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“The Church”CD No._______Time: 2/ 28/ 2010 - 11 amText: Ephesians 5: 24 – 27 - -------------------------------------------------------------------Introduction: This passage tells us several things about the Church. This passage talks about the Value, Voice, Vitality, Virtue, and the Victory of the church. In fact, these verses are very plain about what God thinks of the Church. Let us glean from these verses and notice what God says about the church.I. The Value of the ChurchThe Value Of The Church By The WorldThe church would close its doors, if you went by the value of the church by most lost people.They would say that the church doesn’t benefit anybody. In fact, some would say that the world would be better off because the church puts limits on people’s lives and makes them feel like they are in bondage.But the point is: The church is trying to set people free and give them a good quality life by living by the word of God.Sad Thing: There are a lot of so called Christians say that the church does not have any value, by them not ever coming to Church. Etc.The Value Of The Church By The WordV.25 – Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.You can determine the value of the church by the value you put on the life of Christ. V.25 – gave himself for the church-The church involves all of those who are saved. They are saved because Christ gave His life for every soul to be saved by trusting in Him as their personal Savior. The most valuable organization in the world is the church. Etc.The Value Of The ChurchII. The Voice of the ChurchQuestion: Who has the authoritative voice to tell the church what to do?V. 23- For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church-The authoritative voice of the church comes from the head of the church who is Christ.The head of the church is neither the Apostle Peter nor the Pope of Rome. Christ is the one who purchased the church, so He has the right to tell the church what to do.Christ is the head of the church and the foundation of the church.[1 Cor. 3:11]Listen to V.24 – Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ-This is telling us that we are to be under subjection to Christ who is the head of the church.Question: If Christ is the head of the church and has the authoritative voice to tell us what to do and live, how does He do it? Answer: From the word of God. Therefore, no two-legged human being on earth has any right to change anything in the word of God pertaining to the church of God.The Value Of The ChurchThe Voice Of The ChurchIII. The Vitality of the Church – [This is not in our text, but I am adding it]I use the word vitality because of what it means. The word vitality means > liveliness, energy, strength.The Last church age, which I think that we are in, is mentioned in Revelation 3: 14a –And unto the angel of the church of the Laodicea’s - & 15 –I know thy works, that thou art neither cold not hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 – So then because thou art luke-warm, and neither could not hot, I will spew thee out of thy mouth.Christ lets us know that He doesn’t like Luke-warmness. In Revelation Ch. 3: 19 -Christ mentions being Zealous. Zealous means enthusiastic, passionate, fervent, fanatical, eager.So, if this is what Christ wants; then that is the way that it ought to be.Since this is the case, I want to mention some areas that we ought to be vigorous and energetic, and enthusiastic.A. WorshipWhen it comes to our worship service we should be fervent, enthusiastic, and vigorous.I don’t believe in working up the spirit, that will kill a service, but I do believe that our worship service ought to be lively, not dead.We are Baptist; therefore a lot of Christians think that if they do mind the spirit of the Lord that they would be classified as a Charismatic Christian.I think that we ought to be more concerned about what Christ thinks, instead of what somebody else thinks.Question: what’s wrong with verbally saying amen when the preacher is preaching; or what is wrong when someone says praise the Lord when the Choir is singing and it thrills you from the message in the song? What’s wrong in raising your arm toward Heaven to praise the Lord?POINT: I am a sports fan, I like sports and many of you do to. I don’t go to many football games like I use to, but when I did, if a running back broke loose and runs for 80 yards and scores a touchdown, I got excited and I expressed it by verbally cheering with a loud voice.If we get that excited over a pigskin football or basketball, or a little round golf ball going in a hole, I don’t think it is wrong to get excited in a good old fashion worship serve where the spirit of God is flowing from breast to breast. Amen! WorshipB. WordI think that a preacher ought to get excited when he preaches the word. I have been a preacher for 39 years and I have been in the ministry for 35 years being a pastor.I still get excited when I preach the infallible, inspired word of God, knowing that the message that I preach might lead someone to Christ and keep them from going to a burning hell, or help someone who is already saved.I still believe that the preached word of God can change lives; therefore I can’t help from getting excited preaching the word.A message that is birthed into a preacher’s soul from studying the word of God should get that preacher excited.I usually preach expository messages. An expository message that is preached can help a church, but an expository sermon taught like a Sunday school lesson can kill a church.After being in the ministry for many years, I still can’t wait on the time when I get up to expound the precious word of God. Worship WordC. WorkingWe are talking about vitality and being energetic, not Luke warm- The Lord wants us to be zealous.We should be energetic and zealous in carrying out the work of God. It takes work to build a church and grow.A church that doesn’t work and just go through the motion will eventually start to back up.When we do work, whatever it might be, we should put our whole heart and soul in doing what we are doing.D. WitnessingWe should also be zealous and energetic in our witnessing.Luke 14: 23 – Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.Acts 1: 8 –But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem [home], and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.Of all the things that we do at church, this should be forefront in our mind; witnessing for God.The Value of the ChurchThe Voice of the ChurchThe Vitality of the ChurchIV. The Virtue of the ChurchThe word virtue means > good quality, high merit, and good value.Listen to our text: V. 26 –That he might sanctity and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.The Lord wants us to have a clean church. Christ wants us to be Holy.Notice how he says that we are to stay clean and pure. Cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.John 15:3 – Now are ye clean through the word.Psalms 119: 9 –Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way; by taking heed there to thy word-The word will point out the dirty spots in our life.Danger: We are living in a day when a lot of churches don’t even want a pastor who preaches on sin. They are afraid that they might offend someone.There are a lot of so called preachers who won’t preach on sin or the Judgment of God; Joel Osteen is one of those preachers. He just wants to make everybody who comes to church feel good when they leave.If a preacher will preach the word and a church member who is sensitive to the spirit of God repents of their sin, that Christian will feel better when they leave.God wants a pure church and that will come about when the word points out our flaws and sins, so that we can repent and ask God to forgive us.God wants us to preach the whole council of God, which includes preaching on sin.I probably preach as many messages on the storms of life as any other preacher, but I also preach the word of God just like it is without white washing it.The reason that a lot of Churches don’t have the power of God on their services is because of un-confessed sin in church members lives.A preacher shouldn’t preach a message and then turn around and apologize for what he has preached right before he gives an invitation; that is, if he even gives an invitation. The Value of the Church The Voice of The Church The Vitality of the Church The Virtue of the ChurchV. The Victory of the Church Christ’s Coming For The ChurchV. 27 –That he might present it to himself a glorious church—Christ who gave himself for the church is going to come back and get His church.Did you notice what He said? He said that he was going to present the church to himself. He most certainly has that right, since the church belongs to Him; he purchased the church with his own blood.He died for the church and He is going to come back for His Church. The Church has a continuous battle on its hand in this world because of fighting the devil, but on that day, the Church will be victorious, and they will never have to fight the devil anymore. Praise the Lord!!!Christ Coming For The ChurchChristian Cleanness As The Church –---- at his comingV.27 – That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.The Church will have victory because Christ is coming back and getting His church, but also He is going to remove all the spots and wrinkles and all blemishes when He comes.The church will be a PURE church because we will have our glorified body [1 John 3:2] with our sin nature removed. Praise The Lord!!Victory at last, Victory at last, and I don’t feel like it will be that far off!!! --------------------------------------------------------------Another possible outline:The Purchased Price, V.25, “He gave Himself”The Purifying Process, V.26, “Sanctify and cleanse’The Perfect Preparation, V.26, Washing of water by the word”The Personal Presentation, V.27, Present it a glorious church”The Permanent Perfection - -Like Him” – 1 John 3:2 ................
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