The Church We Love Part 1

One reason for us to Jesus phone number from the Greek word is close to you called out an English word is church and if you believe in Jesus you're called out to be separate from the values of our culture that's tough to do with the support of a local assembly. It becomes a lot easier from the Moody Church in Chicago.

This is going to win with Dr. Erwin Luzerne was clear. Teaching helps us make it across her lips with so many denominations out there. Some people wonder what kind of a church to attend. And you know Dave, that's not an easy question to answer, and everyone is going to have to check out the churches in their area because there are many churches that teach false doctrine and the way that we can tell the doctrine is false is because if they have a wrong view of Christ we know that they are teaching false doctrine. I've written a book entitled slandering Jesus where ideal was some of the lies that are being told about Christ. Some of the lies that are university students are being told in their classes. Would you like a copy for a gift of any amount.

It can be yours.

Go to RTW offer.com's RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 and now we go to the pulpit of Moody church where we learn more about the biblical doctrine of the church. The church we love. When I mentioned the word church. What is it that comes to mind. You say well building were going to church. That's the way we use the word you say.

Well, maybe not a building but a body of people called the church. The church is the body at the Moody church. The members of the church.

That's the body that's the church. Yeah, but there's also such a thing as the universal church. Not that I believe in universalism but the universal church is all believers in all countries, no matter what their nationality, no matter what they what their style of worship. But they've come to trust Christ as save as a matter of fact, if we use the church that they were not only talking about people who are now alive, but even the church that is die, the believers have gone on to heaven.

It used to be years ago that they always had a cemetery around churches and the reason for that was a theological expression found in the third chapter of Ephesians where the apostle Paul says that there is a family in heaven and on earth, but there is one family and so the idea was that we should unify the church by forcing people who go into the present church to make sure that they have to walk past the alumni Association before they get to the undergraduates because the church is one and that's the way I'm using the word church in this message.

Though I will be talking about us because we are a part of that larger group called the universal church or the church universal better way to put it. Now what I'm going to do in the next 25 minutes with God's help is to take you from point A to point B.

We are going to talk about the church in eternity past and in eternity future. The whole panorama of God's purpose in the church right from eternity past to eternity future all in 25 minutes. Are you ready the text. Today's Ephesians chapter 5 Ephesians chapter 5 I want you to turn to it because it becomes essential and what we are doing here. Ephesians chapter 5.

The Bible tells us husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church, you say should we love the church will Jesus loves the church so if you don't love the church are not loving what Jesus love many of us love the things that Jesus Christ hates and we don't love what Jesus loves you should love church we should love the church with a love that is implanted in our hearts by God. It says in chapter 5, verse 25 husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word so that he may present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she may be holy and without blemish or you ready for the tour from eternity past to eternity future. Let's begin the origin of the church. The origin of the church. Where did it really begin. It began in the mind of God in eternity past your Bibles are open to Ephesians chapter 5. Look at what it says in chapter 1 verse four even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him in love before the foundation of the world, God chose us to be his. Now, in order to understand what's going on here in the text and what God's intention is to keep in mind that when Adam was created your member. The Bible says that there was no helpmeet found for him and it was not good for a man to be alone and so God sought a bride for Adam and that bride was even was supposed to sit with him and not only to meet his needs, but was supposed to rule with him over all of creation. God says let them rule over the fish of the sea, over the fowl of the air, they were to sit together on the throne of the world and rule all of creation together that was God's intention in the very same way.

What God did is he decided to seek a bride for his son the Lord Jesus. Now the Trinity in eternity past was perfectly content with itself because of its love because of its communication. We notice that when I gave a message on the Trinity that the Trinity was perfectly content but the decision was made that the attributes of God would be more clearly seen if there was a creation and if the son the Lord Jesus Christ had a bride so that that bride could sit with him on the throne not of the earth but on the whole throne of the universe and rule with him. So the whole intention from God of God, right from eternity past, is that the Jesus Christ the son of God have a bride that he would marry that he would sit with and rule with in all of eternity.

You realize if you're a believer in Jesus Christ, that you are in God's mind as long as God has existed from eternity past, when did God show you grace to civil God showed me grace when I was redeemed when I when I got saved. Yes, but it says in second Timothy chapter 1 verse nine that the grace of God that was shown to us and given to us from all eternity.

God was already giving you grace before you were born, and before you needed it because in God's mind. He had you in mind at a bride for his son is now going to become the purpose of creation, the fall and the redemption of humanity and the dying of Jesus, so that he could purchase for himself a bride is now going to be the focal point of all that God is up to Good Friday and Easter Sunday resurrection Sunday is now going to be the basis upon which all of the purposes of God are going to come together because God says I want my son to have a bride to rule with him over the throne of the universe.

That's what God is going to pursue.

By the way, isn't it wonderful that God knew you from eternity past, and that you are already in his mind as long as he existed. One day my wife and I were driving along with an older couple and they showed us the cemetery plots.

They said we have plots in the cemetery just over there.

I think it's good by the way to buy cemetery plots because the statistics on death are very impressive but she said that she said I wonder if God will remember where we are buried out of your Jones or Smith.

He might get you confused. Yes, God will remember, the Bible says he calls his own sheep by name when you arrive in heaven he will remember your name and you'll get it right will know how to pronounce it. That's how precious you are to God. The church in eternity past 12. That's the origin of the church. What about the cost of the church. How much notice the text now were in Ephesians 5 it says he gave himself up for her while he gave himself up for her in order for Jesus to have this bride.

He was going to have to purchase her and the Bible says we were not redeemed with corruptible things such as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ. He gave himself up for her.

He went into the slave market and looked at someone who had the background of the harlot and decided that he would purchase her and clean her up and sanctify her and marry her so that she could sit on the throne with him for all of eternity that was God's plan and so the Bible says that Jesus died for us. That's how much he loved the church, how much does he love the church. He loves the church so that he might die for the church and by the way, husbands though I'm not speaking to you specifically today and I am a husband to the Bible says love your wives as Christ loved the church. While, and so the cost of the church is the death of Jesus Christ. Can we take lightly the fact that God was willing to go through all that, so that his son would have a bride to sit with him on the heavenly throne isn't that truly amazing.

That's the cost of the church. What about the condition of the church. Well he found her when she was in a lot of sin� Put it that way.

I already implied that the imagery is that of him purchasing the harlot, but sexual sin is the only kind of sin in the world are lots of others and if we had a testimony meeting today we hear that Jesus redeemed. Some of you out of alcoholism. Some of you out of a life of deep shame because of the way in which you were treated or because of what you have done deep shame and and that's how he found this he found us as sinners. Yesterday I was in a taxicab trying to convince my driver that he needed a Savior and he says well I asked God to forgive me and he said, remember he said I don't have that many sins anybody here today would doesn't have that many sin wife you divine sin is killing your mother and robbing a bank maybe doesn't have those many sins, but how about selfishness being sent about the fact that the first commandment is now so love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all my mind with all thy soul and with all thy strength are you doing that that's the first commandment.

Let's not even get to number two, he found us in a lot of sin. Is it okay if we frankly admit that we're messed up people I have a friend who said to a relative. I'm going to be a pastor of a church and he named the church and she was very upset. She says I think that the church is full of vipers. He said well do you think that the world is any better and that she had to think about that a little bit and said no. I guess the world is any better, and then he said this here is the different we know we're vipers so we know that we need a Savior. And we know we need God's grace. That's the thing that sucks from the people of the so how did he find this he found the sin sin.

What does he do, he decided that he said I sure can't marry her the way she looks. Now, for sure, because she's just to be a perfectly pure bride, so I'm gonna work with her and I'm going to bring her to myself someday, and she shall be without spot without moral blemish without wrinkled without decay of any kind. She has to be pure and holy. In fact, I will not marry her unless she is as holy as I myself am so God began the process.

He begins the process in this life you'll notice it says by the washing of the water with the word.

That's what it says right there in the last part of verse 26 and verse 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

Just like Jesus.

That's the agenda that God has diseases sure can't marry her. He's engaged to her now, that's one thing but she's not ready to be married yet but the day is coming when this bride is going to be married and my son is going to have somebody to sit with him on the throne. That's where things are going. And someday we're going to be so holy and were going to be so without blemish and we're going to be as pure as Jesus is with known mixed motives, so that in heaven. If someone is promoted above you, and some will be above us, no doubt because of faithfulness here on earth. Others will be lowered because of lack of faithfulness. This is a testing ground to see how much he can entrust you within the heavenly kingdom. The time is going to come when we will also be holy and without blemish and with desires that are so pure that when we see those that are exalted above us.

We will rejoice in their exaltation as if it were our totally free wrinkle and blemish and spot, and any such thing. The Bible says holy. That's the agenda of God. Now, so that is the condition of the church. Now what I want you to do is let's turn to the wedding. Let's see the wedding the 19th chapter the book of Revelation. Revelation chapter 19. You'll notice it says in verse six, Revelation 19 verse six then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, hallelujah for the Lord our God, the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exalt and give him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and his bride has made herself all this time for the wedding folks. Now we are in heaven and were ready.

We been declared to be as pure as Jesus not only that that's happens in this life, but in the life to come. We are so purified now because we have our resurrection bodies. The rapture has already happened. And by the way, don't even think about not coming back next week when I speak about that the return of Jesus.

So a number of things have happened to us to get us there. First of all we accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior. We stop trusting ourselves and we trusted him alone. In fact, listening to me today may be on the Internet, or radio or right here in this sanctuary there are those of you would never made that transfer of trust. Maybe you think you have but part of our ministry as pastors is the reconversion of church members who were never genuinely saved. So have you trusted him so that's that's it and then you're declared as righteous as Christ is and then we go, and we've already been judged at what we will call these the judgment seat of Christ were only Christians go, but the whole idea of there is to take care of all issues on earth that were that were left untangled or tangled up. Divorces husband walks away from his wife does terrible things, both of them are Christians.

They walk into heaven.

Does God say ha ha, let bygones be bygones not know that's what all is dragged out and adjudicated and justice is brought to the situation and the righteousness of Jesus Christ is then finally and totally applied and it's not only legally applied.

Now it is actually true of us that our desires. Finally, our totally pure and holy and righteous, because we have our new bodies with brand-new desires and sin is gone. The bride is ready, because the groom took us out of the pit of sin clean this up is been cleaning us up all the way through our lives gives us the final cleanup at the judgment seat of Christ, and now it's time for the wedding.

In most weddings. The emphasis is on the bride. Understandably, in this one. The groom gets an awful lot of attention, you'll notice it says in verse seven. Let us rejoice and exalt and give him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, let us at that moment folks give him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, are you going to be excited to give Jesus glory.

Someday are you going to be my dear friend, this is Pastor Luther. Often times there are people who say that they honor Jesus, but there's certainly not prepared to worship him or to give him glory.

If you ever had a conversation with someone who says I don't believe that Jesus is the only way to God.

There are many other ways to get to God what I've written a book entitled slandering Jesus six lies. People tell about the man who said he was God in this book I answer those lies and I help you answer your friends and your relatives when they begin to give some false views regarding Jesus Christ for a gift of any amount. This book can be yours. Here's what you do go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337. It is been one of my great desires to make sure that in our ministry. We constantly exalt the wisdom of the power and the superiority of Jesus over every single religion. Every single theory that is ever been hatched in this world. That's why write books like this I want you to be able to exalt him.

Also in your discussion, and in your witness slandering Jesus for a gift of any amount RTW offer.com or call us 1-888-218-9337 it's time again for you to ask Pastor Luther a question you might have about the Bible or the Christian life these days church for some as become optional Dr. Luther listener named Eric sent us this question. I speak to many people who profess to be Christians but who don't go to church and don't feel the need to go to church. They claim they're already spiritual and worship the Lord on their own. So here's my question.

What Bible verses specifically deal with church fellowship with believers in God's desire for us to be part of the fun while Eric first of all, I'm interested the way in which you describe that I'm not sure exactly if going to church makes this part of the fun, but I am very interested in your question itself. The Bible is very clear. For example, Hebrews chapter 10 verse 25 it says do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together, as some do, but rather see that the day is approaching and encourage one another. Eric, I want to be very clear that when you talk about Christians who see no interest or no need for church.

They probably aren't true Christians and the reason I say that is that the New Testament presents the church as a body and the body has to function together it's connected. It's presented as a community, it is talked about as sheep that are part of the same sheepfold we find, for example, that it is a temple put together with various stones.

Eric we need one another, the encouragement to support the singing together, the, the affirmation that we are indeed one all that is important to church.

Bottom line is this what draws us together as believers is not a common interest.

This is not like a club on photography or some other special interest. What draws us together is a common life and that common life touches all areas of our experience and our own individual lives church is necessary. Don't listen to the folks who are telling you otherwise. Thank you Dr. Luther.

Thank you Eric for the question and we hope to see you in church on Sunday if you'd like to hear your question answered. Go to our website. If RTW offer.com and click on ask Pastor Luther or call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 you can write to us have run into when 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614. The church is much more building on the corner. One day in heaven.

Jesus will be united with his church is a great marriage supper of the Lamb. Next time I'm running to win when Sarah wraps up his study about the church is a key element of what you believe to noon as Pastor Luther talks further about the glories of the great wedding feast to come running to win is all about helping you understand God's roadmap for your race of life. Thanks for listening. This is Dave McAllister running to win is sponsored by the Moody church