The Christian and Self-Renewal

The Church and Renewal (2)

“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall

not prevail against it.” {Matthew 16:18}

To Worship God

• An important purpose for any church to come together is to worship God.

• The early church worshiped on the first day of each week.– “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine

and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.” {Acts 2:42}

– “Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread…” {Acts 20:7}

• What is the purpose of worship?

• The word means, “to kiss toward someone; adore; to prostrate oneself before someone as an act of reverence, fear, or supplication.” {Louw & Nida}

• God has always demanded worship from His subjects.

• The first murder was the result of improper worship.– Genesis 4:1-8

To Worship God

• What is the purpose of worship?• To magnify God.• When we draw near to God, He draws near to us.

– “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” {James 4:8}

• It’s one way we offer sacrifices to the Lord.– “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of

praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.” {Hebrews 13:15}

To Worship God

• What is the purpose of worship?• God intends to be worshipped.• Scripture also tells us HOW to worship.

– “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” {John 4:23,24}

To Worship God

• Pleasing worship must be with proper knowledge of WHY we are doing it.

• We MUST follow God’s pattern.• Why? He is the ONE we are worshipping.

– “But you profane it, in that you say, 'The table of the LORD is defiled; and its fruit, its food, is contemptible.‘ You also say, 'Oh, what a weariness!‘ ‘And you sneer at it, says the LORD of hosts. And you bring the stolen, the lame, and the sick; thus you bring an offering! Should I accept this from your hand?’ says the LORD.” {Malachi 1:12,13}

To Worship God

• Pleasing worship must be with proper knowledge of WHY we are doing it.

• We MUST follow God’s pattern.• Why? He is the ONE we are worshipping.

– “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” {Matthew 15:8,9}

To Worship God

• Acts of worship requiring us to come together as His body…

• Lord’s Supper.– 1 Corinthians 11:23-29

• Singing– Colossians 3:16

• Giving– 1 Corinthians 16:1,2

• Praying– 1 Corinthians 14:15

To Worship God

To Build up the Saved• Edification

– Means, “the promotion of spiritual growth.” (Vine’s)

– “In the NT metaphorically, edifying, edification, the act of one who promotes another’s growth in Christian wisdom, piety, holiness, happiness.” (Thayer)

• Bottom line—in this world, Christians need one another; the church is a big part of that.

• Edification• God intended for leaders to build up the

body of saints.– “And He Himself gave some to be apostles,

some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” {Ephesians 4:11,12}

To Build up the Saved

• Edification• In order for the body to grow properly,

every member must do its part.– “From whom the whole body, joined and knit

together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” {Ephesians 4:16}

To Build up the Saved

• Edification• Consider 1 Corinthians 14• Coming together—must be an edifying

experience.– “How is it then, brethren? Whenever you

come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.” {1 Corinthians 14:26}

To Build up the Saved

To Evangelize• The early Christians understood that they MUST

take the gospel to the lost.

• The NT contains numerous first-century examples.

• The Great Commission bears out this truth.– “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,

baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” {Matthew 28:19,20}

• Paul demonstrated the proper attitude and the importance of this part of the work.– “Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade

men…” {2 Corinthians 5:11}• He devoted his life to saving as many as possible...

– “To those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” {1 Corinthians 9:21,22}

To Evangelize

• Paul’s actions resulted in the establishment of other churches.

• In turn, these churches promoted evangelism and continued to grow.

• The fact that God intends for the church to grow indicates the need to support evangelism.– “But if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how

you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” {1 Timothy 3:15}

To Evangelize

• The NT church showed its involvement in this part of the work.

• We find that the early church supported gospel preaching.

• There are examples that show the DIRECT way a church can be involved.– “…Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work

to which I have called them. Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.” {Acts 13:2-3}

To Evangelize

• We find that the early church supported gospel preaching.

• There are examples that show the DIRECT way a church can be involved.– “I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to

minister to you. And when I was present with you, and in need, I was a burden to no one, for what I lacked the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied. And in everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and so I will keep myself.” {2 Corinthians 11:8,9}

To Evangelize

• Paul directed the young man Timothy in his work as an evangelist.

• Timothy was a proclaimer of the good news.– “Preach the word! Be ready in season and

out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching... But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” {2 Timothy 4:2,5}

To Evangelize

Helping Needy Saints• Benevolence for the needy saints.• God has authorized churches to care for

“needy saints.”• The religious world abuses and

misunderstands this command.• The church is not a benevolent

organization meant to cure all the world’s social ills.

• There are many Biblical examples of benevolence.• Churches cared for their own.

– Acts 6:1-7• Some sent temporary relief to other, devastated

churches.– “…Spirit that there was going to be a great famine

throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar. Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea.” {Acts 11:28,29}

Helping Needy Saints

• There are many Biblical examples of benevolence.

• The church’s work is limited in this area—even among its own members.– “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and

especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever... If any believing man or woman has widows, let them relieve them, and do not let the church be burdened, that it may relieve those who are really widows.” {1 Timothy 5:8,16}

Helping Needy Saints

• There are many Biblical examples of benevolence.

• Many churches today engage in all sorts of good works in the name of evangelism; this is not authorized!

• They draw crowds that are not seeking Christ; rather, they’re looking for physical amenities. They’re there for the wrong reasons.

• This is NOT what God intended for the church.– John 6:26,27; Romans 14:17

Helping Needy Saints

• There are many Biblical examples of benevolence.

• Let’s be clear—Christians do have individual duties in this area that are beyond the church.

– James 1:27; Galatians 6:10.– As we grow in Christ—we will seek to help others.

• Let’s not change the CHURCH’S purpose into something for which God never designed it!

Helping Needy Saints