Church - God Sends.

Steve Gentry

[0:00] I want to talk to you just for a minute about those invite cards those little [0:04] cards that we gave you with the bulletin I hope you took a bulletin if you don’t [0:09] we throw them away because we can’t use them next week so if you’re not taking a [0:14] bulletin please stop offending me so much take a bulletin there’s [0:19] announcements in there there’s there’s things that you can there’s O’s you can [0:24] fill in during the sermon I know some people make a practice of doing that

[0:30] and you can do that during the sermon but just take a take a bulletin every [0:33] week but those little invite cards those are about our Christmas Eve Eve service [0:38] we this year are going to experiment a little bit and on the Friday before [0:42] Christmas on December 23rd we’re gonna have a community Christmas service that [0:49] is gonna be a blast we’re gonna give the gospel we’re gonna sing fun [0:54] Christmas songs we’re gonna sing songs to Jesus we’re gonna watch some fun movie

[0:59] clips there’s gonna be a surprise guest at the end for the kids this is gonna [1:03] be a service for all ages if you have family that’s from out of town and [1:07] they’re coming in town invite them I want everybody in here to invite at [1:12] least five people I told the volunteers earlier for I expect more out of you [1:16] than I do the volunteers so I need you to to invite five people but now the [1:21] to invite ten people so it’s just gonna be a lot of invitations going on so just

[1:27] invite people come out don’t go to grandma’s house until Saturday morning [1:31] she’ll still be there hopefully and she’ll understand you needed to worship [1:35] Jesus with your church on Friday night so come out on that and take those [1:39] invite cards to work pass them out invite somebody take them to Starbucks [1:44] it rarely is it offensive to invite someone to spend time with you I don’t [1:49] know why we think that’s I’m afraid to invite people to church what you’re

[1:53] afraid to tell someone you think they’re your friend that’s just weird have some [1:57] friends make some friends invite them it’s gonna be a blast if those invite [2:00] cards are too small for you we have postcards on the connect table out there [2:05] you can take those and have really big invitations but people may think that’s [2:10] weird so maybe you should just use the invite card but today let’s get into it [2:14] we got a lot of work to do a lot of work ahead of us put your thinking cap on I’m

[2:18] going to challenge you today in first Corinthians 12 we’re going to talk about [2:22] the church that’s everybody’s favorite subject because everyone has an opinion [2:27] I personally found out on Thanksgiving that lots of people have opinions about [2:32] how pastors should run churches and I heard a lot of them and that was a lot [2:35] of fun for me it was fairly exhausting when I went home I fell asleep really [2:40] quick because my brain was just so tired because because I do not do a good job

[2:45] according to people that don’t even come here so let’s let’s I don’t know why I [2:50] just gave my baggage to you if somewhere if my mother’s in here she’s [2:55] like I don’t know why he’s talking about that I just don’t know why he brings it [2:58] up but uh the church is an organism I want to lead off with that for a long [3:09] time in many lives the church is often seen as an organization maybe it’s seen [3:15] as a club that you’re a member of but when we read throughout the scriptures

[3:19] and we’re going to read a lot of scripture today when you look at the [3:22] church through the lens of Jesus and the Apostles what you’re seeing is [3:28] something that is compared to something that is life-forming and life-giving [3:34] you’re looking at a body you’re looking at the bride you’re looking at the bride [3:39] of Christ the one whom Jesus loves and gives his life for you’re looking for the [3:44] you’re looking at the very lifeblood of the gospel you’re looking at the people

[3:50] whom God is redeeming for his own possession and whom God stakes his claim [3:56] on and tells you this is what life is all about if you’ve been in church any [4:05] length of time there’s two groups of people that I’ve seen the first group is [4:10] the people that are just all in the church commands their life the church is [4:17] everything to them they just pour everything into it but then there’s [4:21] another group of people to where the church is sort of this existential

[4:25] mystical idea that’s somewhat invisible throughout the world and we’re all a [4:31] member of it but we don’t really need to be that committed to it we just it’s [4:36] just me and Jesus I’ll be his bride I’m not really connected to the other brides [4:42] but at the end of the age God’s just going to bring it all together but I don’t [4:47] really need to be that committed to any expression of the church because that [4:53] takes too much time and that’s too much effort and well there’s a lot of sin in

[4:59] the church and there is no perfect church so let’s just kind of stay out of [5:05] that fight well in Matthew chapter 16 Jesus kind of gives us the first taste in [5:11] the New Testament of what his church is going to be in his vision and he’s [5:16] talking to Peter the disciples are gathered and he’s just asked them who do [5:21] you say that I am and Peter who’s always the first to speak up actually gets this [5:25] one right and right before this he says you’re the Christ you’re the son of God

[5:30] and Jesus rather than rebuking Peter like he normally does he looks to Peter [5:35] and he does kind of a play on words because Peter’s name is Petros in that [5:40] language or Kephas and what that really means is that you’re a stone you’re a [5:45] little stone and so in some religions when they look at this they think that [5:50] Jesus is saying I’m going to build my church on you Peter but really Jesus [5:55] isn’t saying that what he’s talking about is kind of a play on words and if

[5:58] you look at the context of the whole chapter what he’s saying to Peter is on [6:02] the declaration of what you have just said that I am the son of God I’m gonna [6:09] establish and build my church on that and he says that I tell you Peter and on [6:16] this rock and in Ephesians Paul lays it out even further when he says that there [6:23] is a foundation that God is building his church on through the teaching of the [6:28] apostles but there’s a cornerstone in that foundation the cornerstone is that

[6:33] which the weight of the structure depends on and that is the son of God and [6:38] he says on you on this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall [6:44] not prevail against it that is Jesus’s vision for what he is going to [6:50] establish through what we’ve already talked about these past few weeks [6:53] through his life through his death through his resurrection Jesus says I’m [6:57] going to establish my church and nothing will ever bring it down right and then if

[7:07] we look to first Corinthians 12 open your scriptures to where we were Paul [7:12] flushes it out this way and we’re going to take a look at the context a little [7:16] later in the sermon of what he’s saying here but here’s what Paul says he says [7:19] now you and he’s not speaking to one person this is a plural you he’s [7:25] speaking to an entire group of people because he’s just unpacked how everyone [7:29] fits into the church and he says and you are the body of Christ and

[7:35] individually members of it and here we can still kind of shift and shape the [7:45] terminology here and say well it’s kind of I’m an individual but I’m a member of [7:50] this thing bigger than me there’s really not much I need to do but then in [7:53] Hebrews chapter 10 verse 25 the author of Hebrews gets even more specific in [7:58] the language that he uses and the way that he writes it he says and let us [8:02] consider how to stir up starts in verse 24 sorry and let us consider how to

[8:06] stir up one another to love in good works so the author of Hebrews is saying [8:11] how do we live the gospel how do we equip ourselves how do we together start [8:18] to live the gospel and here’s what he says he says not neglecting to meet [8:22] together as is the habit of some but encouraging one another and all the more [8:26] as you see the day drawing near and the context here in chapter 10 is that Jesus [8:32] is is doing something through his sacrifice once for all for all people and

[8:38] he’s bringing people together when Jesus says in Matthew 16 that this [8:44] declaration is the rock on which he will build his church on the terminology there [8:48] that is used over 41 times in the New Testament to describe the church and the [8:55] term at Lysia is this term in Greek culture where in Greek cities was very [8:59] familiar because anytime a council would get together in Greek culture they would [9:04] call it an Ecclesiast and what was understood there is that this is an

[9:08] assembled group of people for a stated and very specific purpose in the New [9:16] not this idea that the church is existential it’s mystical it’s outside [9:21] there’s this invisible connection that we all have no it was understood there [9:25] is a very specific gathering that is taking place where we find our identity [9:31] as a church and in Hebrews 10 he uses a different word which is epic and a [9:34] scott’s which means a gathering that’s physical in nature so he gets even more

[9:41] specific where he says do not neglect to come together with the people that [9:46] make up your church because that is how you will be equipped for the work of the [9:54] gospel so in the New Testament we see that there is a very stated purpose and [10:05] it’s physical and it’s specific as to what we should do so when we get

[10:13] confused about what church should look like or what church should be for and [10:17] when we kind of get together and we’re like I think it should be this or I [10:21] think it should be that well I don’t think it should command any of my life [10:25] it’s not that all of these opinions are valid because God has been clear [10:35] it’s that what we do is often the same thing that Eve did in the garden if you [10:42] want to listen to that message we did a whole message on the fall of man when

[10:45] Eve is looking at the fruit and deciding whether or not to rebel against God’s [10:51] command she can either base things on her experience or she can base things [10:56] on the way God said it should be and she based her decision on her experience [11:03] often when we look at the church most of our opinions are formed by our [11:08] personal experiences in church or churches plural rather than the way that [11:14] God has presented what the church is in his scripture and as we saw in the fall

[11:20] of man whenever we base things on experience rather than scripture we [11:27] typically are in very big trouble because God can be trusted far above any [11:32] experience so we have to ask ourselves the question what part does the church [11:40] play in my life and what part does my life play in the church so first we need [11:47] to identify who is the church all right first I want you to understand the church [11:55] consists of those whom God redeems the church does have an identity all right

[12:04] the church is not made up of everybody that shows up at a service on Sunday [12:08] morning okay there are some people that show up on Sunday morning that are in [12:12] the church and some people that show up on Sunday morning that are not in the [12:16] church they’re at a church but they’re not in the church you see where we can [12:20] get a little confused there let me explain if these in chapter 1 starting [12:24] in verse 19 and then we’re going to go backwards so go to 19 first good job and

[12:29] what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe [12:34] according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he [12:39] raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places [12:42] far above all rule and authority and power and dominion above every name that [12:48] is named not only in this age but also in the one to come in other words Jesus [12:53] is God Jesus is King Jesus is the sovereign one from all eternity and

[13:00] through the cross he has accomplished all that needs to be accomplished but [13:04] Lotus what he says and he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over [13:12] all things to the church which is his body the fullness of him who fills all [13:20] in all so here’s a vision that God’s giving through Paul he’s saying Jesus is [13:28] God Jesus is authoritative Jesus is King and he is the head of the church which [13:36] is his body now I don’t know how much you know about physiology but here’s why

[13:41] that analogy is so good my arms don’t do anything my brain doesn’t tell them to do [13:47] if they do that means things are going haywire inside of me and I have a [13:52] neurological disorder a nerve disorder I have a muscle disorder I have some [13:56] kind of disorder if my limbs start to disobey my brain the analogy that’s [14:02] being put forward here is that all believers for all time represent the [14:08] body of Christ but he is the head so he directs what the body does so we exist

[14:16] to do that which he leads us to do and that’s our identity that’s where we find [14:21] our life you are a body you are not ahead so when you begin to live not for [14:34] what the head tells you you should be living for something’s going wrong

[14:40] that’s called sin the opposite of God’s commands is sin sin is a disease so that [14:49] analogy works really well but then we have to ask ourselves okay so who should [14:54] do this how do we identify who is this church go back to Ephesians 1 starting [15:00] in verse 3 and I wish I had time to really unpack this for you but we don’t [15:06] so in February you need to stay here okay because in February we’re gonna [15:12] start a series going through the entire book of Ephesians alright we’re gonna

[15:16] unpack this one word by word and you’re gonna love every second of it verse 3 [15:21] blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in [15:26] Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places even as he chose us [15:31] in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless [15:35] before him in love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ [15:40] according to the purpose of his will the praise of his glorious grace with

[15:44] which he has blessed us in the beloved in him we have redemption through his [15:48] blood the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of his grace [15:52] which he lavished upon us and all wisdom and insight making known to us the [15:56] mystery of his will according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ as [16:01] a plan for the fullness of time to unite all things in him things in heaven [16:06] and things on earth in him we have obtained an inheritance having been

[16:11] predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to [16:15] the council of his will who makes up the church all those whom God redeems but [16:30] the key thing you have to understand about the church the church is not the [16:36] culmination of the thoughts ideas or philosophies of man Ephesians 1 puts [16:42] forward this idea and this thought that the church has always been God’s plan [16:49] just as the working of the gospel of Jesus has always been God’s plan the

[16:56] church being the body of Christ has been God’s purpose from Genesis 1 through [17:03] today and will be God’s purpose through the book of Revelation the church is the [17:09] plan of God so when we think that we can divorce ourselves outside of the church [17:16] and still take part in the work of God I just asked a question does that line up [17:25] with what scripture presents I don’t believe it does I believe the church [17:32] according to Dr. David Platt the church is God’s plan a and there is no plan B

[17:40] so when you take yourself out of the context of church taking yourself out of [17:55] informing this plan and redeeming people and calling people to himself and [18:00] he knew whom he would call to himself before the foundations of the earth and [18:05] for on that matter I’ll just let scripture speak for itself now how do we [18:14] go further in God’s purpose what does that look like Romans 828 and we know [18:19] that for those who love God all things work together for good for those who are

[18:22] called according to his purpose for those whom he foreknew he also predestined [18:26] to be conformed to the image of his son in order that he might be the first born [18:31] among many brothers so there we see that the church has been God’s plan from [18:35] eternity past for all time and there we see the plan of God has been that in [18:40] Jesus the church will consist of all of those whom God calls to himself and makes [18:47] brothers and sisters or children of God through Jesus his plan was that in the

[18:52] resurrection Jesus would represent and be the first born among many brothers so [18:59] there is no pathway into the church apart from trusting Jesus Christ and [19:05] faith the church does not bring you to Jesus Jesus brings you to the church [19:13] that is the number one key problem with Catholic theology I’ll be specific on [19:18] that that’s what separates us Catholicism will teach you that the church [19:22] will bring you to Jesus Jesus will teach you that he will bring you to the church

[19:26] it is very important what order you have that in if you are coming to the village [19:33] with a thought that we will connect you and bring you to Jesus I cannot do that I [19:40] am not your high priest Jesus is I do not get any more Jesus than you do or can I [19:49] a brother and I’m a brother to all the brothers I got really confused how to [19:56] word that for some reason I almost called myself a sister but I am a brother to all [20:01] of the brothers and sisters in Christ it’s just that I have a gifting that puts me in

[20:06] this position in this office but I cannot take you to Jesus he wants you to himself [20:11] he’s a very jealous God and he does not give me an anointing with which I can give you rather [20:18] he wants to give it directly to you through the power of the Holy Spirit so if you want to be in [20:24] the church of Jesus Christ if you want to be a part of God’s plan for all time you must do it [20:30] through trusting in Jesus Christ he has done all of the work to redeem you from you from your sins [20:37] and to give you his righteousness there’s no other pathway except through him I think he said that in

[20:42] book of John 14 6 you must come through him that is God’s plan and has been God’s plan for all time [20:51] but we will often do is we will do that will come through Jesus it will come into the church and [20:58] we’ll come into the congregation will come into a local church and it will be disastrous because [21:06] people are involved and that tends to happen when people are involved I’ve heard pastors say it [21:12] would be a great job if so many people weren’t there the fact of the matter is it’s a terrible [21:17] thing to say because there were no people there would be no point people are not the problem sin

[21:24] is the problem and you’re a sinner too anytime there’s conflict there’s one thing you can be [21:30] two centers are involved that’s just the fact of the matter but the key in understanding the church [21:38] is an understanding that it is God’s plan and we are called to be a part of it when we believe [21:44] that we can take part in God’s plan for all time apart from a local church we’re really playing [21:52] some pie in the sky idealistic reality that doesn’t exist right because in order for us

[22:02] to be a part of building God’s plan to be a part of that head we have to understand that the [22:09] universal church that invisible church that we’re all connected to which we are it’s made manifest [22:17] in the local church there’s no other way through which you can build the universal church [22:25] except for to be a part of the local church now go to first Corinthians chapter 12 again [22:32] all right and I just want to focus on a little bit of it now in verse 14 I believe [22:39] Paul is fighting the mentality that happens when we have a bad experience with the church

[22:47] all right I know many of you have had bad experiences with churches I’ve had tons of [22:51] bad experiences in churches but what tends to happen is is we kind of use that and we say [22:56] okay I can’t do that anymore I can’t do that to myself I can’t be a punching bag I’m just [23:03] gonna stay on the outside I’m gonna let them do that I’m just gonna focus on my life and in [23:09] that’s not how God makes it happen and here’s here’s what Paul says in first [23:13] in first Corinthians 12 verse 14 he says for the body does not consist of one member but of many

[23:21] here’s the idea there you don’t make up a church

[23:26] all right the idea that you can sit at home on Sunday morning and watch tbn or something [23:33] and be a church maybe call a prayer partner and send a check folks that’s not a church

[23:41] it’s not a church church is not just about disseminating information [23:48] church is about discipleship it’s about helping one another live the gospel in our daily lives [23:55] and there’s no way to do that apart from relationships I know how hard this is I know [24:00] how hard it is for some of you Sunday in and Sunday out to even come to a service [24:05] I know I’ve been there more than you could ever imagine but this is God’s plan

[24:14] he says in verse 15 I love I love this analogy if the foot should say because I am not a hand [24:20] I do not belong to the body that would not make it any less a part of the body [24:24] and if the ear should say because I am not an eye I did not belong to the body that would not [24:28] make it any less a part of the body if the whole body were an eye where would be the sense of [24:32] hearing the whole body were an ear where would be the sense of smell but as it is God arranged the [24:37] members in the body each one of them as he chose if all were a single member where would the body

[24:43] be as it is there are many parts yet one body here’s what some of us do I have no part to play [24:52] I can’t do anything this is the effect of sin on your life to believe that you have nothing [24:58] to contribute and Paul says that’s erroneous that is not a true way to see yourself you are a [25:08] creation of God and he’s just finished a part of scripture where he says all of the spiritual [25:13] gifts and everyone has been given gifts by God because you can’t preach doesn’t mean you have [25:19] part to play in a church it actually means you probably have a more important part to play

[25:24] because all I can do is talk how useful is that you should be here 7 30 on Sunday mornings to [25:34] look at everything that makes this happen there’s hours of work that go into this before I ever come [25:40] up on the stage and start talking about scripture people using their hands people using their feet [25:45] people back there changing dirty diapers that I don’t want any part of

[25:50] everyone has a part to play during the week we have community groups that are meeting host homes [25:56] and we have leaders that lead community groups and we have host homes that sometimes [26:00] make bake a meal and and we have people that use all sorts of different gifts there is no gift in [26:06] the body of Christ that is not important but when we disqualify ourselves and decide to sit on the [26:12] sidelines rather than play in the game the body of Christ is missing an essential element and that’s you

[26:23] the church does not consist of people sitting in the bleachers watching two or three people [26:30] actually play the game those who sit on the bleachers should be the unbelievers watching [26:37] all believers on the field worshiping God with everything that they have [26:42] and being amazed at how God works through his church but too often believers attempt [26:50] to simply be part of the crowd that is not God’s vision for his church God’s vision for his church [26:58] is everyone using the talents and abilities that God has given them giving all that they are

[27:07] all that they can to build God’s vision for the church that the gates of hell cannot prevail [27:14] against it one of the big keys that got me into ministry was the fact that there’s no chance of [27:19] failure we’re guaranteed success even if you don’t show up I’m guaranteed success in the end [27:28] because Jesus has won the victory if you weren’t here last week listen to the podcast he rose [27:36] he’s alive he’s the senior pastor of the village today and he will take us to be with him for [27:44] eternity I’ve been reconciled with God through the hope that’s found in Jesus Christ

[27:47] get in the game we’re gonna win everyone else loses there’s no reason to sit on the sidelines [27:54] there’s no baggage too big for the gospel to heal I mean you say you don’t know you’re right I don’t [28:01] but God does and Jesus went to the cross for that baggage stop carrying it live for the mission [28:10] of Jesus the church then is God’s design for growing those people whom he has redeemed [28:19] in discipleship to further the mission that Jesus accomplished even further all right now [28:29] there is a thought inside of the church and we’re going to really start going really fast

[28:33] this is like a 10-week series in one sermon all right this should take weeks I don’t know what I [28:38] was thinking but here’s the key the church is not and I know most a lot of you probably don’t even [28:46] know what I’m going to say here some of you might the church is not a couple of buddies meeting on [28:50] Sunday morning for coffee all right the church is not a bunch of guys meeting in a bar for a beer [28:57] the church is not you having a hobby on a Sunday morning with a bunch of buddies [29:02] and then praying at the end of it some people would reduce it to that but there is structure

[29:07] that God has given for the church to work all right there is an organizational aspect to the [29:15] organism for the organism to work and reproduce all right so let’s talk about that all right how [29:22] is God accomplishing his mission through the local church scripture provides leadership and [29:29] so I want to talk to you a little bit about the way leadership will work at the village [29:34] this is how we’re praying right now we have some of this by God’s grace soon we will have all of [29:40] this all right now there are leaders that are appointed in the church to lead the church and

[29:48] sure you’ve been to a couple of churches and you’ve seen deacon boards or or you’ve seen [29:52] elder boards or you’ve seen congregational government and you’ve seen just absolute [29:57] insanity breakout at business meetings but here is what we believe God lays out in scripture for [30:03] the church in Titus chapter 1 starting in verse 5 Paul writes this to a young pastor he says this [30:10] is why I left you in Crete Paul planted a church in Crete and he left Titus so that you might put [30:16] what remained into order and appoint elders in every town as I directed you if anyone is above

[30:21] reproach the husband of one wife and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery [30:26] or insubordination for an overseer now that term means basically is where we get our term [30:34] pastor it’s elder as God’s steward must be above reproach he must not be arrogant or quick-tempered [30:42] or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain but hospitable a lover of good self-controlled [30:47] upright holy and disciplined he must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught so that he may be [30:53] able to give instruction and sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it

[31:00] God’s vision is for men of faith who are mature in the faith who know the word of God and live [31:08] the word of God all right it’s not just about knowing notice that he puts knowledge at the end [31:13] I’m far more interested in how you’re living than just what you know you can know a lot and not [31:17] live a thing if you know it and don’t live it you shouldn’t be an elder God meant for his church [31:21] to be led by elders so the village this is a church that will be led by the plurality of [31:28] elders that will be appointed over time to protect the vision that God has given to the church

[31:34] now elders are to lead the church this is this is kind of the idea of equipping

[31:41] in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 12 God gives the vision that he gives all of the offices of [31:47] leadership so that the saints can be equipped to live the ministry and elders occupy that office [31:56] this is for guiding and guarding the teaching of the church elders in first Timothy it writes that [32:02] we have to be able to teach and some of you say Steve you’re disqualified well that’s just your [32:08] opinion leave me alone elders are to be equipped in doctrine in other words the teachings of [32:16] scripture elders should know the scripture and elders need discernment as to what is true and

[32:22] what is false the job of an elder is to protect the church from false doctrine scripture calls [32:29] them wolves that will come in and lead you astray into areas of false doctrine that you [32:33] shouldn’t be in it’s the job of an elder to shoot those wolves I don’t negotiate with wolves

[32:41] they’re trying to kill the sheep that I’m in charge of I’m not going to be nice

[32:48] shepherds aren’t nice when it comes to wolves now if you’re just ignorant I’ll help you grow [32:55] but if you bring false doctrine into the church it’s the job of the elders to stop it immediately [33:02] and to tell you to leave now in Acts chapter chapter six the elders ran in and the apostles [33:12] who were the elders at that point ran into some problems there was just too much work [33:17] they didn’t have time to study the scriptures they didn’t have time to pray they were meeting [33:20] the needs of all of the people in the church so in Acts chapter six starting in verse one we see

[33:26] that now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number a complaint by the hellenists [33:31] arose among the hebrais because their widows were being neglected in daily in the daily distribution [33:35] and the 12 summoned the full number of the disciples and said it is not right that we [33:39] should give up preaching the word of god to serve tables this is not because the the apostles were [33:45] lazy nor is it because they didn’t want to serve it was because things just got too big for them to [33:52] handle one man can only do so much and they had this vision of furthering the gospel and they

[33:59] basically their attitude here is we need help because these people need to be served therefore [34:05] brothers pick out from among you seven men of good repute full of the spirit and of wisdom whom we [34:10] will appoint to this duty but we will devote ourselves to prayer into the ministry of the word [34:15] they appointed seven men to be deacons the term deacon means servant

[34:23] the elders are helped in ministry by deacons all right typically in a lot of churches that you may [34:31] have been a part of deacons are those who make the decisions in the church in scripture though [34:37] deacons are marked by servanthood these are men and women and some of you are like oh

[34:47] uh-oh i don’t like where this is going he’s gonna let women do things they shouldn’t

[34:55] no elders and some of you are gonna hate this part elders is an office for men [35:02] scripture is very clear scripture never presents a female as an elder [35:08] the village will always be led at the top by men right but in romans chapter 16 [35:17] verse 1 i want you to see something very important

[35:22] i think i got it in maybe i didn’t get it all right in romans chapter 16 verse 1 [35:31] paul writes this maybe he did maybe he didn’t he did though just let me turn there i forgot [35:40] to put this one in this is one of those awkward moments in a sermon that you edit out of the [35:45] podcast in roman 16 one paul writes this i commend you i commend to you our sister phoebe a servant

[35:57] the term there is deaconess

[36:04] diaconos with a feminine ending okay so in the scripture there were female deacons all right [36:14] and i think that’s just good sense you want to know why because there are certain parts about [36:21] serving women that i should not do nor would i know how to do ask my wife i’m clueless

[36:30] sometimes women need women and they are called in scriptures deaconess all right remember it’s a [36:38] position of servanthood it’s leading by example are deacons and deaconesses leaders yes they’re [36:46] leading by the example of servanthood and then thirdly there are church members all right and [36:52] we already read in first corinthians 12 27 that and you are the body of christ and individually [36:57] members of it now we did 10 weeks ago a sermon on church membership go back and listen to that one [37:03] i don’t have time to fully unpack this but the key to all leadership within the church is making

[37:08] disciples who make disciples and equipping each believer in the church to find and develop their [37:13] giftings for the sake of the gospel church members are those whom invite the church leadership [37:21] into their lives in order to disciple them church membership is not so much about the church saying [37:30] you can be a part of us as it is about you saying we can be a part of you that’s what church [37:39] is it’s an invitation to discipleship and in scripture it’s also an invitation to church [37:48] discipline and some of you said uh-oh i don’t like where this is going well it’s a it’s kind

[37:55] of a term that’s negative thought but mark driscoll writes this this term church discipline is too [38:01] often seen in only a negative light biblical discipline is first and foremost training [38:09] but if you do not formally say i want to be a member how can i formally say i will train you [38:18] it just doesn’t work out we’re so afraid of any type of commitment because something might be [38:25] expected of us yes something is expected of you you’re expected to be a disciple and follow [38:31] jesus and the church is god’s way of following him you can’t do it apart from the church

[38:38] church discipline takes place first in two ways and those are the sacraments that jesus left us [38:44] the first being baptism baptism in matthew 28 19 represents you coming into the life of god [38:53] and being united with believers in reconciliation first with god and then with other people in [39:00] to be made a disciple it represents you being buried in the water and then being raised to new [39:07] life in jesus and that new life is discipleship so your first step towards being a part of the [39:12] local church if you’re a new believer is to be baptized if you’ve never been baptized talk to

[39:18] us we would love to take part in you formally saying i want to be a disciple that’s your entry [39:23] point communion or the lord’s supper represents continued fellowship with the church [39:32] week in and week out we do it differently than some churches do some churches do it quarterly [39:37] some churches don’t remember the last time they did it but jesus said he said do this and he [39:44] didn’t really give necessarily a formal declaration as to how often we just believe that as often as [39:51] we meet we should proclaim the gospel to each other and that’s what communion represents

[39:56] it represents the life of christ coming into our life and the way church membership in scripture [40:01] is carried on and fellowship is example is through the practice of communion [40:09] that’s why only believers should partake in communion if you’re not a believer the reason [40:16] you shouldn’t partake in communion is because you don’t have the life of christ [40:20] and that’s what communion represents it’s not that we’re being snobs and saying you can’t come [40:25] eat with us no it’s you saying i don’t believe in jesus i have no part of his body so it’s often

[40:33] seen as a family meal now who gets to take part in that family meal is all believers but how do [40:40] deal with sin in the church church discipline

[40:46] i want you to note this in um i’m only going to have time to go to one passage but in first [40:52] corinthians chapter 5 quite often we get very uncomfortable with anybody having any say in our [40:58] lives but paul represents that if we’re followers of jesus christ the church has some say in first [41:09] sexually immoral people not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world or the greedy and [41:15] swindlers or idolaters since then you would need to go out of the world but now i am writing to [41:21] you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual

[41:26] immorality or greed or is an idolater reviler drunkard or swindler not even to eat with such [41:32] a one for what have i to do with judging outsiders is it not those inside the church whom you are to [41:38] god judges those outside purge the evil person from among you

[41:44] there comes an uncomfortable moment in church leadership where you do have to make hard calls [41:48] when it comes to sin in people’s lives and paul says here don’t have anything to a sexually [41:53] immoral people so here’s what church people often say stay away from unbelievers but what did paul [41:58] clearly say in that he said i’m not at all meaning unbelievers how are they going to come to jesus [42:03] if you don’t have anything to do with them he says don’t associate with anybody that claims [42:08] to be a follower of jesus but who lives a and a king james angus lascivious lifestyle or rather

[42:14] one who lives a completely immoral lifestyle and has zero repentance he says put them outside in [42:23] matthew chapter 18 we read this passage often that says where two or three are gathered in his name [42:28] i’ll be there too and we’re like see a church there’s two people no that’s the context of [42:32] church discipline in matthew 18 he says that if in starting verse 15 he says if your brother [42:38] sins against you go and tell him his fault between you and him alone if he listens to you you have [42:43] gained your brother but if he does not listen take one or two others along with you that every

[42:48] charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses if he refuses to listen to them [42:52] tell it to the church and if he refuses to listen even to the church let him be to you as a gentile [42:57] and tax collector and that day what that meant was is just put them out from among you and don’t have [43:02] anything to do with them any longer truly i say to you whatever you bind on earth shall be bound [43:06] in heaven and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven again i say to you if two or [43:10] if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask it will be done for them by my father in heaven

[43:15] for where two or three are gathered in my name there i am among them the church cannot allow [43:25] members to just go on sinning that would not be discipleship all right but here’s the key

[43:34] mark driscoll in wisdom gives kind of a five-step approach to church discipline [43:40] when someone has been wronged wronged against or someone’s living in sin the first step is [43:44] to consider the crime some things you know if somebody cuts you off in the parking lot [43:52] all right they should say i’m sorry but i don’t believe they need to be taken under church [43:57] discipline all right if someone is completely immoral in their marriage and commits adultery [44:06] and wants to bring their girlfriend to church where their wife who’s done nothing wrong

[44:10] is attending all right that’s a pretty heavy crime and something needs to be done about that [44:18] and guys if you cheat on your wife and try to bring your girlfriend guess what [44:22] you’re not going to be here i’m going to escort you out myself

[44:29] so the second thing you need to do is to weigh the offense have a conversation with the person [44:34] tell them you hurt my family see we want to go past that one and go get someone but scripture [44:40] says no you need to go to them maybe it’s just a misunderstanding all right some some cases it’s [44:47] clear there’s some serious sin going on in some offenses you just need to have a chitchat maybe [44:52] go to starbucks together and you can work it out yourselves but thirdly admonish them sometimes [44:59] you have to go get those two or three witnesses but in that first conversation you need to say

[45:03] look you’re living a sinful lifestyle you need to repent if they refuse to repent go get some [45:08] people in the church take them and they’ll say i’ll say you need to repent if they’re really [45:17] because remember there’s two centers involved in every problem and then fine um then fourthly [45:23] reprove them people need to be warned and then finally separate there does come a moment of [45:32] separation where you just simply and the scripture actually says that you’re actually that’s the hope [45:39] if you give it’s called giving them over to satan but what it was really is is you giving them over

[45:43] to their sin because if you just simply do nothing you’re saying it’s okay and then they’ll [45:51] clearly have no hope because they think their sin is acceptable but if you put them out from among [45:56] you then they know it’s serious and like i said some people come in and become wolves you have [46:03] to get them out what does church membership entail here at the village we’ve kind of come up with [46:09] four things all right church membership entails and then we’re really going to get done i know [46:14] you’re hungry the first thing is attending church services regularly all right if you don’t do that

[46:21] are you really a member now there are some things if you work six sundays a month all right this is [46:31] the world we live in but there needs to be some kind of fellowship taking place all right and [46:36] this means if you’re going to be a member you’re going to need to be in a community group [46:40] you need to know and you need to be known how can i know if you’re being discipled if i don’t have [46:47] someone in your life and even with a group this size i can’t disciple everybody so we have [46:54] community group leaders who are tasked with that and they love it and then giving sacrificially

[47:02] if you’re a member you need to give we don’t say 10 that’s a conversation for another day [47:11] we just say sacrificially give all right it’s biblical and then finally you have to find a [47:19] place to serve are you a part if you’re not serving it doesn’t really work out so if you’re [47:32] and some of you are like i’m not a member you can become one all right that’s the point of this [47:39] whole doctrine series by the way finally the church lives as the sent people of god all right [47:49] now i want you to understand i’m going to skip way ahead right here there was a lot more that

[47:52] we didn’t get to today that you might get to in your community group this week but here at the [47:56] village we find our identity in equipping people to live the mission of jesus out in the culture [48:02] around us and we’ve kind of constructed core values that represent the life cycle of a believer [48:10] our core values aren’t just something that that we have i can get those up on the screen [48:14] they they aren’t something that we simply have uh to kind of just have this namesake you know we [48:21] do this for things no our core values represent the life of discipleship all right and this is

[48:28] we love to do with our people is see them go from redemption all the way to culture [48:33] all of you are some if you’re a follower of jesus you are somewhere in this cycle i don’t [48:40] necessarily know where but all of you are somewhere in here everything starts at redemption [48:46] that’s our identity that’s who we are if you’re not redeemed then you have no place in here and [48:52] not in the church be redeemed

[48:58] repent of your sins trust in jesus for the remission of your sins [49:03] but in redemption what happens is we find this transformation second corinthians 5 17 says that [49:09] all those who are in christ are a new creation the old is gone the new has come and what happens in [49:15] that is that we are transformed into people who are purposed to live a life of mission [49:22] we are to live to take the gospel to all those who need to hear it and that’s everyone inside of [49:28] the church and outside of the church galatians chapter 6 10 says uh do good to all men especially

[49:35] those of the household of faith because if you are not preaching the gospel inside of the church [49:39] or loving the gospel inside of the church you’re not doing it outside the church

[49:44] we live to take the mission of jesus to seek and to save that which was lost to all who believe [49:51] but we learn how to do that in community mission drives us into community with other believers [49:59] so we can learn the word of god so that we can live the mission of jesus side by side as god [50:06] purposed us to because guess what you have strengths that i don’t have and i have strengths [50:10] that you don’t have and we help each other live the mission together but community is not an end [50:16] and of itself the church is god’s plan to bring his kingdom and the church is a sign of the kingdom

[50:23] of god in this present age and we’ll talk about the kingdom in a couple of weeks but god is moving [50:29] history towards establishing his eternal kingdom which we will live in and worship god forever and [50:36] ever but that kingdom is established by the community of the church going out into the culture [50:42] serving and proclaiming the gospel of jesus christ to all that all need to come to jesus [50:50] or there is no hope for them and what happens is is when we go out into the culture when we’re [50:56] living the mission when we’re being discipled in community when we’re engaging the culture not

[51:00] separating from not syncretizing with but when we’re engaging the culture we always end up back at [51:07] redemption seeing more and more people being redeemed by the gospel you see this is a cycle [51:14] that is continuous and you see what it spins on worship

[51:22] worship is the centerpiece worship is the feast worship is where we find our joy [51:28] worship is what we live for and all of those core values find their meaning in worship because that [51:36] is what we are redeemed to do forever and ever in revelation 7 at the end of the age the scripture [51:43] says and before the throne of god were people from all tribes all tongues and all nations [51:49] worshiping the lord and saying salvation belongs to our god we talked about the resurrection last [51:57] week in the cross the week before that jesus has done that because god is redeeming a people for

[52:02] himself and we saw in ephesians chapter 1 verse 11 so that we can establish the will of god which [52:10] is bringing himself glory through his people the church exists for worship and the how is [52:21] redemption mission community and engaging the culture with the gospel of jesus christ that’s [52:28] the how of worship that’s what we exist for so sometimes i’ll tell people don’t go to church [52:37] be the church and we do that week in and week out

[52:45] join us be the church some of you you just attend and i’m thankful for that because it’s [52:55] hard to speak to like one or two people on sunday mornings so thank you for that

[53:00] but take that next step

[53:03] join us join a community group when we have places to serve serve get to know some of us [53:12] hang out be a part of the church but don’t divorce yourself from the plan of god [53:20] and live the mission [53:23] father we love you we ask right now that

[53:30] that you would help us to catch a vision for what you’re doing in this world through the church [53:35] that we would stop seeing ourselves as individuals just living a life for this thing [53:41] or that thing and instead that we would begin to see ourselves as a member of the body of christ [53:47] we would express that through the village god you are doing so much in this world through your [53:54] church may we be able to be a part of that so that someday when we look back on our lives [54:02] we see the gospel working and building your kingdom

[54:07] ephesians chapter 2 gives this vision of us building the body of christ into a structure [54:14] so that someday jesus can present his bride in purity to the father [54:22] right now what i want to do is we’re going to reflect in communion and as you do it i want [54:27] you to understand that you should not be finding your identity in your job you should not be [54:32] finding it in your hobbies you should not be finding it in anywhere but as a part of the body [54:39] of jesus christ and as you proclaim his death and in that his resurrection through communion

[54:50] proclaim that you are a part of the body of christ