This morning would like to talk about the church and
specifically the love of the church, you know.
Of course we all feel like we are appreciate the church and
we're thankful to God that we have the knowledge and the and
the privilege of being members of it, the great kingdom of God,
but it's kind of like the song Count Your Blessings.
You know, if we really appreciate the blessings, when
we start counting and numbering them, And as the song says, name
them one by one and he will surprise you What the Lord Has
Done. We kind of take things for
granted and until we just really start thinking about them and
even numbering them, then we really appreciate it.
And that's what we want to do this morning.
We want to, we want to talk about the church and the value
of the church and the great, the greatness of the church and
these things to help us really appreciate the church and to
love it. The church is, is a God made
institution and it's not man-made and it's not like you
can, you know, they say just go to the church of your choice.
That's just minimizes the church.
The church is so important and it's important for us to realize
the value of the church and the importance of it.
And we'll try to will try to stress that this morning John 3
and 16. Of course, we all know this
verse and can probably all Quote it for God.
So loved the world that he gave his only begotten, son, that
whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting
life. McGarvey says, this is a lesson
in God's love. He says, it's a lesson in its
magnitude because of the of what he had to pay for it, he gave
his only son. So it's a it's a it's a measure
of the magnitude of God's love for the for the price that had
to be paid. It's a measure in its Reach In
God's reach, his Gods Loves reach and that he gave it for
the whole world. And also its impartiality,
because it doesn't matter if your Jew or Gentile, male or
female. It's to everyone.
The scripture says whoever believes.
And of course it's a measure in its riches in that were saved or
salvation and eternal life is its reward, but it's also and
it's a measure and its limitations because It's whoever
believes. It doesn't say that the
unbelievers going to have any reward at all, but those who
believe will receive, will reap the benefits from the from the
sacrifice of godson. So this is a really a great
measure in God's part of the church in his in his institution
of it. And really, you know, we don't
think about God's suffering so much.
But this verse this little verse right here, gives us a measure
of the the suffering of God, in the offering of his son, his
only begotten son. You know, we can relate to that
and some here have even lost children and can relate.
To the heartache and the pain, but any of us can sympathize
with the loss of a child, a loss of your only child more
specifically. And so we can relate to the pain
that God had to go through in order to Institute and establish
the church. You know, it's called, it's kind
of hard to think about God as as going through pain.
But the scripture talks about God's suffering or Odd feeling
pain over his people even weeping Isaiah 16.
And 9 says, therefore, I will be whale the vine of Simba with the
Weeping of Jays jazzer. I will drench you with my tears.
God's God says there that he is weeping over his children.
His faithful people, Jeremiah nine.
And one says again, oh, that my head were Waters and my eyes as
Fountain of tears that I I tweet day and night for the slaying of
the daughters of my people. So these verses clearly
demonstrate that God does sorrow and has sorrowed over his people
and their faithfulness or or their unfaithfulness to him.
And so, so God does grieve and God had to also grieve for his
son and that's really what that verse says.
God gave His only begotten son and and that is a measure of the
grief that God had to go through in order to establish the church
and for the sacrifice of his son.
But Christ, we read about him suffering to and the Bible.
Clearly illustrates that the suffering that Jesus went
through in, in his, in his trial and the night before in the
garden and how he prayed. So earnestly in the garden and
we About that in the gospels. I really love Ephesians, the
fifth chapter there, where it talks about the sacrifice of
Christ for the church, Ephesians 5 and 25 through 28.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ.
Also loved the church and gave himself for it that in, he might
sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of the Water by the
word that he might present her to himself.
A glorious church not having spot or wrinkle or any such Such
thing but that she should be holy and without blemish.
That's what Christ did for the church.
His sacrifice was such that it presented the church as pure and
holy and without blemish, that's what the sacrifice of Christ
did. And if in John, the Gospel of
John verse chapter 10, I'd like to read several verses there 7
through 18. Then Jesus said to them.
Again, most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
All who ever came before me are thieves and robbers, but the
Sheep did not hear them. I am the door.
If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out
and find pasture. The thief, does not come except
to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.
I have come that they may have life and that they may have it
more. Abundantly, I am the Good
Shepherd. The good sheet, Shepherd gives
his life for the Sheep, but a hireling, he who is not the
shepherd one, who does not own, the Sheep sees the wolf coming
and leaves the sheep and flees and the Wolf catches, the sheep,
and scatters them the hireling. Flees because he is a hireling
and does not care about the Sheep.
I am the Good Shepherd. And I know my sheep and am known
by my own as the father knows me even.
So I know the father and I lay down my life for the sheep and
other sheep, I have, which are not of this fold them.
Also, I must bring and they will hear my voice and there will be
one flock, and one Shepherd. Therefore, my father loves me
because I lay down my life that I might take it again.
No one takes it from me. But I lay it down of myself.
I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again,
this command I have received from the father several points
I'd like to to bring out from this reading and that is I just
love the. I love the idea of Jesus as the
as the Good Shepherd because she / so defenseless and the only
defense they have is the shepherd and so the Shepherd
protects the Sheep, you know, we are helpless without Christ, we
have no hope. We have no, we have no future
just in this life is all. We have, we have no hope of
Eternity without Christ, the Good Shepherd and Christ.
As the Good Shepherd, also is willing to lay down his life for
his sheep. He knows his sheep and the Sheep
know him. It's kind of hard for us to
imagine a Shepherd, knowing each individual sheep, you see a big
flock of sheep and to us, they are all the same but he's so
into Emmett with those sheep. He stays with him night and day.
And he knows every sheep individually, and he calls them
by name. And so does our Good Shepherd.
Jesus knows you. He knows you as an individual,
he knows your name. And when it comes to the
Judgment, he'll be able to call you by name to reap.
Your will reap your reward and those who do not, who are
Unfaithful, he will say to them, I never knew you.
He won't know those who are Unfaithful, but the righteous he
knows. And he calls them by name just
as the shepherd. Does his his sheep?
He also says Therefore my father loves me because I lay down my
life that I may take it again. No one takes it from me but I
lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down and
I have power to take it again this command I've received from
my father. It's really something.
This this verse here. Philippians Philippians also
brings out the point of Christ offering himself and and going
to that that terrible cross Ephesians 2 and 5 through 11
says, let this mind be in you which was also in Christ.
Jesus who being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery
to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation taking
the form of a servant and coming.
In the likeness of men and being found in appearance as a man, he
humbled himself and became obedient to the death, to the
point of death, even the death of the Cross.
Therefore God has Hall, has highly exalted him and given him
the name which is above every name.
Name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of those
in heaven and of those on Earth and of those under the Earth and
that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to The
glory of God, the Father. Barnes really does a good job of
talking about this verse and and the sacrifice of Christ you know
some people would be willing to go to their death if that's what
their cause called for. They would be willing to go to
their death if it were Noble and and they would be called
courageous because they're willing to.
But but often the deaths of a warrior or Or a things like
that, people like that is quick and so they're willing to face
that knowing that their death will be quick, but there would
really be second thoughts. If they knew that their death
would be torturous and long and painful.
And that's what the death of the Cross is.
It's one of the worst ways a person could die and that was
the whole point of the crucifixion was to make that
person suffer, and and, and make them suffer as long as possible.
People would hang on those crosses for days, And days.
Before they would finally succumb.
And that is the death. That is meant by even the death
of the Cross. He went to death, he suffered
death, but it said, even the death of the cross.
There's no worst way of person could be sentenced to die, but
Jesus went to that death. Even that death willingly.
He took that on himself willingly, nobody had the power
to do it. He told pilate pilate said to
him, don't you know, that I have the power to send you to crucify
you or to free you? Jesus said, you have no power
except it's given to you from heaven from above.
Pilot did not have the power to release him.
Jesus gave his life willingly of his own choice.
He could have called Ten Thousand Angels but he didn't.
He gave himself over to the hands of these wicked men for
just that death and Philippians also makes the point of Jesus
being God. And yet god well, we can relate
more to a King and and Jesus is King to, we can relate to a
King. We don't really regard our
leaders in the United States, like like some other countries,
were a king is Rule because the King has sovereignty, he has all
Rule and power our elected officials.
Those are elected and they serve a short-term and they don't
really have the power that a king would.
The King has the power to take life or to give life.
And they have, they have Sovereign rule.
But the king is not the one who suffers the king is not the one
who sacrifices of himself. We have a king who gave himself.
But Jesus is more than a king because he's Almighty.
And he is God. And so we have a God who gave
himself for us in that sacrifice.
And in that sacrifice, Jesus purchased the church.
In Acts 20 and 28. It says they're take heed to
yourselves Paul says to the Elders of Ephesus and to all the
flock among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to
Shepherd the Church of God which he purchased with his own blood
there. The term is of his God, shedding
his blood and that really, you know, Jesus is God, we recognize
Jesus as part of the godhead and so he God purchased the church
with his own blood. One of the great blessings of
the church being in the church and the sacrifice of Christ to
purchase the church is that we are reconciled to God.
We could not be without that sacrifice.
We could not be reconciled to God.
It took that sacrifice of his blood to to give us a not give
us a place with God. First Peter 2:9 says, you are a
chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, his
own special people. I like that.
That rendering of the new King James better.
The King James says, A peculiar people but are we are really
God's own special people that you may proclaim the Praises of
him, who called you out of Darkness Into His Marvelous.
Marvelous Light, who were who once were not a people but are
now the people of God who had not obtained Mercy but now have
obtained Mercy, that is only through Christ, that is only in
the church that we have those blessings and we are reconciled
to God. Revelations, one, and five and
six says to him, who loved us and washed us from our sins in
his own blood and has made us Kings and Priests to his God,
and Father to him be glory and Dominion forever and ever, amen.
You know, think about it. You think about the marvelous
blessing that we have in Christ and how close to God, we have
been made through his blood. We were able to come before God
and and speak to God, and we are basically in the presence of God
because of Christ's sacrifice. I like Revelation 7 and 14 and
15. So he said to me that John had
seen a great unknown. Number of mobile number of
people in white robes and he said to the angel said to him
these are the ones who came out of Great Tribulation and washed
their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Therefore they are Before the Throne of God and serve him day
and night in his Temple. And he who sits on the throne
will dwell among them. Now that's a wonderful image,
isn't it? But that's the image of the
church and of God's people who are washed in the blood of
Christ were made pure and were made able to be before God and
speak to God and God to us. You think about?
The many people. Now, all of you, I know know
this you all know about the church and you know that that
you're you're blessed it's a great privilege to be a member
of the church, a member of the the kingdom of heaven. and,
There are many, many people who don't.
I mean, we gather together each Lord's Day to Remember the Lord
in communion. And so, we're reminded each week
about the great sacrifice he made.
But there are many people who don't think about it.
Passing the swap meet, there's hundreds, maybe thousands of
people there at the swap meet today, you know, buying and
selling and trading. And it kind of makes me think
about the scripture that talks about Noah, who, you know, they
bought and sold and married and gave in marriage until the flood
until Noah was shut into the ark.
And they were carried away with the flood.
People just go on about their life without a thought.
But you and I think about heaven, we think about the
church, and we think about the sacrifice of Christ by which all
the blessings in him are made. So it's a it's it's very few
people, honor God, and remember Christ, as they should and some
people like sheep dumb sheep. Just go on through life.
Without a thought of the future. Knowing.
That they'd have an appointment to meet and that appointments
death. Everybody dies.
Everybody makes that appointment but they're oblivious to life
and they just go on with life. Not preparing for that day.
We are strangers and pilgrims like Abraham was in the land of
promise. We're strangers and pilgrims
here on this Earth and and we have our real home.
Our true home is heaven and we'll meet we'll meet there
someday. In Ephesians 5.
Again I'd like to reread that and read some more verses from
that verse that's chapter. It's a beautiful picture and
talks about husbands and wives and how they should be together
but he's really talking about Christ and the church.
Verse 25. husbands love your wives, just as Christ, also
loved the church, And gave himself for her that he might
sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of Water by the
word. That he might present her to
himself. A glorious church not having
spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that he she should be
holy and without blemish. So out, husbands are so
husband's ought to love their own wives as their own bodies.
He who loves his wife, loves himself for no one ever hated
his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it just as the Lord
does the church for, we are members of his body of his flesh
and of his bones. For this reason a man shall
leave his father and mother shall be joined to his wife and
the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery but I
speak concerning Christ and the church.
You know, you think about husbands and wives and they are
one flesh. Shhhh the scripture says, but so
is Christ in the Church. Of course, the church is the
bride of Christ. It is the body of Christ.
In the church, we are members of his body and of his of his flesh
and of his bones. Mark, 16 and 15 and 16 says, and
he said to them, go into all the world and preach the gospel to
Every Creature, he who believes and is baptized, will be saved.
But he, who does not believe will be condemned.
The gospel, is the death burial and resurrection of Christ.
The great news is his resurrection and we are all part
of that through obedience in baptism and being buried with
him in baptism, baptism and being raised.
Raised to walk in newness of life.
In US ax2 + 42. It says, and they continued
steadfastly in the apostles Doctrine and fellowship in the
breaking of bread. And in prayers verse 47,
praising God, and having favor with all the people and the Lord
added to the church daily. Those who were being saved those
who are saved are in the church, you see how important the church
is and how little the world knows about that.
Because they take the church so lightly.
And we really, we really come to God through obedience in the
gospel. You know, the gospel Plan of
Salvation. We've got to hear and believe,
Romans 10, and 14 now when they, 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 shall they?
How shall they hear without a preacher verse 17.
So then faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of God.
Hebrews 11 and, and six, as but without faith, it is impossible
to please him for. He who comes to God, must
believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of those who
diligently seek him. So we have to come hearing the
word and believing faith comes from hearing the word of Truth
and, and believing and obeying. We've got to repent is part of
our obedience. Peter says, As on Acts 2:38
repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus
Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift
of the Holy Spirit acts 17 and 30.
Truly these times of ignorance, God overlooked.
But now commands, all men everywhere to repent, we've got
to confess our belief in Christ, Matthew 10:32, therefore,
whoever confesses me before, men him, I will also confess Before,
my father, who is in heaven, Romans 10, and 9.
That if you confess with your mouth, the Lord Jesus, and
believe in your heart, that God raised him from the dead, you
will be saved. The great confession of the
eunuch in Acts the eighth chapter was I believe that Jesus
Christ is the Son of God, and that's the confession of the
good confession that we should make and then we need to be
baptized Acts 22 and 16. And now why are you waiting
arise and be baptized and wash away?
Your sins? Calling on the name of the Lord.
First Peter 3 and 21. There is also an antitype which
now saves us. Baptism, not the removal of the
filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience
toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
That is really a concluding, a verse, and a verse without
argument, because the denominational world will say
you can't you aren't saved by baptism.
Here, the scripture says we are saved by baptism and baptism our
obedience to baptism in faith washes away our sins.
So the scriptures truly teach the truth and we need to follow
the truth. Thy word is truth.
Jesus said so you know the world teaches the doctrines of men.
All we need is this truth. The scriptures lead us in truth
and follow that. And we can obey the same gospel
that Jesus gave to the apostles and they preached the first
century Church obeyed. We can obey that same Doctrine
and reap the same power to save, you know, Matthew 23 and 13.
Jesus rebuked the scribes and Pharisees because he says you
have shut up the kingdom of heaven.
And men, and you won't go in. And neither will you, allow
anyone else to enter that would enter?
And, you know, that's what the denominations do.
They have the same Bible, but they won't go in because they
won't obey it and they teach others to follow their same
error. Galatians 3 and 26 for you are
all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
For as many of you as were baptized into Christ, have put
on Christ Colossians 1:18 and he is the head of the body, the
church who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead that in
all things, he may have the preeminence again Ephesians 5
and 23 and he is the savior of the body, only those who are in
the church. The body of Christ.
Are saved. You have to be in the church to
be saved their salvation in no other.
The Bible says You know, we demonstrate our love for the
church and worship. when we go to worship and worship in spirit
and in truth, We demonstrate our appreciation by worshiping in
spirit and truth and that's what God calls for us to do to
Worship in spirit. And in truth, we can worship in
truth all day long. And not have the spirit in it,
not have our heart in and not of our faith in it, and it would be
vain, it must be done in spirit and in truth, and we demonstrate
our love for the church and doing that.
Hebrews 10 and 23 through 25. We often read verse 25 but we
leave off sometimes verses, 23 and 24.
It says, let us hold fast. The confession of our faith
without wavering for he, who promised is faithful.
And let us consider one another in order to stir up.
Love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of
ourselves together as the manner of some.
But exhorting, one another and so much the The more as you see
the day approaching we're to assemble.
But the purpose of the assembly is to stir us up in love and
good works and not too and and to not let our faith waiver.
holding fast the confession of our faith and that's what is
involved in our Sibley's is, stirring us up and, and
encouraging us on as we as we face each day and looking
forward again to the Judgment Day when it's coming Colossians
3 and 16 now singing, Talking about singing.
It says let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all
wisdom teaching and admonishing. One, another in Psalms and
hymns, and spiritual songs singing with Grace, in your
hearts, to the Lord, and whatever you do in word or deed
do all in the name of the Lord, Jesus giving, thanks to God the
Father through him. This talks about are singing and
the kind of singing We should have there's teaching and
admonishing in our singing. And also it must be in in the
name of the Lord Jesus or by his authority.
So they need to be true. What we seeing needs to be true
scripturally and also have have a good teaching and message and
we teach and admonishing mohnish one, another in our singing.
So the point is that there's teaching and admonishing in our
singing, We need to be careful as song leaders and song
selectors. That our songs are appropriate
and true. And we do teach and admonish
through our singing. As we do in our preaching, John
6:63 it is the spirit who gives life, the flesh profits, nothing
the words. I speak to you are spirit and
they are Life. The Words of Christ are the
power of God to save. These are his words and he's the
words he had given by inspiration to the apostles and
his own words as written by the gospel writers.
John 5 and 38, but you do not have his word abiding in.
You Jesus says to the scribes and Pharisees him.
You do not believe you search the scriptures for in them.
You think you have eternal life? And these are they which testify
of me. But you are not willing to come
to me that you may have life. Jesus says to these scribes and
Pharisees that the works. He did there that God had given
him to do testified of his truth and of where he had come from
and the scriptures to testify of him now, they rejected it.
They rejected all of that testimony.
And the point is this morning that we need to be careful not
to fall in their example, not to follow their example, the
scriptures testify of Christ and we can know Christ and follow
him and believe in him and obey his gospel because of the
scriptures testify testimony. And as we teach others, we need
to teach that power The Gospel Power, Christ's Gospel Power.
Peter confessed Christ in Matthew, 16, and 16 Jesus had
asked the apostles who men say that Jesus was.
And they said some say, John the Baptist and some say, you're
Elijah and others, they that your Jeremiah or one of the
prophets and he said, who do you say that I am?
And that's when Peter made that confession.
You are the Christ, the son of the Living God, and 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 and I also say to you that you
are Peter and Upon This Rock, I will build my church and the
Gates of Hell shall not Prevail against it.
And I will give you the keys of Hell, the of the kingdom of
heaven and whatever you bind on Earth will be bound in heaven
and whatever you loose on Earth. Shall be loosed in heaven.
Jesus asked Peter, who do you say that?
That I am and Jesus, Peter says, you are the Christ, the son of
the Living God. And, and Jesus said, you're
blessed, Simon bar Jonah. And I say you're Peter, and Upon
This Rock not upon Peter, but upon the confession or upon the
fact that Jesus was the Christ, he's the rock, he's the
Cornerstone. He's the, he's the, the stone of
stumbling in the Rock of offense that the builders rejected, but
God made him the Chief Cornerstone.
So he is that rock that the church is built on and so.
So Jesus says, you're Peter, Peter just confessed Christ.
He said, you are the Christ, the son of the Living, God.
And Jesus says, you're Peter and Upon This Rock, I'll build my
church upon Christ, the Rock and the fat, and the foundation of
the church. And I will build my church and
the Gates of Hell will not Prevail against it since
Pentecost and the First Gospel sermon and where the Lord added
to the church then daily such as we're being saved, still today
the same gospel. And the same church, is
continuing and prevailing, no matter what the devil and he'll
and the principalities and powers in. only places me may do
still the church prevails Jesus commissioned the apostles to go
into all the world and preach the gospel and He said to them,
all power is given to me in heaven and earth, you know,
Jesus has all authority. And he told the apostles that
all power or authority is given to me, if the new King James
says, all authority has been given to me in heaven and on
Earth go therefore and Make Disciples of all Nations,
baptizing them in the name of the father, and the Son, and the
Holy Spirit, Jesus said, Said all power is given unto me to Go
Make Disciples, you baptize them in the name or in the authority
of the father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them
to observe all things that I have commanded you and lo, I Am
With You Always even to the End of the Age.
So we still today, make disciples in the same way, we
still teach the same gospel message and we're still added to
the same church. The Church of Christ, the body
of Christ and we're still saved by that same gospel.
I hope that this was beneficial to you this morning and I hope
you can take away from this a grade, a greater, maybe
appreciation for the church because of all the had to be
given for it. And the great great blessings
that we find in it. We thank you for listening to
our podcast. It's put on by the Church of
Christ at 22:15 plans. Road in Bakersfield.
If you would like any additional information or you would like to
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Please email us at info at search of Christ.
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a.m. and 5 p.m. and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. please make plans
to join us. We would love Love for you to be
our honored guest.