I'll turn to Matthew 16 again. Two weeks ago, I spoke about
the church and gave some general information concerning Christ's
church. I read then v. 13-20. Then last
week, We looked at the rock of the
church as well as this rock. And I read verses 13 all the
way down through verse 23. Now this morning I will read
just one verse. Matthew chapter 13 and verse
18. This is Christ speaking. He said, And I say unto thee
that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I I will build my church. Notice those words. I will build,
and then specifically these words, my church. The gates of hell
shall not prevail against it. This morning I want to try to
speak about this. The church belongs to Christ. I will not rehash what I've said
already, but the church does not belong to Peter. No where
here does Christ say the church belongs to Peter. Though Peter
had apostolic authority, as well as the other apostles, as well
as Paul the apostle, the church does not belong to Peter. The church does not belong to
the leaders of some synod or some hierarchy. Salt Lake City
does not control the church. They may control their church,
but they do not control Christ's church. Rome does not control
Christ's church. Again, I will say, Rome may well
control her church, But Rome does not control Christchurch. Nashville. Is that where the
SBC is still located? The headquarters? Southern Baptist
Convention? Is it Nashville? I don't know.
That's where it was when I read Encyclopedia Britannica, but
that was my copies way back there, so they may have changed it.
The church does not belong to Nashville. But even more than
that, The church does not belong to pastors. The church does not
belong to deacons. The church does not belong to
the saints in general. Christ said, I will build my
church. You may be a member of a church,
but unless you are a member of His church, you are not a member
of His body. I want to try to give you five
things, and they are interconnected. I want to try to give you five
things this morning concerning the church belongs to Christ. And I will deal mainly with the
truths as seen in the fifth one. First of all, Christ acquired. You know what that word means,
right? Christ bought. It's another way of putting it.
purchased the church with His own blood. Acts 20, verse 28. Wherein Paul being moved there
to speak to the elders of Ephesus, he was actually in Miletus, but
speaking to the elders of Ephesus, he said with which God purchased
with His own blood. That lets me know several things. God did it. And we read from
Scripture, as Joe would say, the preponderant testimony of
Scripture, Christ's blood was the blood they're speaking of,
therefore Christ is God. No less so than the Father, and
no more so, which God purchased with His own blood. Jesus Christ
died Jesus Christ shed his blood for the church Period Let me
put another way Jesus Christ shed his blood for he acquired
He bought he purchased by blood the church and the church only Jesus Christ did not die for
every son and daughter of Adam That's number one It's his church
because he bought it with the price of blood Which he which
God purchased with his own blood number two this acquiring of
This purchasing is not only universal and collective. He died for the
church. He died for his sheep. He died
for the bride. They're all the same people.
And it's spoken of in universal and collective terms. Never does
Paul say, nowhere in the scripture is it said, he died for his churches. Although the church is manifested
on the earth in many churches. But yet he never died for churches,
he died for the church. His body, which is said to be
one body. This acquiring, this purchasing
though, is not only universal and collective, it extends to
the individual believer. 1 Corinthians 6, you know the
verses, 19-20, he said we are for your balt, with a price. We know what that price is. His
blood. If you're bought with a price,
therefore, because of that, because He acquired us, because He bought
us, because He purchased us, but not just universally and
collectively, He purchased us individually as well. Because
you're bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your, that's individual,
in your body. which is His. He bought me. He didn't just buy us, Roy Jr.
He specifically bought me. And if you're in the church,
if you're a part of the church, He bought you. That means He
owns you, even your body. That means He owns you, lock,
stock, and barrel. That's number two. The church
belongs to Christ, why? Because he bought it collectively,
universally, but he also did so on an individual level as
well. Paul put it this way, he died
for me. He died for me. Thirdly, the church is his by
architectural design and he is the master mason. I, he said,
I will build my church. Isn't that what he said? Peter's
not building it. I'm not building it. The deacons
are not building it. The saints are not building it.
Who's building his church? He is. He is. Now there is no question that
he uses means, but he's the architect. He's the chief mason. Yes, Paul
said, I laid the foundation. But where did Paul get that foundation
to lay? God gave it to him. Turn to Ephesians
chapter 5. We're going to look though. How
does he build his church? Ephesians chapter 5. This does not happen. The building
of the church does not happen in some mystical way. Look at Ephesians 5, verse 25. Husbands, love your wives. Remember I read this the other
day. Remember the tenses, plural, singular, how particular they
are. But look. Husbands, love your wives, even
as Christ also loved the church. That's who He loves, the church.
I'll say it again. But I'll say it concerning God's
love in Christ. He loves the church and the church
only. Even as Christ also loved the
church and gave Himself for it, that, that He might sanctify
and cleanse it with the washing of water, how? By the Word. And there it is, Rema. God has
ordained that His church be built through the preaching of the
Word of God. That's what it's being built
on. As I said, this is not some mystical or mysterious thing. God Almighty is building His
church through the preaching of the Word of God. God spoke to Abraham, didn't
He? God spoke to Abraham. God spoke
to Noah. Even Rahab said, we heard. You see, a person doesn't just
wake up one morning as a member of the church. Being a part of
the church means God calls you out of the world and into His
body. And He does so by the Word. Whether it is direct communication
from God or indirect through some instrumentality. And I'm
not going to deal with that again. other than to say this, most
today who claim to have heard directly from God, when you hear
their testimony, they're not teaching the truth of God. But
we know some people have heard through the direct revelation
of God himself. Abram did, you know, Noah did,
and such and such, and such as that. But hereabout that he might
Sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water how by the
word by the utterance the very utterance of the Word of God
It is important to hear the preaching of the Word of God Why because
that's the way Christ's ordained to build his church That here's another that that
he might present it to himself a glorious church therefore the
word is The Word being uttered, the Word being declared, the
Word being preached, the Word being set forth is in connection
with this, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church,
not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should
be holy and without blemish. The church is His by architectural
design. Christ said I will build my church,
but he's only building it this way And that's just that's the only
way Number four the church is his He being its head Turn to
Ephesians chapter 1 turn back a few chapters if you're still
in Ephesians Ephesians chapter 1 and listen
to verse 20 Which he wrought in Christ, that
is this power, God's mighty power, the very power it took for us
to believe. That's what he says in verse 19. Which he wrought
in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at
his own right, not sat, but set, that is God put him in this place.
You see that? Yes, he sat down, but God also
set, S-E-T, set him down. which He wrought in Christ Jesus
when He raised Him from the dead and set Him at His own right
hand in the heavenly places. Far above. This has not simply
to do with height, but authority and dominion. Far above all principality
and power and might and dominion. In other words, any of these
other things, they are derived from Him. The principalities
that be. The powers that be. Any might
that there is. Any dominion that there is. It
is far below Him. And it must be derived from Him. That's clear from Colossians
chapter 1. All these things, He holds them together. But here
He's talking about Christ's superiority. His maximum superiority. His far exceeding superiority
to all these things. far above all principality of
power and might and dominion and every name that is named.
Not only in this world. It's not all of a sudden God's
going to wind all this up one day and then everything's going
to go. Jesus Christ will still be at the pinnacle of everything. And not only in this world, but
also in that which is to come. Remember in that new celestial
city, that one that shall come down from God out of heaven,
who's going to be the light of that city? The Lamb is. But also in the world to come.
And have put all things under, not just Him, but under His feet. He is presented here as the Conqueror. You see it? And it put all things
under His feet and gave Him to be the head over all things. Now notice, to the church. He
is that to the church. He's not that to the world. Though
He is over the world. But He is head to be head over
all things to the church which is His body. And think of this amazing statement. This last statement is talking
about us, the fullness, that is the church which is His body,
the fullness of Him that filleth all in all. That's a conundrum. That's what you call a conundrum. He is Him that filleth all in
all, but yet we are said to be the fullness of Him that filleth
all in all. Because God's ordained it that
way. In other words, Christ being
received back by the Father, Christ being set at His right
hand, is in expectation of God that everyone for whom He died,
everyone for whom He shed His blood, shall be gathered together
unto God in Him. And then people say, well, do
you believe in once saved, always saved? Man, if you have to ask
me that question, you don't know the God that I hold to. You just
don't get it. People want to argue about that.
Isn't that amazing? If they want to argue about that,
you know that they don't know the Christ of God. And I'm not
saying that to be mean. I'm not saying that to be condemnatory.
That's just the truth. Head equals... The word, more
than the word, the very truth behind it, the facts behind it.
Head equals authority. Head equals authority. Man's
the head of the woman. That's what it says. Christ's
the head of the man. God's the head of Christ. God's
ordained it that way. Now, it's clear that that doesn't
mean impersonal ability. Does it because Christ is not
less than ability in person than the God is isn't he is God? So that lets me know that the
woman is not inferior to the man In character, it's simply
God's ordained order. That's the way it has to do with
authority I Work in a place that I understand a little bit about
authority I I'm not against authority. Only
rebels against God are against authority. Head equals authority
in all aspects of faith and practice. You hear what I said? Head equals
authority in all aspects of faith and practice. And it's absolute. This includes my life public
and it includes my life private. What I do in private is my business.
If you're a part of the body, what you do in private is Christ's
business. Public and private, whether we
are assembled or not assembled. Well, what I do in my own private
life, the church has nothing to do with the church. It has
everything to do with the church if you're a part of the church. If you're a part of the church,
you are not independent. You are not independent. Not
only are you dependent on Christ, but we are responsible to one
another as well. That's why we have some
that don't want to be a part of a local assembly. They think
they're independent. But you're not. Paul says concerning
this body, it's fit to be joined together. That's what he says. Fitly, fitly, not just joined,
it is joined, but fitly joined together. Christ is the wise
master builder. Don't you think He knows what
He's doing? True faith bows down to that in joy, not in unwillingness. Well, I guess I've got to be
that way. As I've said before, if that's
your attitude about it, you might as well be somewhere else. And
I don't say that to run people off, but it looks like I do. So be it. And I don't say that
out of anger. I wish every person that's ever
been here, that's ever made a profession of faith, was still here loving
the gospel and supporting the gospel. And I'll add that too,
and if they came back today in repentance, we'd receive them
full-heartedly and whole-heartedly. That's right. It's every. He is head in every
aspect of faith and practice that's public and private. It's
when we're assembled together and when we're not assembled
together. That's just the truth. Go back
sometime. I'm not going to read it. Go
back and read 2 Thessalonians chapter 3 sometimes. Paul says
even your employment reflects on the church of God. Go back
and look at it sometimes. The very thing you work at. If
you don't work, what does he say? You don't eat. In other words, you won't work. You'll sit on your lazy backside. Don't expect the church to take
care of you. People like that, he said, are busy bodies. They're
going around all the way. People like that are always the ones
doing this. Yapping their piehole Criticizing everybody else who's
in the midst of the work Sacrificing for the gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ. It's easy to sit out there and criticize But when
you get in the midst of the battle in the midst of the work, then
you find out this is a war And which we will look at Lord Willie
later the gates of hell shall not prevail against it that implies
battle Assaulting the gates of the very citadels of hell itself
Hmm that's the primary purpose of the church Lord willing we'll
look at that next week Public and private assembled or not
if you're a part of the body you are in subjection to Christ
and Christ manifests himself in this world through the church
We'll look at that the primary purpose of the church is Christ
is not coming down to the world and showing Himself to the world
in any other way other than through the church and the preaching
of the gospel of Christ. That's how God does that today.
Now if God's pleased to go outside that box, Mack, that's His business. But we're confined to that. That's
where we're at. That's number four. Number five,
as head of the body. The church, right? He says. Overall
gave him to be head over all things to the church Which is
his body so we can say in that sense they are synonymous terms,
right? As head of the body the church
he is according to Paul and Colossians chapter 1 verses 17 through 19
I'm gonna read it he is preeminent He's not just the head he is
the preeminent. Preeminence equals this, to be
first, to be the priority, not a priority, not just a high priority,
not just the highest priority, it means to be the only priority. Preeminent means that. Head puts
you at the top of the list. Being preeminent means nothing
else even stands next to you. In other words, the predominant. Predominant. In rank, yes. Yes,
in rank. But in influence as well. In other words, what he says
goes. But what he says goes. And you
remember what we read last week when we looked at this rock.
We talked about the rock, but we also talked about this rock.
And remember what he told those 70? He that hears you, hears
who? Hears me. And I didn't mention
the verse, but John in 1 John 4 says, whoever is of God, those
that are of God, he that is of God hears us. Now not me, but
them, the apostles. But if I'm preaching what they
said, then guess who you're hearing? If I'm preaching the doctrine
of the apostles, guess who's speaking to you? God is. That's not bragging about me.
That's declaring Christ as preeminent in all things. He is first. He is the priority. He is predominant,
not just in rank, but is in influence. Now turn to Matthew chapter 6.
And I want you to notice, and I won't mention it a lot, but
I want you to notice we'll see a progression here. We're going
to Matthew 6, we're going to Matthew 8, we're going to Matthew
10. As Joe said, 8 comes after 6, 10 comes after 8, and after
6. That's deep. But it's true. Christ is preeminent. Remember,
preeminent in rank, yes, but preeminent in influence as well.
In other words, this means, and here are four things under this
point number five, he has priority over physical needs. Chapter
six, the last few verses. Therefore, verse 31, therefore,
take no thought. That's tough. It don't mean just
don't let it come in. You can't help but think certain
things, but there's times you got to bring your mind into subjection
to the truth of God. But what he says, don't be concerned,
overly concerned about these things. Therefore take no thought
saying, what shall we eat? Or what shall we drink? Or wherewithal
shall we be clothed? Aren't those the necessities
of life? Certainly are. I don't want to be around you
all the time when you're naked. Huh? There's times when you get
hungry, you've got to eat. But is our life, is our life
to be engaged in, what am I going to eat today? What am I going
to wear today? Is that where it's at? No. For
after all these things do the Gentiles seek. For your Heavenly
Father knoweth that you have need of all these things. He
knows that. And yet He told us to pray for
our daily bread. Nevertheless what but seek ye See that next
word, but seek ye first the kingdom of God now if you got a kingdom,
then what do you got? Got to be a king in that game
But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness
now. Who do you think is God's righteousness? Jesus Christ is
But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness
and all these things shall be added unto you See the priority
there? See the predominance there? See
the firstness there? Take therefore no thought for
tomorrow, for tomorrow shall take thought of the things of
itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. In other
words, you ain't going to be able to think about enough to
settle everything for tomorrow. You can't do it. You're wasting
precious time. Set your affection on things
above, not on things of the earth. So Christ is preeminent. That
is, He has priority over physical needs. Right? That's what the
book teaches. Secondly, under this fifth point,
He has priority over our emotional needs. Now go to chapter 8. Now
a lot of people say, well yeah, look to the Lord first. God will
let you get food, clothing, a house to live in, a roof over your
head, even if it's a cave, Joe. Whatever it be. But now let's
go to chapter 8. He has priority over emotional
concerns. Look at chapter 8 verse 21. And
another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, allow me, suffer
me first to go bury my father. Isn't that an emotional thing?
Isn't that a filial thing? Lord, suffer me first to go bury
my father. Well, okay. Might as well miss
the Sunday. I'm being mean now. Might as
well miss the Sunday for a funeral, right? Huh? Now come on now! What is he saying
to this man? Look at it. Suffer me first to
go bury my father. But, Jesus said unto him, follow
me. There's the priority. Follow
me and let the dead bury their dead. In other words Christ is first
over even these emotional needs Needs So yeah, well yeah, he talked
about that food Raymond say, but now he's talking about even
burying one of you kinfolk Who comes first? He does. He does. Now, I know somebody will hear
this. Walter said, you ought not go to the funeral of a loved
one. You know, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. No, Walter didn't
say that. But I tell you, there's been
many of them I've had to go to that I wished I had known to.
I would have rather been here with you all than I would have
been where I was at. Yes, sir. But be that as it may,
I guess I am guilty of that, isn't I? He has priority over physical
needs. He has priority over emotional concerns. Thirdly, he has priority
over all natural relationships. Go to chapter 10. Notice this
is our Lord. Our Lord is not engaged in some
slipshod ministry, do you think? Just a shot in the dark here
and a shot in the dark there. Our Lord is laying the foundation
of the truth of God in His condescension. And just a part, I'm only hitting
some high spots you might say. Chapter 6, chapter 8. Now look
at chapter 10. And verse 32. Whosoever therefore. There's a whosoever. Whosoever
therefore shall confess me before men. We have to deal with people.
Almost, some of us almost every day of our lives don't we? What
does it say? Whosoever therefore shall confess
me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is
in heaven. Now if we just stop there we can say well that's
nice. Isn't that nice? But now he's going to give us
the other side of the coin. But whosoever shall deny me before
men, him will not get the reward he ought to get when he gets
to heaven. Is that what he says? No. But whosoever shall deny
Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father which is
in heaven." That's strong language. Isn't it? Do you think He's preeminent
or not? He's preeminent, ain't He? You
deny Him? There might be a lot of things
you deny in this world, but don't deny Him. Don't deny Him. It's dangerous. Well, Peter did.
So did Judas, and he perished. So be careful. Be careful. Watch out! Don't think you've
got God over a barrel. Now think about it. He has priority
over all natural relationships. That's our relationships before
other men. Right? He has priority. Someone tells
you to do something that's against Christ, say no. Christ forbids
it. Isn't that the way it works? It's the way it ought to work.
But not only that, it's relationships amongst kin as well. Now look,
think not that I am come to send peace on earth. I am not come
to send peace but a sword. For I am come to set a man at
variance against his father and and the daughter against her
mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, and
a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth
father or mother more than me, look at it, is not worthy of
me. Jesus comes in front of mommy
and daddy. Jesus comes in front of your
brother or your sister in this world by flesh. He's before it
all. And he that loveth son or daughter
more than me is not worthy of me. He's preeminent. But He also has priority over
our own relationship with ourself. Huh? Look, and he that taketh
not his cross and followeth after me is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall
lose it. All those people busy building
them cities, Joe? They were losing their lives.
They were losing their lives. Look, and he that loseth his
life for my sake, Not for your own, you don't earn this by somehow
denying yourself, but it's by acknowledging Him. Look, and
he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. He has priority
over my own relationship with myself. Now most of us know,
if we're honest with ourselves, numero uno is truly numero uno. But when God saves you, you begin
to realize what numero uno really is. A red wiggling maggot that
only by the free and sovereign grace of God has been allowed
to even think of believing on God in Christ, let alone actually
do it. He has priority over relationships
before men. He has priority over relationships
amongst our kin. He has priority over our relationship
even with our own selves. As a matter of fact, he sums
it up this way, Christ's preeminence joins those who are all under
it. Look at it, still chapter 10, verse 40, He that receiveth
you, receiveth me. Isn't that what
he says? Well, it don't matter whether
I'm a part of the people of God or not. Really? Remember, it's
a body. Yeah, it has many members, but
it's one body. He that receiveth you, receiveth
me. He that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me. You don't bypass
God Almighty's ordained order. It just don't happen. Look, he
that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive
a prophet's reward. And he that receiveth a righteous
man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous
man's reward. Notice he's talking here about
union. Don't get all confounded. Who's
righteous? Who's a prophet? He's talking about union. The
people of God are united together. Look, and whosoever shall give
to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of water only in the
name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise
lose his reward. And there, he's not talking about
some crowns that people talk about. He's talking about the
very reward of your soul being blessed of God. That's what he's
talking about. In other words, the church which
belongs to Christ, down to the individual and even simple conduct. A cup of water. Give him a cup
of water. They find union with each other. There is no personal independence. Is there? There's no personal
independence. You remember Isaiah thought he
was independent, didn't he? Lord, I'm all alone. You know
what happens? Whenever you think you're all
by yourself, when you think it's all about you, you'll start to
bellyache and murmur and complain. That's the way we are. That's
what happens. You see, this idea of independence
is a misnomer. It's a red herring. You ever
heard the phrase, that's a red herring? You know where that
comes from? When they used to train dogs, they put the dog,
put a hound on the track of something and if you wanted to distract
the dog, you know what you'd do? You'd take a herring and
you'd rub it across the trail. That's where it comes from. And
they called it a red herring. Why? Because you would distract
the dog on the track. this idea of personal independence. Oh, I'm in Christ. I believe
in the Lord. It's just me and the Lord. No, it ain't ever just
you and the Lord. God said, I've got 7,000 others.
God's always got somebody else. It's never just me and God. Is
it? Never. Yeah, because there's
always a remnant. God's got His people. That's
a red herring. That's a distraction. I tell
you what, it distracts people away from the truth of Jesus
Christ. That's what it does. This independent spirit. Somebody
says you're hammering on that a lot. Because I feel it within
myself so much. Isn't that what Tim James said
yesterday? He said, I preach against self-righteousness so
much because I see so much of it in myself. I taste it. It's a damnable thing,
Joe, this independent spirit. So, he has priority over physical
needs. Christ has priority over our
emotional concerns. Christ has priority over all
of our natural relationships. As a matter of fact, I will sum
it up this way. This is this fifth point. Christ
is even preeminent over the most intimate of human relationships.
You know what that most intimate of human relationships is? Somebody
want to answer that? Say it. Anybody know what it
is? It's marriage. Marriage between
one man and one woman. And those two, God says, shall
become what? One flesh. That's an intimate
union. That's the most intimate union
ever spoken of amongst men in the scriptures on the natural
limits. Most intimate union. And yet
now turn to Luke chapter 14, and if you do some checking,
somebody says, all that stuff you talked about before, he never
talked about father, mother, brother, he never talked about
husbands and wives. Hold on just a minute. Luke chapter 14. And that's beginning in verse
15. I've got to move along, but let me begin there. Just read.
Let me make sure I'm in the right place. Verse 15. And when one
of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said
unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom
of God. Sounds like a harmless enough statement, doesn't it?
Then said He unto them, a certain man." Now you all, whenever somebody
would say something, and Christ all of a sudden don't answer
them directly, He starts in to one of His messages, He's got
something coming for you. Get ready to be rebuked and reproved. So I asked the preacher a question,
he didn't answer me directly. Well, take the hint. Take the
hint. That was kind of a sideline,
wasn't it? But anyway, he says, Then he said unto him, A certain
man made a great supper and bade many. And sent his servant at
supper time to say to them that were bitten, Come, for all things
are now ready. They all with one consent began
to what? What? Now I know, religion, false
free will religion sometimes robs us of these things because
some people are afraid of them. You know, they misuse them. But
what they get, make excuse. How many times have you heard
somebody that used to be a part of this assembly, now make excuse. Now look, the first send him,
I bought a piece of ground and I must needs go and see it. I
pray thee have me excuse. Give me a rain check. Give me
a temporary dispensation. Give me one of these and you're
alright. Say some Hail Marys and you'll be alright. Go ahead
and do what you want to do. Look at what he's saying. Look. And
another said, I've bought five yokel oxen. I go to prove them.
I pray they have me excused. Well, he's already talked about
stuff like that, hasn't he? But look. And another said, I've
married a wife. And therefore I cannot come.
Now, if you're a man that's already married a wife, you probably
understand that statement. Huh? It's a responsibility, is
it not? Are there not responsibilities
that go with marrying a wife? Yes, there is. But look, so that
servant can't, or no, and notice that I'm married a wife and therefore
I cannot come. Now think, all of a sudden he's
not asking for excuse. He thinks he's got reason. See? He didn't even have to ask, Lord,
excuse me. I know I'm okay. Look. So that servant came and showed
his Lord these things. Then the master of the house,
who's the master of the house? It's Christ. Being angry. You see that? Being angry said
his servant, go out quickly into the streets and the lanes of
the city and bring in hither the poor and the maimed and the
haunted and the blind. The servant said, Lord, it is
done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. And the
Lord said unto his servant, Go out into the highways and the
edges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. And God's house is and will be. Now look, for I say unto you
that none of those men that were bidden, talk about the first
three, none, none, that were bidden shall taste
of my supper. And there were great multitudes
with him, and he turned and said unto them, If any come to me,
and hate not. That's strong language. Because when it comes to preeminence,
nobody's even up here under Christ. He's up here and everything else
is way down there. You see it? And hate not His
Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters. Come on Lord, stop somewhere. Give me something else to compete
with You. Nothing. Yea, and his own life
also he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his
cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Now he says,
you better count the cost. You see it? Look at it. count
the cost. Because it does cost something.
Because He is first. To you. Individually. Or He is nothing at all. That's
right. When God Almighty saves a person,
He shows them that Christ is on the throne. And He's the only
thing and the only one on the throne. In other words, the church belongs
to Christ. The church is subject to Christ. You remember the words to Laodicea?
He said to Laodicea, I'll vomit you up. That's what he said. I'll vomit
you up. That's tough language. Now he
says, as many, he says to Laodicea, as many as I love, I rebuke and
chasten. If I love you, I'm going to correct
you. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. Now you see it's proper
context. As many as I love, I rebuke and
chasten. Be zealous therefore and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and
knock. If any man hear my voice and open up, I'll come in and
supplicate. Do you see it? Well, I'm a part
of the church. What part of the church are you
a part of? A part of the church that when you go wrong, God corrects
you? Or the part of the church that
when you go wrong, you just keep on doing whatever you want to
do and it don't matter, nothing ever happens? You see, anybody who
God loves, when they go astray, Joe, He brings them back in life. He brings them back in line Wow
because as many as that means everyone that I love I rebuke
and I chase Beware of presumption That's
my summary the wire presumption I Believe God so God owes me
this beware of presumption if you believe God God has blessed
you and will bless you and but never presume on God. I kind of figured Judas was pretty
convinced of himself at first, Joe. You know? I figure Simon Magus was quite
convinced he was okay. Until God sent Peter to him and
said, your heart's not right in the sight of God. Can you
imagine what a kick in the head that was for that man? Probably
Philip probably didn't feel too well about that himself as one
of his converts wasn't he? But you know that's just the
way it is. There's been so many people that
I've baptized and you don't see them anymore and that hurts.
But you know what? It's just the way it is. Now next week, God willing, we'll
look at the primary purpose of the church. See ya.