The Church: What Is It All About? - Part 2

The intense panic and child gaming Friday, August 19 within many churches that he's been hiding out which ones might preempt today's podcast get the three point evaluation tool.

You can apply to any gathering or denomination Washington about even belong to a church, what is the church in the first place. Many people who are critical of it know absolutely nothing about and try to enjoy many people who belong to a church don't know much about it. They just know that somebody told Bill to join the church or some people join the church because it's it's good business or gizmo status or makes them feel good selves, their conscience, they don't get involved. That'll give it a break to read their Bible not living a godly life. But somehow if I just go to church on Sunday. Somehow that makes him feel better. Now the question is what is this thing we call the church to begin will will let's think about it this way, there's the Greek word necklace. The kick out of placing a call the church is composed of those people who have trusted Jesus Christ as their Savior and as he says, called the cold once called out of the world system in order to unite together to live a godly life as a godly community, the church of the Lord Jesus Christ is a God live community of people who have chosen to receive Jesus Christ as their Savior and live. Unlike the world system, but live unto God, a godly life that was and is his intention, so we think about what the church is it is that body of people who have been called out of the world system savor the grace of God and placed into that body now. For example, once the methods of the church.

Well, when I look at descriptions and see what the Paul said about the different things end up how the church worked for example, first one of the methods of primary method is prayer is God's church moves in proportion to God's people praying because what this primitive prayer says that I'm acknowledging my need of God.

And so we get on the needs to seek direction and guidance for the church. Guidance for our lives. Guidance for individuals guidance with things and guidance for decisions we have to make is in prayer we we seek his mind about decisions. It's in prayer that we get his message is sent in prayer that we are able to minister to people. It's in prayer list when there's no prayer that is not going to be anointing of this primitive.

I don't care who they are. You have all college operations on a platform but I'm here to tell you if it is bathed in prayer is not going to work. Churches must be praying churches individual private prayer praying together corporate prayer while because that is the source of the power of God because it is an acknowledgment that we need him.

So what's the method the church. First of all, remove our prayers. Secondly, the Holy Spirit, what did he say you know this passage by her.

Nothing in chapter 2449 verse what he told him he said no you sit down in the city of Jerusalem you to stay here. He says unto you, be endued with power from on high. Close with power from on high.

Why because they weren't ready until the Holy Spirit came upon you recall, also in acts chapter 1 he says he shall receive power, that is God's divine energy and strength and know it and you shall receive power, after the Holy Spirit is come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to me both in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, most parts of their listed God's methods watch this God's methods are prayer and listen and depending upon the enabling power of the Holy Spirit to make things work in the church.

That's the way God intended for it to be the church moves by prayer the church moved by the Holy Spirit. And third of the church moves listen by the individual involvement of the saints. Watch this go to first Peter second Peter first Peter look at first Peter look, if you will, in the fourth chapter chapter 4 verse 10 he says be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one of the saints has received a special gift employed in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. How does the church move when we moved by prayer, by depends on the Holy Spirit, but by personal involvement. Listen utilizing the spiritual gifts that God has given us is given to every single one of us a spiritual gift God does not give them so we can say I have the gift of exhortation. I have the gift of mercy of the gift of giving a ministration note he gives it in order that we may employ it put it to work in serving one another so in the body of Christ we are to serve another their opposition. There are places of service.

For example, let's say that the people who work in our parking areas and direct traffic at that you say will that's not a spiritual gift yes it is. For example, if a person has the gift of service.

They love serving other people. They can stay out there when it's hot when it's cold it's raining and snowing.

Sleet and hail in the negative, and you know what because they are serving the Lord out of their gift of service. If a person has the gift of giving, you know what they're very cautious and very careful to give but they generously what they do.

A personal gift of mercy can pick up on someone else's hurt and pain and suffering where someone else made it may not be able to personally give the administration can't stand confusion.

So what happens they want to organize things and then sometimes they would tell you what the deal is over they will organize things and they will make things work.

But you know what the truth is we need all of we need teaching we need exhortation we did a ministration giving and mercy. We need all of these gifts. That's the real way the Church of God moves and so when somebody says with a what's the method of the church.

The method of the church. The methods may change, but those three things, but not change that people can use different methods of worship absolutely understand that they can have drama they can have courses they can only sing old hymns. They wanted to make and it was a church has to do what they're comfortable to but never to compromise the message and never to be ashamed. Listen never to be ashamed of the cross. That's totally, absolutely unscriptural that listen. That's what it's all about the cross of Jesus Christ is the central theme of the word of God.

It was what Jesus was all about. He came in this world. So some methods may change, but these methods must not change the gold crown on these removing the power the Holy Spirit and remove individually exercising our gifts as God is given as those gifts now so it's not entertainment something was anyone's help.

You don't tell the jokes you know what when I asked them if it is not a joking matter is not a joking matter is something to make about humans because I make mistakes. I do understand this not a joking matter which limit people's eternal destiny. We talk to people where people go to submit either heaven or hell.

This is serious business.

When you go to church happy yes delighted.

Yes, contented. Yes, exciting.

Yes, worshipful yes, loving each other years absolute joy in our heart but is serious business and so when we ask about what is the method of the church very supportive evidence. What's the message of the church is the message of the church simply this, the sinful lost, helpless condition of mankind.

Without Christ. Message number one. He needs a Savior.

Message number two for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. The love of God. Message number three man is accountable to God for his life's only give you some scripture so you can jot them down so we said, first of all, that message is threefold. The sinful condition of man. Romans 323 for all of sin and come short of the glory of God. The Bible says our sins have separated us from God. He says many will say to me that day on he says that Lord Lorber. He said I will say to them on never knew you depart from the ye that work iniquity.

The sinful, good, hopeless, helpless condition of mankind. Message number one, second message, the love of God. For by grace you saved through faith that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God not of works lest any man should boast the love of God that is a part of the message turned if you will to Romans and look if you will.

In this 14 chapter. This is the third part of the message and that is man's accountability to God. Verse 10 says, but you what you judge your brother or you again, what you regard your brother with contempt. We all listen for we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. But as it is written as our lives, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall give praise to God. So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God. What's the message of the church listen. It is not social reform.

It is not politics, it is not the environment. All of those things are important. The message of the church is the lost condition of mankind. The message of the church is the redemption that is listen provided to the cross of Jesus Christ when men get say they will make a difference in every aspect of life.

The message of the church is the accountability and the personal accountability of every single one of us to God. That's the message of the church so when churches become issue oriented in all they do is talk about this issue and that issue.

The other issue you know what suffers the propagation of the gospel when people are instructed in the ways of God and they begin to live a holy life, they will make a difference.

They will make an impact.

They will be like salt and light light in their community. They will make a different, but the message must never change, and it must never sway to something other than listen the sinful condition of man love of Almighty God.

The sinful man and his provision of the cross and accountability of man those three things must never never be set apart and set aside and substituted by anything else. That's the message of the church.

Now there are many aspects of those messages, but in essence that's the message of the church now.

One last thing, and this is most important. Some artisans all right. I've heard every bit of that. Can you give me some kind of test it says I will join the church, John Wright, church how my grandma would come to church, the joint all right get ready because there's a threefold test.

I believe that help you join the right kind of church because every single person to belong to a local body of believers. That's where we exercise their gift. That's where we become involved in evangelism and missions.

That's where we worship God and forsake not the assembling of yourselves together, which is the manner of some, but God brings us together to do what he brings us together.

Listen to worship him.

We are encouraged by seeing so many other people. A week after week were encouraged by seeing people coming from every part of the world will encourage about being together loving each other and since, in the presence and power of God. We love that one is that there's a threefold test need to get these down and if you're not a member of the church. I would encourage you to write these down, ask yourself the question, is this a common church. I will belong to so first of all, there is a doctrinal test jotted down a doctrinal test test number one. That is the most important test you know is if they don't believe right and you know will be a part of because they can indoctrinate you in some fashion other and something to get to your kids. All right doctrinal test jot these down number one.

The Bible do they believe that the Bible is the inerrant and infallible word of God. That is, it is without a mixture of arrow, believing that the Bible is the infallible and inerrant word of God. Second, doctrinal test, the deity of Christ, that Jesus Christ is not of the son of God, he is God. If a church does not believe that Jesus Christ is God and my friend you don't want to belong to it.

Why, because if he's not God. We have no hope of salvation. If he's not God he's a man and he was a man. He was the center and he's a sinner. He came down for my sins. That means that leaves only meet to die for my sin in my sin and to be lost and separated from God forever the deity of Christ, and there are folks out there who do not believe that he is God, deity of Christ absolute essential number three that Jesus Christ was virgin born was or why not King Hamlet part. The Bible says he was. You see what you have to ask is that I'm not gonna believe this program are not the believe that Jesus Christ was virgin boy.

The Bible says the Holy Spirit conceived him in the womb of the Virgin Mary, even the Bible is true or is not true. If it's not true.

There maybe is not shown here is not drug it makes natural lift up till there come naturally and so what you said your children growing up you sick when his arrival.

This is part of this is God's word. Part of it's not what would your son. You notice any Obama supposedly some part of which parts right which not right.

What parts.

True was not true and so there's no answers the so we believe.

First of all, that the Bible is the infallible, inerrant word of God. Jesus Christ is the other. He's born of a virgin and that he listen he brought in a resurrected is wasn't some spirit out there floating around somewhere that Jesus body disappear because Jesus resurrected body as well as spirit the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. Not only that the church ought to believe that not only was he by the resurrected, but he is going to return Jesus Christ is coming again the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ what you want to call the second coming. On his return. Whatever you call it, but that you believe that Jesus Christ is coming again.

Not only that, but you believe that there is going to be a judgment. There is a judgment does not be a time when man stands before Almighty God and gives an account for his life and somebody says what you know. I believe in the love of God and I believe those things. But Jesus Christ is coming again. There's going to be a judgment not all that that they believe that there is a heaven and a hill that doctrinal statement ought to say that there is a heaven and hell. Now I've left the last thing the last not because it is last because it's a most important level. Listen, they must believe that Jesus Christ, the son of God went to the cross and died a sacrificial atoning death, which means that his death was not just the death of another man, but he got a death, and in which God the father placed all abreast sin upon him punished him for our sin and made it possible now that by faith, we can accept him as our personal savior and be saved and eternally secure. That is the atoning listed there. Sacrificial atoning death of Jesus Christ must be a part of that doctrinal statement now you go to church and I don't believe those things than my friend, for God's sake and for your sake and the sake of your family depart because if it's not grounded upon the word of God and what is it you owe it to your children. You owe it to your children to raise them in a church where somebody believes this book because they elicit regular face a world of sensuality, idolatry, all kinds of sexual sins and that you will know what do I do next if they have a Bible that is partly true or not true. You know what they can do they can do what comes natural. They can choose the part they believe that doesn't bother them and choose the path that they don't believe which bothers them.

That's the way they can live.

That's is as natural as it can be you. So I don't think I let make that much difference. Yes, it makes a difference this it makes a difference. What you believe you know what makes a difference because number one is how to determine where you spend eternity and number two is going to determine your lifestyle what you believe determines your lifestyle. It determines how you gonna live no hell, no heaven, no judgment, how you live loose. You will not live a godly life. If you do not believe those things. It does make a difference. What you believe.

So the first test is a doctrinal test very important that you and follow the document test second test is this is not church building your faith is that church, strengthening your relationship to God is that church, enabling you to understand the Scripture is that church teaching you the principles of Scripture are they encouraging you to live a holy life are they giving you guidance for this in the worship service of the Sunday school whatever they're doing.

Are they teaching your children the word of God. Are they teaching you that God is an absolute control and that you can trust him in every circumstance that we are not victims of our life. We are the sons and daughters of God living in an evil world and our God is sufficient to care third test. Does that church have a ministry to the world that is not church concerned about not only poor people and poverty-stricken people around them, but they concerned about people around the world who have never heard the gospel.

Are there missionary emphases all their evangelism emphases are you encouraged to share your faith are you taught how to share the gospel of Jesus Christ in your life you take those three test in my friend. It will guide you to a biblical church, one where you will grow one where you can worship God, one where you can fellowship with godly people, one where you will be lovely where you can love in return and where you can rejoice, listen, it is a great deadline and awesome pleasure to be a part of a local group of people who are doctrinally grounded in the word of God, who loved to be edified in the word of God and who are concerned about the world who does not know their God should a person belong to local church absolutely yes yes yes yes yes indeed. Why because it was founded by Jesus, and he didn't found something that he just left it up to us to decide how we felt about this and this is his church and we have his mission and his power. The fulfillment and all the rewards the Bible just what comes back as a result of their being obedient, challenging find a church that matches what we just describe John get involved and let your life count around the thank you for listening to part 211, the church, what is it all now if you like to know more about Charles Stanley for intense ministry that night and had a large podcast is a presentation of intense ministry in Atlanta, Georgia