The Gospel & The Church - Part 3
David "Jay" Foley
The Gospel & The Church • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 40:44
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Introduction
Introduction
As stated last week, we are looking at, “...how the gospel creates the church and the church spreads the gospel, and how the gospel shapes the church, as the church seeks to live a life that is worthy of the gospel” (John Stott).
We began looking at...
I. The Church of God - (1:1b-4)
I. The Church of God - (1:1b-4)
There are four lessons for our text:
1. The Church is a Community which LIVES “...in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” - (1:1b)
1. The Church is a Community which LIVES “...in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” - (1:1b)
The Church—this Church, belongs to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!
Of all the things we can do, the church should only do what only the church can do!
2. The Church is a Community which is MARKED by “Grace and Peace” - (1:1c)
2. The Church is a Community which is MARKED by “Grace and Peace” - (1:1c)
Within that greeting is an important truth: we are to be marked by grace and peace, because we have all RECEIVED grace and peace!
Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
3. The Church is a Community which is DISTINGUISHED by Faith, Love, and Hope - (1:3)
3. The Church is a Community which is DISTINGUISHED by Faith, Love, and Hope - (1:3)
Last week we looked at two aspects of these Christian qualities:
FIRST, Each is OUTGOING!
FIRST, Each is OUTGOING!
Faith is directed towards God, love towards others, and hope towards the future!
J.B. Lightfoot writes, “Faith rests on the past; love works in the present; hope looks to the future.”
SECOND, Each is PRODUCTIVE!
SECOND, Each is PRODUCTIVE!
These are not abstract qualities, rather they have concrete, practical results!
Faith WORKS!
Love LABORS (from kopou - ‘intense labor, toil’)!
Hope ENDURES!
We ended with a couple of voices from Church history:
John Calvin (1550) refers to this passage as, “…a brief definition of true Christianity.”
Johann Bengel (1866), “…in these (sc. faith, hope and love) the whole of Christianity […] consists.”
4. The Church is a Community which is LOVED and CHOSEN by God - (1:4)
4. The Church is a Community which is LOVED and CHOSEN by God - (1:4)
Again, from Stott,
To whatever denomination or tradition we may belong, the doctrine of election causes us difficulties and questions. To be sure, it is a truth which runs through Scripture, beginning with God’s call of Abraham (Gen 12:1) and later his choice of Israel ‘out of all nations’ to be his ‘treasured possession […] a kingdom of priests and a holy nation’ (Ex 19:5-6). This vocabulary is deliberately transferred in the New Testament to the Christian community.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Moreover, the topic of election is nearly always introduced for a practical purpose, in order to foster assurance (not presumption), holiness (not moral apathy), humility (not pride) and witness (not lazy selfishness).
But still no explanation of God’s election is given except God’s love.
The LOVE of God!
The LOVE of God!
Deuteronomy 7:7–8 ESVIt was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
IN the same way, Paul unites the love of God and the election of God - (1:4)!
He chose us because He loves us! This is a consistent message of the NT:
even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,
Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring. This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering—
The CHOICE of God - (v.4b)
The CHOICE of God - (v.4b)
Do you know you were chosen by God?
As difficult as this may be to understand, or accept, it is TRUE!
ἐκλογὴν - Noun - “election, selection, choice, chosen” - Used 7 times in the NT.
But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.
though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls—
So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace. What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened,
Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Whether you understand it, or not, you get to go to heaven because of God’s call and election!
ἐκλεκτός - Adjective - ‘chosen, select, elect’ - Used 23 times in the NT.
For many are called, but few are chosen.”
And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.
Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you.
Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,
Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness,
They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”
ἐκλέγομαι - Verb - “choose, select, elect” - Also used 23 times in NT.
And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days.
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,
even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
Even though I do not pretend to understand how this all works (my free will and God’s election), I know it’s true.
Though that may sound as a cop-out, I refuse to limit God to my capacity to understand God—especially when God’s Word clearly teaches both—the necessity of FAITH, and the ELECTION or CHOICE of GOD!
Sometimes in the SAME PASSAGE:
He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.
That we must BELIEVE in the Gospel is as clear as the teaching of God’s election:
If belief is not necessary, somebody should have told Jesus. He repeatedly taught the necessity of belief:
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, he said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’ Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.
He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.
On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.
John tells us the purpose of his Gospel is that we might believe!
but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
AND THAT’S JUST THE GOSPELS! I am not exaggerating to say we could stay all afternoon if we were to read every passage that calls for us to believe!
Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.
Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
Perhaps a comment from one of Andrew’s professors is appropriate: “The doctrine of election is not for unbelievers, but for believers!”
Election is the ASSURANCE of God’s love!
Which, by the way, is the only MOTIVE and/or EXPLANATION for both belief and election: GOD’S LOVE!
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you,
As far as being able to understand this completely, I would direct your thoughts to God’s Word to the prophet Isaiah:
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Conclusion to Part Three...
Conclusion to Part Three...
What have we learned?
The Church is a community which lives in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Church is a community marked with grace and peace.
The Church is a community distinguished by faith, love, and hope.
The Church is a community which is loved and chosen by God.