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00:00:02 good morning beloved I bring you greetings from the Saints at the Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington DC uh the last Sunday before the and I got on a plane to fly over to Southeast Asia uh we prayed for you all as a church at our at our evening prayer service and so it's a joy to actually uh be here this is an answer in some ways for those prayers and it's a privilege to preach to you all today from the book of Ephesians what's the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about the
00:00:33 church is your impression you're feeling positive negative maybe just indifferent or a combination of all the above what if you went and ask your friends or or your co-workers or or or your family what do y'all think of the church how would they respond is she Something Beautiful in their eyes or barely even noticeable I grew up in Houston Texas as you just heard in a non-Christian family and my my feelings and perceptions of the church were not good ones the churches I saw around me for the large part sadly
00:01:13 like many of the marriages I saw were better pictures of of Hell than Heaven that is they weren't impressive they weren't distinct they weren't attractive to me Christianity was at best hypocrisy that is you know I wanted to get into a really good University and make a lot of money so pure worldly ambition but I was more moral and disciplined than many of my Christian friends and then I became enamored with philosophy and rationalism and Unitarianism all that uh as I read that the newspapers as I read about
00:01:48 Evangelical leaders or Christians it was usually with the words Financial extortion or or sexual immorality and I came to believe okay Christians just aren't Hypocrites this is dangerous this is deceptive this is delusional and I actually went to college got into that school I wanted to and I started a philosophy club and I would lead people to atheism uh I was an evangelist before I was a Christian uh leading people away from Jesus but in the severe mercies of God things fell apart in my family starting my last year
00:02:19 of high school throughout all of college um my dad went bankrupt he had a mental breakdown there was adultery there was divorce but the Lord used this break these these tragedies these trials to convert my mom and my younger sister who moved to Washington DC and uh they became Christians and they were living one block away from Capitol Hill Baptist Church and uh uh my mom asked me to come to church with her the week after I graduated from college as as a Mother's Day gift so on Mother's Day 1997 I went
00:02:49 to church for the first time at Capitol Hill Baptist Church and it was a weird Church uh it was weird but in an attractive way it was weird the way that they loved my mom and me I had never seen people love us strangers like that before and it was weird the way that they loved one another I had never seen Christians gathered together loving one another that way and then the Pastor Mark deor uh he was he was weird to me cuz I couldn't understand him in my rationalistic worldview it didn't make sense cuz he
00:03:24 was articulate he was intelligent he had a PhD from Cambridge but then he was a Southern Baptist fundamentalist Evangelical preacher you know and my rationalistic world world view is like a unicorn false dichotomy an intelligent Baptist you know an articulate Evangelical they don't exist but in this in the mercies of God over the next six months the Lord used the corporate witness of that church its corporate love its corporate Purity it's corporate Unity to convert me and in February 199 I prayed in prayer Lord not
00:04:01 my will but yours and the Lord saved me and then I spent three months cleaning up my life I mean I was in the world right very much immersing the world uh getting rid of repenting of sin and then I was baptized in May of 1998 I was at the age of 23 and as I as I grew in in the Lord I started reading the Bible I remember reading first Peter uh verses 2 112 right where where where Peter says live such good lives among the pagans that though they accuse you of doing wrong okay that was me they see your good deeds and glorify God
00:04:34 on the day he visits us and then I just realized oh wait that was just Peter echoing King Jesus in his very first sermon on the sermon of the mount in Matthew 5 where Jesus says to the church he says you all y'all right you plural y'all be be light in the Darkness Be salt be a city on the hill that they may see my father's good works I'm sorry that they may see your good works and glorify my Father in Heaven I came to realize that the church church is to be a display of God's glory of his love of his Unity of his Purity
00:05:07 and his main means to make disciples right God's best program for evangelism right bringing non-christians to Christ and God's best program for discipleship for presenting everyone mature in Christ is a healthy local church but in God's mysterious Providence making disciples and teaching them everything that Jesus is commanded right that great commandment teach him everything it's not a quick process is it it it's kind of like raising kids I love being the husband of tbth and the father of my five children it is
00:05:47 the greatest existential Joy I know on planet Earth apart from just being with Christ but I'm thankful that the lord gave me 18 years to have them in my home but often often I feel like oh my goodness is this going to be enough time to teach them everything they need to walk wisely in this world which is so filled with with lies of Temptation Of ease and entertainment and and entitlement it's a process to raise these children right it demands time and patience and teaching it's glorious joyful hard
00:06:28 inefficient joyful but hard work but if we do it well by God's grace it can bear great gospel fruit and God has created the family to be part of how that happens with our children and he has created the church to be the the original ecosystem the family by which that growth happens for making disciples as well brothers and sisters in this present evil age Life Is War Satan is Waring for our souls he is Waring for The Souls of your family your children your co-workers your neighbors but the good news is we know
00:07:14 the end of the story right God wins Matthew 16:18 these are the words of Jesus I will build my church and the Gates of Hell will not Prevail against it you see Jesus returns to bring a new Heaven and a new Earth we know in Revelation 21 and22 we will see him face to face that Garden in Genesis 1 becomes the new city that reconciles all of creation back to God through Christ for those who believe we will be with Jesus once again in the new city but until then the church is here on planet Earth to guard the gospel and and to guide us
00:07:56 Christians and to to put that gospel on display you see the church therefore is the most powerful weapon in the army of the Lamb brothers and sisters if we can unlock the the biblical power of the Church of a healthy Church there's no better means to fulfill the Great Commission well why because God's word is proclaimed and it it reverberates in the body of of the Christians gathered and then those Christians they go out the doors and they scatter in that word as the Christian walk around in their
00:08:30 neighborhoods and the workplaces acts like salt and light in the darkness this is true power and it's why a Biblical vision of the church is so important now sadly not everyone's experience in the church has been a good one a compelling Community sadly most people's experiences are probably like mine in my early years where they thought at best Christians are hypocrites if not they're just delusion Del usion is destructive but just like marriage we shouldn't reject them if they're bad just because they're not good examples
00:09:08 that we see we should look to the Bible and say what does the Bible say and the Bible especially the New Testament paints a very different picture of the church now of course we see this vision of God displaying his glory through his chosen people in the whole storyline of scripture and of redemption history from the first pages of Genesis all the way to Revelation but I want to to look at Paul's letter to the Ephesians to see a focused up close snapshot of this connection between the glory of God and
00:09:37 the church the book of Ephesians paints an astounding portrait of God's new society that is the church living together and fulfilling God's purposes as non-believers are converted as Believers are built up and God is glorified through the communion and life together of this new society that he creates himself through the Gospel of Jesus Christ so as your guest preacher my heart's desire today is simple I want to Simply encourage you with this biblical vision of the local church and then I want to
00:10:08 highlight the blessings that come when we Embrace this Vision in our own discipleship to do that we're going to go to Paul's letter to the Ephesians to capture god's picture God's vision of the church and I want us to see five things about this new society that God creates the church number one we're going to look at its foundation and its construction that's points 1 and two in chapters 1 and two then thirdly we'll look at the purpose of this new Society in chapter 3 and then fourth we'll look
00:10:34 at the results that's chapters four and five and then finally we'll look at the power behind this new Society in chapter 6 and then I'll conclude with four practical blessings this is application that come when we individually commit to a local CH church as part of our of our own discipleship that is following Jesus now friends my goal is to make this an expositional sermon that means that the main point of my sermon I hope is the main point of the passage here's the thing my passage is the whole
00:11:04 book of Ephesians so what we're going to do if you think of this like a house tour right we're not going to go room by room slowly we're just going to run down the hallways and knock open some doors and piek our heads in but let me encourage you hopefully you'll get an overview of the House of Ephesians but let me encourage you to go away and read the whole book today you can read the book out loud in 20 minutes it's a great thing to do so go and do that maybe during the the day or during the week so
00:11:27 let's now look at Paul's l to the Ephesians God's new society and we'll start by looking at its foundation in chapter 1 we see the gospel Foundation upon which God builds his new Society we're going to go there right now you're welcome to listen or uh or follow along I'll be reading um chapter 1 the first 10 verses Paul an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God to the Saints who are in Ephesus and are faithful in Christ Jesus grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
00:11:59 bless blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the Heavenly places even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him in love he predestined us for adoption as Sons through Jesus Christ according to the purpose of his will to the praise of his glorious Grace with which he has blessed us in the Beloved in him we have Redemption through his blood the Forgiveness of our
00:12:34 trespasses according to the riches of his grace which he lavished upon us and all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time to unite all things in him things in heaven and things on earth Ephesians is a beautiful picture of reconciliation vertically Christ reconciles all of creation to himself and God and then horizontally Christ reconciles all believers Jew and Gentile to one another through the
00:13:18 church the power driving this reconciliation is the Gospel of Jesus Christ the good news that's what we see right here in these opening 10 verses Paul gives us the foundation for our hope the spiritual blessings that we have in Christ right that Redemption through his blood forgiveness through his grace and notice friends the fruit of this gospel for all of us right there in verses 11 and 12 in him we have obtained an inheritance having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the
00:13:52 counsel of his will so that we who were the first to Hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory oh Beloved the gospel is our only hope it's the singular Mark that defines the true church and the true Christian or not it's the one non-negotiable why well because God always creates God always saves through his word right from Genesis 1 where God speaks and all of creation comes into being right or or John 1 where that word becomes flesh and lives Among Us the pattern of the Bible is simple God creates and God Saves
00:14:44 through his word there is no other way to have a Biblical church right a a supernatural Blood Bought community of redeemed Sinners living together for the glory of God all right Ryan I'm convinced then but what then is this gospel friends this is the most important question of the whole sermon indeed of your whole life the gospel is good news and it's foundational to God's new Society he deserve condemned Jesus stood in our place though he had no sin Jesus became sin so that we might become righteous
00:15:26 and declared not guilty in God's sight and this gift of undeserving Grace is offered freely inclusively to all who repent of their sins and believe that Jesus Christ is Lord friends Jesus meets us at the intersection of Darkness and Light and invites us into this family of God into the church if we trust and follow him we are adopted as children and this Gospel of reconciliation is the foundation of everything Paul says not just in Ephesians but everywhere in the Bible and Jesus and the church are Central to
00:16:06 this gospel Foundation look there at the end of Ephesians 1 at verse 22 right this is the connection Jesus and the church to the gospel 22 and he put all things under his feet that's Jesus and gave him as head over all things to the church here it is verse 23 which is his body the fullness of him who F who fills all in all so you see God gives Jesus in The Gospel verse 22 to build the church and then verse 23 to be his body the fullness of God do you see the connection but the blood of Jesus cleanses us from our sins that's the
00:16:47 gospel and we have genuine joy-filled fellowship with God and with one another if we repent of our sins and believe in Jesus it's a beautiful picture of the church and the gospel isn't it right there in Ephesians a blood bought Supernatural community that grounds Us in real relationship first with our creator and then with one another no matter what your ethnicity or background so in God's economy the gospel alone serves as the foundation on which he builds his new Society the church and how does this new
00:17:24 Society uh get built well God himself creates it it's a supernatural work right that's what we see in Chapter 2 that's the second point in our outline here the construction this is Ephesians 2 now the first Supernatural creation is in the lives of the individual Christian that's you and me if you believes we have a new identity in the gospel of Christ and it has nothing to do with our Worth or our works look there at Ephesians 2: 89 and 10 for by Grace you have been saved through faith and this
00:17:59 is not not your own doing it is the gift of God not a result of works so that no one may boast for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them how are we saved Paul mentioned it Paul mentions it twice we are saved by grace that's the essence of the Christian Gospel God's undeserved favor his grace and what happens God works through Christ to use us to construct the church as a display of his glory and power that's the rest of chapter 2 so
00:18:40 I'm going to read this is these verses in some ways are some of the most beautiful explicit uh pictures that we see of God constructing the church this is a Biblical vision of the church so if you think of a of a construction site right with cranes and buildings and think something big right but this is a supernatural construction site this is God at work listen to these verses and just imagine him at work Supernatural construction site here it is these are amazing words this the heart of the vision right here Ephesians 2 starting
00:19:08 in verse 12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ alienated from the Commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of Promise having no hope and without God in the world but now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the the blood of Christ for he himself is our peace who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of Commandments expressed in ordinances that he might himself create in himself one new man in
00:19:46 place of the two so making peace and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross thereby killing the hostility and he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the father so then you are no longer strangers and Aliens but you are fellow citizens with the Saints and members of the household of God built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Christ Jesus himself being the Cornerstone in whom the whole structure
00:20:27 being joined together grows into a holy Temple in the Lord in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the spirit wow you see that the gospel through the blood of Christ verse 13 brings us into a new Supernatural Community of Peace it gives us a new identity and makes US citizens members of the household of God and through Christ the corner Stone God constructs his new Society right he's a building a structure a holy Temple are you beginning to see the picture here that Paul is painting of
00:21:10 the church it's a Amazing Creation a supernatural construction site so be encouraged Christian God uses ordinary blunt instruments like us to do his extraordinary Supernatural work he lays the foundation and constructs this new Society the church the church the dine place of God through the gospel those are our first two points the foundation and the construction but what's the purpose of this new Society right why well that's chapter 3 let's look at the purpose in Ephesians 3 keep in mind as we look at Ephesians 3 this
00:21:49 picture from Ephesians 2 right this it's important kind of it frames everything in verses 1-9 Paul gives a brief aside to lay out his credentials his authority to to say the things that he does and then he goes on to say the purpose of God's new Society right there in verse 10 okay that's the key verse Ephesians 3:10 that the world might know the multifaceted wisdom so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the Heavenly places okay that phrase through the
00:22:21 church that's an amazing phrase that's the last thing I would expect to see you know maybe through something beautiful and splended like creation so my dear daughter and I just had the privilege of being in Thailand the week before and uh we uh were able to go to the beach and uh and we took a longtail boat and then we went we went snorkling for one day it was stunning I mean it was like creation on high definition surround sound I have literally never seen beaches that beautiful Forest just overwhelming that's what I would expect
00:22:54 to see will display God's wisdom right and of course in some ways creation does do that psalm 191 the heavens declare the glory of God the skies proclaim the work of his hand but here God's word tells us that he has chosen the church to display his manifold wisdom to the powers in The Heavenly places what Fallen sinful people like you and like me you former drunks fornicators we're going to be the ones I'm going to be the ones that display his wisdom to the world I think this verse verse 10 in many ways serves as the Pinnacle of this
00:23:28 letter centerpiece God's Church displays his wisdom to the world and we see the goal of all this clearly at the end of chapter 3 in verse 20 and 21 right the goal is to give glory to God the father in Christ Jesus and in the church through all generations read with me Ephesians 3: 20 and 21 here it is Paul writes now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think according to the power work within us to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations
00:23:58 forever and ever amen beloved do you see the significance of this what is the church it's an outpost of Heaven it is the very Dwelling Place of God so this means that we the Church of King Jesus are an embassy for the kingdom of God we are ambassadors representing King Jesus beloved whether we're in Washington DC are KOA and poor we all serve this King Immortal invisible God only wise we might be wrong about a certain political candidate or a certain political party but we are certain about King Jesus and his church so our faith
00:24:46 is not ultimately about us our best individual lives now it's about us together to be a display of his glory my friends this vision of the church it's God's it's not Ryan Townsen or nine marks it's God's vision for our good and His glory and what's the result well it results in disciples being made who walk together corporately in a way that is worthy of God and His glory and that's what we see in the rest of Ephesians right there in Ephesians 4 and Ephesians 5 uh look at look at Ephesians 4 uh verse one I
00:25:31 therefore a prisoner for the Lord urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called with all humility and gentleness with patience bearing with one another in love eager to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace right and then he goes on these are very famous verses but but these are going to be the basis of the rest of the the application from the sermon so let me just read Ephesians 4 1-6 come back and meditate on this but this is the basis of all the application I'm going
00:26:02 to make but let me just read uh starting in verse uh 11 and he gave the apostles the prophets the evangelists the Shepherds the teachers that's your church leaders your elders your pastors right he gave he gave those to equip the Saints for the work of Ministry for building up the body of Christ until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God to mature manhood to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ so that we no longer may be children tossed
00:26:35 to and fro by the ways and carried about by every wind of Doctrine by human cunning by craftiness and deceitful schemes here it is here's your application verse 15 rather speaking the truth in love we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head into Christ from whom the whole body that's the church friends joined and held together by every joint that's every member every piece of the the body with it is equipped when each part every little part is working properly making the body grow so that it builds itself up in
00:27:07 love okay chapter 5 just reinforces this same idea you can look right there in chapter 5 verse one therefore be imitators of God as beloved children verse two and walk in love as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us a fragrant offering sacrifice to God so do you see what God is doing here right through the power of the gospel God is constructing a new Society to display his glory Glory its foundation is not our works but Christ's work on the cross it's the gospel but the result is good works in us the good works of the body
00:27:38 of Christ right evangelism bringing non-christians to Jesus through through calling people to repent and believe the gospel and then discipling right building Christians Up in Jesus it's all those one another commands that that Paul prescribes here in his other letters and so that's the result notice so finally the power driving all this this is the fifth point of God's news Society in Ephesians 6 particularly veres 10 and 4 Paul ends where he began the power of all this is God it is his strength and his
00:28:10 armor in him we stand beloved and find power for this Mission listen to these verses from uh Ephesians 6: 10 11 and 12 finally be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against the rulers against the authorities against the cosmic Powers over this present Darkness against the spiritual forces of evil in the Heavenly places friends Satan hates the church
00:28:51 especially healthy ones he loves unhealthy ones right that lie about who God is when they look more like the world but he hates hates this and so do you see Paul's final prayer okay Paul is the world's greatest evangelist after Jesus I think in the New Testament how does he finish look at Ephesians 18 to that end keep alert with all perseverance making supplication for all the saints and also for me that words may be given to me and opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in
00:29:24 jams that I may declare it boldly as I ought to speak this is Paul the Evangelist asking praying for God to give us power to proclaim the gospel as boldly as he could oh Brothers may we pray for that same power and sisters friends there it is there's a a Biblical vision of God's new Society right okay we we've run through the whole book of Ephesians we've seen it's Foundation its construction its purpose the results and now the power driving it so what is do this mean for us and for our local church well like I said earlier chapters
00:30:05 4 particularly 1-6 and chapter 5 give us the heart of our application to walk in a manner worthy of Jesus Christ together building up the body of Christ the church for we are members of his body that that Greek word for members of of his body it it literally just means that to be a member means to be a part of that's all the word member means so membership just means that you are a a a part of this body right like this finger is a member of my body uh and all these commands that Jesus and Paul give to the
00:30:40 individual Christians and to the local churches and the church leaders they can only happen when we commit to living together as a family as members of the body of one body so here's the application for Christians at it simplest that means this means me that you should Covenant with a healthy local church for your good and God's glory that is the local church is to be the center The Hub of your Christian discipleship it's God's plan to bring him glory you're his bride but it's it's a you y'all plural so you should join
00:31:19 and commit to a local church out of obedience to scripture the main idea is is is simple here if you are a Christian God's purpose is saving you was that you might bring glory to him through the life that you live in communion and Community with other Christians right if you do not join yourself with the body of Believers in order to live that out you have failed to live uh what the Bible says it is absolutely fundamental part of what it means to be a Christian you see it's not about you or me it's about you and
00:31:53 me as a part of a church Community bringing glory to God together I think that's the weight of what Paul is saying here in Ephesians and friends I pray that it bring you great encouragement both individually and corporately right to see this amazing plan that God is performing for his glory he's using us wow let me give you four biblical reasons then practical benefits blessings uh uh that come when you are part of a local church these are the the tangible benefits the practical application to this biblical vision of
00:32:32 the Church of of covenanting together with a group of other believers in your area if you're already a member of a church I pray that this application these four points encourage you and remind you of its importance in your life and strengthen your own Walk With Jesus if you're a Christian but not a member of a church I just want to ask you one simple question why not why haven't you joined a church if if you're a non-Christian I pray that you see the supernatural beauty of the church and I pray that you come to know God through
00:33:05 its witness and we're delighted that you're here with us you are always welcome come and talk to us afterwards so here they are four reasons these are the four points of application and then we'll be done reason number one join a church for non-christians join a church for non-christians when Christians join a church and live Faithfully according to God's word they collectively help clarify to non-christians what Christianity really looks like as Christians command to love and follow jesus' example we have the
00:33:39 ability in our Ministries to bring light into the darkness just like Jesus did when he embrace the world's hurt and sorrow this will encourage and serve fellow Believers but it will also be a wonderful light in the darkness to the unbelieving world remember they'll see these things and be like that's weird but attractive so one implication of this is that while unbelievers are always encouraged to come to church make your church is welcoming to unbelievers they cannot actually be members of the church
00:34:11 the church consists of Christians only therefore the church should primarily feed and serve those Christians and that will have a powerful Evangelistic Outreach this will help your evangelism why well because it will make clear who is a Christian and who is not and it allows a clear light to shine in the darkness and this will we've done with humility and love this will be attractive in the best and most biblical sense of the word of that word right again that was my testimony a healthy Church of committed
00:34:42 Christians living together it's the best evangelism program out there so join a church for non-christians number two reason number two join a church for Christians now there are many practical aspects for this second reason this going to be the longest of the Four Points uh so this is the second point but I'm going to give you three sub points three blessings that come to Christians when they Covenant together so second point with three sub points all right subo number one you want to join a church for
00:35:12 Christians because it helps with accountability friends God never intended for his children to live as solo Christians by joining a church we are saying I can't I can't do this by myself I need I need others to help me I remember my very first Friday night as a Christian okay I just graduated from college I I I was bartending in in Georgetown neighborhood so I was living a very worldly life making lots of money bartending just living a very pleasure centered life I just become a Christian I walked into Mark de's uh
00:35:50 study that Friday night Mark de's the pastor at HBC and I said um Mark what do what do Christians do on Friday nights you know I I I knew knew what I used to do on Friday I was like I can't do that anymore but I was a babe I had no idea what Christians did on the weekends uh like I said I wasn't raised in a Christian home you know and then that Aaron minov was there and and at the table and he said take a walk with Aaron and talk with him so Aaron and I took a walk around the US capital Aaron started
00:36:16 discipling me that week we started reading a book together they put me in Andy Johnson's small group Matt Schmucker and Mark de kind of had weekly lunches with me and they started showing me what to do not just on Friday nights but every day they help me walk every day as a Christian okay now I just turned 48 and I've I've now been a Christian more than I've been a non-Christian okay fast forward 25 years later I'm now married to tth like I said five children and I I the headline of my life is better than I deserve but beloved I
00:36:49 still need that church as much today as I did that first Friday night I need that accountability and and that love that direction to figure out how to walk in this world right I wasn't I wasn't called to to be a solo Christian the church consists of Christians who are willing to hold one another accountable to be involved in the lives of others and if necessary to discipline a fellow member who is unrepented of sin you see we can't be held accountable if people don't know who we are we have to be involved in the
00:37:23 lives of others for us to help one another and for them to help you accountability is not a silver bullet there will always be sin in churches because there will always be sinners in churches and we should never Overlook abuses of Authority or accountability right Genesis 2 we see a beautiful picture of authority right Authority exercised well in the marriages in homes uh in the church there's no better picture of of who God is than good authority and yet Genesis 3 Authority abused is the most heinous offense
00:37:57 against God because it allies about who God is right good authority is the most beautiful picture of the image of God authoritarianism abusive Authority heinous heinous sin because it lies about who God is so don't overlook abuses of authority but do we do want churches to have good authority right because sin does not thrive in the light 1 John 1: 19 if we confess our sins God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness so the goal for accountability is our church is a
00:38:28 culture where we can learn to give and receive godly encouragement not flattery the world flatters don't flatter but give and then also receive godly encouragement and also Godly constructive criticism right the world uses harsh destructive gossip or ghosting or cancelling or condemning that is not what we do as Christians we speak the truth in love we give constructive criticism that's the culture that you want and that's what good accountability good authority does so you want to join a church for the
00:38:59 Christians for accountability the second benefit for Christians still under point to this is the second sub Point join a church for discipleship right for love and encouragement stronger and weaker Christians need each other stronger and weaker Christians need each other I remember during high school I had the chance to visit England I I have a twin brother he's been my best friend he became a Christian six months after I did but anyway Jason and I were doing a study program his name is Jason my twin brother and we were out in
00:39:27 England uh driving in the country uh and I remember seeing a flock of sheep for the first time in my life uh I'm from I'm from Texas in Texas we have big Longhorn cows we don't I've never seen any sheep uh uh but there they were stumbling down the road right in front of us and so we literally had to stop our car we just Jason and I just got out of the car and we sat on top of the roof and we just watched these sheep for about 10 15 minutes it it was it was pretty funny particularly as a as a teenager you know I used to think sheep
00:39:55 were were white they're not they are dirty uh they are dirty little things and and they and they're stupid I mean they they are all walking down they were literally falling into the ditch right some were going the other way it was just I mean again I was rolling as a teenager just laughing making fun of them but after 10 minutes or so with the help of the Shepherds and and and the sheep dogs that were running around those dumb sheep all made it safely down the road and into the sheet pin and then
00:40:25 we were able to get back in our car and drive on you see friends that's us we are we're those dumb dirty sheep right that bite at one another and we're easily SW sway off the P the path right when we when we want something and we don't get it so we fight we bite ah but you see my friends even if we're falling the ditches or going the wrong way if we're part of a flock by God's grace we can make make it down the road Al together so what I'm saying here is simple we're better stuck in the middle of the flock even if it slows us down in
00:41:07 our own discipleship or it inconveniences our life now why well friends if you know your own heart well you know that it's actually more dangerous to be alone or on the edge of the flock because that's where the wolves live and our hearts are prone to wonder and it's true I guarantee it as a pastor I can guarantee it no matter what church you join it's going to inconvenience your life and slow you down and be messy but have you considered the fact that maybe God's plan is to slow you down so that you can lock arms with
00:41:44 others and so to speak help speed them up older men and women in the faith are commanded by Paul right to disciple and encourage younger Christians tit is too right right here in Ephesians younger Christians are also called to care for and love older Christians in this in the church according to the New Testament there's no such thing as an individual Christian God has bound us together as one body in Christ and commanded us to care for one another Hebrews 1024 and 25 and let us consider how to stimulate one
00:42:17 another to love and Good Deeds not forsaking our own assembling together that word assembling assemble that's where we get the word church not forsaking our churching together as in the of some assembling but encouraging one another and all the more as you see the day Drawing Near stronger and and weaker Christians need to make their love for Christ definite by loving others in a purposefully committed fashion remember those one another commands that Jesus and Paul give throughout the New Testament to love one
00:42:47 another as Christ has loved us to to speak the truth in love to outdo one another and honoring right all that happens becomes possible only if we Covenant and commit to a local church so we should join a church for Christians because it helps with accountability it helps with discipleship and loving and finally it helps to share responsibility in 1 Corinthians 12:13 and 14 the Apostle Paul gives the longest teaching and scripture on the spiritual gifts in these chapters he clearly teaches that our spiritual gifts
00:43:24 are from God in order to share responsibility in the church and build one another up uh Pastor Mobi that that that that reading from 1 Peter 4:11 I love that verse today talking about the ministry for for uh visitation right he talked about how how God's varied Grace is displayed through our gifts right our spiritual gifts are like a beautiful stained glass window right that's varied Grace a stained glass window that has a glorious picture of unity and diversity right when the light of the gosp El
00:43:57 that's the unity shines through the many various pieces diverse pieces you just see this beautiful picture of God on display as we use our gifts for Paul spiritual gifts means meeting the needs of the church and building up others that's it you don't need to take a spiritual inventory test just meet the needs of the church and build up others that means there is a place for every member in the church even the the day one old Christian who just got baptized he can have a resp responsibility what better way is there
00:44:30 to make your love and responsibility concrete than to commit yourself to a local church where you can be cared for and at the same time care for other Christians all right there that's the second reason join a church for Christians these last two this will be quick uh reason number three and four and then we'll be done join a church for church leaders some Churches claim to have thousands of members at least in the United States we have lots of churches that claim to have thousands of members and yet only a small percentage
00:44:57 of the those members actually attend that Church On Any Given Sunday which begs the question what happened to all those other members where are they or there's the other end of the spectrum where a church has many folks attending but they never join and put themselves under the authority of the church for church leaders this is a sobering reality especially since the Bible but the Old Testament and the New Testament consistently Hold Us church leaders accountable for shepherding the flock and for knowing each sheep let me
00:45:31 just give you one example here in Hebrews leaders are commanded to keep an account on those put under their care right Hebrews 13:17 obey your leaders and submit to them for they are keeping watch over your souls as those who will have to give an account let them do this with joy and not with groaning for that would be of no advantage to you friends on the final day of judgment scripture teaches that we pastors will hold the hands of the people that we were trusted to care in our flock we will have to give an
00:46:00 account for each of these Souls how can a leader know who to lead and care for if the members do not come to church or if they come but they refuse to formally join and say I will submit to the formal care and authority of the church as a whole it's a formidable and glorious calling to be a a church leader it's exactly how our great Shepherd cares for us and it's why he's called for every Church to have Godly leaders that is men who can gather and protect the flock to minister the word of God and to to equip
00:46:27 Saints for the ministry and such a picture is a beautiful exhibit of God's kindness and his wisdom it's part of God's vision for the local church so join a church for your church leaders and finally reason number four join a church for God that's the fourth and final reason it's interesting if you look through the book of Acts it is the Lord who adds people to their number and being added to the Christian number meant being identified as the church the most striking illustration of this connection between God and the church
00:46:55 takes place in Acts nine in the story of Paul's conversion at that point he's Saul and he's on the road to Damascus right what's he going to do to kill and persecute Christians and then Jesus appears to him and Saul falls to the ground and do you remember what Jesus says to him right these are Jesus first words to the what would become the Apostle Paul he does not say Saul Saul why are you going to persecute those Christians doesn't say that he doesn't even say Saul Saul why are you going to persecute the church nope he says Saul
00:47:29 Saul why are you going to persecute me that's why I think Paul got his image of the church as the body of Christ his first Christian conversation I think had that image in it and then in Acts 20 it says that the church is the body of Christ and that God B the church with his own blood beloved I don't know all the bits of your life life and how you have been brought up to regard the church but in the New Testament I can tell you the church is regarded as the body of Christ bought with his own blood this is what God is about so many
00:48:10 of the things that we understand to be Christian are not simply individualism but are actually virtues that Express themselves in relationship with other people so ultimately we want to be a part of the church for god well my friends there it is we made it we ran through the house a Biblical vision of the church and our life together I think this picture is both a challenge and a comfort isn't it it's a challenge because biblically we have a responsibility clearly for one another but it's also a comfort because we know
00:48:44 that we will be cared for and loved for and prayed for by God's family my prayer is that at the least you've begun to understand the beauty and power of Christ in the church may God give you the joy and passion to continue the conversation with your pastors with your family with one another for your good and His glory let me let me pray for us we can sing our father thank you for the church your bride grow our love for you and your church that our lives together may be a wonderful display of your glory to
00:49:22 the watching Dark World in Jesus name we pray amen thank you Ryan for the message Church shall we all rise and sing a song of response together let's sing Old Church arise together [Music] oh Church arise and put your armor on here the call of Christ Our Captain for now the weak can SA that there are strong in the strength that God has GI when Shield of fath and B of Truth we stand against the de lies and arm B who SP CED is love reaching out to those in [Music] darkness I call go to war to love the
00:50:59 captive soul but to ra against the cap and wave the sword that makes the W hold we will fight with faith and Val when fac with tri on every side we know the outcome is SEC and Christ will have the price of which he died and inheritance of Nations arise Shine for your light has come arise Shine for the reent sun lift your eyes we are his R bright arise oh Church arise come see the cross where love and Mery as the Son of God is dren and see his F like crushed beneath his feet for the Conqueror has risen
00:52:27 and as the stor is thred away and Christ emerges from the grave this Mar continues till the day every eye and heart shall see him so Spirit come who strengthens every stde give Grace for every hle that we may we fa to win the priz of a servant good and faithful as sa of all still L away retelling triumphs of his grace we hear the and hunger for the day with the Christ we stand in glory arise arise Shine for light has come arise Shine for the reent sun lift your eyes we are his R and bright arise oh
00:53:51 Church arise arise oh arise Shine for your light has come arise Shine for the re Sun lift your eyes we are his great and bright arise so Church arise one more [Applause] time arise oh Church [Music] arise and he now this benediction from Ephesians 3 not to him who is able to to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever amen you're dismissed you're welcome to come up to the front if you'd like to
00:55:12 get prayer with any of the elders thank you have a blessed day
