Everyone Is A Theologian: The Church

Everyone Is A Theologian: The Church John Weathersby Sunday November 25, 2018 What is The Church? Is it like medicine for me when I don’t feel good? Is the church’s job to make me feel better? Like comfort food when I’m depressed, or hot tea when my throat is sore? Or, is it more like a vaccination? I take it to build a specific immunity to attacks from the world around me? Is it something I pattern my life to doing and going to, because that’s what Christians do? Maybe still it offers an alternative way of having a good time that God approves of? Social activities and a whole sub culture of books, radio, music etc. that God approves of, not like that non-church based stuff? You and I could have a whole conversation, stand on a white board and brain storm and make something up that totally fits what we want in a Church. But here is the reality - we could make something that’s NOT what Jesus means when he talks about HIS Church. I want to go back and repeat part of that - because you can jump into conversations about what the church is or what the church isn’t - and you can miss this important point: ready, the Church is Jesus’. Now the funny thing about possession or ownership not in a way that says, I own one of these but that said I own because I’ve invented - is the right to define. Jesus’ right is to define the church, the Church is his; he created it. We’ll be in Matthew 16:13-19 this morning. For several reasons this morning but not the lest of which being because when we want to know about God’s church we go to God’s word, not our whiteboard. In this first Gospel, we see the first mentioned of a word that’s important to our study today on The Church. The word is Ekklesia. The word its self, like most words, is packed with its own understanding and historical usage. Jesus selected it to describe his intention - here he says, “I will build my church”. He didn’t say I’ll build a church for you. That’s important. We tend to think of The Church as being for us. I’m looking for a church that…. Fill in the blanks here: what comes next: 1. Meets on a night of the week that works for me 2. Has a great youth group 3. Has a great children’s ministry 4. Doesn’t talk about politics 5. Does talk about politics 6. Is accepting of LGBTQ 7. Isn’t accepting of LGBTQ 8. Let’s me pick my own pronoun The potential list could go on and on. Essentially we’re saying, I have needs that “The Church” must fulfill so that I’ll go there, join, partner up and identify with it. In Matthew in this first instance where Jesus says what the Church is, it’s coming on the heels of this interesting conversation where Jesus first asks, “who do people say that the son of man is. They gave high praise, John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah…. Jesus answers back - who do YOU say that I am… Clear Conviction from Scripture: Matthew 16:13–19 (ESV) Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ 13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. What just happened there? Jesus revealed that he’s building His church yes, but more than that, in addition to that, in the same thrust as that He’s building it based on the understanding and confession that - Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. The Church is based on a true confession of God and His Gospel in Jesus. I don't know about you - but this basis for the church as a confession of truth, this is what opened my eyes. God’s Gospel is steeped in truth, His word stands in the dark as light and proclaims, unabashedly truth in opposition to falsehood - the Church is a beacon to true confession. How does “true confession” come to be? Look back to verse 17. 17 Jesus said “blessed are you Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven”. This point is important - Simon didn’t come to believe the Gospel message of Jesus and Jesus’ church isn’t built on a confession that people created, or that was formed around some truth from God and some good ideas from people, God’s Word, not our whiteboard. Consider: 1 Peter 1:23 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; So the Church is a 1) confession of truth, 2) a church finds that truth in Scripture, (a foundation of the apostles and revealed truth) the church will be built. Jesus does some word play calling Peter “petros” (small rock) but upon THIS rock (true confession on Jesus) the Petra I’ll build my church - on the bedrock, the strong foundation - truth revealed in Scripture of which Jesus’ is the cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20) Jesus’ church is lived out by all those who, not by flesh and blood but by truth revealed in the word, understand and live by the great confession of who Jesus is. And 3) owners not of the Kingdom, but access to the kingdom. Ephesians 2:20 (ESV) 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, Lets look at verse 19 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” What can you do with the keys of the kingdom of heaven? As I was thinking and praying over this section of Matthew 16 this week, I thought of a meme I saw. Here it is: Canadian Black Friday I was talking to a young lady at a store Wednesday evening, asking if she was ready for tomorrow. She said you know it’s funny - we’re open until 2am, then we close and reopen at 5am. That’s hardly enough time to even close, count the tills cleanup, etc. before just re-opening. Then, You think about what happens when the doors open and the deals await inside - what deals are in here? You decide: 1. Meets on a night of the week that works for me 2. Has a great youth group 3. Has a great children’s ministry 4. Doesn’t talk about politics 5. Does talk about politics 6. Is accepting of LGBTQ 7. Isn’t accepting of LGBTQ 8. Let’s me pick my own pronoun Or - truth. Scriptural truth about God, sin, righteousness, justice, and freedom from sin. We can take our key - to the kingdom and open to the doors and reveal freedom. How do we do that, well the confession that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the Living God, was revealed to Simon in Matthew 16:16 and the laughing point for the Church that Jesus builds of all the pebbles who believe. Maybe you think, but my faith isn’t good enough. I want you to see something - Peter the petras, upon which He’d build his church in 16:16 in 16:23. Matthew 16:23 (ESV) 23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” Just 7 verses later the Petras, is referred to as “satan” and a hindrance. Is that it, is he no longer in the kingdom because he didn’t perform, because his mind wasn’t set? NO - please go back and listen to our study last week of salvation through Romans 3:19-29. Romans 3:19-29 (ESV) 19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For by works of the law no human being[a] will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. The Righteousness of God Through Faith 21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—   22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. 27 Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.  29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, So, Matthew 16:19 (ESV) 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” There we are with the keys - we open the door and expose truth. The truth in the light, when joined with confession of who Jesus is and what Jesus did looses us from the sin that binds us. If we’re loosed on earth from the bondage of sin, but the truth of Jesus revealed from Heaven heralded by Jesus Church - we’re loosed in heaven. But if we remain bound on earth… we’re bound in heaven. Jesus truth, in his church is the paramount issue of the Church. Does This Matter: So does it matter that we define church by the right standard? Yes - because it’s a matter of salvation, the keys to the kingdom belong to the church, Jesus church. The church was build on these 3 things: 1. Confession 2. Truth 3. Continued Access That’s the triangle - mess with any point, the structure collapses. When I moved to Harrisburg, I had a hard time finding a church home for our family. Why? Because there were no organizations with “church” in the title? Could Google find me no “church”? Rather - when I find a church, I call or meet with the pastor, and ask: What is the gospel? Who is Jesus? What is the role of the church? The answers, I get are wildly varied, and that’s OK. But often they’re based on people’s whiteboarded definition of the Church. Not Jesus. The church isn’t the Christian YMCA, or the Christian Red Cross, or the Christian homeless ministry, the Church is the gathered people of the Kingdom of God - who point to the open door of salvation, and tell of the truth about God’s character, His law, His grace and His Christ. While the church is an ekklecia (gathering) it’s a gathering of a certain kind of people, who believe a specific message, from a specific source - then open the door for others to do the same. The same word that Jesus used to talk about the Gathering he was making was also used in Acts 19:40–41. Acts 19:40–41 (ESV) 40 For we really are in danger of being charged with rioting today, since there is no cause that we can give to justify this commotion.” 41 And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly. Assembly, ekklesia. So again, what is this gathering? Is it like medicine for me when I don’t feel good? Is the churches job to make me feel better? Like comfort food when I’m depressed, or hot tea when my throat is sore? Or, is it more like a vaccination? I take it to build a specific immunity to attacks from the world around me? Is it something I pattern my life to doing and going to, because that’s what Christians do? If we answer not from the whiteboard/our ideas, but rather from Jesus’ own purpose statement, we see that it’s a gathering yes, of people who confess truth, recognize the gospel, and look to the foundation in scripture for understanding of God’s direction on our lives. Our weekly gathering is then a celebration of those truths, re-appreciation of that Gospel, and a centering of our lives to go and do. Whetting of the Appetite for More In 4 or 5 weeks we’ll start our Study through 1st and 2nd Timothy where we see Paul an apostle foundational element of the church that Jesus will build on, instructing the church directly. This week in home groups, personal reflection time, consider the foundation of the church from Ephesians 2:20. Ephesians 2:20 (ESV) 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, What does it mean that the household of God is built on the foundation of the Apostles? What is the household, what is the foundation and how is the foundation built on the Apostles, functionally? And consider 1 Peter 1:23. 1 Peter 1:23 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; What implications does this have on your life continuing forward as someone who’d believed the gospel?