Text: 1 Timothy 3:15 “But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.”

Theme: The local church is of great importance to your spiritual growth and to the work of the Gospel.

Intro:

  1. Today, there are many different views on what a church is and what it ought to be accomplishing.
  • A large number of Christians see the local church as a social club and have no real understanding of the spiritual importance of the local church.
  • Others have the view that the local church is a charity for their exploitation. They are happy to come along and enjoy the tea, coffee, and a bickie while having no interest in spiritual things.
  • Some see the church as a universal / spiritual entity with no physical locality and so they don’t attend church at all.
  1. This morning, I would like to examine what the Bible has to say about the nature and function of a local church as well as remind us of what our church’s doctrinal statement says about the local church.

Main

  1. It Is a Local Assembly of Believers (Acts 2:41) – Covered Last Week
  2. It Is Not a Social Club (I Timothy 3:15)
    a. The church has a God ordained governance
    b. The church is organised, with Christ as her Head. (Colossians 1:18 & I Tim 3:15)
    – Colossians 1:18 says that Jesus Christ is the head of the church and He is to have the pre-eminence in all things.
    – I Timothy 3:15 says that the Apostle Paul was writing to give instructions regarding the proper way to behave in the local church.
    – The Bible makes it very clear that believers ought to behave themselves in the local church because they are there as representatives of Christ and of the “truth” which is the Word of God.
    c. The church is not optional
    – Every born-again Christian should look for a local church, that they agree with in doctrine and practice, which they can join and serve God in.
    – God intends for the church to grow, and he has chosen who will be members of each local church. (I Corinthians 12:18)
    d. Members should be in attendance whenever the doors are open unless providentially hindered.
    – Since God is the one who establishes the membership of the church, and the church is supposed to be subject to Christ as its head, it is important that we give the church the priority it deserves in our lives.
    – If you are a member of the local church, then you are part of what God calls the body of Christ. Like your physical body needs all its parts in order to function properly, so the local church needs all its members in order to function as God intended it to.
    e. As a member of this local church, it is important that you make every effort to attend the church whenever you are able to.
    – Hebrews 10:25 warns us, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”
  3. It Has a Specific Mission (Mathew 28:18-20)
    a. The Proclamation of the Gospel (Mathew 28:18-20)
    – As we mentioned earlier in our study, the Lord Jesus Christ established His church during his earthly ministry. Just before He returned to heaven, the Lord Jesus gave the spiritual work of proclaiming the gospel to his church.
    – If the Great Commission was given to individuals and not to the church, then when those individuals died the mission would have died with them. Since the Great Commission was given to the church, and this is one of the Lord’s churches, we have a responsibility to fulfil the Commission that has come down to us today.
    b. An outreach program helps to serve this purpose
    c. The Bible also gives us a key method for getting the Gospel out and that is to go from house to house with the gospel.
    – Act 20:20“And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house, Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.”
    – Psalm 126:6“He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”
    – Romans 10:15“And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”
    d. The Defence of the Truth (I Timothy 3:15)
    – This verse give us the picture of the church as being both a pillar and a solid foundation. Like a building that needs both a foundation and walls to hold the roof up, the local church is the foundation and support structure that hold the truth up in its rightful place.
    – It is the responsibility of this local church to study the Bible to see what it says about the truth and then to uphold the truth in faith and practice until the Lord Jesus comes.
    – What is “the faith” mentioned here? Well it is identified by the descriptor of having been “once delivered unto the saints.” The faith is the whole body of truth contained within the pages of the Bible.
  4. The challenge for us as Christians today is simple.
    a. Be committed to finding a local church you are in agreement with and joining it with the purpose of being ap art of the work.
    b. Be very careful that you don’t develop the social club approach to the local church. The church is not on equal terms with your local footy club or lawn bowls club.
    c. If you are going to join a church with the purpose of being a part of the work, then be prepared to work. You need to work hard to equip yourself with knowledge of the Word of God that will enable you to stand for the truth and defend the faith once delivered unto the saint.

Conclusion:

  1. If you are thinking about joining the local church but you are unsure whether this is for you, then you need to examine yourself and ask some serious questions. If you answer yes to each question, the final one will require some deeper heart searching.
    a. Am I truly born-again and scripturally baptized?
    b. Does this church preach and teach the Word of God faithfully?
    c. Does this church uphold biblical standards for practical Christian living?
    d. Does God want me to be a part of his local church?
    e. Then, what is preventing me from joining?
  2. If you are already part of the local church, are you faithful in attendance to the local assembly, “not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together”? Are you equipping yourself to defend the faith and uphold the truth before a lost and dying world?