Good morning. Would you turn
to Matthew chapter 16? While you're turning there, a
couple of announcements, I want to remind you that we're going
to be having a church dinner next Sunday. We'll eat together
and we won't be having any evening services next Sunday. And I also
want to remind you that the time changes next Sunday. I've had
several people remind me that we lose an hour of sleep, but
God will get over it. Tonight, we're going to observe
the Lord's table together. And I'm going to preach upon
this subject, temperance. From First Corinthians, chapter
nine. Temperance. Matthew, chapter 16, verse 18. And I say also 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." I got a call last week from a
gentleman who listens to our TV program, and he actually asked
for a copy of all the messages. And I always thought, that's
a lot of message to ask. Did I get them all? He said,
no. I said, we'll send you some as we can. But he made this statement
to me. He said, I really believe what
you're preaching, but I don't do church. I don't do church. And I thought about that. I thought, what is the church?
Good question, isn't it? What is the church? That is what
I've entitled this message. What is the church? Now, we see from that passage
of scripture that I just read that the church is not a man
made institution. The Lord said, upon this rock
will I build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail
against it. I repeat, the church is not a
man-made institution. It is that which Jesus Christ,
the Son of God, builds. Now, I am interested in being
a part of that which he builds, aren't you? And this morning, all over this
world, people are doing what they call going to church. We're going to go to church this
morning. Now, you know, as well as I do, that many of these religious
organizations that go under the name church bear absolutely no
resemblance to what the Scripture calls a church. Are they a church? If a religious organization bears
no resemblance to what the Bible calls a church, is it a church? Now, you know the answer to that
question. The obvious question is, what
is the church? Upon this rock will I build my
church? Now, the word church means a
called out assembly. The Greek word is ecclesia, I
can't remember, ecclesia, ecclesia, I can't remember. how to pronounce
it, but I don't know if anybody knows how to pronounce it. I
mean, Greek language is a dead language. I remember one time
I was saying what the Greek word was, and somebody says, you mispronounced
it. I said, well, how do you know? Nobody's ever heard him
say it. I probably did pronounce it,
but nobody knows any of that. I love what Tim James said. He
said, yeah, I know a little Greek. He said he lives over on 43rd
Street. But at any rate, Well, whatever the word is, it
means a called-out assembly. A church is not a building, and
we make a mistake when we call a building a church. It is an
assembly of people who have been called by God, called out of
the world. And they assemble together because
they have been called by God. And they are people who truly
want to be together. Believing the same gospel. Now
I want you to think about this. There are people sitting beside
you right now. There are people in this room
who truly have the same hope you do. They have the same love
that you do. These are people who actually
see Christ. as altogether lovely. And you want to be with those
people, don't you? I mean, you want to identify with those people. And that's what a church is.
It's a called out assembly, called out by God to worship the Lord
Jesus Christ. The church is a group of people
called by God who meet together around the gospel of Christ.
Christ himself said, where two or three are gathered together
in my name, there I am in the midst of them. The church is
the church that the Lord Jesus Christ has built, and the members
of the church are those that he adds to it. Acts chapter 2
verse 47 says and the Lord add to the church daily such as should
be saved. And I like that language such
as should be saved. They should be saved because
Christ died for them. They should be saved because
they believe the gospel and if they should be saved, they will
be saved. The church is not a man made
institution. I want to know what the Bible
teaches about it, don't you? And I want to be a true church member,
whatever that is. We've had many people over the
years say, well, what have you got to do to be a member of your
church? Well, believe the gospel. I don't know what else to say
about it. Well, do you need to get up and tell everybody? No.
No. It'll leak out on you. People
will figure it out. And you're a church member
when you're identified with that. place where the gospel is preached.
That's what you want to identify. This is where I want to cast
my lot in with those people. Now, when the Bible uses the
word church, it uses it in two ways. This is very important
for us to understand both of these, and there's a lot of joy
in this. There's a lot of peace in this. When the Bible uses
the word church, it uses it in two ways. First, it uses it in
the sense of the universal church. The Universal Church is the church
of which every believer from every age is a member. Now, this is the role that I
want to have my name on. We read about it in Hebrews chapter
12, the General Assembly and the Church of the Firstborn,
whose names are written in heaven. You know, The Lamb's Book of
Life is the church role of this church. Now, I want to have my
name in that role, don't you? I've thought about this before.
What if you could climb up into heaven and read the Lamb's Book
of Life? What name would you look for first? I hate saying this, it wouldn't
be yours. I'd be looking. I want you to be there, but the
one I want to make sure my name is there and you can know right
now whether your name is in that role. The universal church. And there is the local church.
And this is just important. Just as important, it's a local
body of believers meeting together around the gospel of the Lord
Jesus Christ, like the church at Corinth. the church in Ephesus,
the church at Tod's Road in Lexington. It's a local church. And now
this, the local church, it's always going to be, and I think
this needs to be pointed out at the very beginning, a local
church, the universal church has a perfect membership. In a local assembly, it's always
wheat and tares. And the Lord told us it would
be this way. It's always wheat and tears. And no local church
is going to continue. There's never been. Where's the
church at Ephesus now? Where's the church at Philadelphia now? Where's the church at Corinth
now? They're not. Every church, including this
church, if the Lord doesn't come back, every church at some point
will embrace error and reject the gospel. It's going to happen
here. I hope I'm dead when it happens. But it will happen here
if the Lord doesn't come back first. That's just you can write
it down, because if any church continued, what would men do?
They'd put salvation in that church, wouldn't they? And the
Lord's not going to have that. A local church is not going to
last. But there is such a thing as a true local church that God
has blessed where God's people meet together in order to hear
the gospel. Now, let's talk about these two
scriptural concepts of the church for a few moments. I realize
that many people deny that there is a universal church, but you
can't support that from the scriptures. The General Assembly and Church
of the Firstborn, whose names are written in heaven, what's
that? Is that talking about a local assembly or is that talking about
universal church? Ephesians, chapter five, verse
twenty five, Christ loved the church. And gave himself for
it. I'm talking about every believer
to ever live, all the company of God's elect. The church is
all of the elect, it's all for whom Christ died, it's every
believer from every age, and the Word of God uses some amazing
and glorious metaphors to describe the church in this sense. I want
to read you some scriptures. And these are such a blessing
to think about. Ephesians chapter 1, verses 22
and 23. You can look this up if you want, but I'm just going
to quote it. Ephesians 1, 22 and 23, we read of the church,
which is his body. Please turn there, I want to
read it, because sometimes it's just more powerful to see it
in black and white. Ephesians 1. Here's what the church is. Ephesians 1, verse 22. He has put all things under His
feet and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church
which is. You want to know what the church
is? Here it is. To the church which is His body,
the fullness of Him that filleth all in all. That's what the church
is. It's His body. It's the fullness
of Him that filleth all in all. Colossians 1.18 says He is the
head of the body, which is the church. Colossians 1.27 says
now you are the body of Christ. And members in particular, members
of the church, are so vitally united to Christ that they are
His body. It's not just like they're His
body. They are His body. So much so that when our Lord
spoke to Saul, He said, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me? He said, inasmuch as you've done
it to the least of these My brethren, it's just like you did it to
Me. That's not what He said, is it? He said, inasmuch as you
did it to the least of these My brethren, you've done it to
Me. The church is His Now that's
how important this thing is. We're talking about the body
of the Lord Jesus Christ. The church is said to be his
bride. Would you turn with me to Ephesians chapter 5. Verse
25. Husbands. Love your wives even as Christ
also loved the church. And gave himself for it that
he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water
by the word that he might present it to himself, a glorious church. Now, here is the bride of Christ
not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should
be holy. and without blemish." Now, every
member of the church, that's a description of them. No spot,
no wrinkle, holy and without blemish by virtue of their union
with Christ. So ought men to love their own
wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth
himself. For no man ever yet hateth his own flesh, but nourisheth
and cherisheth it, even as the Lord, the church, For we are
members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause
shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined
unto his wife, and they too shall be one flesh." Now, this is a
great mystery. And it is a great mystery, isn't
it? But I speak concerning Christ and the Church. Every believer
is so precious to Christ Every individual believer is his precious
bride, united to him, one with him. And the unity of oneness
in Christ is so powerful that there's no earthly illustration
that can really aptly describe it. For instance, a man and wife. The two become one flesh, but
they're still two separate people. And that union is, one of these
days, going to be dissolved. In heaven, there's not going
to be husbands and wives. So as close as that union is, it
doesn't really tell the story. The union of a vine and branches,
well, that's a close union, no doubt. But a branch, earthly
speaking, can be cut off from the vine, can't it? But this
union, there can be no separation. Now, listen to this. God views me as Christ, and if
God views me that way, you know what? That's how I am. However God
views me, that's how I am. We really are the body of Christ. We really are brethren of Christ.
I'm going to give you some things from the scripture regarding
this. Every one of these things are quotations from the scripture.
We're the body of Christ. We're the brethren of Christ.
We're the bride, the land's wife. We're children of the kingdom.
We're Christians. We're the church of God. We're
daughters of the king. We're comely, beautiful in Christ's
comeliness. Ezekiel chapter 16. We're the
family of God. We're the flock of God. We're
the fold of Christ. We're friends of God. You know
that if you're a believer, God says they're my friend. Abraham's
not the only friend of God. This is true of every single
believer. We're called the glory of God.
We're called the habitation of God. We're called the heritage
of God. The Israel of God. The lot of God's inheritance.
Members of Christ. The portion of the Lord. The
temple of God. The treasure of God. Vessels
of mercy. The vineyard of the Lord. Now
all of these we are if we're in the church by virtue of union
with the Lord Jesus Christ. Now turn to Hebrews chapter 2
for a moment. Hebrews chapter 2. Verse 11, For both he that sanctifieth,
and they who are sanctified, are all of one. I am one with Jesus Christ the
Lord. Not just real close. Not just
glued together, but I am one with him. Let's go on reading. For the witch cause, he's not
ashamed to call them brother. And now I am ashamed of myself
in so many respects. But do you know that the Lord
finds no reason to be ashamed of me? And that's true of every believer. The Lord doesn't have a reason
to be ashamed of you. You see, if you're in the church, you
are one with the Lord Jesus Christ. You are perfect in him. You are perfect. And let's go
on reading. For both he that sanctifieth,
and they who are sanctified, are all of one, for the which
cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, I will
declare thy name unto my brethren in the midst of the church will
I sing praise to thee." You know, the only way you can hear this
song, this song of praise that the Lord Jesus sings to His Father,
is in the church. And you hear this song every
time you hear the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ preached. This
is his song of praise. Every believer is precious to
Christ, a part of his bride, the Lamb's wife. Turn over to
Revelation 19 for a moment. You know, this is where I get
my, you know, everybody. Everybody wants to have a good
self-image. Everybody wants to have significance here in life.
And we do. We do. I don't want to just think
I'm spinning my wheels. But here's where my self-image
is. It's not that I'm a preacher. It's not anything. My self-image
is right here. This is what makes me feel good. Is that a good way to say this?
I'm the Lamb's wife. Now, you want to talk about a
position. I'm united to the Lord Jesus Christ. Look here in Revelation
chapter 19, verse 6. And I heard, as it were, the
voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters,
and as the voice of a mighty thundering, saying, Alleluia,
to the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice and
give honor to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb is come and is wise. had made herself ready, and to
her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean
and white, for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints."
Now, I've heard I don't know how many preachers say, well,
that's talking about the righteous deeds of the saints. Oh? You got any deeds that are fine
linen, clean and white? The righteousness of the saints
is the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's the righteousness
of the saints. That's the linen we're arrayed
in, that fine linen, clean and light, perfect through His covenants.
Verse 7. 9, or verse 8, And to her was granted
that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white.
This is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me,
Right, blessed are they which are called unto the married supper
of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are
the true sayings of God. The church is everybody for whom
Christ died. Acts 20, 28, Feed the church
of God which He purchased with His own blood. This church is
made up of every believer to ever live, all who've ever been
born again. It's called the General Assembly
and Church of the Firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. Now, right now, this church is
invisible. You can't see it. And this is
an argument people use against the concept of an invisible church. How can you have a church that's
invisible? How can it be real if it's invisible? That's a good
question. How can it be real if it's invisible? Well, let
me answer that question by asking another question. Is God invisible? Well, sure he is. He's the only
invisible God. Is God real? Absolutely. And just as God is invisible,
immortal, invisible, the only wise God. This church, the church
of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven, though
it is invisible right now, it's most real. And one of these days
it will be seen. It will be visible. And just
like her husband, the Lord Jesus Christ, will be visible. So if God can be real and invisible,
I reckon the church can also, too. So that's the first way
the word is used, the universal church, the bride of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Now, here's the second way the
word is used. It's used to refer to a local body of believers. This is the Tod's Road Grace
Church. It meets in Lexington, Kentucky.
And this building is not the church, it's the people who believe
that make up this church. And we meet 4137 Todd's Road. Now, I introduced this message
by saying that there are churches who are true churches, the Church
of the Lord Jesus Christ. And there are man-made religious
organizations, because you've got to admit that everybody that
meets together under the name of a church of the Lord Jesus
Christ, they don't necessarily fit the criteria the Bible gives
of a church. So what is a true church? How
would the Bible answer that? If I'm in a local assembly, how
can I know if I'm in a true church, one that the Lord has built,
not just a man-made religious organization? I want to know
the answer to that question, don't you? Return to 1 Timothy
chapter 3. But if I tarry long, that thou
mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house
of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and
ground of the Here's what the church is. It's the pillar and
the ground of the truth. A true church is a place where
the truth is the attraction. A true church is a place where
the truth is the only attraction. I don't know how many times people
ask me, what do you have there? What do you have there? What
do you got for this group and that group and the other group?
Well, I got the same answer as all of them, the gospel. The
gospel. Is that enough? It is for me. The only attraction is the truth. Our Lord said regarding himself,
I came to bear witness. And that's exactly what he did
when he walked on this earth, when he died on Calvary's tree.
He bore witness. He gave testimony regarding the
truth. You want to know the truth about
you? You want to know the truth about yourself? People go on
these roads of self-discovery. I just want to find myself. I
want to find out who I really am. Well, OK, I'll save you the
trouble. I'll tell you who you are. You
look to the cross and you find out who you really are. When God leaves you to yourself
or where He leaves me to myself, so desperately evil that we would
put the Son of God to death. That's the truth about you and
me. That's the truth. Somebody like
I need a Savior, don't they? Now that's the truth. The cross
of the Lord Jesus Christ tells the truth regarding God. All
of His character is fully manifested in the cross. Every attribute
is holiness, is justice, is sovereignty. You want to know who God is?
Christ Jesus is the truth concerning God. You want to know the truth
concerning salvation? Look, He is salvation. He Himself,
He is. That's the truth. The church
is the pillar and ground of the truth. Now, wherever there's
a true church, and I tell you what, I want to be part of the
true church, whatever that is. And I tell you what, sometimes it,
I want to be careful, you know, well, we're the true church.
You know, as soon as somebody says that, it kind of irritates
me. We're the true church. We've got to go, well, you know,
we'll see. We'll see. Same thing about this
one. I say this is a true church.
Well, we'll see. We'll see. One of these days we'll find
out, won't we? But I know this regarding any true church. Any
true church stands for this. The Scriptures alone. Now, note this word alone. Every
church in Lexington, Kentucky, every church in the United States
of America will have something to do with the Scriptures and
grace and Christ and faith Talk about the glory of God. Every
church, every church will talk about that. But here's the one
important word that's missing. The scriptures alone. As our only rule. Not creeds, not confessions,
the scriptures alone. Christ alone. There's only one
way I'll be saved. That's by what He did. Christ
alone. Plus nothing, minus nothing. Nothing more, nothing less, and
nothing else. Christ alone. Grace alone. From the beginning to the end
and everything in between. Grace alone. Faith alone. Salvation is not received by
doing, but by believing. Resting in Him. The glory of
God alone as the only reason for anything. The only good motive. There are no other good motives.
The glory of God alone. Now, I want to be in a church
like this. The church is not a social club.
Talking about a local church, it's not a place to meet like
people, like minds that have a lot in common. It's not even
a place to raise your family, although all of those things
are included. All those things are included
in local church. The truth is the only attraction. Of the church. You believe that? The truth is the only attraction. The church is a living organism
made up of believers who meet together in order to be fed. You come here for what purpose?
It's not to see and to be seen, although probably that has something
to do with it. Every time we do anything, there's
always sin because we do it. I'm not here to be seen. Well,
I shouldn't be here to be seen, but I guarantee you something.
Why do you think I combed my hair this morning? Everybody's
going to be looking at me. But I am here to be fed, to feed
on the words of Christ as my necessary food. That's why we
meet together, to hear the gospel, to be fed. The church is a living
organism who meet together in order to be fed. Feed the flock
of God which is among you, taking oversight thereof. Peter said
to the under shepherds, feed the church of God. In Acts chapter
28, 20, 28, feed the church of God which he purchased with his
own blood. Now, in the Bible, the church
is most often compared to a flock of sheep. With a pastor, a God-ordained
office where God feeds His sheep. Through the word being preached
and sheep, and you're going to agree with me about this sheep
were meant to be in flocks, weren't they? What's a sheep by itself? A sheep that's not in a flock.
It's a lost sheep, isn't it? Or it's a sick sheep. Sheep were
meant to be in flocks. which are the local assemblies. And I want to identify with the
assembly that believes the gospel. A local church is a called out
assembly of men and women. Sinners saved by grace. And this
is one of the sweet things about being in a local church. That person beside you, you know
what they're like? They're just like you are. Just
like you. Y'all feel sorry for them. Just
like sinners saved by the grace of God. Church is a hospital.
The hospital. Who's in the hospital? Sick people.
Sick people. But didn't the Lord say, the
Son of Man came not to call the righteous, but the sinners repent,
the whole need not a physician, but David or who? Sick. That's who needs this great physician. So we really want to be together. There's a true unity in this sense. A local
church is a called-out assembly of men and women, sinners saved
by grace, who believe the same thing. And these people truly
and genuinely love one another. It's real. It's not just talk. It is real. Now, understand this about church. Meeting together is not something
I try to fit into life's busy schedule. If it's just trying to fit into
life's busy schedule, I'm not really meeting. No, this is my
life. This is my life. You know, I think about the Todrick
Grace Church. I have no ambition or desire
to be anywhere else. I really don't. Lord might take
me tomorrow, but as far as I believe, I'll die here. I'll die here. It's a called out assembly who
truly love one another and want to be together around the gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Turn with me for a second to
First Corinthians chapter 12. Beginning in verse 14. For the body is not one member,
but many. You know, the Lord made us all
different. You know, you can be in the one body and folks are
different, aren't they? Folks are different. Everybody's
not cut out of the same mold. Many members of the same body.
Many members. I love the Lord's love of diversity. Many members of the same body.
Verse 15, Now if the foot shall say, because I'm not of the hand,
am I not of the body? Is it therefore not of the body?
Or if the ear shall say, because I'm not the eye, I'm not of the
body, is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were
an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole body were hearing,
where were the smelling? But now God has set the members,
every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. That's
a good place to be, isn't it? Where the Lord's put you. Where
the Lord's set you. That's where I want to be, wherever
He's put me. Verse 19, and if they were all
one member, where were the body? You know, a bigger ear rolling
along the road wouldn't look too good, would it? But now you
are, but now there are many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot
say unto the hand, I have no need of thee, nor again the head
to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members
of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary. The unseen, you know, Well, let
me read the other verse, then I'll make this comment. And those
members of the body which we think to be less honorable, upon
these we bestow more abundant honor, and our uncomely parts
really have more abundant comeliness. What's the uncomely parts? The
liver. Well, what a disgusting looking thing. The heart's not
very pretty. I mean, you talk about these
internal organs, I really, oh, you know, I don't like seeing
them. How important are they, though? You can do, I mean, I don't want
to lose this little finger, it's mine, believe me. But I tell you what, if I was
going to lose a finger or a liver, I think I'd rather lose the finger.
But I don't want to lose any of it, understand me. But you
see what Paul is saying here. Verse 23, those members of the
body which we think to be less honorable upon these, we bestow
more abundant honor, and our unkindly parts have more abundant
kindliness. For our kindly parts have no
need. the stuff that looks good. But God had tempered the body
together, having given more abundant honor to that part which lacked,
that there should be no schism, no division in the body, but
that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffers,
all the members suffer with it. And one member is honored, all
the members honor with it. Now you are the body of Christ
and members in particular. In Revelation, would you turn
to Revelation 1? Revelation 1. Verse 12, And I turned to see
the voice that spake with me, and being turned, I saw seven
golden candlesticks. And in the midst of the seven
candlesticks, one likened to the Son of Man, clothed with
a garment down to the foot, and girded about the patch with a
golden girdle. Look down in verse 20. The mystery of the seven
stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden
candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels
of the seven churches, and the seven candlesticks which thou
sawest are the seven churches. And he's talking about local
assemblies. All of them had a name. The seven churches. Verse 1 of
chapter 2. Under the angel of the church
of Ephesus' right, these things saith he that holdeth the seven
stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven
golden candlesticks." Now, do you hear that? The Son of God
Himself walks in the midst of the local churches, wherever
they are. Our Lord made this promise, where
two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the
midst of them." He didn't say, I might be there. He said, I
am there. Now, it takes more than one for
a church to be a church. There has to be at least two
or three. But where two or three are gathered together in His
name, that's all it takes. Anybody gathered together around
His name, His gospel, He promises, there I am in the midst of them. Christ is he who walks in the
midst of the seven golden candlesticks. That is why what we would call
church attendance is so important. Who's there? Christ is. Do I ever want to miss out on
where he's at? No, he's there. Well, which time is it OK to
not be there if he's there? Church attendance. That's what
it is. Here's the issue of church attendance.
Christ is there. And wherever he is, that's where
I want to be. Who was the one doubting disciple? You remember the answer to that
question was Thomas. Thomas, that's what he's known for, the
doubting disciple. Who's the one disciple that was not there
when our Lord appeared. Thomas. Thomas. He was the one that wasn't there.
Now I want to close by looking at one last scripture. Would
you turn with me to Romans 16. Verse 1. Paul says, I commend unto you
Phoebe, our sister. And this was a woman Paul commended,
a very blessed woman. He says, I commend unto you Phoebe,
our sister, which is a servant of the church, which is at Syncreon. Now, here is my ambition. Here is your ambition. This is
you want to be ambitious about something you want to be desirous
about something. Here it is. To be a servant of
the church. That's the highest ambition anybody
can possibly have. To be a servant of the church
of the Lord Jesus Christ, that church that is so precious to
him. What is church? What is church? Well, I'll tell you, I'll answer
this. It's not something that I don't
do. Oh, the glory of the church of
the Lord Jesus Christ. May God give us grace to be true
and genuine church members, members of his body. Let's pray together.