Love is Why - The Church is Essential - April 19, 2020 - a podcast by theCrossroads, UPC

With all the debate over what is and what is not ESSENTIAL - we are going to explore Love is Why the Church of Jesus Christ is Essential. We sing two songs “Open Up The Heavens” and “Waymaker”. (CCLI Streaming License #: CSPL043706). Thank you so much for joining us online for our Sunday Live experience with theCrossroads - we are so glad to have you.

 

LOVE is WHY – Church Is Essential
“LOVE IS WHY” SERIES

Matthew 16:16-18
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17 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.
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.

LOVE IS WHY the CHURCH IS ESSENTIAL!
A building is NOT what Jesus died for – it is not what He redeemed by His blood, and He will not be taking a CHURCH BUILDING to be with Him for eternity.

The Church Jesus established is ESSENTIAL. It was founded by Him, and should remain in His control. It started in Jerusalem – but it was not His will for it to remain in Jerusalem.

After his resurrection Christ appeared to his apostles and said, “Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day; and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in my name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:46,47).

Then in Acts 1:8, just before he ascended back to heaven, Jesus said to the apostles, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Observe in this statement that Jesus said the apostles would receive power (power to preach the gospel in all its fullness, resulting in the coming of the kingdom or church) when the Holy Ghost came upon them. In Acts 2:1-4 we find the Holy Ghost filling the apostles and those in the upper room and them being empowered to speak in tongues on the day of Pentecost.

As a result of the Peter’s preaching that day, people were pricked in their heart and asked what to do to be forgiven of their sins (Acts 2:37). They were instructed, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38).
“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). So the church Jesus established started in the city of Jerusalem in the year 33 A.D. by Christ upon the bedrock foundation truth that Jesus is God manifest in the flesh.
On every occasion after that when people heard of Christ, believed in Him, repented of their sins, were baptized for the remission of their sins and received His Spirit, the Lord added them to his church. “And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved” (Acts 2:47).

WHY?
First of all  – You are a MEMBER OF THE BODY of CHRIST
God desires for his body—his church—to be a public movement who lives for His glory and the good of others (John 17:21-23)

Secondly – Christians are commanded to submit to the leaders of their local church
The pastor of a local church never possess absolute authority. Whatever authority they have is delegated by Gof

Hebrews 13:17 
Obey 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 that is unprofitable for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 (KJV)
12 And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;
13 And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves.
2 Timothy 4:1-4 (KJV)
1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

 

LOVE IS WHY – Jesus Established this ESSENTIAL CHURCH!
Worship – Fellowship – Discipleship – Ministry – Mission
Hebrews 10:24: And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
1 Peter 4:10:  Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.

LOVE IS WHY – Jesus Established this ESSENTIAL CHURCH!
He loved the world enough to establish the church so that people could be saved, delivered, healed, discipled and sent on mission to reach others.

How do you decide on a church family:
The true church is founded upon the REVELATION of who Jesus Christ is…that is where your decision needs to begin.
You need to make sure that your church family you connect to teaches, preaches and believes that Jesus is God manifest in the flesh. That you can have eternal life through obedience to the Word of God which starts with Repentance or turning away from all your sin and turning to God. Followed by Baptism in the Name of Jesus Christ (complete immersion in the water) to wash away sin, and then the infilling of the Spirit of God or the Gift of the Holy Ghost evidenced by speaking in a heavenly language as God’s Spirit gives you the ability to do so.
Pray and seek God through fasting – and don’t wait on “the PERFECT CHURCH” – if you find a church that preaches the TRUTH in LOVE and LOVES YOU and your family – you have probably found the right church. They may not sing the songs you like, or have the ministry for Kids that you think they should, or a multitude of other things…but maybe that is why God is placing you at that church. When you come – it changes the flavor a little more and maybe God will lead you to help with the ministry area that they are currently lacking in.

The Lonely Ember
A member of a certain church, who previously had been attending services regularly, stopped going. After a few weeks, the pastor decided to visit him. It was a chilly evening. The pastor found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire.
Guessing the reason for his pastor’s visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a big chair near the fireplace and waited. The pastor made himself comfortable but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplated the play of the flames around the burning logs.
After some minutes, the pastor took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone. Then he sat back in his chair, still silent. The host watched all this in quiet fascination.
As the one lone ember’s flame diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more. Soon it was cold and “dead as a doornail.”
Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting. Just before the pastor was ready to leave, he picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it.
As the pastor reached the door to leave, his host said, “Thank you so much for your visit and especially for the fiery sermon. I shall be back in church next Sunday.”

Rather than asking, “what do I get” out of being connected to my local church ask, what do I give? When we are connected, as the Lord commanded, we give so much to each other. You not only receive, but you are a blessing as you give. Who does it hurt the most when you are not connected? It hurts your church and your pastor – but it hurts you and your family more!

LOVE IS WHY – Jesus Established this ESSENTIAL CHURCH!
He loves you and your family enough to place you with others who are ESSENTIAL in your life and spiritual well being. You are not alone – He has given you a pastor who wants more than anything to see you and your whole family make it to heaven. This is why you need to connect to HIS ESSENTIAL CHURCH!
When you realize how much He loves you and the blessing it is to be a part of His body – it should encourage you to connect more.

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