalos)... In all cases it implies that the person not only accepts the views of the teacher, but that he is also in practice an adherent. 

What is involved with being a disciple?

A. No competing affections

Jesus comes first in a disciple’s affection, devotion and allegiance.

Luke 14:26-27 ^(NKJV) "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. ²⁷ And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

A true disciple cannot afford to allow anyone, or anything get between him and his Lord.

B. Diligent study of the Word

John 8:31 ^(NKJV) Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.

C. Love like Jesus did.

John 13:35 ^(NKJV) By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." 

D. Produce fruit as the evidence of discipleship.

John 15:8 ^(NKJV) By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. 

Not only did the original 12 disciples understand that their job was to make more disciples, but later disciples did also (e.g. Paul).

Acts 14:21 ^(NKJV) And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch,

(The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia) The disciple of Christ today may be described in the words of Farrar, as "one who believes His doctrines, rests upon His sacrifice, imbibes His spirit, and imitates His example."

Jesus is not merely interested in you and I believing in Him for salvation from sin and from hell. He is also passionately interested in us becoming faithful disciples and helping other people become faithful disciples.

The church is a disciple-making community.

IV.       The church is an accountability community.

Another word that is very closely associated with the word disciple is the word, “discipline.” It certainly takes self-discipline to be a true disciple and keep our focus on the Lord. It takes discipline to study His teachings and put them into practice. It also takes discipline that is applied by fellow disciples. The NT teaches that believers in the body of Christ are to look out for one another and exhort one another. They are not only to provide instruction, but also correction.

We live in a time and a place where people are not usually very open to receiving discipline and correction from their brothers and sisters in the body of Christ. Everyone wants to be a law unto themselves and refuse to let anyone else “tell them what to do.” However, the NT gives no room for that kind of independent spirit and living in an isolated, self-determining way.

I’m going to read a sampling of NT passages that relate to the matter of discipline and accountability, then I’ll make a few observations about them in general.

Matthew 18:17 ^(NKJV) And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.

Romans 16:17-18 ^(NKJV) Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. ¹⁸ For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.

1 Corinthians 5:11-13 ^(NKJV) But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner--not even to eat with such a person. ¹² For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? ¹³ But those who are outside God judges. Therefore "put away from yourselves the evil person."

2 Corinthians 2:6-7 ^(NKJV) This punishment which was inflicted by the majority is sufficient for such a man, ⁷ so that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow.

Galatians 6:1 ^(NKJV) Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. 

1 Thessalonians 5:14 ^(NKJV) Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.

2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14-15 ^{(NKJV) 6} But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us. ¹⁴ And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. ¹⁵ Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

1 Timothy 5:20 ^(NKJV) Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear.

2 Timothy 4:2 ^(NKJV) Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

Titus 3:10 ^(NKJV) Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition,

Principles for administering discipline within the body.
·         All discipline and correction must be done in a humble spirit.
·         It must be given with firmness, yet with an abundance of grace.
   ▪   Remembering our own vulnerability
   ▪   Remembering that we don’t know what background baggage the individual may be carrying
·         All correction must be done with the motivation of restoration, not for revenge.
·         Pastors/ overseers should not use the pulpit as a “whipping post.”

Conclusion:

There have been a number of scandals and abuses that have occurred in the church at large over the years. These might have been avoided if there had been a greater effort to exercise accountability and discipline in the church.

There have been a host of church members through the years who never reached the level of maturity in the faith that they could have and should have because they wouldn’t voluntarily submit to appropriate correction from church leaders or their fellow believers.

Membership Covenant (Copied from our church by-laws)

Having received the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, and on profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we do now, in the presence of God and this assembly, solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another, as one body in Christ.

We intend, therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this church in knowledge, holiness, and comfort; to pray for, respect and support the pastor and church leaders; to promote the prosperity and spirituality of this church; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline, and doctrines; to give it a sacred preeminence over all institutions of human origin; and to cheerfully and regularly contribute financial support for the various expenses and ministries of the church.

We also intend to maintain family and personal spiritual formation through the study of and conformity to the Word of God; to seek the salvation and spiritual growth of the lost; to live godly in the world; to be just in all our dealings, faithful to our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment; to avoid harmful attitudes, speech and actions in all personal, public and church relationships; to abstain from all evil associations and amusements; and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the Kingdom of our Savior.

We further intend to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember each other in prayer; to aid each other in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and courtesy of speech; to be slow to take offense, but always ready to secure reconciliation without delay.

I believe every part of this covenant describes the content of the NT relating to the duties of Christians to one another. Part of it involves nurture, some includes instruction, and some involves correction; but all of it is the expression of genuine love for one another that refuses to sit by and let others “fall through the cracks” for lack of appropriate concern and care.

When we follow the Lord’s command to make disciples and take care of each other, we really are demonstrating our love for Jesus Himself. I really think it is impossible to love Jesus without loving His church.

For our closing song today I’ve chosen a hymn that truly is a prayer: More Love to Thee, Oh Christ.

What Does a Church Do?

(To download an mp3 file of this message, click on the title above. To listen online, click on the play button of the audio player here.)

This is the third sermon in a short series that attempts to explain what the church is and what it does. This message briefly reviews the first two sermons then begins to describe what the church does. The two tasks of the church discussed in this sermon are worship and administering the sacraments.

Written Excerpts:

Ephesians 3:21 (NKJV)  to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Introduction:

We have been preaching about the church of Jesus for the last two Sundays and plan to continue the discussion today.

But first these quotes:

·         An inscription over a church door: This is the house of God. This is the gate of heaven. (This door is locked in the winter months). – (Draper's Book of Quotations)

·         In the church of God two opposite dangers are to be recognized and avoided: they are a cold heart and a hot head. – A. W. Tozer (Draper's Book of Quotations)

·         Never before has the church had so many degrees yet so little temperature. – Vance Havner (Draper's Book of Quotations)

·         Church-goers are like coals in a fire. When they cling together, they keep the flame aglow; when they separate, they die out. – Billy Graham (Draper's Book of Quotations)

If you’ve been here the past couple of weeks you know that I’ve been talking about the church of Jesus. I have been trying to remind us of things the Bible tells us about the church. The two previous messages were focused on trying to define and describe what the church isn’t and what the church is. If you missed those messages, I would invite you to go to our church website and listen to or read those messages in order to get a fresh review of the church. Or, you can request a CD of the services back at the sound booth.

Just a quick recap…

Week 1: I started by identifying four things that the church is not.

·         It is not primarily an organization/denomination.

·         It is not a building.

·         It is not merely a ritual/ceremony/meeting

·         It is not a social club

After identifying what the church isn’t, I tried to describe what the church is, and we only had time for two points.

·         It is a congregation/assembly/gathering.

·         It is a fellowship/community/common body.

Week 2: I continued describing what the church is by saying…

·         It is an organism (vs. an organization)

·         It is a FAITH community

·         It is a SACRED community

·         It is both a local and a universal community

·         It is both a visible and an invisible community

Now, I want to move on from describing what a church IS to describe what the church DOES.

As we continue this discussion I want to continue using the word “community” in order to emphasize the fact that the church is not an individual, “Lone Ranger” type of existence. The church is made up of individual believers, but it is clearly a community of believers who work together doing what God has called them to do.

I.          The church is worshiping community.

Ephesians 1:12 _(NKJV) that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.

Ephesians 3:21 _(NKJV) to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

1 Corinthians 10:31 _(NKJV) Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Many people have stated that the first and primary thing that the church does is worship.

What does it mean to say the church worships? Thoughts on worship from sermon a few years ago.

(ISBE) The principal Old Testament word is ‏שָׁחָה‎, ṣhāḥāh, "depress," "bow down," "prostrate" (Hithpael), as in Ex. 4:31.

Exodus 4:31 ^(KJV) And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel… then they bowed their heads and worshipped.

The principal New Testament word (59 times) is προσκυνέω, proskunéō, "kiss (the hand or the ground) toward," hence, often in the oriental fashion bowing prostrate upon the ground… 

We might summarize worship by saying it is a recognition of the worth/worthiness of the one being worshiped, and the unworthiness of the worshiper. Individual members of the body of Christ worship Him personally in everyday life. Each individual worshiping member makes the church a “worshiping community.”

The corporate body (the gathering/assembly/congregating) is also a “worshiping community.” It is the main reason we gather – to give a corporate offering of worship to the Lord. A corporate worship service is the closest example of what is happening in heaven – the whole “congregation” engaged in praising, adoring, and exalting Christ.

When I was a young person, I used to have the primary understanding that church services were for the purpose of hearing the gospel preached and for evangelizing the lost who might be in attendance. This is certainly a legitimate aspect of church services. But many people do not realize that the “altar call” and the use of church services as time to evangelize is a relatively recent “invention.”

Years ago, I heard someone say that the practice of calling people forward in a church service to commit their lives to Christ started a couple hundred years ago. Now, it might be closer to 300 years! So what happened prior to that? Well, in the NT, it seems that the practice was for the disciples, and converts of Christ to go out and evangelize their acquaintances right where they were – in homes, in the community. Then, when they came together corporately, it was for the purpose of worshiping the Lord and giving Him the honor and praise for who He was and for what He was doing. And, it was also for the purpose to hear the teaching of Christ to be better equipped and prepared to go back out and spread the gospel again.

I think it was after I went to Bible college when I discovered that worship services and “evangelistic services” were not the same thing.

When we gather in the name of Jesus, we gather first and foremost to worship the Lord. We gather to spiritually, if not literally, fall on our faces in acknowledgement of His majesty and glory. We gather to exalt Him, praise Him, thank Him, while we acknowledge our own unworthiness.

II.        The church is a sacramental community.

The second task of the church relates to the administering of the sacraments. I have chosen to mention it in today’s sermon because we are sharing the sacrament of communion today. In Protestant churches, when we speak of the sacraments we are talking about baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

In the past I have stated that a sacrament is a visible/physical sign representing an invisible/spiritual truth, and it is a seal that God will perform the spiritual work that was provided through the death and resurrection of Jesus. A sacrament is outward and physical, but it represents something inward and spiritual.

When we speak about the sacraments of baptism and communion, they both contain physical elements – there’s water, and there’s bread and wine. Participants literally get wet; they literally eat and drink and swallow. These physical elements represent spiritual truths and realities directly related to the work of Jesus Christ in our behalf.

Without going any deeper into the discussion of what a sacrament is, I simply want to emphasize the point that the sacraments are shared and provided within the context of the body of believers – the church. That makes the church a sacramental community.

The reason we believe that there are only two sacraments is because baptism and communion are the only two clearly instituted by Jesus Himself.

Matthew 28:19 (NKJV) Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Luke 22:19 (NKJV) And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me." 

The NT church continued carrying out the command of Christ. Within the context of the church (body of believers), they continued to baptize and to share the Lord’s Supper.

Acts 2:41-42 (NKJV) ⁴¹ Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. ⁴² And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

As a sacramental community the church administers the rite of baptism as a corporate witness to the profession of faith given by the convert and a sort of initiation into the family of faith. In the breaking of bread and sharing of the cup the church community witnesses to the saving work of Christ through His sacrifice, and reminds the members of the body of the main thing which unites them – the blood of Christ. Offering the sacrament of communion is the witness that we are all communing with each other while communing (participating) with our Lord. For that reason, the church forbid communion to any who had departed from the faith and were clearly in violation Scripture in their conduct and/or teaching. 

These witnesses of baptism and communion are provided in and through the church – the community of faith.

Conclusion:

Today we have tried to remind you of two tasks assigned to the church and carried out by the church. They are two of the things that the church does.

The church worships God, individually and corporately.

The church provides the sacraments as a witness to the work God has done and is doing in His people.

Today, we will again share the emblems of the Lord’s Supper and celebrate our privilege to commune together as brothers and sisters in the body of Christ. We also celebrate our privilege to commune with our Lord Jesus Christ as we obey His command.

Before we share the communion emblems, let us sing the closing hymn: When I See the Blood