Now before I give you my passage
this morning, let me just say to you that for the next few
weeks, I want to take a detailed look
at the church. So with that being said, turn
to Matthew chapter 16. This is the first New Testament
mention of the church. I don't know, Joe, whether our
Lord mentioned the church by word before this. I don't know,
we're not told. It doesn't say this is the first
time he mentioned it, but it's the first mention we have of
it. Even in the order, Matthew's first, I mean it's even there,
mentioned by Matthew. But there are some very important
things our Lord said about the church. However, this passage
itself is not that on which we base all of our doctrine concerning
the church. Our doctrine concerning the church
is found in the New Testament epistles. But for the next few
weeks I want to take a detailed look at the church. I used to
do this a few years ago and I would do series and try to go into
great detail of certain things and I've kind of left that to
preach mainly because we have had some new believers and I
wanted to simply give some messages on a whole, you know, range of
things. But I want to spend some time
for the next several weeks on the the doctrine of the church. So this morning is just simply
the church. You might call it an introduction or whatever to
the church. But we will also look at these things. There will
be a lot more than that, a lot more than what I say to you concerning
the truth of the church. But I want to deal with these
things after we talk about the church this morning. The next
message will be the rock of the church. After that we will look
at the church belongs to Christ. After that, we will look at the
primary purpose of the church. After that, we will look at the
organization of the church. Now, do not misunderstand me
here. I'm not talking about the church
being an organization. I'm saying that Jesus Christ
ordained the church to have organization, not to be an organization. So
we will look at the organization of the church. and they will
look at Christ's body, the church. There's a lot more to it than
that, but God willing, we will concentrate on that. Now let's
read our passage, Matthew chapter 16. I'll begin in verse 13 because
that's kind of where the context starts. When Jesus came into
the coast of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying,
Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am? What's the popular
opinion out there about that? You know what he asked? What's
the popular opinion amongst others? What do they say? Who do they
say that I, the son of man, am? And they said, well, some say
that thou art John the Baptist. And some, Elias. And others,
Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. Isn't that amazing? You think
about that. Here's these old Jews now consorting
to Confucianism, or however you call it, and reincarnation. Do
you see the idiocy of it? The idioism? Whatever it is.
And He saith unto them, but whom say ye that I am? Now let's get
it straight. Human opinion does not matter
when it comes to the person of Jesus Christ. What the world
thinks does not matter. It does not matter. But here
is what matters. Who do you say Jesus Christ is? Actually, I should say, who do
you say the Son of Man is? He saith unto them, but whom
say ye that I am? And it's like Simon Peter answered.
It's like he just spoke up. Simon Peter answered and said,
Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus
answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for
flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which
is in heaven. And I say unto thee that thou
art, remember Peter had just said thou art. Now Christ says
thou art. I say unto thee that thou art
Peter. And upon this rock I will build my church. and the gates
of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee,
who's he talking to? Peter. He's talking to Peter. And I will give unto thee the
keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind
on earth shall be bound in heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt loose
on earth shall be loosed in heaven. And then notice this last verse. Then charged he, His disciples,
that they should tell no man that He was Jesus the Christ. That's an amazing statement,
isn't it? Then charged He, His disciples,
that they should tell no man that He was Jesus the Christ.
The church. The church. The word church is
misrepresented in several different ways. And in misrepresenting
the word church, they misrepresent the truth of the church. And
in misrepresenting the truth of the church, they misrepresent
the builder of the church. That's how important it is. This
is not a take it or leave it thing. This is not a matter of
scruples, as Paul talked about in respect of meat. What meat
you eat, what meat you don't eat. Respect of a holy day, when
you should eat, when you shouldn't eat, all of those different things.
This is not a matter of scruples. The word church, as I said, is
misrepresented in several different ways. And in these misrepresentations,
what they actually do is misrepresent Jesus Christ Himself. That's
how important it is. Now four things and four ways
in which the word church is misrepresented. Today the word church is used
to describe a building or a meeting place. I am saying to each and
every one of us here this morning we ought to stop using the word
church to describe the meeting place or the building. We just
stop it. Stop it. Pray, God, stop me from
doing that. Why? Because it's just not so. The Word of God never describes
the church as being a building or a meeting place. Now, granted,
many may use that word church. We went to church today. Or we
went to our church today. And they may mean no disrespect. But meaning no disrespect means
nothing if you are disrespecting God's truth. That which is highly
esteemed among men is an abomination to the Lord. And if God Almighty
Himself calls His church this, then we should dare not call
it that. You see what I'm saying? The
word church is never used to describe a building or a meeting
place. No matter if this is the common
practice in our day, we should not fall prey to the common practice. Because eventually, somewhere,
a little leaven leavens the whole lump. If we accept that, then
later somebody else accepts a little more error. And somebody else
accepts a little more error. And that's why we see the visible
church, or we might say local assemblies, to be in such a state
as they are in today. Because nobody really cares about
words, Joe. Secondly, the word church is
used to describe a denomination. For instance, I've been asked
this when someone finds out I'm a preacher. You know what one
of the first questions they ask me is, what kind of church do
you attend? I automatically know one of two things. One, they're
playing the game of religion, even if they know the truth,
or they have no idea what the church is. What kind of church
do you attend? They ain't but one kind. No matter
what the denominational name is for a building or a group
of people, the church is not a denomination. It's never used
in the scriptures of denomination. For instance, the church had
bishops, but they weren't Episcopalians. The church baptized, but they
weren't Baptists. The church has Presbyterians,
but they weren't Presbyterians. Do you understand what I'm saying?
So it's never used, the word in scripture is never used to
describe a denomination. As a congregation, this is the
way people use to describe, the way that we use the word church.
As a congregation where the Bible plays a large role, well that's
a church. They come together to read the Bible, to preach
the Bible. That may or may not be true. There's a lot of places that
have the Bible kind of as the preeminent book. But sadly in
many of them it's not the only book. There's all kinds of other
books. And sadly, even in some where
they say the Bible is the only book, they don't practice that
the Bible is the only book, because they don't believe that what
the Bible actually says, even though the Bible's all they use. So a church that has the Bible
that plays a large role doesn't necessarily mean it's a church.
It may or may not be a church. That's a congregation. Number
four. The word church is used to describe
an ecclesiastical organization. In other words, let me put it
this way. The church has organization,
but the church is not an organization. It's two different things. The
church is organized, and I will say this later. We'll look at
it in detail. Christ ain't just throwing up
a slipshod shack. It's not just, well, here, I'm
going to build my church, but you all just do whatever you
want when it's being built. Don't work that way. It has organization,
but it is not an organization. The church is never centralized
by locality. In other words, the scripture
never talks about the church of Rome in the sense that it's
used and actually probably been used since, what, the third,
fourth century AD. The church at Rome. You've seen
it on the TV the past few weeks. The Pope is the head of the church
of Rome. And people think that's the church.
It's not the church. It may be the Pope's church,
but it ain't Christ's church. And that's just the way it is.
Well, she's an apostate church. Then she's apostate. That ain't
the church. The church ain't apostate. It's
his building. And the gates of hell shall not
prevail against it. The church is never centralized
by locality. It's not the church of Rome,
nor is it the church of England. These are false phrases, false
uses of the word. Christ is the centrality of the
church. Christ is. It's his church. It's
called the church of God, not the denomination, but whose church
it is under. Christ is the centrality of the
church. He is its head. He is the one
to whom or in whom the church is preeminent. Jesus Christ is not a priority
to the church. He is the only priority to the
church. The only priority. If you leave
him out, even if you have all the organization, not being,
even if you have all the organization established correctly, if Christ
is not a part of that group, then it ain't the church. It
ain't the church. Now, scripture. Scripture is
our only rule of faith and practice. If what we say, not just what
we teach, but definitely what we teach, but we teach by saying,
we teach by preaching, we teach by giving testimony, but it must
be the testimony of the Word of God exactly as the writer,
the author of those words intended. We're not at liberty to come
to our own conclusions. Well, here's what I think Peter
meant. Here's what I think Paul meant. Here's what I think Jude
meant. Here's what I think Christ meant.
Here's what I think Luke meant. No, what did Luke mean? And that's all that matters.
I want you to turn to 2 Thessalonians now, chapter 2. We are all no doubt familiar,
especially with verses 13 and 14, are we not? 2 Thessalonians
2, 13, those two verses have probably been mentioned and spoken
of over and over and over again. But the book doesn't end there. As a matter of fact, in what
we have is verse 15 says, therefore, because God loved you, chose
you, set you apart by the Spirit, called you by His gospel to believing
the truth, to the obtaining of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, and that's
who it's to, if you're not truly a brother or sister in Christ,
it's not going to matter to you. But if you are a brother or sister
in Christ, it will matter unto you. Again, it will not be one
of your priorities, the truth of God concerning the person
and work of Christ, who He is and what He has done and is doing,
will be the only priority to you. Therefore, brethren, stand
fast. We may be being revealed truth,
but truth is not coming into fruition. Truth is already established. It already is. Truth is already,
I may not know, I don't know all of it. I may not be able
to see all of its organization, point one, point two, point three,
but it is so organized. It has its proper place and you
can't mix it up. For instance, Romans eight, we
know that all things work together for good to them that love God.
He said, For new, those who predestinated. Those who predestinated, they
may also call. Those who called, He justified.
Those who justified, He glorified. You can't mix those up. They
have an order ordained of God Almighty. And they are in that
order because that's the order God ordained. And that's the
only way it works. You don't pick and choose how
you want the order. You either bow to the order as
it is or you're not bowing to God. Now look, therefore brethren
stand fast and hold the, what? What? Traditions. Now I don't mean to throw you
a curve ball, but we are to hold the traditions. This is the same
word that our Lord used when he rebuked man's traditions. Same exact word. You hold for
doctrines the traditions of men. They were condemned of Christ,
yet Paul tells us, therefore brethren, stand fast and hold
the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word
or our epistle. Yes or no? Is that what it says?
Yes or no? That's what it says. That's what
it says. The tradition of scripture is
our rule, not the traditions of men. Now here's one thing
I want to point out to you clearly from here. Paul said, you hold
the tradition, stand fast and hold the traditions as you've
been taught by our word, by word or our epistle. But let me tell
you something, Paul is now dead. You do know that, right? Paul's
been dead for somewhere around 2000 years. Therefore, when any
man tells you, well, the tradition of the church is this, and they're
giving you hearsay, and so and so, Paul said this, Peter said
that, unless you now have it only in the epistles, you don't
have anything. When he said, by our word, he
meant my direct word. I tell you to do this, that's
what you're supposed to do. But don't let anybody come along
and tell you, well, here's what's been handed down from Paul. You better be careful, because
that's why Rome's in such a state that it's in today. because of
all this so-called Peter says this, and Peter said that, and
Peter passed this down to that one, and that one passed it down
to Paul saying, when you talk about word, you talk about what
I tell you directly. Paul's dead now. Peter's dead
now. Jude's dead now. Matthew's dead
now. Mark's dead now. Therefore, their
word is gone. The only thing that remains of
their word is what? this book right here. That's
it. So don't let somebody confuse
you and say what says by word or our epistle. That's right
when Paul was alive. But you better watch because
almost every one of us, you know this to be a fact of human nature. You've sat around in the little
circles before and one person tells a story, comes up with
a story or a phrase, and then you tell the next person privately.
And then that person privately tells the next person. And by
the time that story gets around back to the person who originated
the story, rarely ever is it the same thing. You know why? Because we lie. We like to twist
things, change things, add to things, leave away from things.
And that's why now I'm saying to you, and it's why many of
our old brothers and sisters in Christ, even in their articles
of faith, which you better take with a grain of salt, but in
their articles of faith, they say the scripture is our only
rule of faith and practice. And that's why it's so. We do
not have apostolic succession today. The apostles are dead. and it's over with. We have nothing
left now but the scriptures. If you follow anything else,
you may well be following your own damnation. Do you hear what
I'm saying? Scripture is our only rule of
faith and practice. The scriptures speak of the church
and churches. Both, right? but it is never
a dual actuality. In other words, let me explain,
that is this, it's never two different kinds of churches.
It's always one kind of church, but it is often mentioned as
church, singular, or churches, plural. That's the way the scripture
puts it. It's never a dual actuality.
It's not two different kinds of churches. Scriptures do teach
dual aspects of the one singular entity. In other words, the church
has two facets, has one organism. It's one organism. But it has
two facets. Now men have called it by different,
these two facets by different names. The church universal,
the church local. The church invisible, the church
visible. The church mystical and the church
manifest, something along that line. There are those who deny
one aspect or the other. In other words, there are those
who say there is the church universal but there is no church local.
I'm going to say that's stupidity. You can't read this book and
not see that there is a visible local churches. I mean it says
it that way. But I think it's more along the
line of what happens when someone denies one aspect of the other.
They usually deny the universal aspect and they say there is
nothing but the local churches. But they cannot escape. I'm not
going in to try to prove that. These things have been fought
over and dealt with, Mason, years ago. But let me say this. Jesus Christ did not die for
his churches. He died for the church. But that
church is manifested visibly in local churches. Some might
say, I just don't understand that. Well, don't try to understand
it. believe it. Just believe it. Now some who
believe both aspects nevertheless emphasize one over the other
as well. This has led to when it comes
to they over emphasize the local aspect of the church which is
the most predominant mention of it in the scripture is the
local aspect and my take on that if you will is because it is
the visible aspect. It's the only aspect that we
can have any lay our hands to and actually experience. But
because some people emphasize the local assembly over, that
is the universal, they then institutionalize salvation. Therefore you've got
to be a member of a local assembly before you can ever be saved.
You see what I'm saying? But others who may even acknowledge
both aspects, universal and local, overemphasize the universal and
they come to the conclusion that it doesn't really matter if I'm
a member of the local church, as long as I'm a member of the
universal church. Both of these things are to take
God's truth and try to stretch it out as far as you can and
weaken the whole thing, at least doctrinally speaking. Because
the church cannot be weakened. In this respect, upon this rock, I will build
my church. The gates of hell shall not prevail
against it. And just a brief insight to the primary purpose of the church.
Gates are not weapons of offense. Gates are weapons of defense.
This is not the church backs up into the corner and just defends
the truth. We must do that if we're ever
backed into a corner. But we're not just to back up
into the corner. We are to go out and assault the very citadel,
hell itself, with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Now you think
about that. A brother's got a message that
we'll put on the radio. We preach that. I've been preaching
for 30 years, Mason, and never seen that. I knew of the truth,
but never seen it. The gates of hell, gates don't
attack you, you attack gates. But I can't preach on that part
yet. But yet that's the kind of church, the only kind there
is. That's the kind of church Christ said I will build. Right? What a truth. So don't overemphasize
any one thing. Just like some, Joe preached
on the subject, not mentioned it. You gotta be careful if you
overemphasize regeneration and you then begin to belittle conversion.
But at the same time, be careful that you don't exalt conversion
and then begin to belittle regeneration. Well, what it truly is. Everything
must be taken in proper perspective. And it's all absolutely essential
if it's a part of what God ordained. It's all absolutely essential.
Nothing is left for our, I like that better than this, or that's
more important than this. No. No. So it's not a dual actuality. It's not two different kinds
of church. There is but one church. It's the church for whom Jesus
Christ died. But that one church is manifested
visibly in this world in many different localities. I don't
believe that. Well, you're just wrong. And
may God change your mind about that. Now, let me give you three
things, first of all, about the church. And I want you to bear
with me. Take this. We'll be here a little
bit. If you're going out to eat afterward,
just think of it this way. If we don't get out of here until
15 after, 20 after, whatever it is, at least all the religious
folks will be gone by the time you get there. So it'll be a
little quieter and easier for you. And remember, if Walter
is prone to go over 12 o'clock a little, make sure you eat your
breakfast or bring you a little snack to go get you through. We only gather once a week. The
practice of the church was not to gather on Sunday mornings
and Sunday nights and Wednesdays. They gathered By practice, by
tradition, they gathered on the first day of the week. They may
have gathered all day long, I don't know. We don't know for sure,
do we? But one thing about it is this.
Just gathering for an hour or two on Sunday mornings is not
enough to keep you fed. Okay, just think about that.
Now, first of all, turn to Ephesians 5 as I said. And I want you,
I'm going to make a statement in that I want to read what Paul
says and I want us to pay attention to the words, the language. Church,
the word church is used to describe the totality of the elect of
God. It's used to describe all the
elect of God together. They are all described as the
church. Now look at Ephesians 5, and
let's begin in verse 21. Why do I begin in 21? Because
I want to. That's just why. But there is
a reason why. Submitting yourselves to one
another, Hal, Joe, in the fear of the Lord. It's not all about
me. Matter of fact, it's not about
me. And it's not all about you. And though it is about us, it's
not all about us. But it is all about Him, our
Head, the Builder of the Church, the Body with the Head. submitting yourselves to one
another in the fear of God. Wives, submit yourselves unto
your own husbands. How? As unto the Lord. For the
husband is the head of the wife. This is not the practice of the
Far Eastern peoples years ago. This is the ordination of God. The practice of many of the Far
Eastern countries distort this truth. Overbear in this truth. This is the truth of God. For
the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head
of the churches. Is that what it says? No, it
says church. See it? And he is the savior
of the bodies. No. While the word church is
used singular and plural, The body is never used singular and
plural. So while we can speak of the
church in its singularity or its plurality, we cannot, yea,
we dare not speak of the church as the body in plurality. Because it is but, as we will
see, one body. Scripture never says one church.
But it does say one body. I mean those exact words. It
never does. Why does it never say one church? So that locality
or so that this idea that the church emanates from one central
locality is never brought into the picture. The centrality of
the church is its head. But we at the same time must
speak of churches. But we are never permitted to
speak of the churches as different bodies. Now look, let's go on. Therefore, as the church is subject
unto Christ, why? Why didn't he, can't we say churches
there? Go to Revelations and the first
few chapters and you'll see some of the churches weren't in subjection
to Christ. In their localities. Why? because in the church there are
one, first of all and foremost, there are redeemed men and women,
but there are still fallen men and women. And secondly, because
in the church in its local sense, in its local aspect, there are
impostors and infiltrators in the church as well. Therefore, as the church, singular,
is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands. Notice he says plural, he's talking
about all the wives, not just one or two, not just the preacher's
wives, not just the deacon's wives, every believing wife.
Notice this, believing wives. If you're a husband, you got
an unbelieving wife, don't expect that she's gonna be subject to
you. Huh? And vice versa, if you're a believing
woman and you have an unbelieving husband, don't even suspect that
he's going to love you like Christ loved the church. Now look, therefore
as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to
their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives even
as Christ also loved the church, not churches, but loved the church
and gave himself for them. No, it. It's one singular entity here.
And notice this language, he keeps on going. Now, before I
do though, I've got to give you what Tim James said about this, husbands
love your wives, and wives be subject to you, submit to your
husbands. It was one of the best explanations
I've ever heard of that. And it was very so simple. He
said this, when it says, wives, submit yourselves unto your own
husbands, as unto the Lord. It does not say husbands, you
see to it that she does that. Christ is her head. It's up to
Him to bring her in to whatever subjection she's supposed to
be subjected to. And when it says husbands, love
your wives, it doesn't say wives, you see to it that your husband
does that. He is subject unto his head.
You see? And that's where it has to lay.
Well, you need to come in line. Well, you're going to find more
out of line when you start doing that. Because we are a rebellious
lot. And when somebody sticks their
finger in your face, even metaphorically, and says, you better do this,
the first thing that our old nature does is rise up and say,
I'm not going to do that, just to spite you. Well, that's disobedience
to Christ not if you're the one thinking you've given the command
God gave the command through the Apostle Paul Husbands you
don't command your wives and wives you don't command your
husbands Christ does Christ does he's the head now. Let's go on
Look that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of
water by the word now That's why it's important that we pour
ourselves into the Word of God and that we come and gather here
together to hear the reading and something God willing we're
going to do a little more of. The reading and the preaching of
God's Word. Why should we read? Why should
we read? Because God said to. He says
give attendance to it. So God willing we're going to
start doing that. And as I spoke to Paul and Paula one day when
I rode home with them, they gave me a ride home. You know, we
preachers think that, you know, why is it we don't read as much
as we ought to in the assembly? Because the preacher thinks what
he has to say about the word is probably more important than
the word itself. Think about that. What's more
important, what I say about it or what it says? Because we run
to that passage in 1 Corinthians, it pleased God by the foolishness
of the preaching, therefore you've got to hear me preach. Well,
this book is full of preaching. I mean, I heard one grace preacher
say, you can't just read this Bible and get anything from God.
That's a lie. Christ said, remember Christ,
Abraham rather, told the rich man who died and went to hell,
when he said, send somebody back to warn my brothers not to come
to this place, he told them to have Moses and the prophets.
Wait a minute, Moses and the prophets were dead too. But he
said, they have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them.
How was the only way his brothers were going to hear Moses and
the prophets? Through this. You see? Through this. Now as
we will see, God has ordained this word to be communicated
amongst the body and the body goes out with that word and assaults
the very gates of hell with that word. Right? Because that's God's ordained
way. But never set the man or the person up above the Word. that he might sanctify and cleanse
it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present
it, notice still singular, 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, so ought men
to love their wives, plural again, look, as their own bodies, but
he only uses bodies now because he's simply talking about their
physical bodies. He that loveth his wives loveth
himself. Is that what it says? But didn't some of them practice
polygamy? Yeah, they certainly did. Yeah,
didn't some of the Old Testament saints, even believers, practice
polygamy? Yes, they did! One of them even
practiced setting a man up and getting him killed in war. Does
that make it okay to do that too? This cause men practice
something don't mean it's true, or right, or honoring to God. And even though God may overrule
in our failures to his own glory, look at Solomon the king. Yet
the word of God is our only rule of faith and practice. So ought
men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his
wife loveth himself. Why? Because the two, one man
and one woman become one flesh. The original ordination of marriage
is one man and one woman. It is not polygamy in anything.
It's not. Because when you polygamize it,
you destroy the symbol of marriage as the symbol of the church.
Christ doesn't have many wives. He's got one wife. One bride. One church in that respect that
it's one body, although it's manifest visibly in many local
churches. Now let's go on. For no man ever
yet hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it,
even as the Lord the church. Notice, go back over and read
it over and over again. Paul didn't mess up one time
in how he stated this. Never did he use a plural when
he should have used a singular. Never did he use a singular when
he should have used a plural. Concerning any of it, Isn't that
amazing? If I was trying to figure this
out and establish a doctrine, how well would you do at this?
You understand? Keeping all the plurals, plural,
and all the singular, singular, and keeping them all separated
the way they're supposed to be. Huh? This is divine inspiration
if I've ever seen it manifest right before my face. For no
man ever yet hath his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth
it, even as the Lord of the church. For we are members of his body,
members, plural, but yet body one, you see it? Of his flesh. And of what? Because you only
got one kind of flesh. You can take DNA from here or DNA from
down here on the hair on my toe. It's all still going to be, when
you're looking at my body, you know what it's going to be? The
same DNA. God's body is not a Frankenstein's monster. It's one body. It's not a bunch of different
body parts put together. It's one body. See, I couldn't
even say it straight. One body with many members. For we are members of His body,
of His flesh, and of His bone. For this cause shall a man, singular,
leave his father and mother. It takes both of them. and shall
be joined unto his wife, singular, and the two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery, but
I speak concerning Christ and the church, singular again. Nevertheless, that every one
of you, in particular, so love his wife, even as himself, and
the wife see that she reverence, whoa, did it actually use that
word? Yeah, that's what it used, see that she reverence, her husband. I don't like that. Then you hate
the head. Then you hate the head. It is
suspect as to whether you're a part of the body or not. I
said suspect. Suspect. So, Christ is used to
describe the totality of the elect. Right? He didn't die even
for all the churches. He died for the what? Church. Church is also, turn to 1 Corinthians
chapter 1, 1 Corinthians chapter 1, church
is also used in a purely geographical sense. 1 Corinthians 1 verse
1, Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will
of God and Sosthenes our brother. Now here it is, unto the church
of God which is at Corinth. This epistle was written to Corinth. Now certainly it's a benefit
to anybody else who is a believer. It's a benefit to us. But Paul
wrote it to who? The church which is at Corinth. So much so that Paul talked about
the churches, plural, of Galatia because it was a whole region.
But when there's a city, it's always though still one church
because they didn't split up into different denominations
because we don't agree on everything, you see. Now granted, do we see
that not true today about churches all split up into different little
groups and denominations? You know why? Because men are
so faulty still yet. The visible manifestation of
the church is not a perfect illustration of the universal aspect of the
church. But it still is a representation
of it nonetheless. Just like my marriage is not
going to be a really absolute good picture of the church in
Christ, and neither is yours. You understand what I'm saying?
But a picture of it, nonetheless, it is. But look, under the church
of God. Now why did I read verse 1? I
just wanted to say Sosthenes. I told Penny if we could have
a kid, I'd want to name him Sosthenes. I don't know why, but I like
that word, Sosthenes. No, but look, a little brevity.
But look, unto the church of God which is at Corinth. Now think about it. The church
is used in a purely geographical sense, but even then it's qualified
as to its actual recipients with reference to the church's universal
aspect. Look, unto the church of God
which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ
Jesus. That's exactly who he's talking to. There may have been
people who were members of that local church who weren't really
what? Sanctified in Christ Jesus. Paul says, I'm writing the church
which is at Corinth, the ones I'm really writing to are the
ones that are sanctified in Christ Jesus. Called saints, not called
to be, called, that's what God calls us. It's alright to say
Saint Walter. But yet how many of us do that? None of us, you're right, none
of us. We have a hard time sometimes saying brother or sister, so
and so, don't we? Don't we? But we are saints.
It doesn't take Rome to make you saints. God Almighty made
you saints. Saint Walter, Saint Joe, Saint
Ryan. Sounds weird. Why? Because we
know us so well. But God knows us where? In His
Son. Called saints. Now, but look,
with all that in every place, call upon the name of Jesus Christ
our Lord, both theirs and ours. You see? Now Paul now has got
it all right there lumped together in one verse. One verse. That's glorious to me. Somebody
says, I don't believe in this aspect or that aspect, then I
guess you need to mark that. Just go in and if I had a piece
of paper, I'd rip it and make you think I was ripping it out, but
rip it out of your Bible. But those who are part of the
body know they're subject to the head, and the head through
the apostle Paul says, here's the way it is. And they not only
bow to it and submit to it, they're happy to do it. One of the writers says his commandments,
I think it was John, but his commandments are not grievous.
If his commandments are grievous to you, then you're not a part
of the body. If it pangs you together with
God's people, I'm telling you right now, you're an imposter
or an infiltrator. One or the other. You're not
a part of the body. I don't care if I baptized you five times.
Cause that's just the way it is. Just the way it is. Now, thirdly, The meaning of the word church
is symbiotically two-fold. I said symbiotically. You know
what that means? They feed on each other. They supply mutual
help. It is symbiotically two-fold.
The meaning is. In other words, the meaning is
two-fold and both senses feed on each other. You do not have
one meaning without the other. The primary meaning of the word
church is called out. By implication, though, when
people are called out, that includes gathering together. You're not
called out into individuality. You're not called out into singularity. You're called out into a body
that has many members. And they actually gather together. You hear that? This is not just
something some theologian come up with. This is the truth of
God. It's what the word church means. They weren't just called
out. They were called out of something
to something else. The word emphasizes, the word
church emphasizes called out from and implies called out unto
as well. The word is used to describe
an assembly of people in general. The Ephesians were called a church.
The ones that worshiped Diana. Go back and look at it. Acts
19 verse 32 and verse 39 through 41. It's translated the assembly.
But they were a bunch of rebels against God. Why? Because they
were called out to go to the theater to discuss a matter.
So called out. But yet they assembled together
in the theater and started railing against Paul and some of his
brothers and sisters. But there the word church is
used. Okay? But that doesn't mean the
church that Christ built. You see? not the church that
Christ will, but its overwhelming use, while it's used, the word
church is used those few times in instances like that, the overwhelming
use, and especially in our text, is of those called out of darkness
into God's marvelous light. That's what it's talking about.
To be a part of the church or a part of a local church means
first that God Almighty has called you out of darkness into his
marvelous light that you should show forth the praises of him
who has done so. Number four, the New Testament
epistles never teach, nor do they encourage this personal,
independent, individualism that's so prevalent in our day. In other
words, I'm a member of the church, so I don't need to be a member
of a church. It does not teach that, and it does not encourage
that. As a matter of fact, it commands
against it. Forsake not the assembling of
yourselves together as the manner of some is. Some were. And the
writer of Hebrews says don't do it. Don't do it. Now that's it. That's where it's
at. God the Son is not building such a church as that. He's not. To where I'm in the church, but
I don't have to be a part of a church. God is not building
a church like that. You go to Ephesians chapter 4.
Read basically the whole chapter. Every joint together uses the
illustration of a body. And it's knit together. He uses
the word knit together. And it supplies each other. It
doesn't all just come down on me. It flows through the whole
body. just like the body's circulatory
system all works together and feeds even the furthest extremities
of the body, so we get our nourishment from Christ the head the same
way, but not individually and not personally. Now is God sufficient
for one who can't find or be in a local assembly? Yes, He
is. But you know what? We've got
just a few here who could acknowledge this. When you're unable to do
that, Paula, that's what you long for, though. Not to be by
yourself, but to be with the other members of the body. Why? Because Christ is building
the church, which has many members, but it's still one body. And for a local assembly, it's
not good enough just to say, all right, we're just going to
back up here, I did that for a while. We'll back up here in
the corner and just defend against all the onslaughts of the devil,
but that's not what we're to do. We're to have fellowship
with other local assemblies as well. These groups did. They
sent emissaries from one to the other, Joe, with messages to
one another. Did they not? Why? Because they were one body.
Many churches, but yet still one church. Now three things. Three things in light of this.
Well, actually two, I'm sorry. This teaches us two facts in
summary. One, the New Testament Church,
I know the Bible doesn't speak of it that way, but let me give
you that. The New Testament Church is the New Covenant Church. The New Testament Church has
a clear distinction from the Old Testament Old Covenant Church. Now I know many premillennialists,
of which I am one, But many would get mad because I used that phrase.
They say there is no church in the Old Testament. Stephen said
there was. Therefore, there was. The church in the wilderness.
Now, granted, you could say just an assembly. But who was this
assembly? The people of God, redeemed by God's blood, redeemed
by God's power, brought out of Egypt and brought into the promised
land. They were a part of the church. But they were not a part
of the New Testament church. You know why? Because they were
under the old covenant. Christ said, I will build my
church. That's two things. One, it's
absolutely certain. Two, at that time he spoke of it, it was future.
So there must be, Mason, some distinction made, but I'm afraid
some make too much of a distinction as well. All things in perspective,
you hear what I'm saying? Why? Because this book gives
us the whole perspective. So the New Testament Church,
yea the New Covenant Church, does have a clear distinction
from the Old Testament and Old Covenant Church. Christ said,
I will build my church. There's a very real sense in
which he was not building it right at that time. That's why
he said don't tell anybody that I'm Jesus the Christ. Now he told some people who he
really was, but he didn't leave it up to his disciples at that
time to tell who he was. But now what has he done? He's
turned that over to us now. Now we're the ones that tell
people who he is. Huh? Why? Because he has built and
is building his church. Secondly, the rock on which Christ
is building his church, the New Testament, New Covenant Church,
is distinct in manifestation of revelation from the Old Testament,
Old Covenant Church. Go back to our text again, Matthew
chapter 16. Who do men say I am? All kinds
of answers floated up, right? But who do you say I am? Peter
said, Thou. Thou art the Christ. The Old
Testament church knew the Christ existed. They knew the Christ
was coming, but they didn't know who the Christ was. The New Testament
church knows who He is. Thou, the Son of Man. You, thou
art the Christ. Do you see the difference now?
We can pinpoint David exactly who he is now. He's Jesus of
Nazareth. He's the Son of Man. Old Testament
saints couldn't do that. Not good, they couldn't do that. But Peter knew now, by divine
revelation, and it goes down to so much so that Christ said,
then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man
that he was what? Not just the Christ, that's not
it, that he was Jesus the Christ. It wasn't quite yet the time.
But on the day of Pentecost, it came flooding in. Did it not? Now folks, that's the foundation
of the church God willing we're going to talk about. You know
what? That's the church of which we are members. Amen. Or we are not members at all.
That's it. And I don't mean to leave it
on such a negative note, but that's just the way it is. Father, teach us by Your Spirit through
Your Word. Teach us from Your epistles the truth of the church
that Your Son has built and is building. established in this
world. God encourage us in these things
for asking in Christ's name. Amen.