Why the Church?

Why the Church?  2021 05 16

1 Timothy 3:14 – 16        

Why do we meet together as a church?  Why couldn’t each of us simply sit at home with a Bible and our prayer time?  What is the reason that we ought to be assembling together as what we call “the church?”  Why should you be part of the local, New Testament church, which is the church of the living God?

1 Timothy 3:14 – 16  

Why the church?  Why are we to gather together?  Why have we organized into a formal group, with a name that we identify ourselves by, Sunshine Community Baptist Church?  It is, or should be, a very important part of our lives, taking priority over most other things.  Yet often it takes a back seat to the cares and busyness of this world.  Why the church, and why should we make it the focal point of our week, rather than simply the end of the week, something to fit in if we’re not too tired, busy, or interested in something else?

1. The previous things in chapters 1 through to 3:13 tell us how we ought to behave in the house of God. These final verses of chapter 3 tell us why the church, why we ought to place such great importance on this assembly that God has called out.
2. The house of God is not a building, but it is the saints, saved people, “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” 1 Corinthians 3:16

• The house of God is the church, the assembly of the living God, also called lively stones. “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 2:5

1. The local church of the living God is made up of people who have put their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and have been scripturally baptized. “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;    In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:   In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” Ephesians 2:19 – 22
2. The church of the living God, which is the true church, is the pillar and ground of the truth.
   1. If it is not the true church, it is NOT the pillar and ground of the truth, because:
      1. It is what the truth stands on.
      2. It is what upholds the truth.
   2. The truth is without controversy, or inarguable, confessed by all who believe.
      1. Great is the mystery – this mystery is knowledge that was once hidden; the mystery of godliness, the gospel, which tells mankind how hopeless, fallen, sinful man can approach and have fellowship with the perfect, almighty, eternal, self-existent God.
         1. God was manifest in the flesh, in the person of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who IS the truth ( John 14:6).
            1. Throughout the centuries, God was revealed through the words of the prophets as he spoke through them, but at just the right time in history, God revealed himself in the man, Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God (Hebrews 1:1 – 3).
         2. Jesus Christ was justified, or proven to be righteous in His Spirit
            1. “Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” Romans 1:3,4
            2. He cast out devils by the Spirit. “But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.” Matthew 12:28

• He was put to death as a common criminal, charged with sedition, blasphemy, and anything else that could be dreamed up, yet just three days later He rose from the dead, proving that He is who He said He is, the Son of God!

1. He was seen after he rose from the dead by many hundreds of reliable witnesses! “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:   After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.   After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.”  1 Corinthians 15:3 – 8
   1. Not only was he seen and declared alive by these witnesses, but many of them willingly gave their lives later on, boldly declaring the gospel to be true!
2. He was proven just; he was NO blasphemer. He IS God the Son!

1. He was seen of angels –
   1. who declared His conception: “And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:   And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” Luke 1:31 – 33
   2. who praised God and declared His birth: “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God…,” Luke2:10, 11, 13

• who declared His resurrection: “In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.  His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:  And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.  He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”  Matthew 28:1 – 6                 

1. who attended His ascension: “And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” Acts 1:10, 11
2. who worship: “And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.” Hebrews 1:6
3. who are under His authority heaven, where He is seated in the presence of the holy angels on the right hand of God! “Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.” 1 Peter 3:22

1. He is preached unto the gentiles –
   1. What a blessing this is to us! It was unthinkable to the Jews before the coming of the Son of God in the flesh!   Peter would not believe it was the will of God until he was given a very clear vision and message by the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:1 – 48).
      1. He has broken down the wall between the Jews and Gentiles in his kingdom! “For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;” Ephesians 2:14
      2. There is no difference between anyone who trusts Jesus Christ as his Saviour. “Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:” Romans 3:22
      3. “For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”  Romans 10:11 – 13

• Jesus commanded that the gospel be preached to everyone. “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Mark 16:15

1. He is believed on in the world.
   1. Great it the mystery of godliness! Man’s every inclination is to deny the truth, rebel against God, kill the prophets He sent, and even to crucify the Saviour of the world! Yet against ALL odds, the church has flourished throughout history and is still strong today, some 2000 years after Jesus rose from the dead!
   2. Against ALL odds, the gospel message has gone out into the world, and flourished! Instead of the gospel being quickly quashed by the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, He rose from the dead, and the gospel was preached with such boldness and power that the church literally exploded!  Peter, the one who denied Jesus Christ in fear before His death, preached with great boldness after the resurrection, filled with the Holy Spirit, and thousands of people believed at one time! “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.” Acts 2:41. This was in the same place where Jesus Christ had just been crucified.  From there, belief in Jesus Christ the Son of God just continued to expand from into the rest of the world.
2. He was received up into glory.
   1. The fact that He was received up into glory again proves that He was resurrected from the dead. This was witnessed by reliable witnesses, not just one lonely mystic in a cave somewhere. “Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:   To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.”  Acts 1:2, 3, 9

Conclusion:

The true church is the pillar and ground of the truth.  This is where the truth is preached, taught, upheld and passed on to the next generation of believers (note that this is speaking of new believers, not necessarily children of believers).   The church is not a building made with hands but is a local assembly of baptized believers who meet together for prayer, praise, and the preaching of the word of God, which is the truth.  The church is the one institution founded by Christ that must hold the very highest standard for faith and practice.  This is why the church.  This is why you need to be part of this assembly called, the church. “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”  Hebrews 10:25