A WITNESSING CHURCH
#059/762a A WITNESSING CHURCH
Scripture Acts 2:38-47, NIV Orig. 8/12/1962
Rewr. 2/8/1982
Passage: 38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
The Fellowship of the Believers
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Purpose: To share with my people an intense statement from the church as presented in Acts, a measure of these characteristics that define the church today.
Keywords: Church Education Worship Fellowship Ordinances
Introduction
Dr. Earl Guinn, former President of Louisiana College, speaking at the Louisiana Evangelism Conference (1982), raised a question relative to our authority for preaching the gospel to a lost world. It is obvious from many quarters that the lost world itself is not interested, and to a large degree does not want to be bothered. Can it then be a measure of our responsibility to force something down the throats of other people that they really don’t want? Is our authority within ourselves? Is it simply that we have something that we want to give away? Can it be that only in this way can we improve life upon the earth?
Dr. Guinn answered the question he asked by reminding us of some of the other authority for doing some of the things we do. As never before in world history, there is a major emphasis upon feeding the hungry people of the world. Thousands upon thousands of people are involved. Huge sums of money are being spent. Our authority for feeding hungry people is their HUNGER. Many, many people in the 20th Century are included in the task of educating people in 3rd world nations and other places as well. Our authority for educating the unlearned people of Mother Earth is IGNORANCE. We need no further guideline. Many of our own missionaries are involved in medical missions. Our own government has agencies that spend millions of dollars every year in an effort to assist other nations with medical emergencies. Other denominations, and other governments, are just as concerned as we. Our authority for involving ourselves in the intimate medical needs of people whom we do not know is LIFE-THREATENING ILLNESS.
Our speaker that day at the Evangelism Conference wasted no more time making his point. If anyone ever raises a question about our authority for evangelism, for witnessing, then just remind him of the LOSTNESS of people without Christ.
It is easy to perceive of the church’s role to witness as one that is gravely over-stated in the Scripture. Yet, there is such a tendency on our parts not to do, and not to be, what we must. The circumstance of the church in Ephesus is a case in point. In this book of symbolism, the church was represented by a candlestick. In the letter to Ephesus, the ultimate in God’s displeasure was stated in terms of removing the candlestick “out of its place.” It was not the idea of God turning “off” the light. It was the idea of a light that is not burning is serving no purpose. A lampstand that does not give off light is just something else to stumble over in the dark.
I. The Church is to Witness by Her Unity. V44, And all that believed were together.
The first goal of the Church is Community. Over the past ten or so years, 40 or 50 families of Mennonites have come into East Carroll Parish. They came from a state, Kansas, where it is against the law, outside of direct family units, to engage in family farming. Unity is the ultimate character of their church, socially as well as religiously.
The next, and perhaps the only other goal of a church is self-determination. (Now that we are together in unity, what are we doing to do with all this energy?) Baptists move on the cutting edge of effectiveness because of self-determination.
I continue to be dismayed and somewhat overwhelmed by how quickly news travels about churches in squabbles. I am convinced that nothing pleases Satan more than a disrupted congregation of believers.
II. The Church is to Witness by Her Fellowship. V46, And they, continuing daily . . . , did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart.
We must be careful to understand that of which our fellowship consists. People who are active in leadership and financial support. Others who have little to give and feel themselves unworthy of leadership. Perhaps even, some who do not even attend.
The link of fellowship is an experience in which Christ is made unquestioned Lord of our lives.
The last and least link in fellowship is the gathering of a small group of church members called “Fellowship.” We fellowship in groups, large and small, where the substance of our togetherness is our declared relationship to Christ who died for our sin.
III. The Church is to Witness by Her Organization. V47, And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
A reference was made under unity to the matter of self-determination. How do we minister to our constituency? Offering a program based on Bible education that will enable us to make Christ-honoring decisions.
How do we minister to other people? The basis has always been first through the Sunday School. The main emphasis is often on enrolment. We have based our organization on five great principles that remain unchanged: (1)Know your possibilities; (2)Enlarge your organization; (3)Provide needed space; (4)Enlist and train workers; (5)Go after the people.
IV. The Church is to Witness by Her Training. V42, And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine.
Every opportunity must be taken to train people for the tasks they are called to do. No time or inclination to talk about spiritual gifts, but keep people in areas of interest. Organized training studies: Jeremiah, census. Church training.
Every believer should desire to improve his knowledge. II Timothy 2:15, Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed.
V. The Church Must Witness by Her Place of Worship. V46, And they, continuing daily with one accord in the Temple. . . .
Much could be said about the place of worship. We must certainly do no worse by our Lord’s house than we do by our own homes. We should treat that building with the respect due. What is to be thought of a community of well-tended homes where the church building is in disrepair and is untidy?
VI. The Church Must Witness by Her Worship. V46f, And they continued daily with one accord in the Temple, . . . praising God, . . . . Acts 5:42, And daily in the Temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus the Christ.
It must be attended with dignity. It is to be winsome and compelling. Above all, it is to honor God.
VII. The Church is to Witness by Her Ordinances. V41, Then they that gladly received the word were baptized; . . . and they continued . . . in breaking of bread . . . .
We honor our Lord by every visit to the baptismal pool. It means that we are sharing our faith. Too often, however, we are only baptizing our own. It is greater honor to our Lord when we have reached out to the unbelieving and unsuspecting community about us. Baptism pictures our death to self and resurrection to life in Him.
We honor Him further by occasional forays at the table. We hold up the broken fragments of His life. We examine the nature of His blood, poured out at the cross. We glory in the reality that He is alive, and that we live through Him.
VIII. The Church is to Witness by Her Membership. V38, Then Peter said, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Water baptism is a living symbol of a larger experience of submergence in grace.
Membership in the community of faith, then, consists of three things: (1)Repentance—the initial act of faith; (2)Baptism—link of obedience and community; (3)Holy Spirit—the empowering agent for the Christ-honoring life in the world. Remember, we don’t have the Holy Spirit, as if He were a potion of some kind to help us get what we want. The Holy Spirit has us to use to magnify Christ in the world to the glory of God.
IX. The Church is to Witness by Her Name. This is really a part of the one above.
X. The Church is to Witness by Her Contributions. V45, And sold their goods, and parted them to all as each had needs.
Don’t let disdain for communism blind you to truth. These folks were not interested in ideology, they were interested in honoring Christ.
We too must give of our substance. (1)Money. (2)Goods. (3)Service. (SELF). Within the context of that cultural, social, political ideology that applies to us, we are to seek to honor Christ with what we are, and what we do, and what we have. This is not largely different from what happened in Jerusalem.
Link/References
Guinn: https://lcuniversity.edu/homage-to-dr-g-earl-guinn/
DEFINING OUR COVENANT
#714 DEFINING OUR COVENANT
Scripture Hebrews 8:1-13, NIV Orig. 8/16/1964
Rewr. 6/2/1978
Passage: 1 Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2 and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being.
3 Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices, and so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer. 4 If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by the law. 5 They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”[a] 6 But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises.
7 For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. 8 But God found fault with the people and said[b]:
“The days are coming, declares the Lord,
when I will make a new covenant
with the people of Israel
and with the people of Judah.
9 It will not be like the covenant
I made with their ancestors
when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,
because they did not remain faithful to my covenant,
and I turned away from them,
declares the Lord.
10 This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel
after that time, declares the Lord.
I will put my laws in their minds
and write them on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
11 No longer will they teach their neighbor,
or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest.
12 For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more.”[c]
13 By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.
Purpose: To aid my people in coming to grips with the reason for an open and avowed response to God as Sovereign Lord of the Universe.
Keywords: Covenant Response Worship Fear Trust Unbelief
Introduction
Every person in our city who awoke from a night of slumber, awoke to the stark realization of choice. They, in that fleeting moment, made a decision relative to worship. Too often, even such a matter of import is made on the basis of our prejudices rather than our principles.
To Nietzsche, the worship of God was “a slave morality.” To Marx and Lenin, it was the “opiate of the people.” It really doesn’t matter what men such as these thought in their prejudices. It doesn’t matter that their decision was not indecision but wrong decision. It does matter, however, what happens to the people of this present age. We who are beset still, not by indecision but by wrong decision. To decide not to decide is nonetheless a decision.
Most of those people who made that decision relative to worship decided against it. Do they not know that the risen Christ is the One, who, in every age has inspired the nobler actions and energies, even courage, in the lives of people such as they?
Face it! Part of the blame must lie at the door of the church. We leave the impression at times that we are a splinter group standing in reaction and opposition to those revolutionaries who would change the world. Do you not remember? Have you forgot? It is the world, secularism, that is reactionary. Christianity, when authentic, is the true revolutionary. The book of Acts calls to us, demanding our attention, and reminding us that the early church was busy, “turning the world upside down” (Acts 17:6).
The real church has been seen, not in the regal splendor of Rome, or the orthodox complexity of Brandenburg, but rather, the real church has been seen when simple people committed themselves to a profound Christ, and were willing to pay the price of revolution. You are one of the ones who showed up for worship. Why have you come? Is it as reactionary, or revolutionary? Is it to stand apart in your own prejudices, or to stand together, with others of like faith? To stand together means to stand for something, for what Christ wills for us.
I. We May Define Our Covenant by Pretending to Ignore God. Hebrews 8:2, Jesus is called “A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.” The implication of this is that our read burden will be to escape man’s debilitating humanist values. Illustration: We remember that part of the message of Miguel de Cervantes in “Don Quixote” was of a man whose reading encouraged him to be a pretender. Fancying himself to be a knight, he fought with windmills pretending them to be giants. He drove flocks of sheep askew, pretending that they were armies of foot soldiers.
We pretend that Man’s values take precedence over God’s values. Mark 8:17, “Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? Perceive ye not yet, neither understand? Have ye your heart yet hardened? Having eyes, see ye not? And having ears, hear ye not? And do ye not remember?” Beware leaven. We forget bread.
It was clear at this point in time the values of the disciples were not those of their Lord. But see how this clearly changes with enlightenment. Romans 8:5, “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.”
It is this disdain of God’s values that turned people to other gods. The ever-present god of materialism. Illustration: They heed the philosophy of the rich, young ruler. Be as good as you can, but remember that you have a living to make. Illustration: They are tempted to the arrogance of wealth such as Ananias and Sapphira. Earn the respect of others if you can, but remember that respect doesn’t feed empty stomachs.
Or the orgiastic gods of sensual pleasure. Illustration: King David’s sensual conduct would have been right at home in this contemporary age. Anything is all right if it gives me pleasure. Who cares if another slob dies on the field of combat. He would die sooner or later anyway. Finally, however, David’s sin had run the gauntlet of dissolution. He lied, cheated, committed adultery, and killed, all the while worshipping at the altar of sensual pleasure.
They all pretended to ignore God. The rich young ruler acknowledged his paltry goods. Ananias and Sapphira paid for their indiscretion with their lives. David faced the searing denunciation of Nathan.
II. We May Define Our Covenant by Pretending to Fear God. Hebrews 8:5 “. . . As Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern.”
Pretense in the fear of God is no better than pretense in ignoring God. Illustration: In Jesus’ parable, a father gave his two sons instructions. One claimed obedience but did nothing. The other disdained his father’s instruction, but later did as he was told.
Let’s be sure that fear is in proper perspective. Solomon in Ecclesiastes 12:13, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” Jonah 1:9, “. . . I am an Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land.” Psalm 111:10, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”
Illustration: Ann came home deeply burdened about child expelled less than one week before school was out. They don’t believe the officials will do what they say they will do. Because their parents don’t do what they say.
Our text speaks of a Higher Relationship. Certainly, the scripture speaks of our sin. The eye of faith sees beyond the sin to forgiveness. Beyond that even, to deliverance from the burden of sin.
Illustration: God’s idea of relationship is not that of groveling in the grime of sin/confession/forgiveness. It is, then, not enough to rely on fear. A later chapter in this Book of Hebrews will tell us of the priest who “stood daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices which can never take away sins.”
III. The Only Proper Basis upon which a Covenant with God Can be Defined is the Basis of Trust. Hebrews 8:7, “. . . If the first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.” Hebrews 8:10, “This is the covenant that I will make . . . after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their minds, and write them into their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people.
Trust begins with the integrity of the subscriber. Numbers 23:19, “God is not a man that he should lie: . . . hath he said, and he shall not do it?” Psalm 89:1, “With my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.” Hebrews 6:17f, “Wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of the promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in the which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul.”
Trust continues its claim through the reliability of the Testament. The Word is from God and His is Truth. Do we believe, however, that the Word has been fairly and accurately communicated? Psalm 19:7, “The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.” Proverbs 3:3, “Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: Bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart.” Revelation 19:9, “These are the true sayings of God.”
Trust is limited to the volition of the heir of its promise. The promise says, “ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.”
But what are you willing for that promise to mean?
THE TWENTIETH CENTURY CHURCH UNDER FIRE
#686 THE TWENTIETH CENTURY CHURCH UNDER FIRE
Scripture Hebrews 10:25, NIV Orig. 12/1/1977
Rewr. 1/16/1985
Passage: 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Purpose: To state the three essential criteria for the contemporary believer.
Keywords: Believer Evangelism Revival Church Worship
Introduction
One of the great art galleries in our country has a famous painting by G.F. Watts called Hope. The painting itself may not elicit the interest that has centered around an absurd little story about the painting.
To describe the painting is to see a blindfolded woman seated on a sphere with her head bowed, holding a lyre. She seems to represent human fertility in a shrinking world. The musical instrument which she holds retains only one string. The space around the sphere contains one star against a backdrop of blackness. The artist wanted those who viewed his work to see it as he did. He therefore labelled it Hope.
Watts, G.F. Hope1
The story is about two cleaning women who worked in the gallery. One of the women regularly cleaned in this part of the museum, the other was on her first round. When she came to Watt’s display she stopped dead in her tracks and looked with wonderment at the painting. Finally, she said aloud, “Hope! Hope? Why is it called ‘Hope’?”
The other replied, with little wonderment, and probably some agitation, as she turned her attention to the precariously perched figure, “Why, I suppose because she hopes she won’t fall off.”
There are people around us, some who identify themselves as Christian, who view the contemporary church scene with the same doubtful perplexity. What does “church” mean? Has it become an art-form symbolizing that is no longer meaningful? Is it only a supplier of sanctimonious symbols?
The writer of Hebrews sees it differently. He declares it to be what it is: What God has made it to be. It is people, alive in a dead world, with a sense of mission. It is an awesome explosive power awaiting the torch of commitment. There are 3 guidelines.
I. They were to Attend Their Church. “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is.”
Though I rule it out, I wonder if boredom was ever the cause. Or fatigue: I heard of one pastor who called a meeting of the board following the service. A stranger was present. “Sir, we were happy you came, but this meeting is just for the board.” “I have trouble believing that these people were more bored than I!”
We are here instructed that our first attitude about our church is faithful attentiveness. (1)There is a triad of meaning (Romans 3): For worship and praise; for instruction from the Word; for preparation in ministry. (2)Romans 1:21 (Glorified not as God, nor were thankful.) When these go begging, no matter what other reasons we have, we have rejected our mandate.
Old Testament—Samuel anointed Saul (I Samuel 12), had the people assemble at Gilgal. They sacrificed, had great joy in praise. I Samuel 12:7, “Now, therefore, stand still, that I may reason with you before the Lord of all the righteous acts of the Lord, which he did to you and to your fathers.”
New Testament—Acts 11:26, when Barnabas located Paul he brought him to Antioch. “For a whole year they assembled themselves with the church and taught many people. They were first called Christians at Antioch.”
This “assembly” was essential for empowering in and to service. The young Indian brave inquired of the steps necessary to become chief. [Some text lost.] The sacred bobcat: You must bring down the great white buffalo with your bard hands. You must wrestle the brown bear [to] win two of three challenges. Then must come the trials of fire and ice. The brave interrupted with “What ever happened to wholesome good looks and a nice personality?”
II. They were to Defend Their Church. “Exhorting one another.”
This is akin to paraklētos—“comforter.” This form is never retrospective, and always prospective. (Parakaleo.) It is “beseech, entreat, admonish.” See Psalm 141:5—
"Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness;
let him rebuke me—that is oil on my head.
My head will not refuse it,
for my prayer will still be against the deeds of evildoers.”
It guards against the infiltration of error. II Timothy 4:2-4, “Preach the word; exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts they will heap themselves teachers. . . .” Notice again the charge to exhort, a call to higher living. Notice the condemnation of “heaping”: Man in Oakdale who enlarged capacity of concrete plant without increasing foundation.
To defend against worldliness. II Timothy 4:10 “Demas hath forsaken . . . having loved this . . . world.” Revelation 3:14, Laodicea—“I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing; thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.”
To defend against complacency. Not enough just not to oppose. One must take a vital stand.
To defend against cliquishness. Like at Corinth, people separate into factions: talents, worldly goods, gifts, pastors. “Paul is my favorite.” I Corinthians 3:11, “ For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
III. They were to Extend Their Church. “And all the more as you see the day approaching.”
Which statement he clarifies in the verses that follow. The example of the Old Testament covenant. Anyone rejecting Moses died by the witness of two or three. Rejecting Jesus is rejecting His death, rejecting God’s will, and insulting the Holy Spirit (29). It is deadly for the so-called believer and unbeliever alike.
We are to be extensions of our church: From active participation—worship, study, ministry awareness; we receive the enablement to be Christ’s representative in our community and beyond.
We might say that through this means we Commend our church. You commend it first and foremost by your support. You commend it to the degree that you support it. What think you of token support to: your job? Your children’s school? Your family? You commend your church by supporting and praying for its leaders. It is much easier to criticize another than to condition one’s own life to support just causes in Christ. You commend your church by every positive referral.
Closing
As the day approaches
***The remainder of this sermon has been lost.***
1Watts, G.F. (2020). Hope. [Oil on canvas]. Watts Gallery, Compton, Surrey, U.K. In Reitsema, E.M. Hebrews 11:1—Hope by G.F. Watts, ArtWay Visual Meditation, (16 February 2020). (Original work 1885/1886). https://artway.eu/content.php?id=2901&lang=en&action=show
Hope https://artway.eu/content.php?id=2901&lang=en&action=show