Todd's Road Grace Church would
like to invite you to listen to a sermon by our pastor, Todd
Nyberg. We are located at 4137 Todd's
Road, two miles outside of Manowar Boulevard. Sunday services are
at 10.30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Bible study is at
9.45 a.m. Wednesday services are at 7 p.m. Nursery is provided for all services.
For more information, visit our website at toddsroadgracechurch.com.
Now here's our pastor, Todd Nybert. In Ephesians chapter 1, beginning
in verse 22, we read, And he hath put all things under his
feet. God the Father has put everything
under the feet of Christ. That means he is over everything. He's in absolute control of everything,
everybody, every event. He's Lord. God has put all things
under his feet and gave him to be the head over all things to
the church. This glorious one God has given
to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth
all in all." Now, did you hear how Paul described the church? The church is his body, the fullness
of him that filleth all in all. Now, think about this. The church
is His body. This is a great mystery. We would
not have known this apart from the scriptures, but it is His
body, and He's not going to have a main body. All of His members
are with Him, His body, and the church is called the fullness
of Him that filleth all in all. Now, I've entitled this message,
Why Come to Church? Now, it could be that I'm speaking
to someone who's grown very disillusioned with what is called Christianity. Perhaps you've gone to some kind
of church and you've just grown disillusioned. And I understand
that because most of what goes on under the name of Christianity
is not Christian, not truly. It's foolishness. It's religion.
It's evil. Well, how could you say that
without any problem? That's religion, man's religion
that masquerades under the name of a church, but it's not a church
at all. So I understand someone being
disillusioned with what man would call Christianity. But my dear
friend, there is such a thing as the Church, the Church of
the Living God. And Paul makes other statements
in this epistle about the Church. We read in Ephesians 3, verse
10, "...to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers
in heavenly places might be known by the Church the manifold wisdom
of God." It is the church that knows, because God has revealed
to them the manifold wisdom of God. We read in verse 21, unto
him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages,
world without end. It is the church, in the church,
that he is glorified. Now, he is the one body. The church is the one body. I think of how the Lord said,
inasmuch as you've done it to the least of these, my brethren,
you've done it to me. And inasmuch as you did it not
to the least of these, my brethren, you did it not to me. Now the
church is the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now this word church,
now, like I said, most of what goes on under the name church
is not a church at all. It's a man-made religious assembly. It's nothing more than that.
But the Bible does speak of the church, and it means a called-out
assembly. God has called you out, and there
is a public assembling together. Hebrews 10, 23 says, forsake
not the assembling of yourselves together, as the manner of some
is, but exhort one another daily while it's called today. We read
in 1 Corinthians 11, verse 18, when you come together in the
church, you see there's a public gathering together. Assembling
in church is not like watching this TV program. There's an effort
involved, a public assembly together. Our Lord said, where two or three
are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. The Lord promises His presence
His blessing in the public gathering together of two or three, or
200 or 300, or whatever the number might be, but it's a public assembly. Now, I've entitled this message,
Why Come to Church? You know, there are a lot of
other things you could be doing. Why come to church? There's a lot
of effort involved. Why come to church? There's self-denial involved.
Why come to church? There's giving involved. Why
come to church? Now, listen to this statement. I want you to hear it. If coming
to church, assembling, assembling together with God's people and
hearing the gospel, if that's not the most important aspect
of my life, something's bad wrong. Let me
repeat that. If coming to church, if assembling
together with the people of God to hear the gospel is not the
most important aspect of my life. something is seriously wrong. Either I'm just not saved, or
I'm a lost sheep, or a sick sheep. You see, sheep were meant to
be in flocks together, and a sheep out by itself is either lost
or sick. Now, let me back up that statement. In the New Testament, the church
is understood in two senses. There is the universal church,
and there is the local church. The universal church is the church
that every believer belongs to, the church of God's elect. It's
called in Hebrews 12, 23, the general assembly in church of
the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. We read in Acts 20, verse 28,
feed the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood.
And in Ephesians 5, verse 25, we read that Christ loved the
church and gave himself for it. references to a church. It's
not talking about a local assembly. It's talking about every true
church member, all of the elect of God, all for whom Christ died,
all who have been born of the Spirit of God, all who believe,
are the ones who make up this universal church. Now there is
a denomination, and let me say this, denominations are utterly
unscriptural. You won't find that in the Bible.
There's Baptist churches, and Methodist churches, and Presbyterian
churches, and Church of Christ, and Christian church, and all
these different denominations. It's purely man-made. It's not
in the Bible. But there is a group of Baptists
called the Landmark Baptists, and they deny that there is any
such thing as a universal church. They say there is only a local
church, and you can't look at a church any other way but a
local church. And one of their reasons is,
is if you're not in a local church, you can't be underdisciplined.
You can't be disciplined, which I'm always, I'm amazed by that. The discipline of the church
is the preaching of the gospel. It's not pulling people out and
excommunicating them and trying to separate them. No, the discipline
of the church is the preaching of the gospel, and God uses the
preaching of the gospel to discipline the church. But as far as trying
to minister some kind of punishment on somebody that's out of line,
answering to elder boards and so on. That's not in the Bible.
But at any rate, these Baptists say there is no such thing as
a universal church. There are only local churches,
I think, and they think that the church only started in the
New Testament with John the Baptist preaching. Now, what about the
church that was in the wilderness in Acts chapter 7? That's what
God the Holy Spirit called the people of God, the church in
the wilderness. And as far as that goes, the church's beginning
is in the Lord Jesus Christ before time began, in the Lamb slain
from the foundation of the world. This position cannot be supported
that there's no such thing as a universal church. I've already
quoted the General Assembly and Church of the Firstborn, whose
names are written in heaven. Now, that's the church role that
I want to be on, the names written in heaven. At the Todd's Road
Grace Church, where I pastor, we don't have a church role.
Everybody who believes is a member. Everybody who doesn't believe
is not a member. I don't see in the Bible where
you're supposed to have your name put on a church roll. Now,
I want to be on this roll, the Lamb's Book of Life, the names
of the elect. But as far as a church roll that
men place, put men's names in there and then they take them
out because something happens, no, I'm not interested in that. But listen to these names for
the church, the church of God, the universal church. The church
is called the body of Christ. the Brethren of Christ, the Bride
of Christ, the Lamb's Wife, Children of the Kingdom, Christians, the
Church of God, the Church of Christ, Companions, Daughters
of the King, the Family of God, the flock of God, the fold of
Christ, the glory of God, the habitation of God, the heritage
of God, the Israel of God, the lot of God's inheritance, members
of Christ, a peculiar people, a purchased possession, the temple
of God, the treasure of God, vessels of mercy, the vineyard
of God. Oh, I love in John chapter 15
where the Lord says, I am the vine, you are the branches. Do you know that there is no
other way of illustrating the union of Christ and his people
with one another? The same stem that goes through
the vine goes through the branches. There are no connecting points.
They are one. Both he that sanctifieth and
they who are sanctified are all of one. For the witch-caused
God is not ashamed to call them brethren." Now, I love thinking
about the church as being eternal. It never had a beginning. It's
in the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Now, this universal
church, it never grows. It never shrinks. It's the exact
same number, those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book
of Life, the elect of God, those for whom Christ died, those whom
He's given a new nature to. You know, we have all kinds of
church growth seminars, and we want to grow. And I want to see
people saved. I'm not speaking anything against
that. If the Lord is pleased to make
the church I pastor grow numerically, if there are people being really
saved, I'm thankful. I'm not saying anything against
that. But in this church, the church I'm talking about now,
the church of God's elect, there is no growth. And there's no
losing of members. They're all completely saved. Now, I love what the Lord said
with regard to the church. He said to Peter, thou art Peter,
and upon this rock will I build my church. Now, understand this. Christ is the builder of the
church, not me, not you. Christ is the builder of his
church. Upon what rock? What's he talking
about? He's talking about this confession
of me. Here's what a true church member
understands, that Jesus is the Christ, God's anointed Christ,
God's prophet, God's priest, and God's king, the son of the
living God. That's the confession of the
church, who Jesus Christ is. What think ye of Christ, that
is the issue. And this is the rock upon which
Christ says He will build His church. Now, all who believe
are members of this church. And the word church is also used
in the local sense. The church I pastor, the Todd's
Road Grace Church, is a local church. Christ wrote letters
to the seven churches in Asia. They were local churches. And
at least nine of Paul's thirteen epistles are written unto local
churches. Now, the local church Unlike
the universal church is a mixed assembly. There are wheat and
there are tares. There are people who are true
and there are people who are false. There are people who are
saved and there are people who are lost all within the local
church. And those who are saved in the
local church are still sinners. sinners saved by grace. Now, I've seen even people have
left the church I pastor, and they've said, well, there's too
much sin in the church. Well, I wouldn't deny that. Any
sin is too much sin. But if you leave because there's
too much sin in the church, what about yourself? What you're saying
when you make a statement like that is, I'm better than that.
And what you're showing by that is that you're nothing more than
a hypocrite, desensitized because of the hardness of your heart,
not seeing your own sin. It's being real sinful and seeing
other sins real clearly, but not seeing your own. Now, that
is what's called hypocrisy. The only reason to leave a church
is because the gospel's not preached. Not because of the sinfulness
of the members, whether there's too much going on there, I'm
getting out. No, it's the gospel preached. That's the only issue.
If the gospel of God's grace is preached, be there. If it's
not, get out. But remember, the church is made
up of people like these. We read in Thessalonians 5, verse
14, Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly. Insubordinate. You've got people like that in
the church. And comfort the feeble-minded.
Support the weak. Be patient toward all men, men
that drive you crazy by the things they say and do. See that none
render evil for evil unto any man. Don't ever pay anybody back.
And he's talking about within the confines of the church. Somebody's
going to do you wrong. Well, don't seek to pay them
back. Don't seek to retaliate. Don't seek vengeance. Vengeance
is mine. I will repay, saith the Lord.
Our job is to forgive. Now, there are true churches
with people just like this, and perhaps you're one of them. The
church is made of sinners saved by grace, and they still are
sinners. That's the local assembly, but
the local assembly is the place where the flock is fed. Feed the church of God, which
He purchased with His own blood. Peter said to the elders, Feed
the flock of God, over which the Holy Ghost hath made you
overseers. Now, how important is eating
to you? Eating's very important to me.
I've heard people say many times, I was so busy, I forgot to eat.
That's never happened to me, not once. When I'm hungry, I
know it, and I want to eat, and I have to eat. Eating is of critical
importance to me. There's a lot of things that
I can do without, but I cannot do without eating. And what church
is, is the feeding time of the flock, feeding on the word of
God. Now, a pastor, is called by God
for this, to feed the church of God. We read in Hebrews chapter
13 verse 7, remember them which have the rule over you or are
your overseers, is what that means. That doesn't mean a pastor
is somebody who is some kind of dictator that can tell you
what to do and where to go and how much to spend and how to
live, not at all. I know some people who call themselves
pastors act like that, act like they have some kind of authority,
but it's phony, it's false. They're not true pastors. Remember
them which have the rule over you are actually overseers, who
have spoken unto you the word of God, whose faith follow, considering
the end of their conversation. Verse 17 of Hebrews 13, obey
them that have the rule over you, and that means be persuaded.
That doesn't mean they snap their fingers and tell you to do this
and you do it. That's not what that means at all. That means
be persuaded by what they're saying concerning the gospel
of God's grace, concerning that Christ is all, you're complete
in Him. Believe the gospel. Be persuaded
by them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves, for
they watch for your souls as they that must give account,
that they may do it with joy and not with grief, for this
is unprofitable for you. Every believer needs a pastor. None of us can pastor ourselves.
We don't make good pastors. Every believer needs a pastor
to preach unto them the word of God, the gospel, and that
is what they feed from. Now, the pastor of a local church
is a man. You know what that means? He's
a sinner. I am a sinner, saved by grace, but I'm still a sinner. Somebody that won't make that
admission about themselves is just not honest. I am a sinner,
a sinful, fallible man, just like you. And if somebody wants
to find a reason to criticize the pastor, there's plenty to
work with. There's plenty to work with. You know, any man,
if you're looking for a reason to criticize, any woman, if you're
looking for a reason to criticize, you can find plenty of reasons.
But he, the pastor, is a man called by God to feed the sheep
with the gospel. And the pastor is to give himself
to this. I'm to give myself to the preaching
of the word. I'm never to go into the pulpit
unprepared. I've got a message from God's
Word that I've prayed for God to bless it. And it's the truth. It's the Gospel. And that is
how the Church of God is fed, with the Gospel. There's nothing
more edifying and building up than hearing the Gospel of God's
grace and the power of the Holy Spirit. And I am to give my effort
at this, knowing that it's not my effort that counts, but God
blessing it. The only way anything's going to be blessed is if God
blesses it. Not my effort, my prayers, and
my tears, but God's blessing. And I realize that. And I preach
the gospel seeking to feed the sheep. Now Paul even calls, remember,
why come to church? Well, why come to the dinner
table? To eat. That's why you come. If you're
coming for any other reason, you're coming for the wrong reason.
You're coming to hear the truth, the feed, and Paul even calls
the church the pillar and the ground of the truth in 1 Timothy
3.16, the pillar and ground of the truth. You will not hear
the truth apart from the church, the true church, the church of
God. Now, I repeat the question, why
come to church? Why not just go ahead and sleep
late? Why not go ahead and do something else? There's plenty
of other things to do. Why come to church? Here's why. This is where Christ is. He said, were two or three are
gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. He still walks among the golden
candlesticks. You can read about that in Revelation
2, 1 and 2. He still walks among the golden
candlesticks. And Christ's presence is in the
church. This is where he promises his
presence. Now, this thing of assembling ourselves to hear
the gospel, And let me remind you that most of what goes under
the name of preaching is not gospel. I'm talking about the
gospel of God's grace, where God gets all the glory, where
salvation is by grace, where God elected a people. Christ
died for them. God the Holy Spirit gives them
life. Christ is all in salvation. Salvation is not by works, but
by the grace of God, the gospel. I come, I assemble with God's
people to hear the gospel, and the church is called the habitation
of God. And I want to say this, I'm not
going to say public worship is more important than private worship,
but I do know this. The most intimate private worship
anybody ever experiences is during public worship. That's where
God makes himself known. And someone who says, well, I
can worship God privately as well as I can publicly, they're
not worshiping him at all. They may say that, but you can't
worship God apart from God's church, the assembling of God's
saints together to hear the gospel. Now, that is the most intimate
worship anybody's ever going to experience, simply hearing
the gospel where you know you've heard from God and you know you
believe the message of the gospel. Now, I'd like to close by reading
a passage of Scripture from Luke chapter 10. Why come to church? Luke chapter 10, beginning in verse 38. Now it came to pass as they went
that he entered into a certain village, and a certain woman
named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister
called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about,
much serving. And who's going to criticize
her for this? If the Lord Jesus Christ was
in your house, physically, and you were to prepare him a meal,
I'm sure you would be cumbered with much serving. We're not
going to criticize Mary for this. And she came to him and said,
Lord, does thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve
alone? Bid her therefore that she help me. Now, let me give
you some good advice. It's never good to tell the Lord
what to do. He's the Lord. You don't have any business trying
anything like that. She was totally off base when she tried to tell
the Lord what to do. He's the Lord. I love that passage
where Joshua said, are you on our side or on our adversary's
side? Neither. He doesn't take sides.
He's the Lord, the captain of hosts of the Lord. You can't
talk like that, but she did. And Jesus answered and said unto
her, Martha, Martha, you're careful and troubled about many things.
Couldn't he say that to you? Couldn't he say that to me? But
one thing is needful, and Mary hath chosen that good part which
shall not be taken away from her. And what was that good part
she chose? She sat at His feet and heard
His word. Now that is what is going on
in the public assembly of God's saints. THAT IS WHAT CHURCH IS. IT'S COMING TO HEAR HIS WORD. NOW I WANT TO INVITE YOU TO COME
TO PUBLIC WORSHIP AT THE TODD'S ROAD GRACE CHURCH. WE BEGIN THIS
MORNING AT 10-30. The Bible study is at 9.45, but
the public worship is 10.30. And come and hear the gospel. We'd love to see you come. This
is Todd Knopper praying God will be pleased to make Himself known
to you. That's our prayer. Amen.