We are studying things a church must have. let us review a few thoughts from last week ‘s message.
What should you look for in a Church?
A congregation that believes in confession and forgiveness and avoid a fellowship of perfect people—you will not fit in. Seek one where members confess their sins and show a humble spirit toward God and others [1 Peter 5:5-7]. A place where acceptance is simply confession of guilt and faith in Christ. Healing happens in a church like this. Followers of Christ have experienced His grace and are to proclaim His grace.” There is too much condemnation in the Church. Jesus did not come to condemn but to save. We need to follow the same example. We have lost the meaning of spirituality. It is not listening to preachers 24/7. It is learning to worship the LORD, taking care of your life, your home, your family as unto the LORD.
We looked at the foundation of the church and its Head. Jesus asked the Disciples, who do the people say that I the Son of man am?
Mat 16:15 He saith unto Peter, But whom say ye that I am? Mat 16:16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. Mat 16:17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. Mat 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Mat 16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Jesus said, “I will build my Church”. This is the First mention of Church in the N.T. What did He build it upon? Answer: It was not Peter but his confession, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
1] Where the teaching and preaching of the Word of God is found. We concluded at number 2
2] A church must have fellowship. This is not just the getting together of a dinner and sharing conversation and pictures and our plans. Although that is a fellowship that is needed. But that is not this fellowship. I witnessed two Vietnam Veterans greeting each other and I heard the words they shared. There was a spirit of oneness, a bond of two people who had gone through then same experience. They simply said to each other “love you brother”. That is the same fellowship that must be in the Church if the Spirit is to work and where grace is to be found.
There are a lot of attitudes, and practices that should not be found in the local body of believers. There was a sense of genuineness in the Veteran’s greeting and not a lot of meaningless words. Believers have a bond; The Spirit of Christ and it should be evident, and it must be If His Spirit is to work, and grace is to be found! In this local body of believers, we are to greet everyone in the Spirit of Christ with words of sincerity and care and that means to everyone.
A] Fellowship is first between each believer and Jesus, 1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. Maybe that explains why there is not true fellowship between believers: that being there is no true fellowship with Christ.
Jesus taught the necessity of fellowship with Him in Joh 13:8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. Joh 13:9 Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Joh 13:10 Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. He is showing the believer the need to confess sin and that they are clean.
B] It is His church and not our church. And He adds to His church and His invitation extends to all. Revelation 22:16-17 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. Rev 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
I do not think we grasp the significance of V 16. Let us consider the time and place of John seeing Jesus. It was in the future even future to us in 2022. John was in the first century. And Jesus identifies Himself as “I Jesus”. We know Him by Jesus. And Jesus was speaking back to us in the church age, I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. 1] I think today we do not hear who is speaking.
Religiosity has taken the place of Christ. [“Religiosity is something that should never be a characteristic of a follower of Jesus Christ, but, sadly, it sometimes is. Whenever a Christian takes his/her eyes off of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, religiosity/religiousness can be the result. It is often easier to observe the rules, rituals, and traditions of a religion than it is to maintain a passionate relationship with the Lord.
How can religiosity be avoided? “It is a matter of perspective and priority. What is the priority? Is it worshiping and following the Lord Jesus Christ, or is it fulfilling the rituals of a religious organization? What is the perspective? Do we serve God in order to “earn” His love or to be seen and admired by other people, or do we serve God because we love Him and are grateful for the wonderful salvation He has provided? Religion, ritual, and tradition are not the problem. The attitude behind the religious practice is the problem.” taken from GotQuestions.org]
2] I do not think we understand to whom He is speaking: It is us the Church. And I think His words to Laodicea are words to this day, Rev 3:14 -22 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. Sup is a word of fellowship. You the believer in fellowship with Jesus, 1Jn 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. He is telling us how to be an overcomer.
3] There must be Worship. What is Worship = To give honor to One who is worthy. Revelation 4:11Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
Jesus described worship to the Samaritan woman in John 4.
A] He was telling her that Worship was not a place but to the LORD Himself, Joh 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
Jesus said, the hour is coming, and it is not far off: He was speaking of His death, the Cross and His suffering, His resurrection and accession and when He would send the Holy Spirit, Joh 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Joh 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Jesus was leading her to faith in Him: v24-28, Jesus told her who He was, and she left her waterpot [her religion, Jacobs well] for the Living water of Jesus Christ. She came to Jacob’s well with a thirst that religion could not quench but left with the words of satisfaction on her lips, Joh 4:29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? . “She had come to the well to fill her empty pot with water, but then Jesus poured His life into her empty soul. She walked away a changed person.1“
“Worshippers” that is you and me. God seeks worship from the believer. You can worship Him in the morning, You can worship Him driving to work, IYou can worship Him while working, because He is worthy, and worship is not to a place. I can worship Him as I study and look for the right words to make the message understandable, as I research and ask the LORD how to write in way that will be meaningful to you. I can worship on Sunday morning when I come to speak His word that I might say it right. And you can worship on Sunday morning by asking the LORD for ears to hear.
God seeks our worship. When we awaken in the morning, God seeks our worship. As we go through the day, God seeks our worship. He wants us to worship as we drive our car, rear our children, and walk alongside our spouses. When we’re alone or with others, God wants our worship. —Pastor Chuck Swindoll
B] In this new hour of worship when we worship in Spirit and truth there is a day set-aside for Worship, Heb 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
There is the “Breaking of Bread” in Worship, and you must be together to do such. 1 Cor. 11:18-26
1Pe_2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ
Ephesians 4:11-16 Eph 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; Eph 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Eph 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: Eph 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; Eph 4:15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: Eph 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
What did He mean when He said, but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. What day? The coming days of prophecy, the rapture, the tribulation, the JSOC. i.e., Jesus said, I will come again, John 14:3
Rev 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
On the earthly side of a funeral there are many things that require attention, and the funeral directors do a good job in meeting the demands of all those things. On the eternal side of death is it not wonderful for the LORD to be the director. This old song says,
“Look over Jordan, what do I see?
Coming for to carry me home?
Band of angels coming after me
Coming for to carry me home
Luke 16:19-31 says, i.e., v22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; I am not debating if that is the way it happens today. I just want to say this. When it came time to redeem us, He did not send an angel or a band of angels. He came alone and died alone for you me.
Joh 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. He is God in Human flesh Hebrews 2:14 –15 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
That is what Jesus did for you. Now will you believe your promise of life He made to you, Joh 6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
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